Exploring Big Feelings
How do big feelings present in toddlers and preschoolers and how do adults support these feelings?
Children should be allowed to express their feelings in a safe place as they learn self-control. What does this look like for a child? It might be falling down on the ground and flailing about. It might include screaming, yelling, and/or crying. Commonly called a temper tantrum! There could be an element of being physical in the form of biting, scratching, hitting, kicking or destroying property. This is all a form of communication. We must check in with ourselves and handle our own emotions first. We must help children negotiate these feelings instead of breaking down ourselves.
First, allowing big feelings is important, this is the way a child learns to communicate. We do not like it if someone tells us, “You are OK”, or “to get over it”, or to stop feeling a certain way. We do not want to be told to “stop it” so why should a child be able to negotiate accepting this. We must check our own feelings first and then support theirs very calmly by naming their feelings and accepting them. We are supportive in positive feelings but tend to shut down the negative emotions.
While the latter is not ideal, we still need to provide a safe place for the expression of feelings. Sometimes we must step back and let them be physical in a safe place as they negotiate these big feelings.
Reach out if you want to discuss further!
Fall 2016 Newsletter
Welcome to Fall 2016!!
Look at our fall-2016-newsletter here!
Welcome New and Returning Families!
Welcome New and Returning Families!
We are so excited for the new school year and cannot wait to get started! This year will be filled with exciting adventures, fun projects and educational activities. These will be designed to help prepare the children for life’s endeavors, understand dynamics and engage in small and large groups, and become familiar with concepts they will further develop throughout elementary schooling and beyond.
We are welcoming so many new families, and are also mixed with bittersweet emotions as we send off our graduating students to continue their academic journeys in kindergarten.
Please join us for the end of summer playground playdate and Art Show on Friday, August 28th from 4:00-5:00 PM.
FGNS Kids
Please label everything your child brings into school. Each child brings hundreds of personal items into the school throughout the year and it is not possible to keep track of what belongs to who. Things fall out of cubbies, children take things off and throw them on the floor, give them away to another child or put them in the wrong cubby. In order to avoid confusion, we respectfully ask that you label absolutely every personal item that your child brings or wears into school. This may include but is not limited to sippy cups, thermoses, water bottles, lunch boxes, containers, jackets, hats, mittens, boots, slippers, comfort items, blankets ect. Anything special, valuable or irreplaceable should not come into the school. If your child comes home with something that does not belong to them, please return it in a timely manner. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Welcome New Teachers!
We want to extend a warm welcome to our new staff who will be officially beginning their journey teaching at Friendship Garden Nursery School full time for the 2015-2016 School Year. They are all thrilled to be part of our team and excited to further enrich the children’s lives with excitement and intrigue. Their objectives in the next few weeks will be to learn all about the children and their families, and continue to offer the structure, social, emotional and academic education the children need to thrive.
We appreciate your understanding and patience as everyone continues training for the last few weeks of summer. We recognize the importance of consistency in caregivers and are committed to maintaining a high standard of excellence in the quality of early education experiences offered here at FGNS. The new teachers were carefully selected, are in the process of undergoing comprehensive training and each has offered their assurance they are reliable caregivers and focused educators.
Meet Our Staff
Alexis Turner is our new Lead Teacher, stationed in the Toddler Room. Alexis has over 20 years experience teaching in preschool and toddler classrooms. She is also the mother to 3 wonderful daughters, Ashton, Emily and Ava. We are thrilled to have Alexis on our team as we know she will bring a whole new level of excitement for our amazing group of toddlers. 
Olivia Fluker will be the full time Teacher for our Pre-Kindergarten classroom. Olivia is developing a comprehensive curriculum plan to prepare the children for kindergarten and beyond. She is working hard to create a full schedule of fun and engaging activities and projects. She will be working in collaboration with Megan and myself to implement these plans effectively throughout the year.
Megan Foster will be the full time Teacher Assistant in the Pre-Kindergarten classroom. Megan is so happy to pursue her career as a preschool teacher. She will be working more closely with the young preschoolers to allow them more flexibility in academic based projects and increased support in social emotional development and potty training.
Loose Parts
Young children learn most when they are actively participating in the learning process by interacting with adults, each other and the environment. The materials that children interact with are placed in one of two categories, open ended or closed materials. Open ended materials are materials that can be used in many different ways, opposed to closed materials that have one intended use. Wind-up toys, puzzles, talking toys, worksheets and coloring pages are a few examples of closed materials. These types of materials have only one correct way to use them and they require very little higher order thinking.
