NEWSLETTER
September 25-28
Books we read this week:
We introduced all of our fall books this week!
Literacy Connections with Fall Pictures and Labels
In our preschool classroom we LOVE matching pictures to words and two of the same words to each other. This constant exposure to literacy in the forms of visual-spatial awareness (identifying pictures, letters and words), oral language (identifying and describing what they see) and written language (recognizing letters, letters make up words and those words are what they see) are important early literacy skills for preschool children. Exposure to them and practice with them at this age sets them up for strong reading and writing skills later in life.
Our first experience like this came as we introduced fall. The children identified the picture, we pointed to the word and "read" it together and then they found the matching label. Letters were identified, words were sounded out and matches were made!
Creating Ourselves with Art:
We continued to explore ourselves and our appearances by creating our bodies completely through art materials. Since this was our first time using these types of art materials, it was also an sensory exploratory experience. Children experience everything through their senses, and the sense of touch is a dominant tool. The children touched each of the materials and examined them before beginning their artwork.
The children practiced their fine motor skills while picking up each of the different art pieces and in squeezing and applying the glue. Specifically, they used their pincer grasp to pick up and place the materials on their person. They also exhibited creativity in their choice and placement of the materials. Finally, the children exhibited social/emotional skills as they focused on how their people were alike and different, just like their real selves.
What materials they chose, how they chose the materials, how they placed them, and how much glue they used also revealed their personalities as well as how they explore and work with open-ended materials. When we placed the people on the table to dry the children returned to them often to examine their work and each other's work. This ignited conversation about the different art pieces and placements that they chose to represent themselves, which allowed the children to naturally practice their oral language development and conversation skills. The next day each child identified their person from the group and hung it up in the classroom.
