We don't think so!
This week the Gan Camarillo curriculum shone its light on the value of books! While our library is a cozy and attractive center in our classroom all year round, we chose to spend two weeks shining a light on BOOKS and why they are so important.
From a stronger relationship to improved concentration, basic speech
skills and better communication skills, academic excellence and more logical thinking skills...reading books to your children provides SO many benefits!
To help foster this love for books in the children, we made some renovations and additions to our classroom for this unit of study! See below...
The inspiration for this unit began with our trip to the library for the Chanukah Storytime!
Each child had the opportunity to choose a book at the library, to borrow and bring to our classroom library. The children were SO excited to look at their books!
After just one day we found many of the children spending more time at the library center!
The children feel REALLY at home in our library!
To best connect to our children, we like to start with a place that is near and dear to them. What better place than our kitchen/home/dramatic play center (that houses their precious family portraits)!
Using a large quilt, cushions and an unused toddler bed- we created a perfect size couch to fit into our "home."
Alongside that we added some extra bookcases and a bunch of new books! Now we had a "House full of books."
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Menucha and Levi actually took the book from the library and felt it was more comfortable
to read on the couch! |
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Mendel was pointing to the words and pretending to read with his own words.
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Books can teach us things too...
To foster this understanding in our preschoolers, we placed all sorts of "informational" books at various centers in our classroom. We also wanted to help expand their knowledge on those subjects.
Alongside the cage of our pet BEARDED DRAGONS we placed a reptile book. The children did a lot of compare and contrast with our own bearded dragons!
The children requested we take out the bearded dragon to get a
closer look, to observe the similarities and learn more about reptiles.
Here Yitzi is comparing an Iguana to our bearded dragon.
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| Getting a close look. |
Jacob wanted to hold one of our bearded dragons while flipping through the pages :)
Alongside the PLANTS we placed a book about caring for house-plants!
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| Levi was looking at the different plants we can grow indoors. |
In the dramatic play area, we placed a book about getting dressed!
It taught some of the children more words about their wardrobe.
For Art one morning, we took a book that was displayed by the art center, (covered in plastic to protect it) and placed it on the activity table!
We actually put out the materials the children needed for the project alongside the open book.
With out telling the children directions (mainly the older ones) they
were able to look at the book and follow what to do on their balloon.
Audio book center
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| Hearing a book about library books. |
Care for our books
Clean hands! After circle time we caught Levi Lang checking his hands before opening his book, just precious!
Where do books belong?
Chanie showing us NOT on the floor!
We placed some books in the wrong place to see if the children would realize and take the information we learned about caring for our books and correct it!
How to hold a book?
Gave the children their books upside down....to help them learn the appropriate way to hold!
Learning the parts of a book
During circle time, while each child held a book we learned some Book basics:
The cover, back, pages and spine.
(first we felt our spine on our backs and then felt the books spine and how it holds the book together)
Books become the teachers!
Here the children got dressed up during free play, placing their chairs in a line . After asking them what they were riding some said a truck.
This was a great opportunity to take their lead and learn more about trucks while pretending to be on one!
After noticing Shua playing with a giraffe, we took a little walk to our library and together found the animal book and asked if he can find a giraffe just like what he was playing with!
He did! He was so excited and learned more about giraffes from the animal book.
I can be the author or illustrator!
To help the children's imagination soar, we tapedthe outline of a book onto our whiteboard. With sentence strips for words on the bottom and magnetic alphabet letters the children practiced their letters and space on top to draw whatever was on their mind.
Chanie using blank space on the side to create her master piece.
This was a cute moment;
Ellah was pretending to be the Morah, teaching her students the letters...
While putting the letters upside down, side ways...she remarked:
"Does it go this way?, No silly!"
After couple times ..
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| She found the corresponding written letter to the magnetic letter and successfully matched them up! |
She showed us how the L should go!
Partnering with Parents: Mommies come in to read to the children!
Jenifer brought in Andor's favorite books of the "Goblins"
Iris (ellahs Ima) read fun stories after lunch time.
Letter Recognition
While learning about books and literacy it was good time to 'upgrade' our sign in center. Taking away their photo and adding their last name the children are learning and recognizing the letters in their full names.
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