September flew by! It’s hard to believe that it is already October. We have been busy learning about farms and fall weather the past few weeks. The weather is cooling off, so please send a jacket/sweatshirt for our daily outdoor recess times. We are beginning to work on zipping jackets independently!

Now that the students in Pre-K have established a consistent routine, I am introducing a few new classroom activities. This week, I introduced Talking Partners. The students sit (knees facing knees and eyes looking at one another) and take turns discussing a question. We are learning how to communicate by taking turns speaking and giving eye contact. Talking partners allows the students to talk in class in an appropriate way and it builds classroom relationships. 

Check out the MANY ways the students in Pre-K learn to build and write letters. Writing takes practice, but using a variety of materials makes the act of writing engaging and FUN!

It was Apple Week in Pre-K. We learned about the life cycle of an apple. Life cycles make a circle.  That connected to our shape of the week….circles! We are learning the names of shapes and how to draw pictures using shapes.

During the week, the students enjoyed many literacy and math apple activities. On Friday, we made homemade applesauce and ate it for snack!

In math, we are practicing extending AB patterns. When completing a pattern, we work left to right touching AND saying the name of each object to help our brains remember what comes next. During center time, I notice the students creating patterns with blocks, pom-poms, and other classroom objects. Awesome! Practice at home using small toys, beads, cereal, etc.

Keep practicing writing names at home. We practice OFTEN at school using a variety of writing tools (sand, chalk, crayons, writing boards). It is also fun to build letters with Play-Doh which strengthens the muscles in students’ hands. We need strong hands for writing, cutting, buttoning, and zipping. 

Speaking of zipping, please send a jacket or sweater to school with your child each day. The weather in Nebraska is unpredictable, and we often need a jacket/sweatshirt during our morning recess.

The Pre-K students are off to a great start. The first few weeks of school, we practice procedures and routines. Students are successful when they have a clear understanding of expectations and appropriate ways to seek help. Each day, I post our picture routine on the board for our students to follow. I also use a picture schedule to help students know what to expect throughout the day.

We began small groups this week. During small groups, the students work in a group and rotate between 3 different activities focused on a math, literacy, social, or fine motor skill. Each small group lasts between 8-10 minutes. My teacher assistant and I  lead two of the small group activities and one is an independent activity.

Welcome to Pre-K! It was wonderful to see everyone at Open House Night. I am looking forward to a school year filled with fun and learning. Mrs. Lindley and I are excited for the opportunity to get to know your child and help them on their Pre-K journey this year!

Our first day of Pre-K begins on Monday, August 24.  See you then!