A Week of Exploration, Learning, and Joy in Early Pre-K!

Zelamem and Danait
2 hours ago
4 min read

Dear parents,

We hope you had a lovely week. In the Early Pre-K classroom, our students enjoyed another exciting week filled with discovery, creativity, and hands-on learning. Each activity was intentionally planned to nurture their early literacy, cognitive skills, social development, and natural curiosity. We are delighted to share the highlights of the week!

Large Group

Our large group sessions this week were lively and full of meaningful revision. We revisited Zoo-phonics, allowing the children to strengthen their recognition of letters and beginning sounds. Using movement, gestures, and animal-inspired actions, the children enthusiastically practiced each sound. Their confidence and memory of the animals grew stronger each day.

We also reviewed 2D shapes, exploring circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles through classroom materials, flashcards, and hands-on identification activities. The children were encouraged to describe the shapes, compare their sizes, and find examples around the room. It was wonderful to see how quickly they connected everyday objects to the shapes we discussed.

Another exciting moment this week was the introduction of the color purple. After discussing various purple objects and pictures, we went on a classroom “Purple Hunt,” where the children searched the room to find anything that matched the color. They worked eagerly, pointing out purple toys, manipulatives, and materials, and happily shared them with their peers during circle time.

This activity supported their color recognition, teamwork, communication, and observational skills. Their enthusiasm made the classroom feel alive with curiosity!

Literacy

During literacy time, the children continued building their creativity and pre-writing skills through their personal journals. Each child had the opportunity to draw anything that came to mind a powerful activity that encourages imagination, emotional expression, and confidence.

Some children chose to draw animals, connecting their artwork to our science lessons. Others illustrated their houses, families, or colorful scenes inspired by their surroundings. A few filled their pages with patterns, shapes, and designs that showed impressive attention to detail. Journal time allowed the children to strengthen fine motor development through drawing, Build early writing habits, express themselves freely and confidently and develop storytelling skills by explaining their pictures.

It was heartwarming to see how proud they were as they showed their completed pages to their teachers and classmates. Many students showed improved crayon control as they added more details to their drawings. They also practiced naming colors, characters, and objects in their pictures. Their growing independence and creativity in using journals was truly delightful to witness.

Science

Science was the highlight of the week! We explored different animals and the sounds they make. This hands-on lesson captivated the children from beginning to end. Using animal toys, realistic pictures, and audio sounds, we created a multi-sensory learning experience. The children listened carefully to each sound a lion’s roar, a cow’s moo, a bird’s chirp, and more and excitedly tried to guess which animal it belonged to. Their reactions were priceless, especially when hearing surprising or funny animal noises.

They also matched animal toys to their pictures, described what animals look like, identified where animals live, and shared facts pertaining to their background knowledge about certain animals.

This session strengthened their listening skills, reasoning, vocabulary, and scientific curiosity. Many children were so engaged that they continued talking about the animals even after the session ended! Additionally, Several students eagerly demonstrated animal movements, adding even more excitement to the lesson. We were impressed by how quickly they recognized familiar sounds and how confidently they participated!

Art

To extend our science learning, our art session focused on animals as well. The children created their own animal-themed artworks by cutting out animal pictures, pasting them onto paper, and coloring them creatively.

They carefully used scissors to cut around the shapes an excellent practice for hand-eye coordination and fine motor development. After pasting their animals, they decorated the background with crayons and markers, adding grass, trees, water, and other imaginative details.

They selected their own materials, boosting decision-making and independence. Students experimented with colors they also practiced correct scissor grip and improved accuracy while cutting. This activity supported them in strengthening their grip, expressing creativity and imagination, making connections between subjects and developing independence and persistence. This art session encouraged focus and patience as they worked through each step. The finished artworks were vibrant, joyful, and full of personality. Each child proudly held up their creation to share with the class with delight.

Library

In our library session, we read the classic story “Goldilocks”. The children listened with great concentration as we explored the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The expressive illustrations and lively storytelling captured their imagination from beginning to end. They reacted with excitement during key parts of the story the bowls of porridge, the different-sized chairs, and the moment Goldilocks discovered the bears. Their attentive listening, emotional reactions, and ability to recall details afterward showed strong comprehension and engagement. They also practiced predicting what might happen next in the story. This story encouraged them to think about choices and consequences in simple ways.

After the story, the children were eager to share their thoughts. They discussed their favorite characters, retold their favorite scenes, and connected the story to things they know (“my bed is small like Baby Bear’s!”)

This session nurtured Listening comprehension, vocabulary development, retelling and sequencing skills. Library time continues to strengthen their love and appreciation for books.