Getting Ready For Take Off

UPCOMING EVENTS
Fleet Week is fast approaching, and with it, the BLUE ANGELS! I will be presenting information to the children to help them understand what the Blue Angels are and why they are so LOUD. The biggest fear children have is not knowing where the noise is coming from. Feel free to click and print the photo to share with them. Demystifying them for students in past years has helped to quell fears and allow appreciation for this exciting spectacle. We will maintain the option of indoor activities for those anxious about the noise. We take special pleasure in having the children identify the "letters" they write in the sky (mostly "O","I" and "D", oddly enough). For better or worse, the practices usually occur during lunch, nap time, and mid-afternoon. Sleep schedules may be temporarily disrupted Thursday and Friday.

I can highly recommend the Red Bull Air Races as a fun event for the family. These planes are small, brightly colored and perform stunts with incredible precision between giant inflated "cones" over the bay. Truly astonishing, and not nearly as loud as the Blue Angels.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Our class has already developed a penchant for paper airplanes. We will incorporate them into our week of activities. Wind and flight have been of keen interest to our students in the past week as we track the paths of paper airplanes and bubbles. This week we will be making thins that fly, from paper airplanes to whirlygigs and a classic Korean kite design with a high success rate (no pun intended). The big vocabulary word for the week will be symmetry, as this is evident in nearly all things that fly and our own bodies, as well.


TODAY'S STORY
Bunny Cakes, by Rosemary Wells. Max and Ruby are immensely popular with our class. In this installment, They both are intent on making a birthday cake for Grandma. Ruby endures setback after setback to produce an "Angel Cake with Raspberry Fluff Icing." Max delivers an "Earthworm Mud Cake with Red-Hot Marshmallow Squirters." Which will Grandma eat first? The real gem in this story is Max's pre-literate attempts to put "Red Hot Marshmallow Squirters on the shopping list. He finally succeeds by drawing what they look like instead of scrawling illegible writing to communicate his wishes.

I had originally intended to read Pet Show, by Ezra Jack Keats, thus completing a week of his wonderful stories. Due to a logistical error, the book didn't make it to school. No worry, for we'll revisit it (and Willie the dachshund) in a future unit on animals and pets.

Trapeze Thursday

TODAY'S ACTIVITY (photos to follow - check back soon)
Trapeze Arts comes to Room 4! Today marked our first session of the year of this enrichment activity. We began with a round of fun stretching execises that involved walking up walls (literally) and flying on our stomachs (imaginatively). Slater demonstrated and guided the class through feats of gymnastics and elevated balance. These activities are so fun that they also serve as an indicator for listening, comprehending and following directions. Nobody doesn't like gymnastics!

BALANCING BLOCKS
I've commented before about the relationship of blocks to math in counting and symmetry. The children are keen on buildings that are suitable for balancing. This group of kids worked very cooperatively to construct a challenging "course". They moved slowly, deliberately so as not to disturb the structure or one another. Aside from a few chuckles, they were so engaged and so careful that they were nearly silent in concentration. Balance is a gross motor activity that is valued for developing spatial awareness and coordination, both important for brain development.

Liam's drawing of the Block House. His use of perpendicular and bisecting lines not only resemble the features of the blocks, but seem almost like blueprints.






TODAY'S STORY
Whistle For Willie, by Ezra Jack Keats. Probably the favorite Keats book this week. Peter (also of Peter's Chair) wants to whistle so much. He sees another boy whistle and the boys dog comes immediately. Peter tries and tries as he goes about his day of exploring. When he sees Willie the dachshund approaching he hides inside a carton and blows again and again. Finally, a whistle comes out. Willie looks about and rushes over when he sees Peter. His admiring family appreciates his whistling almost as much as Willie, who sits up when he does. Our class adores these 'slice of life' stories, especially when they involve children and animals.

Teacher, We Need More Red!

