Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: October 13-17, 2014

Description KDIs

Small
Group
Activities
1. Puzzles:
In small group today we worked on floor puzzles. Each child
was partnered up and given a puzzle to complete. The
partners worked together to problem solve and get their
puzzle pieced together. Lots of language and communication
was used to put together ideas and strategies to get the
puzzles completed.
Approaches to Learning: initiative, engagement, reflection, planning, problem
solving, reflection
Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence, community, building
relationships, cooperative play , conflict resolution
Physical: fine motor skills, body awareness
Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary
Math: shapes, spatial awareness, counting, part-whole relationships, data analysis
Science: observing, classifying, experimenting, communicating ideas
2. Leaf Rubbing: After reading the book Fall Leaves by Martha
E. H. Rustad, and observing the changing colors and falling
leaves outside, we did some leaf exploration of our own.
With leaf stencils taped to the table, we explored what
would happen if we placed paper over the stencil and rubbed
a crayon over the top. We also explored using various colors
to see what would happen then.
Approaches to Learning: initiative, engagement, problem solving
Social & Emotional: sense of competence, community, building relationships
Physical: fine motor
Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary
Math: Spatial awareness, shapes,
Creative: art
Science: communicating ideas, classifying, experimenting, natural and physical
world
3. Leaf Chalking + counting
The children were very interested in all the falling and
blowing leaves outside. Noticing this, we decided to base
small group around it. Each child was given a basket and we
went on a leaf hunt! Children were encouraged to count
their leaves as they collected them. After carefully collecting
leaves, children used chalk to color them. We discussed how
when leaves change colors, they turn certain colors but with
the chalk we could make leaves colors that we might never
see on the trees!


Approaches to Learning: initiative, planning, engagement, use of resources,
reflection
Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence, community, cooperative
play,
Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, concepts about print
Physical: fine motor, large motor
Math: number words, counting
Science: observing, classifying, communicating ideas, drawing conclusions, natural
and physical world
Social Studies: geography
4. Birthday Pumpkins Round #2:
Happy Birthday to Juliana! Juliana brought in pumpkins for
the children to paint today. The children loved using a variety
of colored paint and paint brushes to turn their plain orange
pumpkins into masterpieces. Thank you Juliana & family for
supplying the pumpkins!

Approaches to Learning: initiative, engagement, problem solving
Social & Emotional: sense of competence, community, building relationships
Physical: fine motor
Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary
Math: Spatial awareness, shapes,
Creative: art
Science: communicating ideas, classifying, experimenting, natural and physical
world
Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: October 13-17, 2014

5. Apple Science: After reading several books on apples, we
explored apples up close and personal. In our small groups
we started by exploring three apples, a red one, a green one
and a yellow one. First we examined if the apples would sink
or float when placed in water. We tried each color apple, to
see if different colored apples would do different things. Be
sure to ask your child their findings! Next, we reviewed the
parts of the apple: stem, seeds, core, skin and flesh. We
discussed the purpose of each part and why its important to
the apple as a whole. Lastly, we cut up our apple and
sampled it! We taste tested the apple to decide which type
of apple we liked best. Many children had never had yellow
or green apples before! During our exploration we discussed
questions relating to our five senses. What does the apple
look like? Feel like? Smell like? Sound like? Taste like? Be
sure to ask your child all about this science exploration!



Approaches to Learning: initiative, planning, engagement, use of resources,
reflection
Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence, community
Physical: healthy behavior
Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, concepts about print
Math: number words, counting, part whole relationships, data analysis
Science: observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions,
communicating ideas, natural and physical world, tools & technology
Social Studies: diversity, decision making, geography
Large
Group
Songs, Fingerplays & Activities:

Song Artist
Birthdays Jack Hartmann
5 Little Fish Jack Hartmann
The Itsy Bitsy Spider Jack Hartmann
Silly Willies Greg & Steve
Seven Days of the Week Jack Hartmann
Put Your Finger On Parachute Express
Witches Brew Dr. Jean
Bean Bag Boogie Greg & Steve
ABC Bones
5 Little Pumpkins Fingerplay
Head & Shoulders Baby Jack Hartmann
The Freeze Greg & Steve
Listen & Move Greg & Steve

Discussion-

Rhymes: What makes a rhyme? Things that rhyme vs. things that
dont rhyme

Seasons: What is a season? What types of thing do we do and see in
the Fall? What happens to the trees? The temperature? What types of
things do we wear in the fall?


Approaches to Learning: engagement
Social/Emotional: sense of competence, community
Physical: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, body awareness
Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, phonological
awareness
Math: number words and symbols, counting, part-whole relationships
Creative: music, movement
Social Studies: diversity
Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: October 13-17, 2014


Literature: Book Title Author
Visit an Apple Orchard Melvin & Gilda Berger
Apples for Everyone Jill Esbaum
Fall leaves Martha E.H.Rustad
Fall Apples Martha E. H. Rustad
Pumpkin Countdown Joan Holub
The Teeny Tiny Woman Barbara Seuling
Apples A-Z Margaret McNamara
Trick or Treat Stan & Jan Berenstain
The Magic Pumpkin Bill Martin Jr



Language & Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, phonological
awareness, alphabetic knowledge, concepts about print, book knowledge
Sensory
Table

Colorful rice,pumpkins, scoops and pans


Approaches to Learning: initiative, planning, engagement, problem solving
Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence, emotions, community,
cooperative play, conflict resolution
Physical: fine motor, body awareness
Creative: pretend play
Science: experimenting, communicating ideas, natural and physical world, tools

What
were
working
on at
school
that you
can work
on at
home
Coats and zippers!

Weve been working hard on becoming independent with our skills.
The children can all put on their own coats and jackets and most of
them can zip them on their own. The children that cant quite zip are
encouraged to try before a teacher assists them. You can support us
and your child at home by having them put on their own coat and
jacket when its time to go somewhere, and practice zipping it on
their own too.

Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence
Physical: gross motor, fine motor, body awareness, personal care, healthy
behavior