Blog Archives - WELCOME THE LAUREL SCHOOL TODDLER, PRESCHOOL & PRE-KINDERGARTEN VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS

create Your story!

5/29/2020

What is our theme? End of the year Review!

What is the lesson (overall purpose)?
Your child will use their imagination to create a story of their own, then they will draw pictures to their story.

MA Guidelines/Standards:
Use of combination of dictating and drawing to tell a story

Learning Outcomes:
Your child will use their imagination. Your child will create their own story. Your child will illustrate their story.

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Read a few stories to your child. Then tell them they are going to make up their own story. Ask questions : who is the main character in the story? Who else is in the story? What is the story about? What will happen in the beginning of your story? What will happen at the end of the story?

Materials:
Someone to write down your child’s story, 3 or 4 pieces of white paper folded in half, crayons or markers, stapler

Activity (Procedure):

Fold a few pieces of white paper in half to make a book
Stape the edges to secure the the book
As your child dictates their story write it down on the top of each page.
Leave room at the bottom of each page so your child can draw pictures to their story.
When they are done creating their story have your child draw pictures to their story
When you child is finished their book read it back to them

Activity Wrap Up:
Read the story together. Read the story to the people in your home. What is the TITLE of your book?

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment)
Is your child proud of their work? Did your child draw pictures to match the words in their story? Does the story have a main character? Does the story have a beginning, middle and end?

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications)
Play story starters. Someone starts a story and your child has to come up with the end of the story or your child can start a story and someone has to end the story.

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions)
Many people can play the story starter game. Have someone write these stories down and later your child can illustrate the stories.

fine motor skill practice

5/28/2020

What is our theme? End of year Review!

What is the lesson (overall purpose)?
To fine tune your child's pincer grip and finger strength

MA Guidelines/Standards:
Fine motor skills will often be practiced through arts and crafts and sensory play

Learning Outcomes:
Your child will have fun scooping, pinching, and using tongs to move colored pom poms from a bowl to labeled muffin tin. They will also be practicing color recognition.

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Tell your child that they are going to have fun while strengthening the finger muscles. Show them all the tools they will be using ( a scoop, tongs, chopsticks, tweezers and clothespins ). Then have your child pick up items using those tools. ( Items: beads, small rocks, cheerios, etc. )

Materials: Muffin tin, colored paper, colored pom poms, tongs, colored beads, tweezers, chopsticks, a scoop

Activity (Procedure):

Cut out colored circles that match the colors of the pom poms
Place them in the bottom of the muffin tin
Then have your child pick up the pom poms one by one and match them to the correct color in the muffin tin
Let your child choose which tool they would like to start with
Dump them out and try it again with a different tool.

Activity Wrap Up:
Your child is having fun picking up colored pom poms with a tong and placing them in the correct colored muffin.

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment)
Is your child able to pick things up with the tools in front of them? Can they match the colored pom poms to the correct colored muffin? Can they identify the colors they are using?

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications)
Have your child use colored beads instead of pom poms or small pieces of broken crayons.

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions)
Have your child play with play dough or practice their cutting skills with scissors. These all build fine motor development.

Upper & lower case practice & recognition!

5/27/2020

What is our theme? End of year Review!

What is the lesson (overall purpose)?
Your child will continue to practice upper and lowercase letter recognition

MA Guidelines/Standards:
Recognize and name the letters of the alphabet. The child will demonstrate eagerness and curiosity as a learner.

Learning Outcomes:
The child will continue to recognize the written alphabet. The child will show excitement in finding letters. The child will realize that letters are everywhere!

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Sing the alphabet song. Show examples where they can find letters ( books, magazines, newspaper, food boxes in the pantry, on television, etc. ). Take a drive in your car and point out all the letters you see.

Materials: Small cards with the upper and lowercase letters on them, Tape

Activity (Procedure):

Tell your child we are going to go on a alphabet hunt
Start with uppercase A
Have your child find an A and stick the card on the letter
Then go the lowercase a and do the same thing
Go through the alphabet sticking cards on all the letters

Activity Wrap Up: Letters are everywhere

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) Is my child interested in the game? Can my child identify the written letters? Can they use the correct letter name?

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) Play the CAR game. Drive around and have your child look for the letters of the alphabet. Start with letter A. They can spy an upper or lowercase letter. Example
I see an A on that sign over there! I see a B on the store front! Play with everyone in the car. Go through the whole alphabet A to Z in order!

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) Add the letter sounds as you play these games

I can count!

5/26/2020

What is our theme? End of year Review!

What is the lesson (overall purpose)? Your child will continue to practice their number recognition and counting skills

MA Guidelines/Standards:
Recognize and name numerals 0-10. Understand the relationships between numerals and quantities up to 10

Learning Outcomes:
Your children will recognize written numbers 0-10. Your children will understand the correct quantity with the written numbers.