Loose parts are categorized as open ended. Open ended materials encourage thinking, creativity and experimentation. Loose parts play is intended to be limitless and timeless. It is helpful to think of loose parts as something that will inspire imagination and creativity for each child based on their unique personality and temperament.
Loose parts can be natural or synthetic. They are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Loose parts can be used alone or combined with other materials. There are NO directions with loose parts.
Let’s look at aluminum cans. They can be stacked, rolled, used as containers, hollered into, kicked, used in the play kitchen as imaginary food, become a telescope, etc. They are virtually indestructible, easily replaced and free (except for the original contents).
Here is a list of loose parts in the environment. It can be found here: ribbonshttp://extension.psu.edu/youth/betterkidcare/early-care/our-resources/tip-pages/tips/loose-parts-what-does-this-mean
Loose parts in a natural play area:
water • sand • dirt • sticks • branches • logs • driftwood • grasses • moss • leaves • flowers • pinecones • pine needles • seeds • shells • bark • feathers • boulders • rocks • pebbles • stones
Loose parts on a playground:
balls • hoops • jump ropes • tires • sand • water • dirt • straw • boulders • rocks • stones • pebbles • buckets • cups • containers • digging tools • chalk • scarves • ribbons • fabric
Loose parts in an indoor environment:
blocks • building materials • manipulatives • measuring • pouring devices (cups, spoons, buckets, funnels) • dramatic play props • play cars, animals, and people • blankets • materials • floor samples • water • sand • sensory materials • recycled materials (paper tubes, papers, ribbons, caps, lids, wood scraps, wire, foam, cardboard) • plastic gutters • small plungers • tools • art materials (buttons, spools, natural and colored popsicle sticks, beads, straws, paints, brushes)
What else can you collect?
How Fun Can a Box Be?
Have you ever heard the statement “they like the box more than what is inside”, when referring to young children? Really, how much fun can a box be?
This week we received some supplies at Friendship Garden Nursery School in a big square box. At first this box was doomed for the recycle pile but at the last minute it was saved from being crushed, at least by my hands. After explaining “recycling” and “reusing” (Science and Language Arts) instead of just putting the box down for the children to discover, I placed in on a drop cloth and gave the children paint and paint brushes. In time the box was covered in pretty colors. (Creative Arts) After the box dried it was time to put it out to play with.
First everyone had a turn to sit in the box, after that they attempted to figure out how many children could fit in the box. (Math) Later we counted how many objects were put in the box. We will do some formal and informal measuring in the coming weeks.
We have spent a lot of time filling and emptying our box using our big muscles. (Motor skills) Young children enjoy.
The box has been a train, a truck, a “jack in the box”, a cuddle spot, a table, a hiding spot and I’m quite sure it will be much more! (Dramatic Play) Unstructured play with a box inspires creativity, resourcefulness and imagination.
Did you know the cardboard box is in the National Toy Hall of Fame?
What can you do with a box?
Sand and Water Table
This is the final blog in the series which takes a look around the preschool classroom.
The sand and water table/sensory table or bin in the preschool classroom is a must. Yes, I will agree that the area can be very chaotic so let’s remember the benefits as they outweigh the “mess”.
First, consider the physical layout of your space, the sensory table should not be placed on a rug or near a heating vent; a dust pan; a broom and a trash receptacle should be close by and easily reached by the children. Young children can and should be responsible for keeping their area clean and safe.
The sensory table helps to develop the social skills of working together, sharing space and supplies and planning for play. The educator will often need to help in the sharing the media and the materials that are in the table. Do to the limited space of the table it is an area that is easily teacher supervised and supported.
Physical development of the young child is supported in the sensory table as eye-hand coordination is needed for scooping and dumping and the fine motor skills of pouring and sifting can be honed as well.
Vocabulary building is another fun result of exploring different sensory materials. Remember to enrich the young child’s descriptive language vocabulary skills whenever possible. Language skills in the sensory table include; planning, questioning and telling stories.
Many basic concepts related to science and math can be investigated in a sand/water/sensory table. Water/sand wheel, water pump, sink/float, gravity, manipulation, and trial and error are several scientific concepts explored during sensory play. Measuring and volume, amount, number, quantity and size are mathematical concepts that can be investigated.
