The courtyard

As the weather becomes nicer, it has been fun to explore our outdoor environment more and notice the changes as everything begins to bloom.  As they grow and mature, they genuinely enjoy more opportunities to collaborate with their classmates and with other classrooms. 

On a beautiful day this spring, we took the opportunity to visit the courtyard with the other toddler classroom.  We caught bugs, drew, explored the bubbles, and just ventured around the courtyard that the younger children had not visited yet this school year.  The children were very happy in the new area and tried to make the wind chimes sound,  stood on rocks, walked through new flower beds, and walked along different paths. 

Baby Birds!

We have recently discovered that a Robin built a nest on our playground.  After a few days of watching the bird, we snuck up to take a picture and noticed there were two eggs in the nest!  The children were excited to see the pictures and we talked about what might happen next.

After more time had passed, we found out that there were not just two babies in the nest, but three!  Again, the children were happy to see the pictures and we talked about the baby birds - how they acted, what they ate, and how they would grow.

Over the next few weeks we plan to document their growth and watch as they become independent birds.

Curriculum Newsletter

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

February News

Dear Families,

February has already started and we are so busy in our classroom!  Ms. Nalph and Ms, Lee are starting to teach more lessons on the days they are with us and have really seemed to get to know the children pretty quickly.  At this point in the term they are looking at different kinds of textures and how different substances mix together.  We are excited to see where these ideas progress to as the semester moves along.  We have also been very excited about dancing and moving our bodies in different ways, testing our different objects as the Lazy Susan spins, and reading!

We also have been enjoying the weather outside a little this winter.  It has been fun to see the children experience snow, and try to walk around the playground in their snow pants!  Just a reminder that we do go outside typically if the wind chill is above 20 degrees, so please make sure to bring the necessary outside gear.  We know that this time of year colds and runny noses run rampant because we are stuck inside a lot, but just know if you feel your child is well enough to come to school, they should be able to participate in all parts of the day, including going outside.

February 14^th is Valentine’s Day.  Some parents have been asking if we do anything special in our room and we do not.  If you would like to bring in Valentines that day we will make sure they are placed in each child’s cubby.  We have 10 children scheduled each day and we do have allergies in our classroom so bubbles, playdough, etc. are preferred as opposed to chocolate or candy if you would like to do something.  We are on Spring Break from February 27-March 3^rd so the building will be closed that week. 

The Scholastic Book Fair will be at the ECEC the week after Spring Break.  Books of all kinds will be on sale – it will be exciting to see the front of our building transform into a bookstore!

As always, please do not hesitate if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!  Have a great day!

Catie Stone & Becca Petee

Ms. Nulph

Dear Parents,

My name is Kari-Jean Nulph and I will be interning in Catie Stone and Becca Petee’s classroom this semester.  I will be in the classroom Mondays from 8am to 4pm and Wednesdays from 8am to 3:30pm.  This December is when I will be graduating from University of Michigan Dearborn with a major in Early Childhood Education and minors in Integrated Science and Language Arts.

The journey so far in my educational career has given me the opportunity to work with many age groups from the ECEC toddler classrooms all the way up to sixth grade middle school classrooms.  I have worked as staff at the Early Childhood Education Center before as well and enjoy working with the young children there.

I am a senior at the university and enjoy spending time with family as well as my pets.  When I am not working on school work I am volunteering with my rescue group, Taylor Animal Shelter Kats & K9’s.  I look forward to getting to know your children and how they learn along with gaining experience in lesson planning within the classroom.

Sincerely,

Kari-Jean Nulph

Ms. Lee's Introduction

Dear Parents,  

Hello! My name is Alexis Lee and I am an intern in Mrs. Stone & Mrs. Petee’s classroom for the winter. I have spent the last week observing the classroom and getting to know your children. I am excited to spend the next twelve weeks getting to know your families. I will be in the classroom from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since I will be in classroom and seeing you throughout the upcoming weeks, I thought I would tell you about me. 