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Have your children find things around the house that they can count, then label them with number cards. Example: Count the spoons, clothing, shoes, etc.

Materials: Chalk, rocks, bucket

Activity (Procedure):

Collect rocks from outside ( small )
On the driveway or a porch draw 11 large circles with chalk
Write the numbers 0-10 in each circle
Yell out a number and see if your child can find the right circle it’s in by standing in that circle.
Then have your child place the number of rocks into each circle for that specific number.

Activity Wrap Up: Review the numbers by saying them and have your child stand on the correct number.

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) Is my child interested in counting? Does your child recognize the numbers? Does your child understand how many rocks go with each number?

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) Play Hopscotch game.

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) Have your child count out loud while playing these fun games

Spring has sprung: Healthy Tree snack

5/22/2020

This lesson is about making a healthy tree snack!

What is our theme? Spring has sprung

What is the lesson (overall purpose)? To review the different parts of a tree while making a healthy snack

MA Guidelines/Standards: Compare using descriptions, observation, invention and expression. Strengthening the pincer grip

Learning Outcomes: Your child will make a tree using pretzels and grapes

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Review the parts of a tree. tell your child they are going to make a yummy snack in the form of a tree.

Materials:
Paper plate, small stick pretzels, green grapes

Activity (Procedure):

At the bottom of the paper plate make the trunk of a tree by placing the stick pretzels next to each other( 7 or 8 pretzels )
Make branches by adding stick pretzels to the top of the tree trunk
Cut green grapes in half and place them next to the branches.
EAT YOUR TREE yummy

Activity Wrap Up: Reenforcing the parts of a tree, your child made a healthy snack

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) Can your child name the parts of a tree

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) You can substitute the grapes with red and yellow cherries tomatoes to create a fall tree.

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) If the pretzels keep moving around you can glue them down with peanut butter or cream cheese

Spring has sprung: tree craft

5/21/2020

This lesson is identifying a basic structure of a tree & doing a flowering tree spring craft!

What is our theme? Spring has sprung

What is the lesson (overall purpose)? To identify and describe the basic structure of a tree

MA Guidelines/Standards: Compare using descriptions, observation, invention and expression.

Learning Outcomes: Your child will learn the parts of a tree. A trunk that divides into branches, leaves grow from the branches and flowers grow from the buds. The roots are underground and the tree is covered with bark.

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
ake your child outside to observe the trees. Are leaves beginning to grow? Do you see colored buds starting to pop out? Touch the tree and describe how it feels. What other kind of trees do you see? ( Pine trees ) Do they have leaves? ( Pine needles ). What is falling from some of the trees?

Materials: Construction paper for the background, Brown and green paint, a loofah or sponge, piece of bark, pink tissue paper, 2 paper plates

Activity (Procedure):

Place a light colored piece of construction paper on the table
Poor brown paint on one paper plate
poor green paint on the other paper plate
Take the piece of bark and swirl into the brown paint
Paint the trunk of the tree with the brown bark, make sure you start at the bottom of the paper.
Take the loofah or sponge and dab at the top of the paper to make the leaves.
Crumble small pieces of pink tissue paper and place them on the green leaves to make the flowers.

Activity Wrap Up: Your child has made a beautiful flowering tree and has learned the different parts of a tree

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) Can your child describe the different parts of a tree? ( Trunk, branches, leaves, buds, flowers, roots )

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) Your child could make a pine tree by picking up pine needles and use them to paint green pine needles on a tree.

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) If you don’t have paint you can use food coloring.

Spring has sprung: Flower Math!

5/20/2020

This is a Math lesson using flower pedals!

What is our theme? Spring has sprung

What is the lesson (overall purpose)? Your children will be improving their cutting skills while they continue to practice their number recognition and counting skills. They will be making pedals out of circles, triangles, ovals and place them around the center of a flower that has a number letting them know how many pedals to use.

MA Guidelines/Standards: Recognize and name written numbers 0-10. Understand the relationships between the numerals 0-10

Learning Outcomes: Students will recognize numbers between 0-10. Students will understand the correct quantity with written numbers.

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Go outside and find a flower that you can pick. Make sure it is a flower that doesn’t have too many pedals. Pull the pedals off one by one counting them as you pull them off.

Materials:
Scissors, colored paper, numbers 0-10 written on pieces of paper, markers or crayons

Activity (Procedure):

Draw a flower without petals ( Stem, leaves, with a round circle at the top )
Have your child cut 10 circles, 10 triangles, 10 ovals ( small enough to fit around the top of the
flower ) The circles, triangles and ovals can be different colors.
Put a number in the center of the flower and have your child add pedals that match the number on the flower. For example: Number 4 is placed on the flower, your child will then decide what kind of pedals they will use ( pink ovals ). They will then add 4 pink ovals to the top of the flower.
Continue to put different numbers on the flower and have your child create flowers with different petals.

