Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Happiness: Can it be learned?

 
 

Yes! It's the month of Adar!!

 

The Jewish month of Adar is the happiest month of the year!

(Being that this year in the Jewish calendar is a leap year, we have two Adars!)

This week we explored all types of feelings and emotions. We learned that it's okay to feel different emotions at different times.

To be HAPPY is a mitzvah, so when we had a child who felt sad or scared- it was a great opportunity to validate their feelings and also help them to become happy again!

 
To add to our simcha-happiness, we dressed up by our davening circle everyday this week!
 
 
 
Devorah Leah davening as a bee ;)

 
Music for Adar!
 
We learned a Hebrew song which transalates to: "When Adar comes we increase in joy!"

Mishe , Mishe, Mishe- nichnas Adar
Marbim Marbim Marbim besimcha
oooooh Meshe nichnas Adar
Oooooh Marbim besimcha!
 
 
Drawing emotions

We displayed different pictures of children showing all types of emotions on our mirror.

This was a three step process:
1) Name the emotion. What emotion do you see on their face?
2) Can you make that emotion in the mirror?
3) Try drawing that emotion on your paper!
 
 
Levi Yitzchak felt for the boy who was crying in the picture and wanted to draw it.
 




 

After some independent drawing we overheard a conversation..

Chani, Devorah Leah and Levi Yitzchak were creating a whole story with all the pictures they saw.
They were connecting the characters and their emotions to a story plot! It was so creative and inspiring to see them blend all their own imaginations together!

 
Emotions through sensory play
 
Empty laminated faces gave the children the opportunity to fill with play dough any emotions they wanted.



Fun slime!
Shua having fun cutting the slime with scissors!



Levi made a huge gooey smile! :)

 
 
Emotions and a charades game 
 
Using a variety of puppet emotions, each child was invited to make the face they picked and have their friends guess the emotion.


Can YOU guess Levi's emotion?



 

We continued learning about different emotions during quiet reading time. Discussing what each character feels like by looking at their facial expressions and words that they said.




 
Silly Adar puppets!
 
 

In our class we love to encourage the children's independence. A classroom pitcher allows the children to help themselves and practicing portion control pouring the right amount of water in the cup.


 
Sharing Rainbow scales continue!
 
Aron and Levi were showing their friends unique balancing moves that they invented!
 

 
 
"We are making mud challah!"


Thursday, February 11, 2016

Alef Beis Everywhere!



Alef Beis unit 


Alef beis in salt!

We placed Montessori alef beis letter boards that the children can feel with their finger and try to create it in the salt. Salt was a great way to draw and practice since just by giving it a shake it 'cleaned the slate'.

Levi Yitzchak figuring how much space he needed to create the whole Lamed letter in his salt. 



 It was also a fun place to just create the picture they wanted!



Alef beis play dough




Alef beis letters were hiding under the shaving cream! It feels so good!





Lilah found her letter tes!



Alef Beis bingo

Bingo was a great way to practice recognizing our Hebrew letters, taking turns and  using fine motor skills trying to get the small pieces on the right letter!!





Menucha helping Dovi find the right alef beis letters on the puzzle!




Alef beis and clean up!

Our learning opportunities are not just during circle time but every chance we get to increase our letter recognition and make sure all types of learners get a change to 'get it'!
After clean up, each child receives a sticker to place on their chart. This week each child had to find 'their' letter to receive their clean up sticker.





Muka working hard placing pom poms on the alef beis tape.




The Montessori alef beis letter boards created a fun game on the floor. Max was trying super hard to create the letter samach with the different size pieces.



Devorah Leah figured out how to make a Kuf!



Bridging school and home

Chani was so excited that she brought in a letter Tes card from home. She wanted to find the matching letter on the chart.

She kept on noticing throughout the class 'her' letter Tes! 



Alef Beis art

For those who love art we placed paint and letters all over the table to decorate.


Our art center was a great way to color and talk about the letters.


In the afternoons, Morah Michaela will be focusing on each letter and making sure our four year olds recognize and know the letters of the Alef beis!



Happiest month of the year, Adar!

In honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar we had a Jolly Jumps! 

Just getting INTO the jolly jumps was great gross motor practice!



The Joy!


Waiting patiently on line while balancing on the jolly jumps takes a lot of skill ;)


Elizabeth needed some assistance getting up the ladder. It was so sweet to watch her friends trying so hard to get her up!