Jobs For Hire

Having worn out one of our favorite scooters we've decided to turn it into a great economics lesson. We are all working together and Ms JoAnn is paying to pull weeds in our playground area. Thanks to those families who have also hired kids at home to contribute! Ms JoAnn is doing some comparative shopping, then will invite families to participate on a week-night or week-end "field-trip" to purchase our new scooter. (We're also thinking about selling lemon-aid from the lemons we picked, squeezed and froze the concentrate last fall. More details to follow).

Creative Minds

Students love using "tools" while experimenting with the creative arts.

Students have been learning about the different shades of colors and how colors are mixed. Here a student uses a dropper (fine motor skill) to mix yellow and red to make orange. Use of  a variety of media, techniques, and processes in art activities that are of the child's creation, are important to building a child's confidence in their creativity.

Plus pre-writing skills are being developed by strengthening small muscles while using the droppers.

We've added a new "tool" to creative media. A hair dryer allows the children to add layers to their water color paintings and "re-visit" their art work on a more advanced level. This tool is only used by those who follow safety rules keeping it blowing only on paper and away from liquids/paint pots at table

Living Love and Logic Helpful Tip #2

Don't forget The Two Rules Of Love and Logic

Rule #1
 Adults set limits without anger, lectures, threats or repeated warnings.
When we describe what we will do or allow, that's setting a limit. When we tell a child what he/she should or shouldn't do, thats a possible fight.


Rule #2
When children cause problems, adults hand these problems back in a loving way.
We hand the problem back by replacing anger and lectures with a strong dose of empathy followed by the logical consequence.

Our New Addition

Mixing various age groups in a setting can help our little ones be more nurturing and helpful. Our newest addition is only 6 weeks old and has older siblings at HO4K. She has helped other students to be aware of their bodies and sounds, teaching us all to be mindful of the control we have over our actions. Her smiles brighten our day and we love having her!

She loves to cuddle and spend time with Ms Mary!

Copperative Play

Playing together is always more fun! At Hands On 4 Kids, we work on sharing, communicating effectively, taking turns, etc. Cooperative play and helping each other is what makes a good friend.



Here 2 students demonstrate cooperative play. One student
held the bottle and counted to 10 while the other was blowing the bubbles!
Waiting for a turn can be so hard, especially with something so fun!

Who doesn't love bowling? While working with the triangle shape and counting, students
took turns bowling and setting up the pins for one another.We practiced following the simple
 rules of a game and interacting with each other.  We can help our friends
AND smile about it!

These students are working hard at their illustrations in their own published stories.
Painting together, they are taking turns while discussing their work.

Piggy's Polka Dot Cake

Students couldn't wait to bake our own "Piggy Polka Dot Cake" after reading the story A Cake All For Me by Karen Magnuson Beil.  This adorable story, starts with Piggy wanting to make a cake to enjoy all by himself. However with all the counting, measuring, pouring, and stiring, he quickly learns that he needs the help of others and that everything tastes better with friends!



We learned how sharing feels best when each student brought in a different ingredient to add to the recipe and then helped in creating the yummy masterpiece! For math this week students learned about measurements and how different measuring tools are used. We counted out, along with Piggy, the different ingredients in the book that he used, measured for ourselves, and learned about the cooking process. Students observed and manipulated the different ingredients, as well as compared the quantity of each. We worked in a cooperative group to complete a task, while practicing appropriate wait time, communication and manners.



 It is important for students to understand that printed material serves different purposes and can provide information. Although the story itself was enjoyable to listen to, reading the recipe provided information that we needed to complete a task. Students practiced writing, finding and listening for the letter C throughout the week, but all agree that the "yummiest" word is CAKE!



Living Love and Logic helpful tip #1

                      TURNING YOUR WORDS INTO GOLD!

Unenforceble Statments                    Enforceable Statements

Don't talk to me in that tone of voice!                                I'll listen when your voice is as calm
                                                                                                            as mine.


Write neatly.                                                                               I grade papers that I can read.


For Pete's Sake! Take out the trash!                                I'll be happy to do the extra things
                                                                                                          I do for you when you get your
                                                                                                          chores done.


Stop all of the arguing!                                                          I charge $2 per minute to listen
                                                                                                           to fighting!

                             

Amazing start to April

    
           Who knew you could have so much fun and learn so much with bubbles? During science exploration, students learned how bubbles are made and practiced using their mouths to create them. We discussed and explored spatial relations and directions. Children predicted the direction the bubbles would move and observed together as the wind carried them away! Students listened to and engaged in several exchanges of conversation with others about their discovery of bubbles!

        Fine motor skills are the first steps in helping our children prepare for writing. Here a student practices squeezing an ice cream scooper while working with foam shapes. Students participated in several learning activities with the shapes including pattern building, sorting, counting, and imaginative play.

While working with a peg board, this student is reinforcing his fine motor skills and the manipulative movements involving object-handling. These skills along with left to right movement are important in developing pre-litercy skills. Students can develop the routine of building left to right. This student arranged the pegs in order of size and created towers in a growing pattern (smallest to biggest). Later while describing his work, he used seriation terms (tall, taller, tallest, etc.) and communicated the concepts that he learned.