Now I know my ABC

In Kitah Bet we expose the children to many ideas and skills and depending on where each child is on the continuum of their ability, that is how much meaning they will make with materials provided.  Apparently some of our yeladim are ready to recognize and have fun with letters.  

Ari & Yoni identifying letters

all the B's

"it's an S"

Morah Leah

Coffee, Chocolate & Cupcake Shop in Kitah Bet

Small rocks, muffin trays, tweezers, plastic tubes, and spoons were out for exploration in the morning. A chocolate matching game was nearby.
This prompted some very involved dramatic play. The children were making coffee, cupcakes and chocolate for each other. I sat down nearby to observe.

Shaya made Noah coffee
Ruth Made cupcakes
Henia had a turn to make coffee too.
Levi made coffee for Leiba
They sat together sipping coffee, eating cupcakes and singing.
Noah: "Are you going to save some for Henia and Pearl"
Ruth made a cup of coffee and offered it to Morah She'alah
Leiba: " I want more coffee"

It is moments like these in Early Childhood that allows for us as educators to gain an insight into the collaborative play of our young children.  We are observing the social skills that they are navigating and nearby to facilitate further interactions.  This play that stemmed from morning work activity, is where imagination and profound development is taking place.  The teacher is there to provide new vocabulary, "sipping", "brewing" and help deconstruct the play to know where interests lie, and where skills can be encouraged. Our classroom is truly a glorious place to be.

Shabbat Shalom

Morah Leah

Winter Pictures

The KDH classroom is now filled with winter related activities in all the centers. We try to provide materials that are open ended and encourage the children's ingenuity. This is especially true of what we put in our art center.

When I took out my winter materials, I found a box of winter foam stickers that I had purchased on clearance at the end of last winter. I was feeling hesitant about putting them out, wondering if foam stickers would engender the kind of art and creativity the children in a PreK/K class are capable of. Peeling stickers is great fine motor skill to develop in a Kitah Bet class but in KDH, I wasn't sure.

Still, I put them out as a choice during early morning free choice time.

There were penguins, scarves, snowflakes, trees and hat stickers......

Once again the children continue to amaze us. They discovered that the little pieces that are meant to be discarded from the snowflake stickers look like fish. They created pictures with penguins, lakes filled with fish, talking trees and more. Then, they dictated to us what was happening in the pictures.Some of the children worked on their pictures yesterday and continued today.  They are working cooperatively and want to make a book with them.

All this from stickers!!!

Art. Literacy. Fine Motor Skills. Cooperative Play. Imaginative Play.

Wow!!! 

Morah Ruth