DRAMA CENTER: HOSPITAL In the kindergarten classroom, we have been learning about our bodies and the five senses. This week, we created a hospital in the drama center. Following the students ideas, we began creating different areas for the hospital. We began by setting up two hospital beds. We brought out a variety of tools that doctors and nurses need to take care of their patients, such as band aids, ace bandages, thermometer, and stethoscope. As the children began playing in the center, they noticed the need to create a waiting room, and a secretary desk for sign in. Before long, we added some literacy with a sign in sheet and patient information charts.

The kindergartners really enjoyed exploring in this center. On many occasions, the entire class played in the hospital center at one time. We made job badges to manage the various roles. We created two doctor badges, two nurse badges, one secretary, and one patient helper. The patient helper job was created by a student to help patients with things like reading books if their “injuries” were too severe. We added an extra table to the center to perform x-rays. Students made x-rays by using chalk and black construction paper. Most of the patients at our hospital have been treated for a variety of “broken bones.”

Based on their interest in the hospital center, we had a special parent volunteer make a guest appearance. Miss Jennifer (Aidan’s mom) is a nurse at a doctor’s office. She brought in many tools used in a doctor’s office and let the children explore with the materials. It was a wonderful experience for the children to explore with the tools they see at their doctor visits. The drama center of the hospital has provided a great experience for children to learn about their bodies, as well as interact with each other in meaningful and purposeful ways. The hospital theme and spread into other areas of the classroom. We have a body part vocabulary match up game in the pocket chart work station, as well as a poem about skeletons during shared reading.

LEARNING CENTERS: At the ABC/Word Work Station, students were working with cards to match up beginning and ending sounds in words. As a class, we are working on segmenting sounds within words. By isolating beginning and ending sounds in words, it will help with our emerging reading skills. At the Poetry Work Station, students take turns reading some of our favorite classroom poems and nursery rhymes. The Big Book Work Station has some of our favorite class books, such as The Long Long Tail, The Farm Concert, and Will You Be My Mother?

IMPORTANT DATES: We will be going to Brio Restaurant at Crocker Park on Thursday, October 21. Then we will be headed to the Planetarium at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center on Monday, November 8. On November 1, there will be no school for kindergarten. This is the day we have reserved for parent/teacher conferences. (Quarter 1 report cards will go home the week before conferences).