Magnets Everywhere!

We have had a wonderful time exploring with magnets! We've done many experiments to test whether or not a magnet is attracted (or sticks) to a particular object. Our class is discovering what magnets are attracted to. We've learned they are not attracted to rubberbands, coins, soda cans, or paper. They are attracted to wire, paper clips, other magnets, pins, nails, and brads. Playing with magnets is fun! (Make sure to keep magnets away from all electronics and credit cards, though!)

What to try instead of yelling...

This is an excerpt from an article at Parenting.com....

Confessions of a Screamer One mom confesses that she used to scream and yell at her kids -- and how she learned to cooled down By Francesca Castagnoli, Parenting My name is Francesa, and I am a screamer. Admitting this to you feels as though I'm revealing a dark family secret. Yelling isn't really done anymore. It's retro, like leaving your kids in the car while you pop in the corner store for milk. There was a time when raising your voice was considered okay for parents to do, but now screaming is the new spanking. Social stigma aside, raising my voice to my kids makes me feel bad. I'll hear myself shout at my sons, Conrad, 6, and Dashiell, 3, "WHY CAN'T YOU LISTEN? PUT YOUR LEGOS IN THE BIN OR I'LL THROW THEM OUT!" and remember a clip from Supernanny that showed a little boy alone in his room after being chewed out by his mom. He was looking away from the camera, crying, feeling overwhelmed. Every time they'd show the sad-kid shot, I was always on that child's side. "God, that mom is so out of control," I'd think. But by 7 p.m. the next evening, I'd be starring in my own reality show. I had to stop. This wasn't the tone I wanted to have in my house anymore. The universe must have heard my plea because that very Monday, as I unpacked Dashiell's backpack, I found a flyer that read: "Parent Workshop this Thursday: How to Master Positive Discipline Strategies." I signed up the next morning. On the night of the workshop, held at the Montclair Community Pre-K, in Montclair, NJ, the classroom was packed with desperate parents. Patty Dow, the therapist conducting the workshop, kicked off the session by asking, "Who yelled at their kids this week?" Everyone raised their hand. Then she asked, "Who thinks it's working?" No one raised their hand. Patty nodded and explained that as parents, it's only human to get angry when our child grinds play dough into our wall-to-wall carpeting. But showing how we cope with our anger and our displeasure is one of the most effective ways to teach a child, she pointed out. If you scare her by screaming, or insult her with judgments or sarcasm, her energy goes into defending herself instead of learning from her mistake. Patty then asked us for examples from our own lives of when we screamed and regretted it. I was anxious for results, so I spoke up first. I explained that my morning routine with the boys was becoming worse by the day. Knowing that the kids are slow to get out of the house, I prepare for their dawdling the night before by laying out their clothes, getting their lunch boxes ready, and hanging their coats and backpacks on hooks near the doorway. All the boys have to do is Velcro their sneakers, slip on a sweatshirt, and grab a backpack. But can they do that? No way. They whine and stall. They wrestle in the doorway. They throw their Crocs at each other. They ignore my initially friendly requests to stop roughhousing. And the less they listen, the more agitated I become until I shout, "Why must you make the morning so hard? Can't you boys be helpers and do anything?" The result: Conrad bursts into tears and screams back, "When you yell at me in the morning, it makes me feel yucky all day." It's only 8:30 p.m., and we're all exhausted. Patty asked me what was missing from my well-planned routine. "An au pair," I responded glibly. The crowd laughed, but she didn't. "What's missing is teaching your children a sense of responsibility. There are no consequences to their actions. You're yelling at them because they won't do anything for themselves. But you do everything for them, so how will they ever feel confident enough to try?" she asked. Her solution: I needed to help my children solve their own problems by using descriptive language to get them to behave. This just means using words that have no value judgments attached; you simply describe what you see. For instance, instead of saying "Why must you make the morning so hard?" I could say "I see two boys who need to put on their shoes and their coats." It's a subtle shift from blaming to emphasizing what I need them to do. Such a simple change! As the evening progressed and more of us revealed our screaming sins, Patty helped us cook up plenty of other ways to quit our hollering habits. Two hours later, I had so many unique solutions, I couldn't wait for my kids to misbehave. Tactic #1 WHISPER SOFTLY -- BUT SERIOUSLY Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. When I came back from the workshop, my husband, David, was getting the boys out of the tub, and they were in the throes of their pre-bedtime hyperactive hijinks. Dashiell had just tried to bite Conrad's behind, and in return, Conrad was trying to give Dash a purple nurple. Neither was actually brushing his teeth as much as banging and strumming the toothbrush in his mouth like a musical instrument. I walked into the bathroom and David turned to me and said, "Whatever you just learned, put it to work." I was actually excited to experiment. To break the frenetic vibe, I tried the whispering tip one mom swore by when her kids were climbing the walls: I leaned down, put my head between theirs, and in my most serious whisper I said, "You two need to brush your teeth while I sing 'Frère Jacques' right now." I sang in a deep, conspiring