Coming Together

Missing these sweet faces! ❤️


In the matter of two weeks so much has changed for everyone. On March 11, the COVID-19 outbreak was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization . It has affected the lives of the elderly to the very youngest. It has brought us together in many ways and even though the current necessary imposed social distancing policies could draw us apart it has done exactly the opposite.

It has brought us together as a Nation. It warms my heart to see so many working above and beyond to help others. The Health Care Workers, EMS , Day Care Teachers , Pharmacy Staff , Grocery Store Workers and the list goes on ........

The smallest things can mean so much! 

Online I have been amazed at all the Educators sharing their talent in many ways! 

Sharing story time with children. Sharing educational resources and music talent. When everyone comes together for the education of children amazing things can be accomplished. It really does Take a Village.

Everyone has been blessed with talents and sharing it to help others is a beautiful thing.

With the changes that have been taking  place in the last two weeks Teachers and Students have been taken out of the classroom. This has created some challenges but Teachers have been fast to work through these challenges especially with Experience Early Learning Curriculum. Up until two weeks ago I was implementing the curriculum in the classroom with 17 children.   

Since we had to leave our classrooms I was sad not to finish the Pond Life Unit.  I was also trying to find ways to help my parents work with their children at home. 

Experience Early Learning sent a post about Home Learning Bags.  #ExperienceEarlyLearning

It was Perfect! ❤️ The parents were thrilled about the bags and excited to have learning activities to do with their children at home.

 

#ExperienceEarlyLearning

So on Monday I started gathering bags and materials. I sorted all the activities and put them in bags.

Pictured are a few of the activities.

My Little Pond

Crawfish Clapper

Snap a Mosquito 

 

I Spy Zz

I boxed them up to take to school on Tuesday.

My husband delivered them at the church/school Tuesday Morning.

All the parents picked them up throughout the day.

The Home Learning Bags were an Awesome Idea! 😊

#ExperienceEarlyLearning

Dear Parents,

Our Coming Theme- April 7th is Birds and Eggs!  So Exciting!  We will keep you up to date on any new information about school closures.Thank you, Ms.Vonda

Early Childhood Literacy

Classroom Library Center 

#EELblogger

One of the Areas of Learning we focus on in the Classroom is Language and Literary. 

The skills and goals are:

Listening Comprehension

Comprehends Spoken Language 

Follow Verbal Directions

Communication

Communicates Ideas 

Speaks in Sentences 

Vocabulary

Builds Vocabulary

Phonological Awareness 

Hears small units of sound

Identifies rhyme and alliteration 

Concepts of Print

Demonstrates Print Knowledge

Letter/Word Recognition-

Identifies Letters and Words

Makes letter-sound connections

Reading Comprehension

Responds to text

Retells, asks, and answers questions 

Emergent Writing

Writes name and words

Expresses through writing 

EEL- I Can Read

#ExperienceEarlyLearning

 EEL- I SpyLetters

Early Literacy Skills are best developed through talking, singing, reading, writing and playing. 

EEL- Building Letters

Activities that promote early literacy skills in preschool include:

•  storybook reading.
• "pretend" reading and writing/retelling stories 
• games and other activities to help children identify the letters of the alphabet.
• experiences with language and print through poems, nursery rhymes and songs.

EEL- Story Time and Circle Time

Some Things A Literacy Rich Classroom Should Include:

• posters
• pocket charts
• word walls
• labels
• library center 
• writing center

EEL - Conversation Posters

EEL- My Little Journal 

 #ExperienceEarlyLearning

Listed Below are some literacy activities for preschoolers at home.

• Reading Together 
• Fine Motor Practice 
• Puppet Fun
• Home Writing Center
• Home Library Center
• Writing and Sending a Letter. ... 
• Play. ... 
• Matching Letters and Sounds.

    

Classroom Writing Center 

Dear Pre-K Families,

At this time we are supposed to return April 7th. I will keep in contact with you if there are any changes.   

Continue the Learning With Experience Early Learning 

If this becomes longer term than planned  I will be preparing Home Learning Bags for the parents that are interested. 

I will be sending more information soon.

These Home Learning Bags will contain learning materials from Experience Early Learning formerly Mother Goose Time .

 #ExperienceEarlyLearning

I miss you all so much! Please stay safe and well & I hope to see you very soon! 

😍 Mrs. Vonda 

Pond Life: Week Two - Pond Plants

 #ExperienceEarlyLearning

#EELblogger

This week in Pre-K we learned all about Pond Plants. We learned about Submergent Pond Plants, Bog Plants, Emergent Pond Plants, Floating Pond Plants and Algae.