PAINTING TAKES A NEW TURN
We've seen a few paintings on the blog, with hundreds more to follow. When the children discover the new or unexpected, I hope to share these moments with you. We had a number of monochromatic paintings today, the most common color being an eye-searing bright red. "What's the point?" one may ask. Well, there are several, the first of which is the painter was inspired to do so. Secondly, the initial strokes often mimic the letters of their names, rudimentary faces, or other figures painted and elaborated upon until it is completely covered. Third, the painting is merely a base of something else. In this case, drawing with the point of the brush handle.

Click on the painting for an enlargement.

That's right! We have writing! This is a huge topic that I am not going to cover in one post. Rather, we will revisit examples throughout the school year as more and more of them emerge.(Emergent curriculum is the science of watching for naturally occuring signs of readiness and providing well-timed guidance to assist in their development of these important skills)


In Lola's drawing, we see several visual motifs universal to all children, of all countries and cultures as noted by Rhoda Kellogg, our school's founder. These elemental marks (-,|,+,o) will soon combine into readily identified letters of the alphabet and eventual words. Note that her arrangement of the marks follow a set of horizontal paths, demonstrating a key component of print awareness.

Note Jabari's print awareness by his similar orientation. He has chosen to represent text with a set of carefully placed zig-zagging horizontal lines. Let's face it, grown ups - since using the computer for most of our written communication, his writing is not too different from much of ours.




TODAY'S ACTIVITY
Sonya helped the rest of the class complete their paper bag "Puppet Pals." The details important to individual students make them all so uniquely special. I cannot wait to see how they are personified in the puppet stage in the days to come.

Another set of "Puppet Pals" by Sebastian, Nate, Mollie, Christopher and Dorri, respectively.

TODAY'S STORY
Louie, by Ezra Jack Keats. We're on a bit of an Ezra jack Keats roll this week. His insight on how children think and act borders on the profound. He was one of the first children's book authors to feature "multicultural" diversity on every page and his stories always remains true to the pure essence of childhood. In this story, Louie is an exceedingly shy child. None of the other children have ever heard him speak. That changed the day of the puppet show when Louie spoke to a puppet and became enthralled with it. The children who put on the show had a present for him that day. At the end of a long green string was "Gussie" the puppet. Our learners enjoy Keats' rich illustrations and the familial warmth of his characters. They also love seeing "Willie" the dachshund, who does frequent cameos in his numerous books. Thus, we will read Whistle For Willie tomorrow.

ZACH AND CLIFF
No, they aren't a TV action hero team (although the kids may bring it out of 'em soon) They are actually volunteers from Stuart Hall High School. Community Service is a valued part of the curriculum at Stuart Hall, and we are one of the beneficiaries. Zach and Cliff will work with our class under our supervision to help provide the rich, warm and attentive care for the children. On their first visit today, they passed "trial by fire" with flying colors, surviving snack time, our puppet-making session, reading a story to the group, and a very bubbly, very lively outside playtime. Please join us in welcoming them to the Phoebe Hearst family.

Tuesday Art Studio

Round painting in colors by Benjamin. Of particular interest is that the secondary oranges, purples, teals and golds were created solely by mixing other primary colors. They were not present in the paint cups as seen here. The discoveries occur when layering wet colors or by picking up a different color on the same brush.

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
Our visit to the Art Studio is always a welcome change of setting for our young learners. The sun-drenched room invites a new perspective for new and familiar activities alike. Here's what was on the menu today:

• Solid tempera painting with fingertip "claw" brushes.
• Glass drop "jewels" in bins of pink water with funnels, scoops, cups and bottles of various sizes.
• Easel painting on circular blue paper, using brushes with very long handles to refine motor control.
• Collages on grid paper with 3/4" squares of color, cancelled postage stamps, and stickers.
• Hexagonal tiles on a textured tile grid.
• The requisite drawing/cutting/taping table with plenty of envelopes - I see a unit on "mail" in the future (strong motivation to learn writing skills)
  

A set of Snakes by Taye. Tayes use of patterned stripes and figurative description are fascinating enough. What really caught my eye was the incredibly careful retracing of outlines. Amazing, really.

NOTE: You can click on any image for an enlargement.