This is my second to last semester before completing my degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Michigan- Dearborn.

Over the last three years, I have worked with young children at the ECEC and other local educational centers and schools. Outside of school, I enjoy reading and spending time with family and friends. I travel often, and I especially look forward to my trip to Dubai this summer. 

My responsibilities in the class will gradually increase as the time goes on. I will be conducting both small and whole group lessons and activities. This winter will be full of learning, not only for the children but for me as well! If you have any questions, please direct them to Mrs. Stone & Mrs. Petee. 

Sincerely,

Alexis Lee  

Our Transition to School

Our children began the school year in September with schedules that were full days as opposed to half days.  With this new style of schedule, all of our children participated in lunch/rest/every part of our school day.  The first few weeks were definitely a transition for the children, getting to know us, our classroom, and each other.  As the weeks progressed, we really began to notice a sense of belonging that each of the children had in the classroom and a sense of community that the children felt.  When new children come in each morning, everyone goes to the door to greet the children.  When children are picked up at the end of the day, all of the children run to the window at the front of the classroom to wave goodbye. 

We have also noticed that the children really are understanding the personalities of each other.  Many of our children have a special blanket from home that they bring to school as a rest time/comfort item.  The children recognize that and if they see another child’s blanket, they will bring it to the child to hold.  Some of our children even look for those comfort items for other children if they are upset.  The sense of empathy, handing another child something they know will help comfort them, is really incredible to see with such young children.  They are even able to identify each other in photos on the wall and around the classroom.

As the children have gotten comfortable with each other, they have also become very interested in exploring.  They explore the materials we have around the classroom, and have also begun to branch out to new materials we have brought into the room.  At the beginning of the school year, the children were very interested in popping bubbles, reading books, and moving around cars.  As the semester continued, the children became more confident with paint, drawing, and clay.

We brought different kinds of fruits in for the children to explore.  The children had the opportunity to feel the outside of a pumpkin.  We guessed at what could be inside, and upon opening it, noticed there were seeds and a gooey substance inside.  Some of the children were even brave enough to explore the seeds and goo with their hands, while others preferred to explore using tongs.

One of the teachers in our building brought in an Osage Orange from U of M’s campus.  The Osage Orange was green and bumpy, and the children enjoyed smelling it – there was a strong citrus smell.  Upon opening it, the children were able to feel the juices, the sticky texture, and were invited to explore it.  Some did not want to use their hands, so they were given tongs.

Painting, water movement, and texture explorations have been a large part of our semester so far.  Ms. Ali has been exploring the movement of water and sand as the children use different tools.  We also have two strategies students this term who are just starting to plan lessons.  One student is working with the children on bubbles, how they can be moved, and how they feel.  Our other student is working with the children on imprinting.   How do different materials make different prints in play dough and clay?

While thinking about all of these things the children were interested in, we noticed that the children were really exploring their surrounding environment and how they were able to have control over it and manipulate it.  Knowing this makes a lot of sense for the children in our room, especially based on their ages and how young children explore.

Around the room

The children in our room have been exposed to the scientific process this semester.  We utilized science tools to explore different kinds of fruits and seeds during the fall.  The children enjoyed dissecting the Osage Orange and the pumpkin.  We also have watched the seasons change as we have been outside – sometimes bringing different aspects of the changing seasons into the classroom.  We have utilized leaves, sticks, sand, and snow in various lessons this term.  The children have also been noticeably interested in the animals we have in our classroom – the gerbil and the hermit crab.  The children watch the gerbil eat, comment as he drinks, and talk about where he lives.  Some of the children help us to water the hermit crabs and enjoy watching them come out of their shells as they move around the tank.

