Hello families,

This week, the children’s learning continued to grow from their ongoing ramp exploration, which became a meaningful starting point for investigating movement, problem-solving, and creative thinking across the classroom. Through hands-on experiences in literacy, math, art, and storytelling, the children revisited familiar ideas while discovering new ways to test, observe, and collaborate.

Ramp Exploration

The children returned to their ramp investigations with a new challenge in mind: How can we make the car go faster? Through discussion, experimentation, and teamwork, they tested their ideas by adjusting the height and angle of the ramps. Many noticed that raising the ramps higher allowed the cars to move with greater speed, leading to exciting observations about gravity and motion.

To extend this exploration, the children investigated how different surfaces affect movement. Five ramps were prepared using a variety of materials: bubble wrap, plastic mesh, carpet, foil, and sandpaper. Using the same car on each ramp, the children tested, observed, and compared results.

They were encouraged to think about questions such as:

Which ramp do you think will make the car go the fastest?

How does the surface change the way the car moves?

Which ramp is the most challenging for the car to travel on?

The bubble wrap quickly stood out as the most challenging surface, as the car barely moved at all. This led to thoughtful conversations about texture, resistance, and how materials influence motion. Through this open-ended investigation, the children practiced making predictions, testing ideas, and sharing discoveries with one another.

Literacy

Just as the children adjusted ramps to test their ideas, literacy experiences this week invited hands-on exploration and experimentation. In the sensory bin, the children explored magnetic letters by “fishing” for them with homemade fishing rods. As each letter was found, the children named the letter and practiced its sound, strengthening letter recognition and phonemic awareness.

The children also enjoyed a rhyming activity using winter-themed mittens. Words were printed on each mitten, and the children worked to find pairs that rhymed. Using clothespins and string, they clipped each rhyming pair together, turning early phonological awareness into an engaging and interactive experience.

We also read There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow, one of our favorite repetitive and playful stories. After reading, the children were invited to retell the story by placing picture cards from the book in the correct sequence. This experience supported comprehension, sequencing, and oral language development.

Math

Math learning provided another opportunity for the children to organize and reflect on their thinking. The children counted images and recorded their findings on individual charts. As a class, we then worked together to complete an Arctic-themed graph, counting how many penguins, whales, and snowballs were represented.

Together, we recorded the totals for each category and practiced writing the corresponding numbers. Using charts allowed the children to visually compare quantities and strengthen number recognition and one-to-one correspondence.

Art

Art experiences this week were inspired by movement and materials. In one invitation, the children used droppers to add paint to paper placed inside trays. By tilting the trays like ramps, they observed how the paint flowed, mixed, and changed direction. Each artwork reflected the child’s unique movements and creative decisions.

Another process art experience focused on texture and layering. Using cardstock as a base, the children first glued a piece of foil onto the paper. They then explored homemade puffy paint made from glue, shaving cream, and a touch of glitter, adding loose materials such as small paper pieces, doilies, and cotton balls. The focus remained on the process, allowing each child’s winter-themed artwork to develop in a unique way.

Storytelling

Storytelling continues to be a meaningful part of our classroom rhythm. Each week, the children are invited to share their ideas through stories, using words and imagination. These moments create space for children to express their thinking, listen to one another, and collaborate as their stories take shape.

Through storytelling, the children build confidence, strengthen oral language, and experience the joy of seeing their ideas valued.

Throughout the week, ramps served as a powerful invitation for learning. Through experimenting with speed, organizing information, creating art through movement, and retelling stories, the children used curiosity, collaboration, and persistence to deepen their understanding together.

Love,

Ms. Yana

Hello families,

Our classroom was full of movement, ideas, and excitement this week as the children explored ramps and open-ended materials.

We began the week with journaling, inviting the children to reflect on winter and share their favorite things to do during the winter season. Through drawings and early writing, the children expressed their ideas and personal experiences, strengthening language development and self-expression.

In literacy, the children participated in a playful word-building activity. After listening to a word and saying its sounds together, they searched for letters presented as snowballs and worked to place them in the correct order to build the word. This activity supported phonemic awareness, letter recognition, and sequencing in an engaging and meaningful way.

We also read the book Penguins to the Rescue and engaged in a thoughtful discussion about the story. Together, we talked about what went wrong and identified the problem the characters faced. The children shared their ideas and reflected on how the problem affected the story.

After reading, the children were invited to represent their thinking through drawing. In one box, they illustrated the problem in the story, and in another box, they drew the solution. This experience supported story comprehension, critical thinking, and early problem-solving skills, while allowing the children to express their understanding visually.

Our winter exploration continued through process art as the children created their own penguins. The children began by drawing a large number eight on blue paper, which became the body and head of their penguin. They added wings and then tore black and white construction paper into small pieces, strengthening fine motor skills as they worked. The children glued the pieces to create their penguins and added their own creative details, such as bows, crowns, or hair, giving each penguin a unique personality. To complete the project, the children added small pieces of styrofoam at the bottom of the paper to represent ice.

