We had a great first day!

We had a fantastic first day together.   We read the Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. It is a story about a little raccoon named Chester who was anxious about leaving home and going to school.  So his mother decided to share a "family secret" with him- the "kissing hand".  She gave him a kiss on his paw and told him to press the kiss to his cheek whenever he missed her.

We sang many songs and played outside on the big playground too.  As we try to play outside everyday please remember to put sun block on your child prior to coming to school.

 
We will be getting to know each other and exploring our new classroom. Today and next week we will focus on learning the new routine of the classroom and learning more about each other.

Please remember to send in a daily snack and drink as well as an extra set of clothes (to be kept all year) to school with your child.

Books This Week/next week:
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – Bill Martin Jr.

Small Groups:
- sorting shapes
- Decorate the first letter of their name with bingo markers and painting leaves as related to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
-Each child will create a self portrait for their portfolio.

-Duck craft

Centers
-Dramatic Play- Housekeeping
-Sensory Table-Sand and sand toys
-Art Table- hand prints for Kissing Hand project
-Blocks
-Math- shape sorting
-Library- Books about school
- Table - Playdough

Songs, Word Play, and Letters
5 Little Ducks
5 Speckled Frogs
Itsy Bitsy Spider

Welcome to the Lucky Ducks!

On Thursday, September 5th, Lucky Duck families are invited to come and see the Lucky Duck classroom. You can explore our classroom from 9-9:30.  We look forward to meeting all of our new friends.

Thank you  for such a great year.  We hope you and your family have a wonderful summer.  

Summer Fun Activities

Read, Read, Read.  

Read with a flashlight, or on a picnic blanket, or at the library.

Play Ispy - 

I spy with my little eye something (give a color)

 I spy something that rhymes with 

 I spy something that starts with - (and give the sound)

Play board games -

Candyland, memory, etc.

Journal

-Keep a summer journal.  Children can draw a picture and tell you about their picture

Play at the playground

These ideas were taken from the Therapist Blog

• Break out the Sidewalk chalk

• Practice drawing pictures, lines, shapes or letters.  Use a spray bottle filled with water to spritz-away and start over

Developmental benefits: fine motor, prewriting skills, sensori motor development, midline crossing

2. Go on a Nature Walk!

– collect leaves, branches, small rocks to make a collage

Developmental benefits: fine motor, sensory processing, bilateral coordination and visual perceptual motor skill development

3. Wash the Car!

– break out the soap, sponges and hoses

Developmental benefits: upper body/wrist/hand strengthening, midline crossing, bilateral coordination, sensory processing skill development

4. Go to the Beach & Play in the Sand!

– draw lines & shapes in the sand with fingers; build sand castles

Developmental benefits: visual motor integration, visual perception, hand strengthening, bilateral coordination, midline crossing and sensory processing

5. Paint with Water!

• use large brushes, or small sponge pieces to paint with and use the side of the house, a fence or sidewalk as your “canvas”

Developmental benefits: hand and wrist strengthening, grasp development, proximal stability, visual motor integration and midline crossing  

6. Dig For Treasures!

– using small kitchen tongs or strawberry hullers, pick up small toys or “treasures” hiding in the sandbox

Developmental benefits:  grasp development, hand strengthening, bilateral coordination, eye hand coordination, visual motor control

Butterflies!

All of our caterpillars grew and grew and turned into beautiful butterflies.  We released the lovely orange, black and white butterflies today.  

5 senses during the Month of May

June 13th - Our end of the year PARTY!!!

5 senses during the Month of May

This week we will begin our next unit on the 5 Senses. Here are the theme concepts for this unit:

• There are 5 Senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell
• Each sense has a different job and sometimes, they work together
• Different body parts are associated with different senses
• Senses give us important information about the world around us
• Some people do not have full use of all of their senses
• Senses can be enhanced artificially
• Week of May 4th (Sight)

Books for the week:

I can see with my eyes - Melvin Berger (We discussed how pupils change in bright and dim light)

On My Way to Buy Eggs by: Chih-Yuan Chen

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

Mouse Paint by: Ellen Walsh

Small Groups

Exploring Magnifying glasses

Conducting a science experiment by placing celery in colored water

Making Binoculars

Matching the mouse to the part of the elephant that was described in our story

Choice time:

Manipulatives: Letter matching, number puzzles

Blocks: closed
Library Area: 5 senses/ Little Critter
Sensory Table: pop tubes

Dramatic Play: making pizza

Table: Magnifying glasses, kaleidoscopes and view finders

Rug Toy: Waffle blocks

Week of May 11th (Hearing)

Books for the week:

Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Hero Cat by Eileen Spinelli

Listening Walk by Aliki

Small Groups:

Sound Bingo

Mr Brown tally game

Egg Shakers- Guess my sounds

Week of May 18th (Smell & Taste)

Stone Soup

My 5 Senses by Aliki

Stone Soup

Small groups

How many senses?

Abc Memory

Painting with Kool-aid

Week of May 25 (Touch)

Princess and the Pea

Mouse Paint

Small Groups

Creating a book about senses

Painting Mice

Transportation

Check out pictures on our blog with our Lucky Duck Car Wash

Transportation Weeks 1 & 2

This week we will begin our next unit about Transportation.

Here are the theme concepts for this unit:

• There are many different modes of transportation
• Transportation is a way of moving people or things
• Transportation changes over time
• The choice of transportation depends on where you are
• going and what you are transporting
• There is public and private transportation
• There is land, sea and air transportation
• 
  

Week of March 19th

Books for the week:

The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra and Sal Barracca

Freight Train by Donald Crews

Small Groups:

Journal of a snow day

Counting Cars on the Road

Making Rockets

Choice time:

Art Table:  coloring pages and rock crayons

Easel: CLOSED

Blocks: blocks and cars

Library Area: Books about transportation/ March Favorites
Sensory Table: beans and trucks

Dramatic Play: Kitchen

Special: _Lucky Duck Car Wash

Week of March 26th

Books for the week:

Airport by Byron Barton

Push! Dig! Scoop! By Rhonda Gowler Greene

Small Groups:

Transportation vocabulary words

Transportation BINGO

Hot Air Balloons

A big Thank you to Fire Fighter Williams for coming to visit the Lucky Ducks!  Check out our pictures on our picture blog.