The children in our room have become very aware of the identity board that is on our wall – showing their faces and work samples and the faces and work samples of their classmates.  They have started to point out classmates in their photos and use their names.  We regularly speak about facial features when looking at photos.  We are also encouraging vocabulary development with the children – using simple words to indicate the beginning or ending of an event or to indicate a transition in the classroom.  They have all begun to recognize the routine in daily activities (cleaning up, getting ready for group time, getting ready for snack, cleaning up snack, etc). We regularly use our dramatic play area – the children imitate real life situations through play in the classroom.

This term the children have been exposed to a variety of ways to represent themselves through the arts and have been able to explore with a variety of materials.  One of the most widely favored ways to do this in the classroom is through music.  The children listen to a variety of music and move their bodies in various ways – including with fabrics and ribbons.  We have had out the balance beams, tumble mats, and have brought the ladybugs into the classroom for the children to use whenever they need to.  We regularly use the dramatic play area of the room, where the children are able to act out and express themselves by pretend.  The plastic people and animals are always available to the children as well for exploring.  We have used clay, play dough, paint, pastels, and writing utensils this term in various areas of the classroom.  Exposure to these mediums regularly will help the children to become more comfortable as they continue to explore, eventually being able to add tools or new ways to manipulate the mediums.

January 2017

Dear Families,

Welcome back to a new semester!  We hope everyone had a wonderful break!  We are excited for a new term.  Ms. Nulph will be interning with us on Mondays and Wednesdays this semester, and Ms. Lee will be interning with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  They will begin the semester by planning a few lessons each week and will finish out the term taking over more responsibilities in the classroom.  We are excited to work with them and can’t wait for our interns to get to know all of the children!

We also wanted to take a minute and remind our families about our outside time during the winter months.  Generally, if the wind chill is above 20 degrees, we will spend some time outside during the day.  We might not be outside for very long, but it is important for the children to get fresh air and get an opportunity to enjoy and explore our outdoor environment in the different seasons.

For this reason, we are reminding our families to bring outdoor gear for their children each day.  Snow pants, boots, mittens, and hats should all be labeled and we will make sure they are put on the children before we go outside. 

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask!  It is so great to see all of the children again – we have really missed them!

Catie Stone & Becca Petee

Butterflies in the Classroom

Butterflies in the Classroom

Every Spring, the classrooms in the center are able to bring in some type of animal or insect for the children to observe and learn about life cycles. This year, we have chosen caterpillars. Last week, we introduced the small caterpillars to the children. They enjoyed looking at them and a few of children were able to identify what they were. Over the weekend, they grew about three times their original size. The children looked at the caterpillars from a closer perspective, using magnifying glasses. The children were able to draw what they had observed. In the weeks to come, we will watch the caterpillars form their chrysalis and turn into butterflies; we will release them into the garden after having them in the classroom for a little while.

Along with the butterflies, the children will have the opportunity to investigate the life cycle of ducks. The Kindergartners currently have duck eggs in an incubator in their classroom. We looked at the eggs last week, before placing them into the incubator, and we will go down to visit them throughout the semester. In a couple of weeks, we will be able to take part in the candling of the duck eggs; this is where we place a bright light directly on the eggs in order to see the heartbeat and watch the ducks grow, like an ultrasound. We have done this in the past and are so excited to be able to share this experience with the children!

Ms. Eid and Ms. Goodwin's Inquiries

Dear Parents,

We would like to start off by saying that it’s been an amazing year so far; the children have become familiar with each other and getting used to the routine in our classroom.  During Whole group, the children are given an opportunity to learn the group time routine and sing along with the teachers as well as be active listeners.  They have been participating with singing while watching a felt story go along with the song; they have been sitting for a longer period and listening to more books. It has been enjoyable to watch the children grow every week we have seen how they are starting to participate during group time more and more each week.

 The children have been exploring different ways of representing motion. One way was through the movement of water.  We introduced the water table with classroom items, the children began exploring with using their hands through splashing, then they showed an interest with pouring and transferring water using different items that can hold water such as bowls and cups. This activity was successful in terms of extending children’s play, through their thought and ideas. We thought it would be interesting to introduce items that cannot hold water, but can transfer water instead.  Funnels and tubes were added to the water table, the children were able to see that the water does not stay in the tubes and were amazed to watch the water go down from the other end.  The children are very familiar with water play at this point; therefore we are working on different ways of setting up the material using a pegboard on the water table.  The children initially explored the pegboard using their buckets to pour water down into the tubes.

