Days of Play and Learning in Early Preschool!

Mar 27
6 min read

Happy Birthday Gabriella

Dear families,

Welcome to our weekly classroom blog. We are glad to share with you all the wonderful moments from our classroom. In this blog, you will see how the children learn, play, explore, and grow through different activities that make every day fun and meaningful over the course of the week. Enjoy reading and discovering our classroom journey with us.

Large group

Our large group time was very interactive, engaging, and meaningful for the students. We began the session with a group discussion, where we talked about the weather, what the children had eaten, how their morning was, and what they did before coming to school. This helped the students feel comfortable, express themselves, and build their communication skills.

After our discussion, we sang a cheerful “Good Morning” song together, which created a positive and welcoming atmosphere. The students enjoyed singing along and participating with energy and excitement.

We then moved on to our topic about animals. The children were very interested and actively involved in this part of the activity. We explored different animals by making their sounds together, which made the learning fun and engaging. The students were then given the opportunity to choose their favorite animals from a book and show them to the group. They confidently shared their choices and made the corresponding animal sounds, which encouraged participation and boosted their confidence.

Next, we introduced a story time session with the book “Hello Animals”. The students were very attentive and engaged while listening to the story. After reading, we asked them questions about the book, such as what it was about, and many of them were even able to recall and say the title of the book. This showed great listening skills and understanding, which was really impressive.

Following the story, we practiced counting together using the numbers displayed on the wall. We counted from 1 up to 15, and it was wonderful to see that most of the students are now confident in recognizing and counting these numbers. This activity helped reinforce their number recognition and counting skills.

To conclude our large group session, the students shared a joyful moment by giving each other high-fives. This created a positive ending to the activity and encouraged social interaction and friendship among the children.

Math

Our math activity this week was hands-on and meaningful for our students. To begin, we prepared different sheets of paper with numbers written clearly on them, each number placed inside a circle. The purpose of the activity was to help the children practice counting, number recognition, and develop their fine motor skills through hands-on learning.

Each child was provided with simple materials: a bottle lid and a hairband. We first demonstrated how to do the activity, showing them how to look at the number, count carefully, and place the bottle lid on the circle. After placing the lid, they used the hairband to hold or mark it, which added an extra level of coordination and focus.

The children then took turns completing the activity one by one. We made sure every child had the opportunity to participate and understand the instructions clearly. As they worked, we continuously changed the papers, introducing different numbers to challenge them and keep the activity interesting. This also helped us assess their understanding of various numbers instead of just memorizing one.

Throughout the activity, we moved around the classroom to observe each child closely, providing support and encouragement where needed. We asked guiding questions such as “what number is this?”, “can you count it?”, and “how many lids do we need?” to help reinforce their thinking and confidence. We also cross-checked their work individually to ensure they were correctly identifying numbers and counting accurately.

The children showed great enthusiasm and were excited to participate. Many of them were eager to try again with new numbers, which showed their interest and growing confidence. This activity was especially helpful in developing their fine motor skills, as they had to carefully pick up, place, and adjust the bottle lids and hairbands. It also supported their hand-eye coordination and concentration.

In addition, the activity strengthened their basic math skills, including counting, number identification, and one-to-one correspondence. It was a delightful activity that combined learning with fun, and the children were actively involved and enjoyed the experience while building important foundational skills.

Gymnastics

Our students demonstrated fantastic progress and focus in gymnastics this week! We focused on practicing flipping, which we had already introduced in a previous session. This time, we continued building on their prior experience, and it was wonderful to see how much they had improved.

During the first session, some of the children were feeling a bit scared and unsure about trying the flipping movement. They needed more encouragement and guidance to participate. However, this week, we noticed a big change in their confidence. The children were much more comfortable, willing, and even excited to take part in the activity. Many of them were eager to try flipping again and were happy to repeat it multiple times.

We carefully guided them step by step, reminding them of the correct way to position their bodies and move safely. As they practiced, they began to understand the technique better and showed improved control and coordination. It was very rewarding to see them overcoming their fears and gaining confidence in their abilities.

The activity was not only fun but also very important for their physical development. It helped to strengthen their gross motor skills, balance, flexibility, and body coordination. Repeating the movement multiple times allowed them to build muscle memory and improve their overall performance. It also encouraged bravery, persistence, and self-confidence, as they challenged themselves to try something new.

Ethiopian Center

Our Ethiopian Center is a special place, where students experience cultural play and learning once every two weeks. It is always fun and filled with discoveries for the students. This activity is designed to help children explore and appreciate Ethiopian culture through language, music, and hands-on experiences.

During center time, the classroom is arranged into different Ethiopian-themed areas. The children have the opportunity to explore traditional musical instruments, where they play, listen to different sounds, and express themselves through rhythm and movement. We also encourage them to communicate in Amharic by using simple words and phrases while they interact with their friends, which supports their language development.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the activity is the pretend play aspect. The students dress up in traditional Ethiopian clothes, which makes the experience more engaging and realistic. They sing songs and practice traditional dances, showing great excitement and confidence. It is wonderful to see them expressing themselves and connecting with the culture in such a joyful way.

Many of the children love spending time in the coffee area, where they take part in role play inspired by the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. They pretend to prepare and serve coffee, which helps develop their imagination, social skills, and cooperation. At the same time, some students explore other areas where they use items like the ዘንቢል and pretend to go shopping, creating their own stories and roles. These moments are full of creativity, communication, and teamwork.

Library

This week’s library session was calm and enjoyable for the whole class. The general layout of the library is well organized and inviting, which helped create a comfortable environment for the children to explore books and develop a love for reading.

We began the session by gathering the students in a circle, where we introduced the activity and created a focused and relaxed atmosphere. The children were excited and ready to participate. After that, each student was given the opportunity to choose a book, and some of them began by looking through the pages and “reading” the story in their own way.

We then encouraged the children to explore the bookshelf and select books that interested them. They were very enthusiastic while choosing their books and enjoyed having the freedom to make their own choices. Once they selected their books, they sat together with their friends and began to read, share, and discuss what they saw.

As they explored the books, many students focused on the pictures, describing what they could see and naming different objects, animals, and characters. This helped develop their vocabulary and observation skills. Some children even asked teachers to read the books for them, showing their interest and curiosity in stories and storytelling.

It was also lovely to see students interacting with one another, sharing books, and reading together. This encouraged social interaction, communication, and cooperation among them.