Wind and Water January 26-30

Wind and Water Theme

This theme allows children explore wind and water using observations, experiments,

 and books to learn more about topics such as evaporation, weather, temperature, insulation, rain, and snow

Books this week

-The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

 -A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
- Rabbits and Raindrops by Jim Arnosky

Small Groups this week

-Sequencing- We will sequence our unit book The Snowy Day.  We will look at 6 pictures and write the numbers for each picture in the sequence.
-Learning about thermometers- We will use a thermometer to observe temperature inside our school and outside our school.  We will also use a thermometer to see what the temperature is of ice water compared to room temperature water.  
-Phonemic Awareness- We will clap syllables of unit words then sort the words by one syllable through 3 syllables.  
-Insulation Experiment- We will place ice in a cooler and ice in a plate on the table.  Later in the day we will see how they are different and draw pictures to show how they are different and discuss why.
- Journal Writing- "The wind blew so hard that Gilberto was afraid. What makes you afraid?"

Center Activities

Art: Painting on wax paper (repelling surface), painting with spray bottles

Multi-step independent activity table- Sequencing building an igloo, making mittens
Sand and Water: Transferring water in hoses
Library: Exploring books
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Matching uppercase alphabet arch letters
Dramatic Play: Snow Ball Contest 
Blocks: building with blocks and animals from the book (Bringing the Rain to the Kapati Plain)

Let's Talk About It
-Understanding Feelings- Dreams
-Insulation (Pizza boxes to keep things hot/ coolers to keep things cold)
-What to do if you are frustrated (Relate to Gilberto)
-How to wait

Songs, Word Play, Letters
Songs:  Bingo using Windy and Repel words, Magic C rap song
Poems:  My Big Balloon; Mix a Pancake; Five Little Owls in an Old Elm Tree
Literacy Skills: Naming sound game and rhyming word game

Try this at home: 
-Observe signs of weather with your child.

-When you are outside ask them to look at the sky about talk about clouds, rain, wind, and storms.
-Listen to interesting sounds around.  (We listened to how water sounds when light and heavy objects fall into water). Compare the different sounds you hear.
-Freeze objects at home

Handwriting
-We will be working on our "Magic C" letters for the Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum within our workbooks as well as other hands on activities.
-Literacy Groups will begin.  Our handwriting small groups in the morning will be grouped into RTI groups so children can get the support for what skills each child is working on.  Some of our classmates will stay in our room and others will be going into kinderstars classroom.  Each group will be working on different skills but working toward the common goal of literacy(letter, sounds, writing letters)

Preschool Life Skills
We are continuing to review our previous skills 1-4.
1-When a teacher calls your name, stop, look and say, "Yes".
2-When a teacher tells you to do something, do it "Right Away".
3-When a teacher tells you to do 2 things, do it "Right Away".
4-When something is too hard, first try then say,"Can you help me please?"
5. "When you want something from a teacher or friend and they are doing something, say, "Excuse me" to get them to look at you."
6- "When someone is in your way or has something that you want, say"Excuse me"to get their attention, and say, "May I____" to get what you want.  
New Skill with this week: 
"When a teacher tells you to wait, say, 'Ok' and use your waiting words." (ex. When I wait quietly, I get what I want)