We also introduced movement on ramps using different objects. The children also showed an interest in ramps and cars, which inspired the idea of doing lessons on how objects move on ramps. We have added sand and carpet to the ramps to try and find different ways cars and balls might move. We noticed that different textures have really added to the children’s curiosity of movement. It has been remarkable to see the different ways the children manipulate the materials and find new ideas to make objects travel up and down on the ramps. Recently we tried using tubes on the ramps, which has been interesting to see how they have been more challenging to the children then we initially thought. The children really help us generate new ideas to incorporate each week. These lessons have really concentrated on the children’s observational skills, memory skills and fine motor skills. It has been fun watching them learn new concepts over the course of the semester.  We look forward to the next few months with your children.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Goodwin & Mrs. Eid

Reggie Rainbow

Reggie Rainbow

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On Thursday afternoons we have been participating in a program called Reggie Rainbow, along with the rest of the center. Each week we "travel" to a different island where we try a fruit and a vegetable of a particular color. This week, we traveled to The Island of Yellow. We tried Starfruit and Yellow Peppers! 

What's Happening in the Classroom?

Although the semester has just begun, the children are showing interest in a wide variety of materials and explorations. We are planning based on their interests and our observations of how the children react to the materials we provoke them with. Take a look at what each group of children have been working on!

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Shadows and Light

The Tuesday/Thursday children have shown an interest in dancing in the past. We showed them a video of dancers, in order to get them excited about following their motions and dancing with them. This turned into the children observing their shadows and becoming intrigued by the light. They began using the flashlight in the classroom to highlight different objects and trying to follow the path of the light. By observing their actions, we decided to bring in the big projector and shadow screen. The children enjoyed watching how they could alter their shadows' sizes. We are excited to see how the children's thinking expand with shadows in the next few weeks.

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Caring for Babies

The Tuesday/Thursday children are also very interested in caring for the babies we have in the classroom. They feed them, change them, rock them to sleep, and give them baths. This week, we are introducing the doctor kit with the babies to see if the children are interested in taking care of them in a different way.

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Cooking/Mixing

Both groups of children have shown an interest in cooking and mixing. They spend a lot of time in the kitchen, pretending to cook and mixing with the big bowls and spoons. We have introduced water with the bowls and later on added cornstarch. This made a substance called Oobleck. The children enjoyed mixing the substance and then using their hands to manipulate it and watching it drip.

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Ramps

The Monday/Wednesday/Friday children love using the cars and trains. We introduced the ramp with these materials and they have enjoyed watching them travel down the ramp. They push them down, up, and have experimented with different types of cars and objects to see how they travel differently and similarly down the ramp. This is something we plan on continuing throughout the semester.

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Classroom Donations

The children's interests play a big role in the explorations we plan throughout the week. We have many resources and materials present in our center and classroom, but there are always things that we need more of. We are running low on working flashlights and kindly ask that if you have any old ones you are not using at your house, to please bring them in for the children to use. We are also in need of baby bottles, so the children can continue caring for the baby dolls in our classroom. 

Meet the New Teachers

Meet the New Teachers

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Ms. Shatara

My name is Freda Shatara and I am eager to announce that I will be your child’s new teacher this semester. I have recently graduated from the University of Michigan – Dearborn with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education with focuses in Early Childhood Education and Mathematics. Although this is my first time being your child’s teacher, this will be my 5th year as staff at this center. I have been a teacher’s assistant in a few of the classrooms and co-taught with Mrs. Petee last spring.

Outside of the classroom, I live a very active lifestyle. I love being outdoors, going to the gym and spending time with my family. My favorite thing to do is travel. I have visited over 10 countries and plan on continuing my adventures this summer in Turkey. I also make frequent trips back to my home state of California.