There are many items to place in a sensory table, let your imagination go! Here is a list to get you started:
Flour
Rice
Beans
Colored pasta
Cooked spaghetti
Corn Meal
Oatmeal
If you are opposed to using food items in the sensory table here is a list of non food item:
Bird Seed
Easter grass
Corn
Sand
Water
Shaving cream
Cotton balls
Bottle caps
Ice
Smooth stones
Ribbons and Bows
Soil
Fabric scraps
At home: Safety should always come first when using water or small sensory items. The bathtub and the kitchen sink are logical locations for sensory explorations however a small basin on the floor, with a towel on a plastic trash bag to catch spills will work as well. Supply your child with props such as sponges, basters, colanders, strainers, pitchers, tongs, and so on. Baths are a great place for sensory investigation. There is so much to explore and learn with very little equipment, and clean up is simple.
Block Center Blog
Block building centers are essential to the preschool classroom. Blocks are an open ended material that stimulates the imagination and opens doors for a variety of discovery. One day a block may be a phone, the next day it might be a bus or part of a building. Let’s explore blocks across the curriculum.
As the school year progresses so does the children’s ability to build more complex block structures based on the mathematical concepts that are inherently learning while playing. Children learn many math skills in the block building center. Height, width, depth, weight, shape, size, space and dimension are some of the mathematical concepts children can begin to understand while playing with blocks. Classification and order are two more areas that children will naturally explore and learn as they manipulate blocks. Math goes hand in hand with block building as children can also experiment with fractions, measurement, patterns and grids. Let’s add some rulers and cloth tape measures to the block area.
Children learn language and social skills while exchanging ideas and cooperating, planning for building and cleaning. Respect for the work of others and self control is an area of learning in the block area that is often challenging as it is so much fun to knock blocks over! Children learn to observe and follow safety rules. Children often choose to act out a favorite story like “The Three Little Pigs” where they can build three houses and tell their own version of the story. Paper, writing instruments and clipboards in the block area encourage writing for a purpose when making signs. Add some books with good architectural photos of buildings and bridges and watch what happens.
The block area can be used to promote social studies as children learn about people and their work. Block building encourages mapping skills. How about adding blocks with photos of the children and other people that they are familiar with?
In the area of art, patterns, symmetry, and shape are common concepts children learn while playing blocks. Adding blocks with colored inserts adds another dimension to block building as art. Patterning cards, shells and polished stones and let creativity abound.
Science in the block area involves much trial and error. Young children get a firsthand look at gravity, stability, balance, and the interaction of force. The properties of matter can also be discovered in this play area. How about adding paper towel tubes and small balls?
Physical development. Eye-hand coordination, hand manipulation, and visual perception can be achieved through block building. Remember clean up time can help develop some of these physical skills as well. Additionally, cleaning up teaches young children respect.
Dramatic play, During block play children can build pretend play dioramas and act out roles. Add some cars, trees, road signs, road mats, people, garages, boxes, trucks, and trains and train tracks. Or add doll house, dolls and furniture, fabric pieces, plastic mirrors and carpet squares. You might add trees, animals, plastic bugs or boats. Add small stones, shells, pinecones or acorns and watch your child create.
How about adding dress up outfits, hats and plastic bowls and dishes?
Can you think of anything else you can use to enhance block play?
At home: If you do not access to blocks, boxes can stand in. Add a clipboard, paper and crayons for signs. Your child can create buildings and roads and then make signs to go with what they have created.
Have fun!
Spring Activities for Children
Kendyl Brooks, student intern from Upper Cape Cod Technical School will be adding her thoughts on this blog, here is her first post!
Spring has finally sprung here in Falmouth, MA and we sure are excited about it! Things as simple as riding bikes, sidewalk chalk, or just passing a ball back and forth can get the whole family outdoors moving around. Spring is a great time to have picnics and enjoy time outdoors with your child. Young children love to go on bug hunts, and collect things like rocks (save them for a rainy day and paint them with watercolors!). Then you can use these collections to create your own Fairy Houses!
