B is for Busy

Last week the letter of the week was B. During B week, we put stuffed bears under the loft and turned it into a bear cave. We read non-fiction books about bears and talked about hibernation. We measured different kinds of bears using different measuring techniques. We painted polar bears using sponge brushes. To cap it off, we read Goldilocks and the Three Bears and acted it out. Busy, indeed!

Acting out Goldilocks and the Three Bears was definitely a highlight of the week. Your children have a flair for the dramatic arts! Re-enacting stories is a fun way to promote language development and comprehension. It also reinforces story structure and is an important component of learning to read.

Legos continue to be one of the most popular toys in the class. We usually put them out as an after lunch activity, but one morning we put them out as a choice for free play. After exploring for awhile, a few friends decided to make a 3-D maze like the wooden ones that you have to tilt, turn and balance in an attempt to get a marble through from beginning to end. In this case, the friends used a lego head as the marble. They called it a “lego head maze.” We overheard conversations taking place like, “What if we used this piece to put a tunnel here?” and “That piece won’t work - it’s too long. Let’s try this.” As teachers, it was thrilling to watch this unfold. It is amazing what kind of learning happens when children are given ample time to play and explore.

Next week we start gearing up for Valentine’s Day! We will be sending you a letter with information on how we celebrate this holiday in the Yellow Class. Thanks again for sharing your kiddos with us!

Maggie and Jan