Transitional Kindergarten News
Weekly Update for TK
Handwriting:
This week, we began using our handwriting books. We focused on practicing the lowercase 'l' to help us recognize the handwriting lines. We also introduced our “frog jump” letters, where we start with a straight line down and then JUMP back up to the top line for the next stroke. Specifically, we worked on the letters F and E.
Language Arts:
Our focus includes rhyming words, blending syllables, separating compound words, and identifying beginning and ending sounds. This week, we concentrated on the letters Mm and Aa, sorting pictures that start with these letters. We even went on a rhyme hunt in our classroom and created an alligator from the letter A during a drawing activity.
Nursery Rhyme:
We explored the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill" this week, practicing chanting it and illustrating it in our poetry notebooks.
Math:
In math, we are identifying and writing numbers 1- 5, using short poems to help us remember how to write them. We also practiced sorting objects and counting to 100.
Science:
Students experimented with liquid watercolors using eye droppers and created new paint colors by mixing red, blue, yellow, and white tempera paints.
Social Studies:
We’re fostering friendships and connections through our "Me Bags," where students share about themselves.
Religion:
Mrs. Sgroi taught us about the sign of the cross and The Lord’s Prayer.
Art:
Our art center is bustling with paint sticks, daubers, watercolors, scissors, glue, markers, crayons, and colored pencils. I hope you've been receiving lots of handmade treasures! We learned about the famous artist Wassily Kandinsky and collaborated to create an art piece inspired by his concentric circles, which is proudly displayed in our classroom. Students also experimented with crayons and watercolors, and we started open construction time, allowing them to use materials like cardboard tubes, small boxes, and egg cartons to create unique pieces.
Benefits of Process Art:
- Independence: Process art encourages children to take control of their creativity, fostering independence. As they grow older, they will learn to trust their instincts instead of relying on adult direction.
- Self-Regulation: Engaging in process art can be soothing and helps children learn self-regulation. Many students seek out this type of art for sensory needs.
- Creative Thinking: Process art stimulates creativity as students think about their next steps, experiment with materials, and make choices. While product-based art is also creative, process art allows for a deeper level of imaginative exploration.
- Learning: This approach, though simple, enables children to explore materials, understand their limitations, and grasp cause and effect. Depending on the activity, they may also develop new science or math skills without even realizing it.
- Experimentation: Through process art, students discover the properties of materials and learn to ask questions, experiment, and explore possibilities. For instance, when mixing colors, they might create brown by combining various colors, even if the result isn’t visually appealing.
- Confidence: Engaging in process art helps children trust their ideas and develop pride in their creations, boosting their confidence over time.
- Motor Skills: Both gross and fine motor skills are practiced during these activities. As students learn to hold a paintbrush or crayon, they refine their fine motor skills, while working at an easel helps develop gross motor skills and muscle control.
All those little treasures filling your child's folder are signs of significant, creative learning in action!
Things We Collect
Non fiction picture books
Ribbon
Paper lunch sacks
Water bottle caps/milk jug caps
Cardboard tubes
Bubble wrap
Smooth rocks
locks/keys
Nuts/bolts
Stationary/envelopes
Stickers
Craft items
Cardboard egg cartons
Baby food jars