The Same-Same Game!

Unfortunately, the Puppet Show scheduled for today was postponed to next Wednesday, March 4th.

Fortunately, we have a great class who took it in stride and enthusiastically jumped right into another engaging game, perfect for these rainy days...The Same-Same Game.



There are two primary objectives of this game:
1) Develop tactile awareness - identifying objects by touch.
2) Encourage responsive one-on-one interaction and turn-taking.

All who played, joyfully exhibited both objectives beyond expectations.

Here's how it's played. We have a dual chamber "touch box" with flaps covering the openings at each end. You could just as easily use a pair of shoe boxes containing duplicate objects - the main thing is that they DON'T PEEK!

Player 1 reaches in and extracts an object and holds it up for Player 2 to see. Using only that visual, Player 2 reaches inside his own box to find the most similar object by sense of touch alone, with the question, "SAME?"..."SAME!" Turns alternate until all items have been discovered.

As more language develops, you can substitute one of the boxes with descriptive tactile clues such as hard/soft, light/heavy, smooth/rough, round/pointy, etc...

We're All Fired!

No, this is not part of the current economic situation, but the completion of our first ceramics unit:

CERAMICS
As illustrated above, the class marveled at the transformation of dull pastel tones to vibrant, shiny hues on our ceramics. Note their fascination with the remains of one pinch pot on the paper plate in the center of the table. This item exploded in the kiln, the result of a teacher too eager to fire before it was adequately dried. No worry, though...we'll be rolling in the clay plenty more this year!

TODAY'S STORY
Alpha Oops!, by Althea Kontis, illustrated by Bob Kolar. Z is tired of always having to be last when the alphabet family lines up. He is demanding fair and equal treatment! The letters (more or less) agree to go backwards, but it's not long before P has some ideas of his own. And so does H, for that matter. In fact, it seems as if almost every letter has a different opinion about how the alphabet should be arranged. It's chaos! It's pandemonium! And it's definitely not as easy as A-B-C! Filled with visually humorous details, Bob Kolar's colorful illustrations are the perfect foil for Alethea Kontis's snappy story about the comic confusion that comes when the letters of the alphabet, like a class of unruly children, step out of order and show that each one has a mind of its own.

Pinch Pots...PLUS!

Two figures and an island, drying before bisque firing.

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
After working the clay to a satisfactory softness, we set to work on our first ceramic project - PINCH POTS!

The process involves three steps, all challenging to a four-year old, yet especially rewarding when completed:

1. Roll clay into a ball.
2. Poke your finger or thumb into the middle, almost all the way.
3. Pinch and turn.
   
4. Repeat Step 3 until you get it the way you want it to be.
5. When you totally wreck it by missing any of the italicized terms in steps 1-4, repeat Steps 1-4.

...and they sure did. In fact, they seemed to enjoy pushing the limits of the medium, most likely because prior to each restart, they got to SLAM! the clay on the table (wedging) to get all the air bubbles out.*

*The presence of air bubbles in the clay when firing usually results in the piece exploding in the kiln - a "WOW! COOL!" concept that seems equally rewarding to them as having an object to glaze.

As illustrated in the top and bottom photos, many were compelled to create further items on their own with remaining clay.

Clara attached a bajillion-carat jewel to her ring.

Next up: Firing

Clay!

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
Today we began the messy, wonderful business of ceramics. This isn't some sweet little keepsake made in a half hour at Terra Mia. Rather, we begin with raw clay and carry it all the way through to a functional item, beautifully glazed to the creator's specifications. Here's what we did so far:

The raw clay we procured was old (yes, arguably all clay is old). By this, I mean it was too old and stiff for the muscles in our little hands to manipulate it. What to do?

We began by sealing a few ounces of water in a plastic bag with the clay and repeatedly dropped, tossed, punched and pounded the parcel until able to cut into it. Still, these relatively thin slices were too firm to form. Imagine lifting something half your weight and intentionally dropping it several times on the floor to consider the deep sensory pressure they sought. When it came time to work the clay, they were calmly energized and focused.

So we overlapped them on trays and twisted, pounded poked and rubbed them together with wet hands, constantly adding a few drops at a time. Still too firm.

We persevere, working it all together when Bella and Gregory make a discovery - when you "claw and drag" the top layer of clay, that which separates into your hands is the perfect soft consistency for ceramic work. A few cups of water, drops at a time, coupled with an hour of deep hand muscle work, yielded enough soft clay for our class project.

One added bonus of all this (literally) manual labor is the development of motor strength and fine motor feel that will benefit the next stage.

Next: Pinch Pots!

Butterflies!

Those color mixing experiments metamorphasized into butterflies!

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
Today, both groups made playdough with Sonya. Each child added his/her ingredient and noted the change that took place as it was mixed in. The best part, of course, was playing with it while it was still HOT!

TODAY'S STORY
At the first annual "states party," Virginia and Idaho hatch a plan to swap spots so each can see another part of the country. Before the party is over, all the states decide to switch places. In the beginning, every state is happy in its new location. But soon things start to go wrong. Florida, who switches spots with Minnesota, is freezing in the frosty northern climate, and Minnesota hasn't brought sunscreen and is getting an awful sunburn. Will the states ever unscramble themselves and return to their proper places? The motto: There's no place like home.

Our class, even with their limited knowledge of geography, were amused by the joking and bickering among the states which were very familiar to them.

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
Dying giant coffee filters with water colors and eye droppers. Eye droppers are one of many terrific tools for developing fine motor control, delivering measured drops of color to specific areas. The children marveled at the migration of color as it spread throughout the material, often overlapping and forming new, unexpected color changes.

TODAY'S STORY
Listen, Buddy! by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. A hilarious romp about a bunny who just can't seem to listen. He is constantly confusing instructions. For example, when his parents ask for a slice of bread, he saws off a piece of his bed. But everything changes when he takes a wrong turn and meets up with Scruffy Varmint.

Trapeze Arts!

TRAPEZE ARTS!
Today both groups participated in Trapeze Arts. After our initial stretches to prevent injury, we practiced many different types of mobility, from kicking our own hands with every high step to crab walking across the room. The we used the mini-trampoline first to practice running two-feet jumps. Then we used it with a wedge mat to practice a "donkey kick" bounce to a handstand, then through a somersault down the ramp. Great fun, developing upper body strength, balance and coordination.

POPULAR ACTIVITY
Here's a great way to encourage your child to practice drawing and writing. Get a tray with some colored sand or salt. Any color will do, as long as the contrast is clear, e.g...white salt on a dark tray. S/he can draw in it with fingers as a sensory activity or practice proper "tripod" pencil grip with a small stick or old pen. One benefit is that their "mistakes" disappear with a jiggle of the tray. Developmentally, four-year-olds are often more capable of ideas than their motor skills allow. This can sometimes lead to a bit of frustration. If your child is particularly prideful and suffers this frustration, this is a great way for them to practice without evidence of "mistakes."*

*Please understand, I don't believe there can be mistakes in their exploratory work. I use the term to describe only the discrepancy between what they intend to produce and what they draw, write and reflect on.

TODAY'S STORY
Bolt Read-Aloud Storybook, based on the recent Disney animated feature, tells the tale of a Hollywood stunt dog who, for the first time, encounters the real outside world. Supported by a gnarly cat and star-struck guinea pig, he makes his way back to Hollywood from NYC to be reunited with his co-star, who adopts him, moves to the country, and lives a better, more fulfilling life being a regular old dog.