NZ Teacher

A paper with the words "No Breaking" was needed when a group of children made the tallest tower so far this year. The paper was attached to the tower using the magnetic blocks. We had borrowed extra blocks from the classroom next door which enabled the group to make the tallest tower. Lots of measurement language: taller, bigger, more. And an expression of desire, "We need the 'No Breaking' sign."

Leaves were made with each child's name printed onto them.  In the first week, the children cut around their leaf. The following week they painted white glue onto their initial letter, poured seeds over their leaf and when they shook the seeds off, there was their initial letter, covered with seeds. The leaves were attached to a tree which they had helped to make at the art center. Literacy, fine motor, and an element of surprise.

We have been enjoying  Miss Tracey's Number Songs. The lyrics of the songs were made into a book for the numbers 1-5.  The children are enjoying reading the book. They know the words of the song and can match the words they sing with the words in the book. Literacy, mathematics, matching 1:1.

B. brought some Orbeez to school. I asked if we could add water and watch them grow. "They don't grow," he said. We put them under the document camera and drew around the orbeez on the screen, then watched throughout the morning to see if they orbeez got bigger. B. was not convinced they had got bigger. He said that the camera had magnified them. Observation, experimentation, sharing thoughts. More experimentation is needed.

The stones have been used for balancing, as coffee and now for placing on the holes in the letters. The foam letters have holes for pegs to be fitted into. Stones work just as well. Creativity, counting, letters, arranging, decision making.

During recess, a group of children had discovered ants in the date tree and on the ground.  While making porridge, one of the packets of oats had ants in it. I put the oats into containers for the children to watch the ants. Some of them used spoons to try to scoop the ants from one container into another. They wanted to collect ants from the playground to keep. Observation, fine motor skills, wonderings.

Porridge was made after reading "The Three Bears". T hree bowls; Papa bear, Momma bear, and Baby bear's porridge.  As the children arrived at school they saw the bowls of porridge. They were able to choose which bowl to sample some from. A couple of the children loved the porridge and wanted to keep eating it. They decided that they liked Papa bears porridge - it was the "hottest" - they said that it was "just right". Lists, sizes, language, re-enactment.