October 19, 2015

We've been working on shapes and colors as well as sorting here at Vinton's PK.  This light box gave us an opportunity to see shapes and colors in a new "view" as well as do some color mixing.

Making a pie, rolling dough and getting the filling ready.

Mixing up something tasty for our family.

Making toast on the cast iron stove.  It was tricky back in the old days without a toaster.

Stoking the fire.  Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.

Boiling water for laundry washing.  Careful-that cast iron stove is very hot.

Dressing up in old-fashioned clothing provides an expanded opportunity to practice self-help skills. 

Friends get a chance to dry the laundry as well. Clothespins encourage fine motor skills.

Laundry in the old days.

Our new Housekeeping Center that has given way to the "OLD."  Drama Center is typically addressing Cognitive performance standards such as “understands and participates in conversations”, “Uses complex sentences and vocabulary to describe ideas and experiences”, and Personal/Social Standards “Interacts cooperatively with peers”.  In addition, Dramatic Play addresses the Creative Expression Domain “Represents experiences in pretend play”.  What you’ll be seeing is a whole group circle where we discover how people wash their clothes now (washing machine) and how people washed their clothing 100 years ago.  We will also compare how people dry their clothes now (dryer) and how people dried their clothes 100 years ago.  The drama center was “Housekeeping” with contemporary machines “New” as well as having listed “Things We Do to Help Our Families”, now it is Housekeeping 100 years ago “Old” and we’ve learned how to stoke the cast iron stove, picked up cast iron, learned how to sweep with a broom and how to make pies and bake them.  So you’ll be seeing the children learn to wash and hang clothing and then engage in play using these same artifacts. 

I have been working with the University of Connecticut's "Making History" grant over the summer and now into the Fall.  Children will be learning about change from a historical perspective.  This is our "OLD" housekeeping Dramatic Play Center.  The fire looks like it needs to be stoked.

Everyone got a complementary hat.  Jr. Firefighters we are!

Fire Safety Day with the wonderful folks from the Eagleville Fire Department.  We sorted "hot" and "cold."

Children are learning to write their names, and if they already know how, they are writing an entire name or adding their last names.  Handwriting without Tears is the letter formation program we are using.

We learned how to make a pie.  The children will be learning about both Housekeeping New (present day) and Old (100 years ago).

Sorting, sorting, sorting.

Table Center with Mrs. D facilitating.

In September, we've been learning about colors and shapes.  This is a shape sorting activity using written labels.  We worked together in small groups of 3-4 students to stimulate conversation.



Lined up waiting for friends to get off the buses.  A good time for conversation and a song.

Sink or Float?  Keeping cool with friends at school.

During those warm summer days in August, the children engaged in structured water day outside.  Sink or Float, a Water Wall with cause and effect, Roll 6 and Splash and Sprinkler time for physical activity allowed for learning fun.

Creativity

Creativity with everyday objects!  Students are given novel materials and allowed to explore.  This is a VOLCANO!

We Love Our School Shoes

Students read "Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes" and created their own class books.  Guess Who?