Happy, Hand-On Learning in Preschool!

Elsabet and Ekram
1 day ago
4 min read

Dear Parents,

This week was filled with joyful learning, hands-on activities, and meaningful moments as our students explored, discovered, and expressed themselves in many exciting ways. From large group discussions to small group activities in science, math, literacy, art, and library time, the children showed great enthusiasm, confidence, and curiosity. We hope you enjoy reading about the wonderful experiences your children had this week and celebrating their learning journey with us.

Large Group

Our large group sessions continue to be joyful and engaging. We sat together in a big circle and began by asking simple questions about the students’ morning, breakfast, and who brought them to school. Each child had a chance to speak while others listened, helping them practice turn-taking and speaking skills. We then sang our cheerful “Good Morning” song and reviewed Zoophonics letters A to Z with their sounds and actions. After taking attendance, we talked about the day of the week and the weather. Finally, we read our message board together, which said “let’s count together 11–20”. The students read the numbers one by one, and it went very well. This large group time helped warm up our day before moving into small-group activities. The students were happy, confident, and engaged, freely sharing their ideas and emotions.

Small Group Activities

Science

In our science session, the students enjoyed a fun and meaningful sensory exploration activity. We explored different textures such as rocks, grass, cotton, wood, and rolls. We also experienced hot and cold water to feel the difference in temperature. Each student had a turn to see and feel every texture one by one using their hands and feet. They were very curious and excited as they touched, compared, and talked about how each item felt. The students especially enjoyed playing with the water and sharing their reactions with their friends. It was a wonderful hands-on learning experience filled with joy, discovery, and lots of smiles. The students participated actively and had a great time exploring through their senses!

Math

In our math session this week, we explored measurement in a fun and hands-on way. The students used different tools such as long and short rulers, big and small books, and wooden and soft blocks to compare sizes and lengths. We also experimented with empty and full water bottles to understand the idea of heavy and light. Each student had a turn to hold the objects and proudly shared their observations using words like big, small, long, short, heavy, and light. The students participated very well, showed great focus, and were excited to express what they discovered. It was a joyful and meaningful learning experience, and we had a great time together!

Literacy

In our literacy session, we enjoyed a fun and hands-on letter cookie activity. First, we mixed the ingredients together in a bowl, including flour, egg, milk, sugar, oil, baking powder, and vanilla. After mixing, we made dough for our activity. Each student received a piece of dough and chose their favorite letter. They traced and shaped their letters using the dough, which helped them recognize and practice letter formation in an exciting way. The students were very focused and happy while working on their letters. After the activity, the teacher baked the letter cookies in the oven. Once they were ready, we placed the cookies in the students’ bags to enjoy at home with their families. The students were full of excitement and kept saying, “I will show my mom and dad!” The energy in the room was amazing, and the students truly loved this meaningful and joyful literacy experience.

Art

In our art session, we explored an exciting ice paint experiment on canvas. Previously, we tried this activity on chart paper and it went amazingly well, so this time we were curious to see how it would work on canvas. We used ice paints in different colors blue, yellow, and green and watched as the colors slowly melted and blended while the students drew and explored on the canvas. The children were fascinated by how the ice moved and how the colors changed as it melted. After completing the artwork, we placed the canvases outside in the sunny weather to help them dry naturally. It was a fun, creative, and engaging time for all!

Library

In our library session, we talked about the rules of the library and how to take care of books. The students shared their ideas, saying that we do not tear books, we do not walk on books, and we do not fold the pages. They also learned that we sit quietly and read gently. After our discussion, each student chose their favorite book. They enjoyed looking at the pictures and tried to explain what they could see to their teachers and friends. This helped build their confidence, language skills, and love for reading. At the end of the session, the students selected a favorite book to take home and share with their families. It was a joyful, fruitful time.