TODAY'S STORY
Peter's Chair, by Ezra Jack Keats. In keeping with yesterday's survey, we read this marvelous tale of a young boy coping with the a new baby sister. Peter is dismayed. All of his old baby furniture is turning up pink! First his cradle, then his high chair and crib. There's only one thing left - his chair. He decides to run away with Willie the dachshund, taking his chair, his baby picture and a bag with cookies and dog biscuits. Willie brought his bone. On the street, Peter decided to rest in his chair, only to discover that he no longer fits! When he comes in for lunch, he plays a trick on his mother. Seeing his shoes below a curtain, she spys him. She draws the curtain back, only to discover that he only placed his shoes there! He pops out from behind a chest and surprises her. At the end, Peter helps his father paint his old chair pink for his sister, Susie. Willie tracks through, leaving pink pawprints on the floor. Tomorrow we will read another book by the same author, Louie, in preparation for completion of Sonya's paper bag "Puppet Pal" project.

Paper Bag Buddies

A set of "Bag Puppet Pals" by Sheyla, Belle, Henry, Madrid and Liam, respectively.

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
The children were enthralled about Sonya's paper bag "Puppet Pal" project. The photo speaks much better than I. Those who did not yet make theirs will do so on Wednesday. They are very excited about trying them out in our puppet show theater. I will get video. I promise. Thankfully, the voices of students this age register should pretty well on the in-camera microphone.

MOVING AND (NOT) SHAKING
Usha conducted a terrific "Movement" session today balancing various items while walking, from bean bags on the head, to glass drops on spoons, then to very difficult marbles in spoons. The children were up to the challenges and enjoyed them immensely. We will continue to work on their motor control and hand-eye coordination with these exercises all week.

TODAY'S STORY
A New Barker In The House by Tomie dePaola. We first met Morgie and Muffy Barker on their (and our) first day of school. Now their parents have adopted a new puppy, who only speaks Spanish. Fortunately, he also speaks the language of play. In his play with the twins he learns many English words and they learn many Spanish words. It's an endearing story that led directly into...




...OUR FIRST SURVEY!
Today, we used our name cards to answer a simple survey question:
"Do You Have A Little Brother/Sister?" The answer: 14 Yes, 7 No. Aside from the initial critical thinking, this exercise provides valuable opportunities for letter/name recognition, counting and comparing quantities. They. Love. It.






"OM FOR KIDS" YOGATHON CONCLUSION
I am indebted to all of you who encouraged me with your sponsorship in Saturday's Yogathon. Sharon meadow was bathed in a pastoral light and the weather was just perfect. I did the full 108 Sun Salutations in good form and felt like I could have gone another set when it was over. Your exceptional generosity placed me in the top 3 fundraisers of all the participants. Our team of 11 raised over $3500 for Covenant House California providing shelter and services for homeless youth in the Bay Area. A couple of the young people from the shelter came and shared their stories of overcoming more hardship in their teen years than I'll likely see in my entire lifetime. With CHC's help they got clean, completed their GEDs, found jobs, got their driver's licenses and are preparing for a hopeful future. After their moving testimonies, the Yogathon was but a lovely morning of intense exercise and friendship. I am counting my blessings, including the wonderful families of our terrific school.

A BIG PLUS - In my swag bag, I received a deck of "Yoga For Kids" cards with illustrated poses. Our whole class will benefit throughout the year!

TOMORROW: The Art Studio!

A New Friend on Friday

THE GRASSY PLAYGROUND
Today's outside time was mostly about the snail. Yes, one snail. You never saw so much attention showered on a single mollusk that wasn't prepared by Thomas Keller. That's one animal that can take prodigious eye-poking. The children were fascinated, and so was I once I read more. The requisite climbing, see-sawing, and infinite vinyl block destructo-sculptures were also the source of much active engagement.

