The New School Year is off to a great start. Here are some photos of learning in action. Students are "living" life at our Preschool. A day in the Preschool is certainly different than at home. Here we have songs to sing, routines, rituals, plans to make, new friends to play with, centers to learn in, and a playground that offers so many gross motor activities for all kiddos. There are so many ways to contribute to
Check out how our Peacocks are learning to productively contribute to our groups and society.
Welcome to the Day. After greeting their teacher at the door, Mrs. Bratcher's students gather at the carpet to work puzzles, read books, and get to know one another better.
**Seeing what kids try and like helps us get to know them better.
What are your morning/afternoon start of the session rituals?
After this time, classmates gather to hear from a special student a message he/she wants to share. Mrs. Bratcher then writes it on the easel for all to see and they all chorally read to practice fluency with written text.
**What a wonderful way to let kids see CAP in action, writing of words, and chorally read!
What writing do you do with your kids so they can see the connection between the words we say, the sounds we hear, and the letters we write that carry a message?
Play Plans: Following some fun on the carpet- exploring with a variety of toys books and puzzles, Mrs. Clark supports her learners as they make a plan for their play-based learning centers. Students share the three places they want to play, and how they might play in one of those areas.
**What a prime time to support and hold high expectations for kids to speak in complete sentences: "I want to play in the __________ area/center."
"I will ___________"
How does your class select centers and create play plans?
Small Groups (or Intervention): When plans have been made and kids are enjoying their learning-based play in the centers, this affords us time to push in to push learning. Mrs. Putlak is using the ABC arc to help this student grow with letter ID and sounds that match.
**Pushing in and sharing a research-based strategy targets and motivates students to gain in specific understandings and/or skills.
What research-based strategies do you use with your kids?
Transitions: Of course, all play must come to an end, and that is when we transition students to clean up and move to a different area. Ms. Cheek's routines and rituals afford students the opportunity to select the clean up song (today was a Disney tune) to play on the speakers and shows the visual for the play center (just finishing #2 in this case), so students can know that they have to finish their cleanup responsibilities and move to the carpet before the song ends.
**Visual and Auditory triggers are known to support learners in being successful with routines and rituals.
What cues do you use with your kids?
While this post did not highlight all parts of our day, it's a start. Our Peacocks are definitely gaining a better understanding of "this preschool thing". :)
More to come next week!
Letters line the way for students in Mrs. Honeycutt's room!
Writing!
This book is an inspiration! It's about numbers! It's about rhyming! It's about imagining and inspiring! And kids took off making their own visions come to life on paper this week. Check out the pictures below. 
There are two components of subitizing; conceptual and perceptual. Perceptual subitizing is the instant visual recognition of a pattern such as the dots on a die. Conceptual subitizing is recognizing smaller groups and adding them together, such as two dots plus two dots equals four dots.