We learned that Submergent Pond Plants are completely under water and they are a great place for fish to hide.

Cattails are a Bog Plant and they grow in shallow water near the edges of the pond. Their roots grow under water.

Emergent Pond Plants stand above the water. Their roots are under water in the mud. Lily pads are an emergent pond plant.

Floating Pond Plants have roots that hang in the water but are not attached to the pond bottom.

Algae are simple organisms that make food from sunlight by 

photosynthesis , but do not have roots, stems or leaves like a regular plant. A cluster of algae is called a bloom.

The children talked about ponds they have in their yards. Some have small ponds and some have large ponds. Some of their ponds have small Small Fish and Lily Pads. Other children shared that they have large ponds that have fish for fishing. Some of their families own cattle and the cattle use the large ponds to drink from.

Here is what the children created in Creative Corner this week for Pond Plants:

Cattails

The children used the materials to create Cattails in a Pond.

Peaceful Pond

The children used crayons to create a pond life drawing and then added blue water color.

 

And the children made the Lily Pad Count Art Project 

The children decorated their pond plates and glued on their Lily pads. They cut apart their frog strips and their games were ready. 

How many frogs 🐸 are in each Lily pad?

Which one has more?

Such a fun game to play with friends!

 #ExperienceEarlyLearning

Steam Stations- In Our Science Center 

The children loved the Algae Sensory Bags!

I will be posting more learning activities from this week.

It was another great week with Experience Early Learning!

The children really love the Pond Theme! 

Have a Great Week! Vonda Bearden 

#ExperienceEarlyLearning

Pond Life: Week One - Life Around the Pond

This last week our theme was Life Around the Pond from #ExperienceEarlyLearning #EELblogger The children were so excited about the new Pond Theme. They loved learning about Turtles, Snakes, Tadpoles, Frogs and Ducks. 

We started with learning about Turtles . We talked about how slow Turtles move and how they like to hide in their shell. I asked them different questions about turtles.

Why do you think a Turtle moves so slow?

One Answer was because he has to carry his house on his back. 

Another Answer was his shell is so heavy.

Why do you think a Turtle hides in his shell?

One child said because he is scared.

Another said to stay safe.

Another answer was to take a nap.

The children said Turtles eat fish, plants and bugs . 

I explained to the children that Turtles are Cold-Blooded Reptiles.

We also discussed that Turtles live in lakes, rivers, oceans and ponds.

Creative Corner: Turtle Pull Toy

The children enjoyed decorating their paper turtle and shell/bowl . Their Turtle Pull Toys were so cute! ❤️

Shell Math 

With this cute Turtle Math Game the children identified the number on the cups/shell and matched it to the number on the mat. When completed each turtle had a shell. The children identified all the numbers 1-14. Our Focus Numbers this month are 13 and 14.

The children couldn’t wait until all the turtles had their shell.

More Awesome Math Games 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 #ExperienceEarlyLearning

Frog Jump

This Game focuses on  Fine Motor and Number Identification. The children loved flipping the frogs onto the Lily Pads. They flipped the frogs then identified the number on which the frog landed.

Duck Families 

This Math game focuses on Counting and One to One Correspondence. The children rolled the die and counted the dots .The children then placed that many ducks on the correct corresponding dotted oval.

Tadpole Ribbon Dancers 

During Circle Time I showed the children the Tadpole Conversation Poster and we wiggled our fingers like Tadpoles. We talked about how tadpoles move their tails back and forth to swim. We discussed the Life Cycle of a Frog. The children were ready to decorate their Tadpole Ribbon Dancers. They turned out very cute!

Snakes 🐍 An Additional Pond Activity 

Creative Corner Art

Making a Snake

The children created snakes using pipe cleaner, beads and straw pieces. 

Early Literacy in the Classroom 

The children wrote in their journals this week. They drew pictures relating to The Pond on the front cover. The children went through their journals and did some writing. We are going to place their journals in the writing center so that they can continue to write in them through the month.

During Circle Time and Story Time we are very busy learning every school day.

Our Letter of the Week last week was Letter Nn.

Our Sight Word Book this month  is Pond Life

A few extra photos from the week ❤️🐸

  Camping at the Pond

Fishing at the Pond 


What a great first week of Pond Life! We are looking forward to week 2 Pond Plants 𝐟𝐫𝐨m

#ExperienceEarlyLearning.  🐸🐢🐍🦆