Dear Parents,
This semester we have been working to support the teaching and learning in the classroom. Before we have our break next week we’d like to take the time to highlight the important developmental and learning achievements the children have made since our start in January. We work hard to ensure our explorations align with the TS Gold Objectives.
On Mondays and Wednesdays with Ms. Nulph, the children have been exploring and comparing texture through use of different materials. The children have been manipulating textures like sticky slime, rough sand paper, and soft faux fur. Through these explorations the children develop their comparative skills, fine motor skills, problem solving, and communication skills. We have explored how the material’s texture may influence how it interacts with the world through our Sticky Mosaic Mural exploration too. In the upcoming sessions, we will continue exploring different textures while working on comparing what we have worked with as well as encouraging use of expressive vocabulary.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays with Ms. Lee, the children have been exploring how to create new colors. We have been mixing colored playdough, painting with water colors, and blending colors in bags. The children are beginning to recognize how mixing different combinations of red, blue and yellow creates new colors. As the children explore they are developing their fine motor skills, expanding vocabulary, solving problems, making connections and building relationships. Upon our return from break, we will continue to focus on the development of these skills as we encourage color matching and sorting.
You can support their learning in relationship to these activities by pointing out colors in everyday things. If your family loves book reading, Mouse Paint by Ellen Walsh teaches color-mixing and the idea of color change. When there’s a car driving by or when they are playing with toys, ask them to notice the colors. You can even ask them to sort toys as a way to clean up or have them sort their clothes. These are all fun ways to encourage your children to think about colors. In supporting our experiences with texture, try to encourage vocabulary through introducing different textured items and asking how they think it feels. We have had children say items were sticky, soft, and even scratchy! Even walking through a store or park can present many different materials to feel and investigate as well as present a good opportunity to describe in conversation what the materials are like.
We also would like to invite you to come to curriculum night on Wednesday, April 12th between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM. Here you will meet with us and see more of the learning that has been taking place this year. This is a great opportunity to stay engaged with your child’s learning so we encourage you to stop by.
We look forward to seeing you there. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Kind Regards,
Ms. Nulph & Ms. Lee