MATH IN THE MIRROR
The concept of symmetry was noted today in the "Animal Castle" built by Aidan F. and Madrid today:

A: Hey, look how big our tower is.
M: Yeah, it's big...with big dinosaurs!
A: There's another cheetah in that tunnel... there's two!
M: Where? Hey! There's a Aidan in there. That's you, too.
A: Look on top! I made it here, and it's there, too.
M: It's really, really so big!
A: ...and it's the same.
M: Yeah, the same big one!

That's entirely why we placed the large plexi-mirror in the block area.

TODAY'S STORY
Max's Dragon Shirt, by Rosemary Wells. Max loves his blue play pants so much that he never takes them off. They're messy and long overdue for replacement. Ruby is given $5.00 to take Max to the store and buy him some new pants. All Max can say is "Dragon Shirt!". Ruby takes a long time to try on dresses and Max wanders away. In his attempts to find her, he ends up in the boy's dept. and tries on a dragon shirt. Ruby is frantic to search for her lost brother and is led to him by a helpful store clerk. Max enjoyed a dish of ice cream with the store police. They had to buy the $5.00 shirt once it was stained with ice cream. It was a very happy ending for a very messy Max.

After the story we talked about what to do if you get lost in a store. You look for a clerk with a name tag at the cash register or counter and tell them who you lost. They will gladly help you find your parent.

To learn more about Rosemary Wells, CLICK
HERE. There are book lists, activity pages and interesting information on reading. There is also a link to the Max and Ruby program pages as seen on Nick Jr.

"OM FOR KIDS" UPDATE 9/22
I am floored by the incredible generosity from all of you. (Literally, on my chest trying to touch the back of my head with my toes...so close!) As much as your philanthropy means, I am especially touched by the moral support and encouragement you have all given me at school. I received a call from Covenant House California with commendations for your contributions. The cause is so worthy. For anyone who still wishes to contribute, please CLICK HERE to do so securely. Really, I couldn't ask for any thing more, except maybe a tube of Icy/Hot on Monday.

Have a great weekend! See you all on Monday.

Sorting, Of All Sorts!

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
As the class completed brightly colored collages earlier this week, Usha observed the children sorting the shapes and colors when working. Today, she set up a smorgasboard of stations for sorting and classifying. This is an early form of practical mathematics.

Sorting marbles by color. It was determined in a post-game survey that we have lots more red than the other colors. An interesting discovery by Luca: "Hey, I thought it was a black marble, but it was a green marble and it changes color on the red dish!"




Sorting by color or species and counting small animals. The fun really started when they arranged little "circle times" on the matching color plates, complete with sing-alongs.






Sorting, naming and counting geometric shapes.









TODAY'S STORY
Ten Apples Up On Top, by Theo. Le Seig, illustrated by Roy McKie. You likely read this classic several times as a child, as it has been a staple in millions of elementary school classrooms for decades. It is a hilarious counting book with three animal friends in constant one-up-manship, balancing apples on their head. Children insist on counting the apples to see which animal has the most. They also seem to enjoy absurdity of anything to do with the head. A kill-joy bear attempts to ruin their game, with surprising results. Let's face it. The visual of anything but a hat on someone's head is a sure-fire laugh for a preschooler. Use of the "-head" suffix will unleash a swift stream of hysteria as they run through every single root word in their vocabularies. Who am I kidding? It works for adults. Go ahead, try it. You'll crack yourself up.

one gold star for the first parent to tell me the author's given name, which is intentionally misspelled on the cover.

"OM FOR KIDS" Update 9/21
When organizers of the event commend me on the contributions by my sponsors, I always defer to your incredible generosity to children in spirit of philanthropy. If you haven't had the opportunity to participate by sponsoring me, now is the time. Friday is the last day to sponsor me. Please CLICK HERE to make a secure online contribution to Covenant House California. 100% of the proceeds go directly life-saving services for homeless youth 24/7. It's a Yogathon, and my gratitude to you all can only be expressed in three words: "Snap, Crackle and Pop!"

Music with Annette - Every Wednesday.