Fairy Houses at FGNS
Something that may require warmer weather and a lot of patience is a homemade slip and slide! Put a painters’ tarp on the lawn, and run the hose from the top of it; kids will be entertained for hours! A nice walk on the beach to collect shells and rocks (maybe even sea glass!) is a great way to get exercise and spend time together as a family. Bike washes and toy car washes are tons of fun, along with washing an actual car. If you have a garden kids love to help planting things, or pulling weeds. Even if you don’t have a garden, kids will enjoy hours of fun just digging and playing in the mud.
A little imagination can go a long way for those rainy days where you are stuck inside. Although kids love to watch “Frozen” on repeat all day, hearing “Let It Go” for the thousandth time might just be getting old. Something my mother did for my brother and I when we were children was to get a huge cardboard box, and a big tub of crayons. For hours we would lay in the box and just color. It’s a non-messy, creative and inexpensive project. Imagine what the box could be, a truck a boat, a chariot! Another fun rainy day project is making a blanket fort! Children of almost any age enjoy stretching blankets out over the couches, and spending the day in their newly made forts.
Board games are great for sharpening their fine motor and problem solving skills. Getting children to be active inside is as easy as blowing up a few balloons and playing “Don’t Let It Touch the Ground.” A game of indoor hopscotch using painters tape on the floor, and a stuffed toy or beanbag for the pebble is a great way to get the kids up and moving around.
Spring is a great time to enjoy the company of your family both indoors and out. These ideas highlight some simple ways to spend time together.
Happy Spring,
Kendyl
Bunny Treat Bags
What is a fun way to carry your Easter treats home from preschool? How about a bunny bag!
Supplies
A white or brown paper lunch bag (one for each child)
Scissors and construction paper for the following:
Eyes
Nose
Whiskers
Ear (inside)
Glue
Stapler
You will need to cut the paper bag into a bunny shape, use the photograph below as a guide.
Have your child glue on the pieces mentioned in the list above, use the photo as a guide.
Staple the ears to create a handle. Fill with treats.
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Teaching and Learning Math in Pre-School
I participated in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) training at the Cape Cod Children’s Museum capecodchildrensmuseum.org. This series of blogs focused on one aspect of STEM at a time, this is the last blog of the STEM series.
How do children learn and use arithmetic in pre-school?
Math is a way of measuring.
First what is math for the pre-school aged child? Hands on is simply the best way for a young child to learn math. Try to use real concrete objects when working through math problems. In the math center activities should be fun yet challenging. For example, as a child is sorting buttons, ask him/her to count them. Next ask how many buttons would be in each pile if you added one or subtracted two etc. You can say, “I wonder how many red buttons there would be if I subtracted two from this pile”. Let the child manipulate the materials to find the answer.
Bigger, smaller, half and zero are just a few mathematical concepts you could introduce while sorting buttons (or socks!) Children need opportunity to think about their solutions rather than knowing if the answer is “right”. Some open ended discovery will be necessary as they learn the concepts. There is no need to correct your child, rather pose some further questions for the child. For instance, if there is a pink button in the red pile you might ask, “I wonder if this button is the same color as this button”. Allow your child original reasoning and to develop problem solving reasoning skills. Your young child might have a logical answer as to why the button is in the pile. Perhaps it has just two holes and “matches” the two holed red buttons. There are many different attributes to sort by. Give your child the chance to explain and/or correct.
Let’s continue to look at math around the nursery school classroom.
In the dramatic play center you might see a child setting the table, counting and then placing one plate and one cup in front of each chair. Watch as the preschooler negotiates for materials based on how many are available in the area. A child might be informally measuring to see if an outfit will fit them or if it will fit a doll.
Math in the writing center could be making number books, it could also be numbering the pages of a story your child has written. Children may be drawing and naming shapes.
There is opportunity for math is every story you pick up to read. There are numbered pages. First, middle and last are mathematical concepts. Sequential retelling of a story has mathematical roots. Look for shapes (geometry) in the art work on the pages. Remember to incorporate new mathematical vocabulary and ideas as you speak.
Continue to explore and discover math at home. Play board games and build puzzles. Supply empty and clean, egg cartons, small boxes and/or ice cube trays and materials for sorting. Some materials you could use include bottle top/lids, colored paper clips or my personal favorite, a “party mix” of snack foods, “eat your math”! Young children enjoy inventing their own games. Supply them with paper, crayons, and dice, along with some objects to use as player pieces. A ruler, a tape measure, and other items can be used for measuring size and distance.
Math is all around us.