Hands-on Learning in Early Preschool

Dear Parents,

We have had a wonderful week filled with fun and engaging activities that supported the children’s learning and social growth. It was great to see them share ideas, work together, and build friendships. We look forward to another exciting week ahead! Read on to see what we were up to…

Large Group

Our large group time was wonderful, as always! We began by sitting together in a circle, creating a warm and welcoming space for everyone. This week, our focus was on the color yellow. The children helped stick yellow pictures onto the whiteboard, and we talked about the things we know that are yellow in our world. To extend the theme, we sang a few fun yellow-themed songs, which kept everyone engaged and excited.

We started our morning routine with the cheerful "Hello" song, greeting each other by name. Afterwards, we took attendance and shared about our mornings. The children were asked what they had eaten for breakfast, giving them a chance to talk about their experiences and practice their language skills. Many enjoyed listening to their friends’ answers and making connections to their own meals.

To wrap up, we read the book Colors, which was a perfect way to connect our discussion back to the theme. The children loved pointing out and naming different colors, especially yellow!

Gymnastics

Our gymnastics session was filled with fun, excitement, and wonderful energy! The children were eager to step out of the classroom and move their bodies. We began with some warm-up activities, which helped everyone stretch, loosen up, and get ready for the main part of the session. The warm-up also set a positive tone, encouraging the children to listen carefully and follow directions.

Afterwards, we introduced our main activity, which was moving a large yoga ball! The children were very curious and enthusiastic to try it out. We guided them step by step, showing them how to hold, move, and use the ball safely and effectively. Throughout the activity, we paid close attention to their fine motor skills, focus, attention, and coordination. It was wonderful to see how engaged they were and how much effort they put into the task.

Most of the children did really well and showed great progress. They demonstrated determination, concentration, and excitement as they practiced. A few students needed extra practice and support, but they were encouraged to keep trying, and we noticed their confidence growing with each attempt. The activity gave us a great opportunity to observe not only their physical development but also their ability to follow instructions, stay engaged, and work on self-control.

Overall, it was a successful and joyful session. The children had the chance to be active, challenge themselves, and celebrate their achievements together. We look forward to continuing to build their skills in future gymnastics sessions!

Literacy

Our literacy session this week was focused on developing listening skills, particularly on identifying the speaker and noticing where sounds come from. The activity was designed to help the children practice careful listening, build their attention, and strengthen their ability to recognize and respond to different voices or sounds.

The session went well overall, but it did not fully meet our expectations. We observed that many of the children still need more practice with focused listening, especially in distinguishing sounds and locating their source. This highlighted the importance of planning more activities that target listening skills in future sessions.

Despite the challenges, the children enjoyed the activity and participated with enthusiasm. In particular, Andreas and Sara were very active and engaged, showing strong effort and interest throughout the session. Their participation helped encourage others and kept the energy of the group positive.

Overall, the activity was fun and gave us valuable insight into the children’s listening development. It also provided a clear direction for planning future literacy sessions with a greater emphasis on strengthening listening skills.

Art

Our most recent art session took place outside, which made the experience even more enjoyable for the children. Before beginning, everyone put on their art smocks, preparing themselves for a fun and creative time. We started by asking the children about the color we were focusing on — yellow — and they were quick to respond with excitement. To set the mood, we sang a cheerful yellow song together, which built enthusiasm and helped connect the activity to our ongoing color theme.

With yellow paint and brushes in hand, the children were invited to create their own artwork. Some made thoughtful creations with their brushes, while others explored freely by scribbling and experimenting with the bright color. Each child expressed their ideas in their own way, showing curiosity and joy in the process.

This session supported fine motor development, creativity, and color recognition, while also giving the children an opportunity to express themselves in an open and playful way. The outdoor setting added to the fun, and the children were proud to share their bright yellow masterpieces!

Library

Our library session was calm, engaging, and full of curiosity. We began by reading a story together, which created a peaceful atmosphere and encouraged the children to listen carefully, focus, and enjoy the world of books. Many were eager to share their thoughts and make connections with the story, which added to the group’s excitement.

After the group reading, the children had the opportunity to explore the library shelves on their own. They enjoyed browsing through different books, looking at the pictures, and sharing their discoveries with friends. Each child then chose a book to read at home, which gave them a sense of independence and responsibility. They were very proud of their choices and excited to bring the books back to share with their families.

This session not only helped strengthen a love for reading but also encouraged independence, decision-making, and language development in a meaningful way. The children left with big smiles, eager to enjoy their chosen books at home.

Math

This week, our class had an amazing math activity as part of our Yellow Week. The focus was on identifying the color yellow, while also revising the color red. We took the children outside the classroom and provided them with red and yellow materials. Their task was to select only the yellow items and place them in a basket that was covered with yellow. The children enjoyed the activity and most of them were able to successfully identify and sort the yellow objects, showing good progress in differentiating between the two colors.

To build on this learning, we plan to introduce more activities related to color recognition. These will include sorting and grouping classroom materials by different colors, engaging in painting and art tasks, and organizing fun color hunts both indoors and outdoors. Through these interactive experiences, we aim to strengthen the children’s ability to recognize, differentiate, and apply their understanding of colors in a playful and meaningful way.

Science & Sensory Play: Making Playdough

On our science session we engaged in a hands-on science and sensory experience by making playdough together outdoors. We began by sitting in a circle and discussing the materials that we could see. The children were curious and eager to share their ideas, identifying the different ingredients.

Before starting, the children put on their art smocks, showing responsibility and readiness for messy play. They were given flour to explore, and immediately they began touching, feeling, and even smelling it. Many children described the texture as “soft” and “powdery,” while others were fascinated by how it stuck to their fingers. This sparked excitement and laughter.

We then added oil and water to the flour, and the children watched carefully as the mixture slowly began to change. To connect with our Yellow Week theme, we added yellow food coloring. The children were amazed as the color spread and transformed the mixture. They took turns mixing, noticing how the ingredients were combining into dough. This provided opportunities for them to observe cause and effect, while also strengthening their fine motor skills.

As the dough came together, the children began shaping it into their own creations. Mariam rolled her dough into a circle and proudly called it a “donut,” while Saramaria shaped hers into a ball and said, “meatball.” The children were drawing on their own knowledge and experiences, using imagination and language to describe what they had made.

Throughout the activity, the children were highly engaged, demonstrating curiosity, creativity, and teamwork. They explored sensory experiences (touch, sight, smell), experimented with scientific processes (mixing, changing materials), and expressed their ideas through play. This activity also encouraged social interactions as they shared tools, talked about their creations, and celebrated each other’s ideas.

Next Week’s Schedule:

     Small Group

Monday Gymnastics

Tuesday Literacy

Wednesday Music

Thursday Math

Friday Science

     Work Time

Tuesday -Art

Thursday -Library

Friday- Ethiopian Center once in two week

Reminders:

• Every Wednesday is art day, so please send your child with art appropriate clothing.

• Every Monday is library day,  so we will be sending a book that your child picked from our library, which will be returned after a week on library day.

Have a nice weekend!