We celebrated a few birthdays this week! Happy Birthday to Margot, Emory, and Daxton! 🎉
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The children formed the letter "Hh" with stickers in their journals and circled the letter "Hh" on butcher paper during an activity that got them up, moving, and writing on a vertical surface. We've been practicing tearing paper, and just two weeks ago, I heard some of the children say, "This is hard, I can't do it." Today, they all did an amazing job! Tearing paper isn't easy, but with practice, they are very close to mastering this skill. As mentioned before, we work on our names daily! By the end of September, or even sooner, your child should be able to tell you the shape on their name plate, the color of the shape, the letters of their name, and the number of letters in their name! The children used dot stickers to sort numbers 1, 2, and 3, which kept them up and moving! In their journals, they also worked on numbers 1 and 2. We’re focusing on the circle shape and the color blue. When working on their names, they match the letters, count the circles, identify the shape, and recognize the color blue. We work on name recognition every day! Starting with a child's own name is one of the most effective ways to teach letter recognition and reading. Names are meaningful and personal, making them a natural starting point. Over time, children also begin to recognize their friends' names. We read name books daily, and each child has their own. You'll find their names posted all over—in the classroom, bathroom, on cups, folders, and cubbies. The name plates your child brings home each week may seem simple and repetitive, but they're learning much more than just their name. We're also working on shapes, colors, letter recognition, scissor skills, counting the letters in their name, and patterns. The younger children match shapes with the letters written on their name plate, while the older kids put their name together independently. The older children also trace or write their name themselves. The children glued circles in their fine motor journals and used Q-tips to trace blue circles. Using a Q-tip encourages the development of the pincer grip. You may have noticed their names coming home; we're using blue circles to help them create their names. They also practiced tearing paper again, which helps strengthen the small muscles in their hands. We are gradually settling into our daily routine and learning classroom rules. Here are some pictures of the kiddos having fun and hard at play! The sand sensory bin has been a big hit! “Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” – Diane Ackerman. While we incorporate some directed activities, we also ensure there is plenty of time for free play. Children learn so much through play, whether they are engaging independently or interacting with others. Another activity we frequently do in their fine motor journals is using stickers. This activity helps build independence and confidence. When toddlers successfully peel and place stickers, they experience a sense of accomplishment, which encourages them to take on new challenges. We also use stickers for sorting by color, adding a fun learning component. Working with stickers requires focus and attention to detail, helping toddlers practice concentration and follow through on tasks. Tearing paper is a fantastic activity that prepares children for learning how to use scissors. As they tear pieces of paper, they strengthen the small muscles in their hands, enhancing hand strength and endurance—skills essential for cutting, writing, and other fine motor tasks. Today, the children practiced tearing blue paper and gluing the pieces into their journals. This fun activity not only supports their fine motor development but also encourages creativity and concentration. I introduced fine motor journals to the kiddos. Your child doesn’t need to know how to write to start a journal—this is where the learning begins! In their journals, they can scribble, use stickers, glue torn paper, and practice writing, tracing, and drawing. It's a fun and engaging activity for children of all ages. We typically introduce journals at around two years old. At this age, most of their work might just look like scribbles, but this is where it all starts. Journals are just one of many activities we use to encourage fine motor skill development. We also incorporate play dough, sensory bins, lacing, puzzles, and block building to help build those essential skills. Journaling, in particular, is a fun and creative way to spark an early interest in writing. |
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