Today we had our first music class with one of our favorite people, Annette. Annette is an very talented musician who is a natural with children. She is a trained professional in the Orff Classical approach. Her sessions are warm, engaging and focused on specific aspects of music and composition. Some lessons are vocal, some instrumental, and all incorporate movement to illustrate elements such as pitch and tempo. Other lessons may focus on certain styles, such as call-and-respond, marches and expressive movement.

Today's "Play-list":

• The "Hello _______, How Do You Do?" song - practicing names of peers and helping new students to learn Annette's name, as well.
• "Look At Me, I'm As Tall As A Tree" is an interpretive exercise to imagine the life cycle of a tree, leaf, seed and grown tree again.
• "Up The Slide To The Top" is a very fun exercise in scales, as we climb through higher notes and slide down to lower notes with variations in tempo with each repetition.
• Finish our session with a ukelele* sing-a-long of "You Are My Sunshine." I was overjoyed and a bit touched to see how many in our group knew this song, obviously learned from loving parents.

*one extra gold star goes to the first parent that tells me the literal Hawaiian translation for the word "ukulele".

TODAY'S STORY
I Heard, Said The Bird, by Polly Berends, illustrated by Brad Sneed (same as yesterday's story) Sonya selected this lovely story of the barnyard animals seeking to find out who had a new baby. I'll give it away - it's the human farmer's family. where we were working primarily with sequencing earlier, the rewards of this story are in phonics and rhyme.
"I heard," said the bird.
"How?" said the cow.
"Where?" said the mare. The patterned phonetical clues help to sharpen listening for rhymes and 'guessing' who said what. Sonya's careful reading often left the 'rhyme' open for the listeners to deduce the animal.

"OM FOR KIDS" UPDATE 9/20
Thank You for the incredible generosity of the Room 4 parents sponsoring me in the upcoming Yogathon. These amounts are impressive, and Covenant House California will expand their effectiveness two- and three-fold in providing services for homeless youth. Friday is the last day to contribute if you haven't done so already. Please CLICK HERE to make a secure contribution and help homeless youth in the Bay Area.

The Art Studio - Every Tuesday.

TODAY'S ACTIVITY
We visited the Art Studio for the first time this year. Since we must exit the building to go to the lower level, the class regards this as somewhat of a field trip. "Look, there's our school, and there's our Room 4!" were the cries overheard on our 3 min. trek.



Activities in today's Art Studio:

• Dot blotters of various colors - color mixing, shape and pattern.
  
• Small square sheets of tissue paper with diluted glue - translucent color mixing by overlay.
• Sensory bins filled with round beans, a variety of containers and funnels - measuring and conservation.
• Colorful small blocks with little people - balance and 3-D composition.
• Painting easels with different scrapers in addition to the usual brushes.
• The ever present drawing/writing table stocked to the hilt with colored pencils, crayons, markers, paper, vellum, card stock, envelopes, tape and scissors.

Though some of these items aren't typical art media, our focus here is working with various materials and processes. Some are permanent, others done, disassembled and redone for mastery.



TODAY'S STORY
When The Fly Flew In, by Lisa Peters, illustrated with watercolors by Brad Sneed. Sonya shared another sequential story of a fly disrupting the relative calm of a house full of pets(?). The dog, the cat, the parakeet were all unsuccessful. The hamster succeeded by eating the large cookie crumb that attracted the pest in the first place. At our post-story discussion (snack time) the children opined why the different animals couldn't catch the fly (too big, too furry, too slow, no hands, etc...) Recall and sequencing are the order of the day for comprehending this story.



"OM FOR KIDS UPDATE 9/19"
I am deeply touched by the outpouring of support in my fundraising efforts for Covenant House California and the life-saving services they provide for homeless youth. Your support is so encouraging as I twist, stretch and contort in preparation for Saturday's Yogathon. I was completely unprepared for the level of gratitude I feel for your generosity. It's not to late to be a part of this wonderful event. Please CLICK HERE or the link in the right sidebar to make a secure contribution.

The Best Case of the Mondays

Today was ACTION PACKED! Fortunately, the children are comfortable with our routine and eager to participate. Our name cards are very useful so the children know where to report for their next activity. They may be loud at times, but never without direction. Special thanks to Sonya, Usha and Grandpa Carlos for keeping this hive humming along!


