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.
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.
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.
Teaching Technology and Engineering in Pre-School
This is the second blog of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) series by Robin Jones.
How do we teach technology in nursery school?
Technology is a way of doing.
When we hear the word technology most of us think of computers and the information highway. While it is the case that children are using tablets and computers in preschools, what else is technology? Let’s start with what it should NOT be. Technology is not meant to replace experiences but to expand the range of tools with which the young child can seek information. Technology is using tools to get a job done. Technology is being inventive, identifying problems and making things work. Technology is thinking and problem solving giving equal opportunities to boys and girls.
Technology in language arts might include a listening center with books and tapes/CD’s, a player and headphones. There are many games that encourage letter recognition, pre-reading and pre-writing skills.
In the dramatic play center, when children are playing grocery store they might “scan” items to get “prices”, this shows a knowledge of how to use tools. Old phones, calculators, click counters and keyboards allow children to understand the function of these tools as well.
In the area of social development technology is talking, doing, cooperating, and helping. It might be trying out a computer game with a friend, sharing and playing cooperatively. There are many types of timers that can be used to encourage child turn taking.
Engineering is a way of doing.
Engineering is solving problems, using a variety of materials, designing and creating, building and testing until things work. The engineering process is circular: define, plan, build, test, share and begin again. Preschoolers are natural engineers because of their innate curiosity and love of hands on activities. Young children can see the game of building and testing again and again. The most prominent example I can think of is in the block area. Preschoolers will build and rebuild until they are met with success. This is usually accomplished with great joy and laughter as they solve the problems of falling blocks. Explore and use simple machines such as ramps, gears, pulleys and levers throughout the block play experience to add to the creativity.
In the art area invent and construct simple objects or structures using common tools and materials. Talk about what does and does not work. Ask why certain materials are used for the purposes that they are used. For example, why is a chair made out of plastic and not paper?
In the area of science engineering can be the study of how animals use parts of their bodies to accomplish various tasks.
While cooking discuss the function of common machines, such as a cheese grater, food mill, mixer and/or blender. Ask how they work and explain how these tools make the job of preparing food easier.
The proper use and safety of all tools is a part of the preschool engineering curriculum.
During story time look for examples of engineering when the story time characters are faced with a problem that they try to solve. The Three Little Pigs is a great example. Many titles in Curious George series of stories can be used to talk about the engineering process. Can you think of any other titles? Please share.
Technology and Engineering are just “fancy” words to describe what children do naturally on a daily basis. Let’s get busy.
Pre-School Science Blog Series
Since there is a recent emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) this blog series will start with science in the preschool curriculum with two more to follow.
Science is a way of thinking.
Science is NOT something you know it is something you do. Science answers questions, it is a way of looking at the universe, it is a way of investigating. The product of science answers questions, how we do this is the process of science.
Young children are naturally curious. A preschool science curriculum includes experiences to broaden thinking and build new understanding. It involves questioning, trying things out and taking risks. Inquiry and exploration, what things are called, how they work, and why something happens, these questions are the basis of science.
There should not be a specific science time in preschool. Science is integrated into all content areas for the naturally curious young child. It is best to let things unfold rather than correcting ideas, teaching information or providing an explanation.
In discovery children will use all their senses to gain information about their environment. The science curriculum for the young child will support observing environmental change, cause and effect, systems and cycles. Classifying living and non-living, weighing and measuring, gravity and magnetism, making predictions are all aspects of a preschool science curriculum.
Let’s look at science in a typical preschool day.
During morning circle a teacher lead activity may include discussing the daily weather. As the educator leads a discussion about the weather and children share experiences from home, the discussion may turn to caring for a pet or finding shells on the beach. Many times music is played at morning circle. Conversations regarding the music allows for the discovery of sound and the instruments that create it.
During center time, in dramatic play the children might be seen balancing tea cups and plates trying to defy gravity or they might compare and contrast the dolls to real babies. Young children act out having a baby by stuffing dolls in their shirts. This is science, remember that you do not need to correct, teach or provide an explanation. Science is all about discovery.
At the writing center, science might be comparing colors or discovering what happens if you press down very hard on a pencil point.
At snack time body processes and functions is a very popular preschool science investigation! The nutritional content of food is another popular topic at snack and lunch time. During the process of preparing snack one might witness the transforming of whole apples into applesauce, witnessing solid to liquid.
Project time might be color mixing or making play dough where the dry ingredients mix with the wet and then cook into a malleable solid. Watch what happens when you dip dry chalk into water and draw on dark paper. Again this is all preschool science.
Growing seeds, caring for plants, caring for school pets, hatching caterpillars or eggs, watching the sunset, collecting insects, using magnets and magnifying glasses, watching a pumpkin rot, listening to your heart with a stethoscope, brushing your teeth, on and on this is preschool science!
Runny Noses, Coughs & Colds
Can you believe that the simple act of hand washing can keep your child healthier this winter? I was reading an article by Dr. Marz of Bass River Pediatrics where he says that young children entering preschool for the first time will spend the next 18 months or so experiencing the entire inventory of cough, cold, runny noses and viruses in the area. If you relocate the pattern continues with “new” local bugs. In fact this is a normal pattern. Your child’s immune system is not sub optimal.
Many of us take hand washing for granted as a way of staying healthy and perhaps focus on good food, sleep and exercise which are all important to our good health. Pair this with hand washing and your child’s health might improve.
What is proper hand washing? Soap and water are integral to good hand washing. Using soap and running water, hands should be rubbed vigorously together for 10 seconds, be sure to include the back of the hand, wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails. Dry thoroughly with a paper towel and repeat as necessary throughout the day!
Great news, young children love washing their hands. Here is a fun poem to wash to!
Little fingers like to play
In mud and paint and sand all day.
