Sink or Float ?
We did our first science experience today. It seemed only fitting to do a ” sink or float ” experience since we are talking about pirates sailing on the sea ! I let the first group find one toy or item from the playroom to try and wouldnt you know.. they all came back with the same block ! I sometimes forget how much most three year olds are followers and mimic what their friends do. ( Which is not a bad think when you pair a younger child with an older child .)
Elle Stober says “Most preschoolers would be hard-pressed to define concepts like buoyancy and density, but letting them drop a variety of items into a tub filled with water gives them a sneak preview of such scientific tenets. Engaging in entertaining experiments such as a sink-or-float activity can help a child grasp other scientific concepts later on—and enjoy the process. Parents can bolster preschoolers’ early scientific comprehension and exploration by giving them opportunities to experiment and ask questions. ”
The actual theme this week and last was pirates and princesses ! We have done more pirate ” stuff” than princess stuff so I decided to treat the girls with a little sparkle today. We took gem stones and sorted them into colors.
Parents may think counting and numbers are the important skills of preschool math. While these are important for preschoolers to master, building a string foundation for complex mathematical thinking begins in the early childhood years. Sorting and classifying objects helps preschoolers begin to notice how items are alike and different, and creates an awareness that is vital for math learning.
How does a parent go about teaching their child the skills of sorting and classifying? Most importantly, make it a point to pay attention to how things are alike and different as you go about your daily routine. Have you notices that when the kids come in we might say ” Oh I love your shirt it is the same color as my shirt !” or ” You both have cars on your shirt, they are alike. ” The seemingly simple task of sorting the silverware when it comes out of the dishwasher is a valuable early sorting task for a preschooler (and a fabulous first chore)!
We also used our gemstones to decorate crowns. This was a great fine motor experience !
These blocks have been SO POPULAR ! We have a room full of nice expensive blocks but the kids seem to always come back to these. I bought them for Randy’s birthday party to use as a decoration. (The theme was vintage and these are a replica of the old time alphabet blocks. ) There is so much going on in this picture. Using motor skills to balance. Learning to wait your turn to put a block on. Deciding how to feel and react when the structure gets accidently ( or on purpose ) knocked down. Learning to work together and talk about what they want to build as a group. What a wonderful new learning tool that I just stumbled on. I wonder if they have noticed the letters and numbers yet. ( Next step as a teacher is to play with them and say things like ” Look ! I found a D. That is the first letter of my name. Can you find a C Channing? That is what your name starts with.” It’s all play… learning while we play.
Jodie brought us a puzzle that I thought I would need to put away until later in the year but WOWZERS these kids are loving this 21 piece puzzle. Look at the sheer joy on Julia’s face as she finishes. If we never challenge children we will not know what they can do.
Kaden loves to read stories… seems Mr. Randy thought it was a pirates bed time story. ( He wasnt REALLY sleeping. )
I put out a set of alphabet stamps and let the kids explore with letters. Alex was excited to say ” Look Ms Debbie and X like yesterday! ” YAY!
We are still spending time getting to know our names and the letters in them. This activity was a simple name puzzle we made. Each child is bringing their name puzzle home. Keep it handy and go over the letters in your child’s name at home.
I am so proud of Mikkeala coming in and helping the kids find their name on a card and placing it in the school slot. As she does she reinforces the letters in each childs name. So helpful. This frees Randy and I up to get breakfast on the table, help kiddos transition or talk to moms that need to have a conversation. Thanks Mikkeala ! I think we will see the fruits of this very quickly !