Belle puts finishing touches on her painting of "Mr. Squarehead Because He Has A Square Head" while Alexander experiments with color mixing. His discovery? red + yellow = 'burnt' orange, but pink + yellow = bright orange. I'll bet you didn't know that. Alexander does!

TODAY'S ART ACTIVITY
Usha guided the first group through a collage project today. The class enjoyed working with die-cut foam shapes with much more dimension than cut/torn paper. The project was open-ended, with each of the children determining when their piece was satisfactory. I can gladly say that they all were engaged for at least 15 minutes, with some extending to over half an hour. They remarked how the bright colors 'glow' on the 'night' paper.


MOVING WITH THE MAZE
Meanwhile, Andy had the other group in the multi-purpose room doing movement activities. We set up the mini-trampoline, the inclined mat, and a series of interlocking mats to form a maze that emptied to a clear path that funnels single-file at the end of the line. Place another mat across the top of the maze to make it dark inside and they shriek with glee inside the sound absorbing walls. When working with young children and lines, a 'circuit' layout is always beneficial. With a clear direction that is also fun to follow, you can avoid the crowding and inevitable collisions our age group has perfected over the centuries. The concept of forming and moving through lines safely and courteously was my ulterior motive. Mwahahaha!

TODAY'S STORY
Chicken Little, illustrated by Laura Rader. Sonya shared this classic nursery story with the class today. We all know the tale about a how a chick thought the sky was falling when an acorn dropped on him. In his haste, he gathered a troop of friends in a mild hysteria to warn the king. One of the reasons this story remains so popular with children is they practice and master important concepts for early literacy. First, there is a repetitive pattern of dialogue every time the chick meets another barnyard friend that children can predhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifict. Second, as each friend joins in, there is practice with memory and sequencing. These three elements are crucial to reading comprehension for our young learners. And you thought this was a simple story, right? Simplicity can be a profound learning tool.

Just look how much you learn about your children when you simply sit and watch when they think you aren't looking.

'OM FOR KIDS' YOGATHON UPDATE
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Some parents in our class made an incredibly generous donation to sponsor me next Saturday in the 'Om For Kids' Yogathon. CLICK HERE to join us in support of Covenant House California and provide life-saving services to homeless youth. In order to complete the 108 positions without injury, I attended a Yoga class last Saturday. I thought I knew all the muscles I had from working with four-year-olds for 14 years. Wrong-o! Any creaking is easily offset by such a worthy cause.

Fun on Friday

Map Of "I-Land" by Dorri.
Here's why that's not a typo:
Me: "Can you tell me about your drawing?"
Dorri: "It's I-Land."
Me: "Oh, you drew some islands?"
Dorri: (pointing the marker at herself) "That's I-Land!"

In addition to practicing name (photo) recognition, we found a great use for our new name cards today. By using them as placecards for lunch time, we eliminated the nebulous commotion of negotiating where to sit. Plus, they had fun showing one anther their cards and letters while waiting for the pizza, sliced cucumbers and 'duo of melons' to be served. Bon vivants, indeed.

THE GRASSY PLAYGROUND
Our Friday visit to the grassy playground was a real hoot today. Where last week's visit was about exploring the space, today's was more a set of collaborative efforts. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I didn't get any playground pics without their faces in clear view. The good news is that I got video! More on this later...

...so here's a 'radio' snapshot:

Idries, Christopher and Luca repeatedly built a tall tower of small blocks and knocked it down in a hysterical heap.

Belle and Aidan F. are climbing the olive tree. 'How to safely climb down yourself' was the teachable moment here.

Samantha, Athena and Lola are having a 'picnic' in the climbing cave. Tanbark tikka masala, anyone?

Sheyla and Nadia are on the spring-loaded seesaw. They figured out how to sync their movements to rock that thing alsmost to the ground.

Sebastian, Henry, Alexander and Benjamin are on their soft blocks 'driving cars', though the sound effects and motions more closely resemble those in a WWI plane. You must have interesting commutes.