whisper, and they were so surprised that they tilted their heads in to listen and brushed for the whole song, nearly two minutes. I was thrilled by my immediate results. I wanted to run downstairs and tell David, but instead, I kept my voice low and described what I needed them to do next: "Now go put on your pajamas and pick out a book you both like." Watching them behave so well, I realized that by whispering and using descriptive language (instead of my usual "No story!" threat), they tuned me in -- not out. My voice was soft, but they got the message loud and clear. Tactic #2 TAKE A 15-MINUTE BREATHER Because I work from home, I'm usually eager to see the kids after hearing them play all afternoon. But as soon as I step my foot into the kitchen, the boys are all over me, and I find myself trying to ask them about their day while making dinner and responding to last-minute e-mails on my phone. They sense that I'm distracted, so they become rambunctious to get my attention. Their strategy works -- but I end up yelling. Apparently, I'm not the only one who struggles with the transition from work to home. At the workshop, one mom explained that this time of day is usually her prime scream time because she hasn't had a second for herself. Her trick: Unbeknownst to her children, she lets herself in a side door and sneaks upstairs to shower and eat a protein bar. The kids don't notice that she's home, and that 15-minute pocket allows her to regroup. It's not just kids, after all, who have a hard time switching gears. So Patty suggested we all try to give ourselves a sliver of time to reflect on what we really need, or what we are really feeling, before reacting to our children. When we do, we might be surprised to find out we are hungry or stressed -- or perhaps feeling bad because of something small but significant, like not having called our mother. Reflecting for just a moment frees you to be present with your kids. The next afternoon, I knew rushing downstairs would lead to yelling. I was already frazzled from a deadline-driven day: My story was late. A source was MIA. And my sitter asked to leave early. So at 5 p.m. I let her know she could leave at 5:15. Then I gave myself 15 minutes. I tracked down my source. I e-mailed my editor to ask for an extension. I even took a quick shower. This little time-out helped me feel more organized and in control. And that helped me go downstairs and be a mommy equivalent of a push-me-pull-me without wanting to pull my hair out. Tactic #3 ACT YOUR AGE, NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE Saturday is the day we get a reprieve from our typical fire-drill–like mornings. Yet whenever we break with routine, the kids act up. And on this particular weekend morning after the workshop, Dashiell was in rare form. I was reading a Bionicle comic to Conrad, and for no reason other than feeling bored and left out, Dashiell took one of Conrad's fairly elaborate Lego creations op the shelf and dropped it on the floor. Conrad shrieked and burst into tears. Normally, I would scream at Dashiell, "Why are you so mean that you must break your brother's things!" Or I'd just let loose a flat-out "Bad Dashiell!" as if he were a naughty puppy. But I woke up anticipating a moment like this, and now it was time to prove I could turn our family tension around. I looked at Dashiell and said, "What are you, three years old?" to remind myself that, after all, my son is only 3. Labeling your child by his age has a magical way of giving you instant perspective -- reminding you that, no, he doesn't get it. Dashiell was 3. He felt jealous. If I'd been living on earth for only 36 months, when I got mad, I would break things, too. "What are you, three?" stopped me from escalating the situation to where I was shouting and he was having a tantrum. It's been so effective that my husband and I both use it now. And the real beauty is that it can work for any age: Your kid is skateboarding without his helmet! What are you, 9? Your daughter got her lip pierced! What are you, 16? Tactic #4 REWARD YOURSELF During the workshop, I was so impressed with the idea of using descriptive language instead of threats that I kept imagining scenarios where I could try it. Perhaps I'd discover the boys had decided to finger-paint the playroom floor. Instead of saying "Who was the genius who thought it was time to paint my floor blue?" I would say "I see a huge mess of finger paints on the floor, and it makes me infuriated that you didn't use the table. Get rags and clean it up." But descriptive language is not the most spontaneous form of speech, and it didn't come naturally to me. I needed an incentive, so I made myself a Descriptive Language Star Chart. Every day that I was able to use it consistently, I would give myself a sticker. At the end of the week, if I had more than six, I'd give myself a reward (a yoga workshop, sleeping in late). At first, it was tiring to be on descriptive-language alert, waiting to pounce on a misdemeanor with a flat and accurate description of what I saw. When Dashiell jumped into the tub from the edge, splashing me in a tsunami of water and nearly cracking his skull, I shouted, "What are you, nuts?" then recovered with, "Sweetie, when I see you jump like that, it scares me, and the water splashes everywhere. Get a towel and dry the floor." But the more I did it, the easier it became. When Conrad kicked his brother in the back for knocking over his block castle, I was able to turn to him swiftly and, in a whisper, say, "I see a boy expressing himself with his body when he should use words, and it makes me upset." After a week, I had seven sparkling stickers. The following Saturday, Dashiell woke up just as the sun was coming up, and I nudged my husband to get up with him. I had earned my right to sleep in, and I had the stickers to prove it.