Activity Wrap Up: Your child is having fun counting petals and making beautiful flowers.

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) Is your child interested in counting? Does your child recognize the numbers 1-10? Can your child put the correct number of petals on the flower?

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) Make other shape pedals. Have your child make a garden by making many flowers to add pedals to.

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) When all is finished counting your child can then glue them on to make a flower picture.

Spring has sprung: Seeds!

5/19/2020

What is our theme? Spring has sprung

What is the lesson (overall purpose)? Your child will have fun making a cute grass head while continuing to learn what plants need to survive and grow.

MA Guidelines/Standards: Characteristics of living things. Observe and describe the growth of seeds.

Learning Outcomes: Your child will grow grass in a styrofoam cup and decorate it with permanent markers and googly eyes to make a face. They will keep the grass growing and be able to cut the grass pretending it’s hair.

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Take a walk outside and observe the grass. Ask questions: Does the grass grow in the winter time? What does the grass need to grow? Does somebody cut the grass in your yard? What do they use to cut the grass? How often does the grass need to be cut?

Materials: Styrofoam cup, permanent markers, googly eyes,soil, grass seed, water, scissors

Activity (Procedure):

Fill styrofoam cup with soil ( almost to the top )
sprinkle grass seed on top and mix it around with your finger, then add more on top.
water the seed
make sure you have a hole at the bottom of the cup to let excess water out
glue on googly eyes, add a mouth and nose with the permanent markers
Place the cup in a warm and sunny spot

Activity Wrap Up: Your child will enjoy watching the grass grow just like the hair on their head. Then they will have fun giving their grass head a haircut!

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) What did the grass need to grow? How long did it take for the grass to grow? Does the hair on your head grow as fast as the grass? Did the grass keep growing after you cut it?

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) Make a grass head resembling everyone in your family. Place them in different places in your house. Whose hair grew the fastest?

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) If you don’t have googly eyes just draw them in with a permanent marker.

Spring has sprung: plants

5/18/2020

What is our theme? Spring has sprung

What is the lesson (overall purpose)? To identify and describe the basic structure of a common flowering plant.

MA Guidelines/Standards: Characteristics of living things

Learning Outcomes: Your child will enjoy observing and describing the growth of a seed. ( roots, stem, leaves )

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Show your child a bean seed. Ask questions: What do you think this seed needs to grow? When this seed begins to grow what do you think happens first? Then tell your child they are going to do a science experiment that will show them how a seed grows into a plant.

Materials: Jar, water, paper towel or napkin

Activity (Procedure):

Swirl some water around in your jar
Roll up a piece of paper towel or napkin and put it inside the jar pressing it against the glass
put the jar with the Bean in it on a windowsill where it will get plenty of light.
After a few days your bean should start to sprout roots
Be sure to have your child add water to the paper towel keeping it moist

Activity Wrap Up: Your child will demonstrate eagerness and curiosity watching the seed grow into a plant

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) Can your child describe the basic structure of a flowering plant? What came from the seed first? ( roots ) What came next? ( stem ) etc.

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) Have a few jars with a seed in them and put the jars in different locations around the house. ( In a closet so the seed has no light ) Put too much water in one jar. Don’t put any water in one of the jars. Which seed grew the best?

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) If you don’t have a jar you can use a glass. Must be able to see through the glass.

Spring has sprung: Plants!

5/15/2020

Date: 5/15/2020

What is our theme? Spring has sprung

What is the lesson (overall purpose)? The children will learn what plants need inorder to grow.

MA Guidelines/Standards: Demonstrate initiative, self-direction,and independence to describe what plants need to grow

Learning Outcomes: Your child will grow their own bean plant and be able to identify what plants need to survive.

Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
Take a walk outside and look at all the plants that are growing in your yard. Ask questions: Are the plants in the ground? Are they growing in soil? What is all around us that plants and people need to live?( air ). Is the sun shining on the plants? What is the temperature? Do these plants grow in winter time? Do they need rain to grow?

Materials: Pot for planting, soil, bean seeds water

Activity (Procedure):

Have your child fill a pot half way with soil
Give your child 3 seeds to place in the dirt
Have your child then cover the seeds with more soil ( just enough to cover them )
Then have your child water the seeds
Then place you pot in a warm place where it will get sunshine.
Watch your plant everyday and keep it watered.

Activity Wrap Up: Your child planted seeds in a pot and are waiting to see what happens!

How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment) Does your child check on the plant everyday to make sure it has water? When the plant begins to grow are they still watering it? Has your child asked what we can do with the plant after it starts growing too big for the pot.

How can you extend this activity? (Modifications) You can make a few pots with seeds and place them in different places in your house ( a dark place that has no sunshine, in the fridge where it is cold, etc. ) Where did the plant grow BEST?

Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions) If you don’t have a pot you can use plastic cups ( be sure to put holes in the bottom so the excess water can leak out )