To get those fingers squeaky clean,
Wash the fronts and backs
And in between!
We used finger paint and made our handprints on a separate piece of paper and then sprinkled on a bit of corn meal “dirt” and then recited this poem. It is now hanging on the wall to remind us to wash often.
We also have fun with this poem, as we teach the children to put their coughs or sneezes into their “wings” or elbows.
If you need to cough or sneeze,
Put it in your elbow please.
Throw your tissue in the can,
Now it’s time to wash your hands!!
May these little tidbits keep you healthier this winter!
The Benefits of Dramatic Play for Children
Why do early child centers have dramatic play areas?
Dramatic play can expand your child’s imagination and allows him/her to create his/her own world and safely act out life experiences, role play emotions and concerns. In this area children act out what is important to them, what they have experienced and what they are comfortable with all within the confines of what they can control. During dramatic play cooperation and negotiation skills can be practiced. This supports the young child’s social/emotional development.
Pretend play provides opportunity for language development as different props are introduced. When introducing woodworking tools imagine the vocabulary and learning that will take place. Dramatic play allows for expansion of language capabilities. When adding pencil and paper, writing can be added as a skill developed in the dramatic play area. Research shows that children who have opportunities for dramatic play are better readers and writers with a more comprehensive vocabulary.
Math in the dramatic play area can be setting a table using one to one correspondence by placing one plate, one cup, one fork, knife and spoon at each place, sorting doll clothes for “washing” or dividing play foods evenly among plates. Children can match pairs as well.
Learning about diversity and other cultures is an area often reinforced in the dramatic play area for the young child. These social studies as well as learning about oneself and others are met by introducing various traditions by adding special clothing, tools or objects to the area. Children have an opportunity to explore various customs and celebrations. I have added for example, a menorah, wedding veil, chop sticks and birthday hats to the center at various times.
The small motor skills of dressing dolls, zipping, snapping, buttoning and tying dress up clothes/costumes can easily be integrated into dramatic play. Young children can practice simple home chores such as sweeping, folding and serving.
Science can be integrated into dramatic play as you set up a “forest”, a cave, a fishing pond or a tent. We add different supplies that correspond to our curriculum.
At home: Set up a space for dramatic play with props such as: dress up clothes/costumes, dolls, kitchen props and a telephone. Remember you can use old mail, calculators, paper, pencils and a briefcase so your child can play “office”. Stuffed animals, small blankets and a doctor kit can be a pet shop or vet. Emptied and clean food containers and flyers can make a grocery store. Extend all of these areas with paper and a pencil for writing lists, prescriptions, bills or notes. Use your imagination and allow your child to use his/hers. Have fun!
See you next week!
Holiday Traditions, A Book on Every Bed
I was recently introduced by my friends at The Coalition for Children, to a new holiday tradition, “A Book On Every Bed”.
Imagine… One million children across America waking up on Christmas morning (or another winter holiday) to find a gift-wrapped book on their bed!
Amy Dickinson of “Ask Amy” and USA Weekend are encouraging families across
the United States to start this special holiday book tradition. You can help by sharing it with all of the families you know, http://www.familyreading.org/.
I love it; your children from pre-school age on up, will as well!
After your child has fallen asleep on a winter holiday evening, place a gift wrapped book at the end of his/her bed. The child will awaken to find a special present that can be opened and read right away, beginning this wonderful new tradition. This is a great way to keep your children in bed a little longer while spending quality time with you. This may help to get them to bed a bit earlier as well, as they look forward to reading or hearing read their new book again!
Additionally, you will be building a lovely keepsake library to pass on for generations. Wouldn’t it be fun to add a special pair of pajamas with one of the books making this a perfect way to cozy up and enjoy the season of giving?
Remember to spend quality time during this season of rushing around. We too often forget how this type of gesture adds up to great lasting memories.
Some titles for pre-school age children you might consider:
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow
Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve by Jan Brett
T’was the Night Before Chistmas by Clement C. Moore
Llama, Llama, Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney
Teaching Children About Charity
The winter holiday season is a good time to teach your young children the gift of charity, however there are many opportunities year round to practice being charitable. Let’s explore a few charitable ideas.
First, children between the ages of three and four are beginning to learn that other people have feelings. At this age children develop and hone a sense of empathy; the very basis for charity. Let’s start early teaching charity to our pre-schoolers.
To begin with, charity begins in the home with the family. Parents are closest to the young child and can set the best example most easily. A great way to reinforce charitable values is to make giving a regular fun filled family activity. The best charitable activities are those that connect with your child’s everyday experiences or interests. It is easiest for younger children to understand direct and concrete examples of charitable giving. For example, encourage your young child(ren) to donate their outgrown toys and clothing to other children. You might even start with an older sibling passing his/her things down to a younger sibling, cousin, family friend or a neighbor’s newborn.
Food is always most welcome at your local food pantry. Pick up an extra can a week and put it aside for a special trip to the food pantry. Purchase toiletries or write a letter for servicemen and women serving overseas. If your child is interested in animals you might donate food and blankets to an animal shelter. Collect hats, mittens, coats and/or diapers. There are many organizations that collect any or all of the above. Imagine the “feel good” sense when teaching your child to care about others.
Additionally, encourage everyone in your household to participate in volunteer activities. Many organizations need a helping hand. Praise your children when they show generosity and empathy to others. When you help out with your gift of time at a charitable event, a soup kitchen, or picking up trash, ask your children to join. Bake or rake leaves for your neighbor. Remember that children learn what they live. Kids thrive when they feel a sense of responsibility and will get involved with any activity that makes them feel empowered. Teach pre-schoolers that they are part of a larger community, and that we are all responsible for everyone around us. Don’t you want to live in a world where people care about one another?
You are your child’s first teacher.