Math was explored through a fun and collaborative snowman dice game. Working in pairs, the children rolled dice, counted the dots, and used dot markers to decorate snowmen on a large cardboard surface. Some children used one die, while others challenged themselves by using two dice and exploring simple addition. This activity supported counting, number recognition, and cooperative learning.

We also began a ramp exploration, inviting the children to investigate movement and motion using a variety of ramps and materials. The exploration extended outdoors as we went on a ramp hunt, discovering ramps in our environment, including the playground slide, sidewalk ramps, and a water drain designed to guide water flow. The children observed, compared, and excitedly shared their discoveries as they connected classroom learning to the real world.

Art and science came together during a ramp painting experience. Using cardboard and construction paper placed at an angle, the children rolled toy cars through paint and down the ramps, creating colorful tracks and patterns. This activity encouraged experimentation, observation, and creative expression while building on their ramp exploration.

We also continued our tradition of acting out the children’s stories, bringing their ideas to life through movement and imaginative play. This experience offered a different way for children to share their thinking, collaborate with peers, and see their stories transformed into action.

Some days, I have the privilege of being the audience for stories told just for me 🙂

Moments of exploration, focus, and creativity throughout our day.

Through open-ended invitations and shared experiences, the children continued to build their thinking and understanding

Love,

Ms. Yana

Hello families,

Our first week back after Winter Break was filled with joy, warmth, and so many happy reunions. From the moment we returned to the classroom, it was clear just how much we had missed one another. Smiles, hugs, and excited conversations filled the room as friends reconnected and shared their happiness about being back together. This beautiful sense of community set a joyful tone for the start of the new year.

As we welcomed the New Year, we celebrated together in meaningful and joyful ways. The children learned how people around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve by watching videos and observing traditions such as fireworks lighting up the sky. Inspired by these celebrations, we created our own classroom New Year moment. The children counted down together and shared a special toast, celebrating the beginning of a fresh new year as a classroom community.

As part of our New Year celebrations, the children participated in a playful activity that connected Math and Art. The children first created and drew their own triangles on black paper, which became New Year’s hats. This allowed them to explore shapes while expressing their creativity.

Using a die, the children rolled and counted the dots, then added the same number of lines inside their triangles to decorate their hats. Through this simple and engaging game, the children practiced counting, number recognition, and one-to-one correspondence, while also strengthening fine motor skills. Each roll brought excitement, and every hat became unique, turning Math into a joyful, hands-on experience.

In another New Year–inspired activity, the children explored both Art and Science through a fun experiment. Using black paper and glue, they created designs inspired by fireworks. After sprinkling salt over the glue, the children added paint and observed as the colors traveled through the salt. This joyful experience encouraged curiosity, creativity, and discovery.

After reading the book Ten Black Dots, the children were invited to explore their creativity through an open-ended art experience. Each child was given ten black dots and the freedom to use them in any way they imagined. With just a few simple materials, the children created meaningful and unique artwork, strengthening imagination, creative thinking, and confidence.

To continue strengthening our literacy skills, we reviewed letters and sounds through a playful game of musical chairs. This energetic activity encouraged participation, listening, and joyful learning.

The children were also invited to express their thoughts and memories in their journals as they reflected on how they celebrated New Year’s Eve. Through drawings and early writing, each child shared their personal experiences, honoring their voices and supporting self-expression and language development.

As part of our Light Exploration, the children continued exploring how light interacts with different materials. Using metallic balls, Christmas ornaments, mirrors, and flashlights, they observed reflections and changes as light bounced back to their eyes.

The children were invited to explore light and shadows using both natural and artificial light. They carefully observed shadows and used drawing materials to represent what they saw, deepening their understanding of how light shapes space and form. We also explored how light can be used for communication. Through discussion, the children discovered that light can send messages, using examples such as lighthouses and traffic lights. This helped them connect classroom learning to the real world.

In another light exploration, the children investigated how light behaves when it travels through different liquids. Using clear jars filled with water, oil, and vinegar, they placed a pencil inside each jar and observed what they noticed. The children discovered that while light usually travels in a straight line, it can change direction when it moves through liquids, causing objects to look different.

We continued our beloved tradition to act out our children’s stories, bringing their ideas to life through movement, imagination, and collaboration. This experience remains one of our favorite classroom moments, as it celebrates children’s voices and creativity in a joyful and meaningful way.

We closed the week and our Light Exploration through one final experience and celebration. The children were given glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets, and with the lights off and a black light illuminating the classroom, they were invited to explore and observe how the materials responded to the light. This special experience turned into a joyful glow-in-the-dark party, allowing the children to celebrate the end of our Light Study through play, movement, and wonder.

It was a beautiful week filled with connection, curiosity, creativity, and shared moments as we welcomed the new year together.

Love,

Ms. Yana