I have had many experiences teaching with different age groups and I am excited to begin my journey with you and your children. I am sure they will be teaching me just as much as I am teaching them. If you have any questions or concerns, please, do not hesitate to email myself (fshatara@umich.edu) or Mrs. Stone at any time.

Ms. Goodwin

My name is Kayla Goodwin I am in the Children and Families program a Michigan Dearborn. I will be an intern this semester in your child’s classroom. I will be in the class on Mondays and Wednesdays. This is currently my last semester in the program. I currently live in Allen Park. In the past I have babysat for multiple families that had children from the age of six months to about ten years old. I have worked summer camps for my city were I interacted and watched children from three years old up to thirteen. I have a lot of experience working with all different types of children and I truly enjoy working with them. I hope to learn more about your children this semester. I was in this class last semester so it has been really remarkable watching the children grow. I hope to help them continue to find new ways to develop and discover new things. I look forward to seeing you all and working with your children.

Ms. Eid

           My name is Manal Eid and I am a Children and Families major at the University of Michigan.  This will be my last semester and I will be completing my internship in your child’s classroom for the next fifteen weeks.  My schedule will be Mondays to Thursdays from 8:00 am-12:00 pm.  I am very excited to begin working in Mrs. Stone and Ms. Shatara’s classroom and I look forward to learning from both of them.  I am also very eager to get to know, work with, and learn from you and your child. 

            While in college, I worked as a teacher assistant in first and second grade classrooms with Dearborn Charter Schools. I am especially interested in teaching preschool, which makes this internship a wonderful experience for me.

            As part of my internship, I will gradually begin teaching your child under the supervision of both teachers.  I will assist with lesson planning and daily activities and end the semester by taking over curriculum planning independently.  This internship is designed to increase my role in stages.

            I would like to share that I am a proud mother of a ten-year-old girl.    I assure you that I am a very dedicated and motivated person, and I will present myself with professionalism and caring behavior at all times.  I realize that every child in this class is equally and individually special and I will treat each student with the utmost respect.

            Please let me know if there is anything I can do to better help your child, you can contact me at mneid@umich.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Introduction of Mrs. Stone and Mrs. Petee's Interns Fall 2015:

Hello Parents:

My name is Evelyn Barnes-Lyons (Ms. Evie) and I am one of the interns who will be working with your toddler this semester. I am a graduate of Cuyahoga Community College of Cleveland, Ohio. I have an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education and I have been working with young children for close to forty years. I am currently working on my bachelor’s in the Children and Families program at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. My specialty area of teaching is with the three and four year olds, but I look forward to working with your toddlers this semester. During my free time I enjoy reading, going to Zumba classes, and dancing.

ECEC Families,

Hello my name is Maha Reda and I will be one of the Interns in your childs class. I will be at the ECEC on Tuesday and Thursdays from 8 to 4.  I am currently in my last semester at U of M getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Children and Families. I am a mother to 4 children, triplets plus one who also attended the ECEC. It is nice to experience both views as a parent and as a student. I get to finally see what my children experienced when they were here. I did my strategies class last semester with Ms. Stone and fell in love with this age group. I am so excited to be working with your children this semester and very excited to get to know each one of you. I love watching your child explore and learn new things. They are so curious and wanting to be on the go. It is so amazing to watch as the children try to interact socially.  I hope we all have a good semester and I cannot wait to continue working with your children and watch them grow every day! 

Welcome to the new school year!

Welcome families to the beginning of the school year! We are so excited to get to know your family and to work with your child. We are going to have two early childhood interns working with us on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. In a few weeks they will be sending home a note to families introducing themselves, talking about their experiences in the classroom, and what they observe the children learning.