Pumpkin Carving

We carved 5 pumpkins today. One for each group. One pumpkin had over 300 seeds in it! We liked making shapes on the pumpkins to make neat faces. The pumpkins are sitting outside our door and remind us of the "Five Little Pumpkins" poem. Miss Kirsten will try to take a picture of them before they go home today!

Pumpkins Everywhere!

Thank you to all our families who donated pumpkins to our classroom!

This week, your children will be measuring the circumference of pumpkins, comparing the weight of a pumpkin with another pumpkin, counting the seeds, examining the texture of the inside and the outside, counting the lines on the pumpkins, comparing sizes, and so much more! All that is learned will be compiled into a book your child has made. They are so excited about our pumpkin project!

Applesauce Adventures

Last Friday, our class made applesauce from scratch! Several students brought apples. I brought some sugar and cinnamon. I cut and peeled all the apples, then we put the apple slices in the
Crockpot on high. We added sugar, cinnamon, and a handful of sliced Hot Tamales. We stirred every now and then and let it cook for about 4 to 5 hours. Our room smelled wonderful!!! When it had cooked down, everyone got some to taste. Most everyone enjoyed it. Applesauce was a great way to use our 5 senses, reinforce the letter A, and see measurement in every day life. We also welcomed fall! :)

Different Learning Styles

People are different and have different ways of learning. Do you know what type of learner your child is? Read below to see what learning style he/she is most comfortable with. Knowing how your child learns best can help you modify how you do homework together and learn at home. It's a great way to help your child be the best he/she can be!

Learning Styles:

Auditory learners prefer listening to explanations over reading them and may like to study by reciting information aloud. This type of learner may want to have background music while studying, or they may be distracted by noises and need a quiet space to study.

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and touching. They may have trouble sitting still while studying, and they are better able to understand information by writing it down or doing hands-on activities.

Visual learners process new information by reading, looking at graphics, or watching a demonstration. Children with this learning style can grasp information presented in a chart or graph, but they may grow impatient listening to an explanation.

Homework Tips for Each Learning Style

Auditory learners are typically good at absorbing information from spoken words. Strategies that work well for auditory learners include:

• Talking to themselves or with others about what they’re learning
• Reciting important information aloud, perhaps recording it and playing it back
• Reading a book and listening to the audio book at the same time
• Using word associations
• Setting information to a tune and singing it to help remember it
• Limiting distracting noises

Kinesthetic learners prefer to be active while studying and may not be able to focus while sitting still. Strategies for kinesthetic learners include:

• Reading aloud and tracking words on a page with a finger
• Writing things down multiple times to commit them to memory
• Highlighting and underlining
• Playing with a stress ball or toy while studying
• Moving around or taking frequent breaks
• Doing hands-on activities, such as building models or playing games

Visual learners benefit from seeing information on a chalkboard or in an illustration and may grow impatient listening for long periods of time. Strategies for visual learners include:

• Using flash cards
• Studying charts, tables, and maps
• Drawing illustrations
• Writing things down and reviewing notes
• Highlighting and underlining
• Color-coding information

Learning style information and homework help gotten from: http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/826-what-is-your-childs-learning-style

Environmental Print

Environmental Print is all around us. It's the signs you see while driving. It's the name of the cereal or candy bar printed on the label. Environmental Print is POWERFUL!!! Use it to help teach your child to read. This week, we're studying letter A. Where can your child find the letter A? Albertson's, Arby's, on a one wAy sign, and so much more! Do you sell Avon? Go on a Letter A hunt as you drive or even in your house. You'd be surprised to see what you could find. Talk about where the letter A is in the word. Is it first, in the middle, or last? Does it have a short a sound like in Albertson's? Just helping your child notice the letters and words around him/her a few minutes a day can help him/her become a great reader! Your child will thank you for investing in his/her future!