Jabari, Mollie, Taye and Nate are sliding on mats down the slide, running to the top and trying to catch the other at the bottom. Think perpetual motion machine, but much louder and slapstick.

Dorri and Lilia Rose are running about, collecting leaves and dropping them onto the speedy sliders.

TODAY'S STORY
Angus and the Ducks, by Marjorie Flack. Angus the Scottie dog is very curious about the mysterious quacking sound from the other side of the hedge. He finds his way through to the other side to investigate. The ducks tolerate him until he startles them with a loud "Woof!". Our dog evades the hissing waddlers and retreats under the sofa indoors - one place he's sure he's never seen or heard a duck. The moral of the story? When you're sharing a playspace with someone, try not to ruffle their feathers.

"OM FOR KIDS" CHARITY EVENT
The students gave me a good workout on the playground, streching muscles in unexpected directions as I became involved in their climbing, running (again with the chasing) and tree climbing. Their methods are unconventional but effective. I should be in good shape for the charitable "Om For Kids" Yogathon next Saturday. Please CLICK HERE to make a secure online contribution. All proceeds go to Covenant House California to provide homeless youth with essential, sometimes life-saving services. I'll be posting on this topic all the way to the wire.

What's In A Name?

Today we selected colors and mounted our pictures on name cards. The name cards are the traditional three-lined strips on which you learned to write in Kindergarten. These will be used in multiple ways - basic letter and name recognition, attendance, assuming responsibilities in the class and sharing opinions in surveys. The letters are intentionally written in a very pale tone and laminated to encourage repeated tracing (and erasing) with markers. That's just the beginning. The students of Room 4 are an inexhaustable source for inspiration.

"Two Dragonflies" by Christopher

WE LOVE TACOS
It isn't everyday that a lunch menu item makes a mention, but today we had tacos as big as our heads! They were so big that we had to roll the tortillas into giant cones*, seal them with a little rice, and fill them with delicious rice, meat, cheese, corn and for the daring, salsa!
*The only way to keep the ingrediants off the laps and floor.

TODAY'S STORY
Amazing Grace, by Mary Hoffman. This is the story of an imaginative young girl who aspires to the lead role in her class production of Peter Pan. Her determination and love of dramatic play pushes aside superficial stereotypes that others express (a girl play Peter Pan?!).Though this book was written for older children, Usha presented the book in a simplified manner, focusing on the feelings of the characters and the realistic watercolors for reference. By careful monitoring of attention and thoughtful presentation, the stories you love are well within reach for your children.

HELP ANDY HELP HOMELESS YOUTH
I have registered to participate in the Covenant House California "Om for Kids" Yogathon on Saturday, September 23rd. We will perform 108 Sun Salutations outdoors in Golden Gate Park's beautiful Sharon Meadow. Won't you please sponsor me by making a secure online donation using your credit card. Prior to this event, the closest to Yoga I've done are countless hours contorting under rusty Studebakers during restoration. This cause is so much more worthy. Please give $10, $20, $50, whatever you can spare. Thank you.

ABCs, If You Please

Today the alphabet was front and center. We are always at the ready to foster learning when the students show interest. In the photo above a group of 6 were arranging the 'ABC puzzle-bugs' in alphabetical order. We did not direct this. We did, however, facilitate it by helping to guide turn-taking in a collaborative effort. Collectively, these learners could recognize, match upper- and lower-case. Sequencing was done with frequent singing of the 'Alphabet Song', starting from the beginning when unsure which letter was next. Though we don't know everything about our letters yet, we do know how to use what we do know to get the job done. This is a fantastic sign for a wonderful exploration of early literacy in the year to come.

THE PUPPET
Further support for the ABCs was provided by a racoon puppet named Rocky. His frequent mistakes with ath 'Alphabet Song' were kindly (and enthusiastically) corrected by our group. Some favorite miscues were:
A,B good to all your friends...A,B,C how big I've grown...A,B,C,D, Eat your vegetables...and so on. I do hope it doesn't backfire. They are looking forward to meeting the racoon's other animal friends, who each have their own strengths and shortcomings.

