Building Sukkahs
This year, the Morahs decided to put out sukkah building materials at the table. There were foam blocks, Popsicle sticks, coffee filters, and natural materials for the children to work with. (Morah Tara forgot to put out glue for this activity!) At first, the children weren't sure how to make anything "stick" to the foam bases. Ariel F., Imie, and Bayla layed their Popsicle sticks flat for a while, and expanded in a more two-dimensional way. After a few minutes, Ariel F. chose to stick a Popsicle stick into the foam. This expanded their experience greatly! It was fascinating to watch the children explore this activity without any instruction, and so much fun to watch them make their own discoveries about how to use the materials. Eliya and Oree decided to turn their foam bases into roofs for their Sukkahs. We talked about how this could work because the foam was porous, which means that light could still get through them.
Performance Time
The children were very interested in performing over the past couple of weeks. Morah Tara put on some classical music during open exploration time, because research shows that classical music helps children regulate their bodies and concentrate better. The beat of the music keeps a steady rhythm which is calming for everyone and allows for a less chaotic feel in the classroom. When Ariel F. And Lucy heard the music, they decided that they should do some ballet. After they danced for a while, they chose to build a stage with the blocks and milk crates. Ariel S. Chose to join them. They were capable of dancing while maneuvering the different surfaces of the stage that they built and pay attention to where their friends were at too. This showed that they were able to negotiate space, coordination, and executive functioning skills all at once. Though it might seem like they were "just dancing" they were actually accomplishing a very complicated combination of tasks all at once.
Imie decided to show Morah Tara her "new dance show" outside one morning. She and Lucy took turns performing their dances, and then chose to dance together. At one point in their dance Lucy told Imie that she wasn't doing ballet. Imie responded by saying that it wasn't a ballet show. Lucy agreed that they were doing hip hop and continued dancing. This is a great example of how the children are solving their own problems together all day long while they are at school.
A few weeks ago the children found our large collection of puppets and started playing with them so Morah Tara created a puppet show provocation in the dramatic play area this week. Ariel S. Shared a memorized script with two puppets then her friends each took a turn. They learned that they weren't sure what to say once it was their turn to perform with the puppets. We had a brief conversation about what a script is and how actors use one when they perform. Morah Merele also took a turn performing. Once she showed the children a story about a child's first day of school meeting new friends, the children copied her story with their own twists. They gained confidence as they took more turns. Eventually, all the children did a show together. We will leave this provocation out for the children to explore more next week!
We were able to get great videos of the children's performances. Please check out the Facebook group to see them!
Imie decided to show Morah Tara her "new dance show" outside one morning. She and Lucy took turns performing their dances, and then chose to dance together. At one point in their dance Lucy told Imie that she wasn't doing ballet. Imie responded by saying that it wasn't a ballet show. Lucy agreed that they were doing hip hop and continued dancing. This is a great example of how the children are solving their own problems together all day long while they are at school.
A few weeks ago the children found our large collection of puppets and started playing with them so Morah Tara created a puppet show provocation in the dramatic play area this week. Ariel S. Shared a memorized script with two puppets then her friends each took a turn. They learned that they weren't sure what to say once it was their turn to perform with the puppets. We had a brief conversation about what a script is and how actors use one when they perform. Morah Merele also took a turn performing. Once she showed the children a story about a child's first day of school meeting new friends, the children copied her story with their own twists. They gained confidence as they took more turns. Eventually, all the children did a show together. We will leave this provocation out for the children to explore more next week!
We were able to get great videos of the children's performances. Please check out the Facebook group to see them!
High Holiday Memory Game
There was a high holiday memory game for the children to play too. We thought that this would be a great way to allow the children to reflect on all their experiences over the past month as well as provide an opportunity for memory and math experiences. Eliya began searching for matching pictures on his own and then Imie chose to join him. When Eliya was finished, Lucy and Morah Tara played a round with Imie. Four-year-olds tend to have great memories, and they easily beat Morah Tara at this game! Memory games are great for building working memory and spacial awareness.
Happy Birthday, Bayla and Ariel S!
Bayla and Ariel S. Both celebrated birthdays recently! The children had a great time with our new birthday party experience! As Bayla and Ariel S. Jumped over stumps with numbers on them, they shared mitzvot that they did at each age that they were. We also enjoyed a book and some cake! Ariel F. Will be celebrating her birthday with us in the next few weeks as well!
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