We are going to be spending a lot of time outside during the first few weeks of the school year. Be sure to sign the sunscreen permission slip form if you are comfortable with the Avon Skin so Soft sunscreen the school provides. You are welcome to bring in your own sunscreen beginning of the term, and we will give you a form to fill out giving us permission to put that sunscreen on your child.

The beginning of the school year can be very stressful for families when it comes to drop off. It is normal for children to be unsure or even upset the first couple weeks of school, as they get to understand the routine and to get to know the teachers. This transition will become easier for both you and your child. You will be receiving a drop off routine based on what we have found helpful transitioning children in the classroom. A copy of this drop off routine will be posted near the sign in sheet to remind families of the routine.  If you have any questions about this please let us know, and if you ever need to check on your child after drop off please call (313) 593-5424 and we will gladly update you.

About the Teachers

Catie Stone is a graduate of The University of Michigan-Dearborn and she has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s degree in Special Education. She has been working with the toddler age group for eight years, and in her free time she enjoys playing with her puppy and going up north.

Rebecca Petee is also a graduate of The University of Michigan-Dearborn and she has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Language Arts. She was previously a preschool teacher at the ECEC, and she is looking forward to working with toddlers. Before she graduated, she worked with Catie in the toddler classroom for two years. In her free time she enjoys playing with her dogs, spending time with family, and preparing to welcome her baby in January. We are both excited to start the school year and to work with each other as co-teachers. 

Classroom Wishlist:

·         Non-toxic indoor plants

·        R ope and/or icicle lights

·         Used pots or pans

·         Clothing/items which represents your family’s culture

·         Your family photo in a plastic frame

Spring 2015 Intern Newsletter

May 11, 2015

Dear Families,

I would like to take the time to introduce myself!  My name is Kendra Kasza and I will be an intern in the Toddler 1 Classroom with Mrs. Stone and Ms. Jones during the Summer 1 term.  I will be in your child’s class from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. 

I am a student in the Post-Degree Certification Program for the Early Childhood (ZS) endorsement.  I am currently a Special Education Teacher at Weston Preparatory Academy in Detroit.  I work with Middle School students receiving Resource Room services.  I have also had experience working in Elementary Resource Rooms, as well.  I am a mother of three, ages twelve, ten, and four and a resident of Dearborn. 

I value the experience of being able to watch all of my students grow and learn.  I believe it is extremely important to provide stimulating environments for children as a way to help them reach their highest potential.  In working with students with special needs, I also understand that the earliest possible intervention is the most effective.  Knowing that the early childhood years are critical in a child’s development is the reason I have returned to U of M-Dearborn to complete my ZS endorsement to be able to work with young children. 

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to work with your child.  I look forward to getting to know each of their unique personalities, preferences, and learning styles.  I am very excited for this term!!

Sincerely,

Kendra L. Kasza

Building Strategies Learning Group Summary Weeks 1-7 Continued (4)

We decided to reintroduce mirror blocks in in the sandbox on a tabletop.  Again, by removing them from the other blocks in the block area, they would be easier for the children to focus on building with.  We set up a few provocations in the sandbox for the children to see examples of other ways they could build with the blocks besides just stacking the blocks up.  We asked the children, “How can you build?” It was during this time we also heard the children begin to count as they would stack the blocks, “One, two, three…”

The children began to bring other items over to the sandbox.  Many children began to bring the small cars and trucks over. They experimented with maneuvering the cars around the blocks.  This is where are discussion of tunnels began.  We worked with the children to construct simple tunnels in which we could experiment together to see if our cars would or would not fit through.  

Building Strategies Learning Group Summary Weeks 1-7 Continued (3)

During building exploration, we noticed at often times the children would bring different materials over to the table to build with. Many of the children were bringing over the smaller silver mirror blocks.  We thought we would like to explore building with these blocks since they fit into their small hands better. We also noticed that the children were able to stack higher with these blocks because they were all the same size and shape.

Building Strategies Learning Group Summary Weeks 1-7 Continued (2)

We continued with the projection provocations and provided the children a small table to build at in the block area.