TODAY'S STORY
Friends, by Rachel Isadora. This book very simply illustrates activities friends do together at home, at school and at play. What the story lacks in plot and characters is balanced by discussion of the pictures and how we play with one another. Of interest is how our 'big' kids talked about the 'little' kids in the book.

Playdough Anyone?

Everyone Likes Playdough!
...especially when we make it ourselves. Today's big activity was making a fresh batch of bright pink playdough. We began by touching and tasting all the ingredients and describing their textures (flour is soft, salt is scratchy,etc...). We then measured them in cups and counted them to make sure the ratios were correct.


Here's the recipe:
4 cups flour
2 cups salt
1/2 cup cream of tartar
2 tbsp. veg. oil
4 cups water
Food coloring or liquid watercolor


Mix dry ingredients first, then add liquids and stir until lumps are gone. We took turns stirring while the next person holds the bowl steady. Pour into skillet, stirring constantly. We watched for telltale signs that it was done: 1)Loses shine; 2)Color intensifies; 3) Thickens with small pointy indentations when spoon is removed.
IMPORTANT: Pull from pan before it is done, as residual heat will finish cooking it. This is ideal anyway, as the children LOVE playing with it while it is still hot. All hyper-fast pounding, smashing and rolling cools it quickly (for a smoother texture) and makes for a new sensory experience. If you keep cooking until it looks finished, it'll get dry and crumbly.

TODAY'S STORY
Shy Charles, by Rosemary Wells. Charles is so shy, he can't even say 'hello'. Even the telephone terrifies him. His parents try help him socialize in ballet and football, to no avail. One evening, his babysitter falls down the stairs. Charles comforts her, calls for emergency services and becomes the hero of the day. How does he respond to all the accolades? By hiding his head in his mother's coat. No matter how shy, there's a hero in all of us.




Some comments on shyness:
Christopher ~ "When you don't want to talk to people."
Belle ~ "It's when you're scared a little."
Henry ~ "When I'm shy, I hide behind Daddy."
Aiden S.~"Shy is when you don't want to be with other people."

Well stated.

Mellow Monday

You might expect our first Monday to be manic. Not here. On only the fourth day of school, our class has settled in comfortably. All different parts of the classroom are buzzing with a harmonious activity level.


In the block area, a group of five constructed a "highway" with blocks, which in and of itself is not unusual. That they collaboratively measured with large and small blocks to complete "circuits" and cloverleaf-like loops was. CalTrans has nothing on these budding civil engineers. All the while, the painting easels are in heavy rotation as are the Lego and playdough tables. More on playdough tomorrow...

MUSICAL MOVEMENT
In our first day of small group activity, Sonya brought one group to the multi-purpose room for some structured movement activities, drawing on her keen knowledge of children's music. The children enjoyed a rousing game of "Hot Potato"(no small feat with 12 four yr. olds), "The Freeze" song, "The Boogie Walk"(bunny hop) and "When Cows Get Up In The Morning." The class really enjoyed saying good morning in the many animal languages on the farm. Critical reviews from the participants were very favorable: Sebastian said, "I liked the 'Cows in the morning' song. Sheyla proudly proclaimed, "We did 'Hot Potato' and I didn't even cry when I got out!" Great work, Sonya.


TODAY'S STORY
What Are Friends For? by Sally Grindley and Penny Dan. Usha brought this story to life for an appreciative audience, providing intermittent explanations to clarify for comprehension. She told the story of a large bear and a small fox who love doing everything together. When the bear needs a rest, the fox plays a trick on him, making him cross(one of the words). The fox takes the bear's upset personally and retreats to sob(another word). Once both parties express their feelings, all is forgiven and they confirm the moral of the story: "Friends Are Forever." The story was so popular, Usha was compelled to read it again when Nate cast the tie-breaking vote in our afternoon book "selection election." It's such a fun and practical way to count, estimate and compare sums.