It is so hard to believe that it is already the middle of March! This year has flown by, and summertime will be here before we know it! Have you thought about summer camp yet? It’s not too early! We have a wonderful 8 week program with flexible scheduling, and we would love to see your child there for the fun!

Journaling has been a very important part of our everyday routine since the very beginning of the school year. When we first began, we stressed to the children the importance of having an idea before they immediately begin to draw. We always encouraged them to think about what objects looked like, including the shape, color, etc. The children have created wonderful illustrations, and are always eager to share what they have drawn. As the year has gone on, the children have been encouraged to start adding letters to label their pictures, and then to eventually begin sounding out words. At this point in the year, we are encouraging them to write short sentences, as they become ready. Journaling is an important concept because we are teaching the children to draw and write from left to right, which is an important skill for learning to read. The children are also becoming familiar with punctuation and when it is used. It has been wonderful to see their steady development from the beginning of the year. What progress your children have made!

The past two weeks have been spent learning about creepy crawly bugs! We have looked at and talked about many different types of bugs. We have been able to talk about similarities and differences between bugs, and have been able to learn some pretty neat facts about common insects that we see  every day. During our first week, we talked about bees and how they make honey and where honey comes from. We all took turns sharing our thoughts and ideas. We then did a honey taste test and voted on whether or not we liked the honey. This led to great classroom discussions and allowed children to tell their peers why they did or did not like the honey. It is always great to hear the children sharing their ideas with each other, and is great for socialization. During the second week of bug week, the children made their own insect books. There was a variety of insect stamps set out on the table and the children could choose which ones they wanted to use. Their challenge was to stamp a bug on a page, and try and sound out the spelling of that insect’s name.  If they chose the “ant” stamp, they were asked to try and sound out the word and write it in their book. Stamping is a great fine motor activity that helps to build up muscle control. It is also of great value because the children take ownership of the books that they are making themselves. They are then able to share them with each other, and you as well; this encourages reading and builds confidence! By asking the children to write the bug names, we are continuing to practice letter formation, as well as phonetic spelling. These are important skills because they all lead to reading!
For our next unit, we will be rocketing into outer space for some out of this world fun! Remember, Spring Break is quickly approaching. Our last day of school is Thursday April 1st, and we will return to school Monday April 12th. We will also continue to have sign- ups for volunteers to come in and share a story with the class!