We've been busy!

We have been experiencing Spring Fever here in the Toddler room!  We have spent quite a bit of time outside, including an outing to the Meadow as a class.  That was a blast!  Thanks to Jay, Amy, Kristin, Heidi and Erika for coming with us!  We have a few pictures, but then our camera's battery died.  Here are some of the pictures that we captured of the children in the 'tree house' as Gideon calls it.

 

We have also been playing in the lovely garden here at school.  Look!  Blue sky!

Inside, the kids collaborated on some water play, art work and flubber exploration

We have all been in the Studio, working on our in depth projects and experimenting with a few of the "hundred languages" children use to explore their world.

 

Until next time!

OK! Melody

The Month of March

This has been a busy month in the Toddler Room!

Here is a peek at our special time together:

We received a new friend this month! Max joined our class and we have enjoyed getting to know her. On her first day, many toddlers welcomed her into our class by offering her toys and finding her water bottle for her.

The Yarn Is For Everybody group has been investigating

"what is TALL?"

We measured our bodies with yarn.

Snipped yarn really small.

Stretched yarn long.

And recently began tracing our bodies to further investigate how tall we all are.

Henry and Luba have enjoyed viewing their reflection in the mirrors, making funny faces, and giggling A LOT!

Aiden and Gideon figured out how to make a boat. They sat close together and described sea creatures that they might find in the ocean to each other!

The sensory table filled with puff balls inspired lots of science experiment about gravity, and lots of imaginative play! The children also enjoyed getting into the sensory table to bathe in the puff ball bath.



Michelle noticed that the afternoon group was super interested in water play, so she led the group to experiment with water and ice!

We filled containers with water, added paint, glitter and cars, and then popped them into the freezer. The group enjoyed discussing temperature, mixing, and sink or float as they worked.

Once the mixtures were frozen, the group experimented with different method to break out the cars! They hammered on them with mallets, melted them with their hands and tossed them on the ground.

More puff ball fun!

Aiden, Sam, Henry and Gideon have been visiting a magical spot in the neighborhood each week, that they call The Meadow!

Melody and mentor teacher Sandra have walked the group to The Meadow each week, and we have enjoyed hearing about their adventures!

Michelle and I have been visiting the duck pond with the rest of the class while the meadow group is out.

A friendly neighbor offered us some bread so that we could feed the ducks.

Each trip that we took to the duck pond, we met up with the Meadow group on their hike back to school!

Reading with a friend is always fun!

Aiden taught his friends to make an octopus out of pipe cleaners!

Building and smashing with magnatiles happens everyday. Have you noticed how much the toddlers communication and problem solving skills have progressed since the beginning of the year because of this work with magnatiles?

Flubber was hung from the ceiling to drip into the sensory table!

This was a busy spot!

Aiden introduced a new game...CASTLES! He helped to make a fort under the tables with blankets, called it a castle, and invited friends to come inside through the tunnel.

Inside the castle, friends laid on pillows, held flashlights and snuggled!

This has been a busy month, and it is not even over!

Thanks for sharing your children with us, we have so much fun together and learn so much from each other.

With lots of love,

Jill and the Toddler Team

"Through literacy you can begin to see the universe."

 

The foundation for literacy skills is laid years before children enter kindergarten. Emergent literacy, much like any other cognitive skill, begins at birth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the early years, children develop competency in language and literacy not through a set curriculum, but through interactions and experiences with the adults around them.

 

 

 

Be a model for your child. Children learn that reading and writing are important when they see adults using these skills!

 

 

Naptime Readers!!

By observing the teachers in the classroom taking notes, Bel has discovered that we are doing something important. She is imitating what she sees. This is where the foundation to learning how to write happens!

 Our cozy space behind the climber is a perfect quiet reading spot.




Often the children will take a book and snuggle behind the climber to take a break from the busy classroom.
















Even though the toddlers are not reading yet, they are making meaning out of the pictures, and they have an understanding that books are magical, special, and important.


 



Using activities like cooking is a great way to incorporate literacy!
Melody and the class read through a cookbook to find a
delicious pancake recipe.
The children begin to understand that there is important information in books,
 and look to Melody to explain pancake recipe.

 Malia and LeRoi are missing mommy and daddy, so we helped them write a letter to them. This is another great way for children to understand that letters have meaning. You can write out their words for them, talking about the letters and words as you go.

 

Check out our literacy wall in the hallway outside of our classroom!

 

 

Love,

Michelle and the Trillium Toddlers