Meal Time

Does your family realize how important meal time is? Sitting down and eating dinner together makes a huge difference in your child's life! Eating dinner together without TV & cell phone interruptions gives your family a chance to connect with each other. It sends a message to your child that you value him or her. Studies show that families who eat together have children who get along better with others and even do better academically!

Take the time to make meals family time. What have you got to lose? What wonderful memories and conversations will you gain?

Weather

We have been learning a lot about the weather! We have been comparing our weather to Disneyland's and the White House's weather. Our class loves to know which city is the hottest! Perhaps you have a relative that lives in a different climate than we do. Maybe your family could compare weather with that city? It's a fun way to reinforce learning about the weather, use mathematical concepts (temperature, reading and comparing numbers, social studies (geographical locations), and language (hotter, colder, cloudy, foggy, etc...). That would be something neat to do on Saturdays. What do you think?

First Week Finished!

The Dinosaurs are doing so well! We have learned so much in five days about how to get along with one another, how the classroom routines work, and so many new songs and poems!

Next week, we'll read stories about what we can do. We'll even make our own class book about what we can do.

In math, we'll be learning about position words: over, under, above, below, etc...

It's going to be a great week!

Our First Day

Our first day went pretty well! :)

We are learning a lot about how school works: taking turns, raising our hands, taking turns using the bathroom, where we play outside, etc...

Lunchtime was difficult today. Students have recess first and then a coach brings them inside for lunch. They have to remember their lunchboxes. Those who are getting trays have to learn how to get their food, hold their trays, tell the cashier his/her name, hold the tray while finding a place to sit at our table...Our class takes up almost the whole side of a table so we don't really have room for parents to sit, unfortunately. Parents are still welcome to come. They probably just need to stand by their child. Then we have to get up as a class, walk in a line, and throw away our trash! Whew!

We did have time for several stories, a lot of songs, a little bit of writing, and some play time at centers. We had a a great first day. Each day will improve as we get used to our new school routines. :)

In case you're wondering, we're going to start homework in September. Look for a note about that soon.

Great job, Dinosaurs!

School starts Monday!

School starts on Monday! I got to meet most of our Dinosaurs this afternoon. I can't wait to see everyone on Monday. We're going to have a great first day! We're going to make new friends, learn new things, and play together. See you on Monday!

First Day Jitters

First Day Jitters...Everyone gets them, even the teacher! I am excited for my new class. We are the dinosaurs! I can't wait to meet all my new students and start off a wonderful year. We're going to have a great time singing, dancing, reading, writing, playing, thinking, and so much more! By the end of the year, my students will know all their letters and sounds, be able to read some, know a lot of sight words, be able to add and subtract, make patterns, know 2D and 3D shapes, know more about their world, and how to do all kinds of science experiments (and so much more)! We'll also learn how to get along and have fun together while we learn.

Kindergarten is all about hands-on learning! Don't expect to see too many worksheets coming home. When we do patterns, we use real shapes, blocks, tiles, etc.. We do work stations with real objects! We sort real counting bears, pasta, and more. We weigh objects with our balances. We read books and write about them. We act out the stories! We learn all kinds of poems and songs. We also learn by playing in our centers. Students may choose to go to: Art Center, Math Center, Dramatic Play, Home Living Center, Reading Center, Science Center, Legos, Blocks, Puppets, and more!

We're going to have a wonderful year! We're going to use this blog to post about what we're learning in class. Keep up with us by reading our blog. Our goal is to update it weekly.

The first day of school is August 23rd. We'll meet in the cafeteria by 8:00 a.m. and then go down to our room together. If you need to deposit money in your child's breakfast/lunch account, before school is the best time to do it. We'll have a great day! Can't wait to see you!!! Love, Miss Kirsten