Joyful Engagement in Infants and Toddlers class!

Dear Parents,

We’ve had a wonderful two weeks in our classroom! We are delighted to share how everything is going in our class and how beautifully the children are participating, learning, and growing each day.

Large group

We started our large group sessions by singing our “Good Morning” song. After that, we took attendance, and the students took their own picture and placed it on the happy face independently. Next, we gave the children a chance to choose a song from our music book. They chose “Miss Polly had a Dolly”, and “The Wheels on the Bus”. We all sang together, and the children followed the directions happily. They were very excited to hear the music.

After that, we counted numbers from 1 to 15. We are glad to see that the students have made a lot of progress in this part of the session. Before reading our book, we talked about body parts. We stuck different body part pictures on our message board and discussed each one. The children named the body parts, and then we counted how many eyes, ears, and noses we have. The children also pointed to their own body parts as we talked. Then, we enjoyed storytime together. We ended our large group time with our teddy bear giving a big hug to each child, which was heartwarming for all!

Gymnastics

Our students had a blast during our latest gymnastics session. We prepared a goal and a ball along a walking line. First, we explained the activity to the children and showed them how to walk on the line and how to kick the ball into the goal. After the demonstration, the children took turns doing the activity one at a time. They were very excited and enjoyed walking carefully on the line and kicking the ball. Many of them wanted to do it again and again because they were having so much fun. In this session, we also had an extra 10 minutes, which made the children even happier. They used the extra time to practice more, and their enthusiasm was wonderful to see.

Literacy

In our most recent literacy session, we taped different small animals onto classroom  tables. As soon as the activity started, the children were very excited. They began taking the animals off the table one by one. While doing this, the children also named each animal and talked about the sounds the animals make. They were very engaged, curious, and happy throughout the activity. It was a fun and meaningful literacy session, and the children really enjoyed exploring the animals and using their language skills.

Art

During our art class, we explored a fun stamping activity using Q-tips. We began by showing the children how to dip the Q-tip into the paint and make small stamps on the paper. After the demonstration, we gave each child the chance to choose their favorite paint color. Once they selected their colors, the children started stamping on their papers with excitement. They enjoyed making different patterns and exploring the colors. The activity supported their fine motor skills, creativity, and hand eye coordination.

Science

During our science class, we explored a fun tasting activity using lemon, sugar, and salt. We prepared the materials by placing each item separately on plates for the children to observe and try. At the beginning of the session, we talked about food tasting and the different flavors we can experience. The children were very curious and excited to start tasting. As they tried each item, their facial expressions changed instantly. Many of them reacted strongly to the sour lemon, and several said, “this is not yummy!” When they tasted the sugar, they smiled and said “yummy!” with excitement. Their reactions made the session bright and full of laughter.

Math

During our math class, we focused on a shape matching activity. We prepared the materials by cutting out different shapes: triangles, circles, and squares using colorful paper. We also prepared smaller matching pieces for the children to use. We placed the large shapes on the wall, and before starting, we explained to the children what they were going to do. Then, one at a time, each child came forward to match the shapes. They placed the square on the square, the circle on the circle, and the triangle on the triangle. The children were very engaged in the activity and matched their shapes correctly. They participated confidently and showed a good understanding of the different shapes.

Our schedule for next week:

Monday – Library

Tuesday – Gymnastics

Wednesday – Literacy

Thursday – Science

Friday – Math

Our specials:

Wednesday- Art

Tuesday- Music and movement

Friday- Ethiopian Center

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!