Give'em Something to Count About!

I absolutely love finding reasons to count, and we can get really crazy about making countdown calendars but I always forget to capture them. Also since most associate them with the holidays I had a tough time finding the right image until I remembered that I had actually taken photos of the one we did when my favorite and former co-teacher Mr. Jey went home on vacation to Puerto Rico. At the time I was really worried about his departure because Jey's vacation was six, yes 6 weeks long so I wondered how I could make the children aware of where Mr. Jey was and more importantly when he would be coming back! It isn't often that we have the privilege of having males in the early childhood classroom and when we do their absence is truly noticed. So I definitely wanted them to have a tangible piece of evidence that they could see just how long it would be before Jey returned whenever they would start to miss his presence in our class. I have to thank Mr. Jey because he actually did the all artwork for this poster seeing as how I can't draw a straight line! (Thanks Jey!) 

Every day during our morning meeting we would include a "Where in the World is Mr. Jey?" (report). The children really enjoyed counting the days we had left and how many days it had been since Mr. Jey had left for his trip. I have to admit it really made a big difference in the classroom climate. Anytime I would have a child ask me where Mr. Jey was or when he was coming back we would go over our countdown calendar. I do admit I only counted the school days because I didn't want to make it so difficult that they would lose interest or hope that Jey would ever return! The children got so good with it that they would begin to lead the lesson which was a real treat! The only thing I would have done differently would be to add the numbers to build on number recognition. So don't wait for the holidays to roll around, seize the activities you've got coming up right now for some real meaningful learning moments!

Updates, Updates, Updates!

Wanted to give a few updates on how we're doing over here. First I want to say to anyone who has recently contacted me through our website and never received a reply, I apologize for the delay. There has been a glitch in our email system that is now fixed and I am getting responses out to everyone today!


Summer enrichment came to a close on Friday and we really had a blast! I'm excited about the fall already! I don't know about anybody else but back-to-school is my favorite time of year. I love new school supplies almost as much as I love good birthday gifts! My summer break is here and we are kicking up quite a bit of dust over here in the classroom. Our entire first floor is being replaced and the demolition started yesterday. Here is a glimpse of where we are so far. Stay tuned for more updates!

Day 1 (Classroom)

Day 2 (Kitchen)

How to Have Messy Play Without Losing Your Mind

Did you know that messy play is an important part of your child's early development? WHAT?!?! Yes, there really is something to be said for getting a little messy! J  I know sometimes it can feel quite intimidating to let little Susie use those scissors, glue and markers but what really happens when she does is SO beneficial!

Here are a few things messy play can help to develop:

Language & Creativity

Messy play screams creative because you get to make and do whatever you want with it. Talk to your child about what materials you're working with, what colors they are, how do they feel, also compare them with other materials to build language and vocabulary.

Sensory & Fine Motor Skills

Young children love tactile learning and using different textures is always interesting to a curious mind. Improved fine motor skills is another plus to be gained from grasping writing tools, cutting paper, kneading play dough etc. not to mention better hand-eye coordination.

Math & Reasoning Skills
This is the perfect activity to learn counting, sorting, patterns and more because it’s hands on fun! Kids love picking out all the seeds or buttons or whatever to find all those that match and look similar. What better time to explore how some things are the same and how they are different.

Confidence & Self Regulation

Messy play can also be a very relaxing activity for children which can help with self regulation. It can also be a confidence booster with children. Some activities can be very product driven. The great thing about messy play is you don’t have to create anything for it to be perfect as opposed to an activity where there is a beginning and an end.

This list is not exhaustive but you get the idea!

Overcoming Fears of Messy Play!

Now this may come easier for some than others with OCD tendencies but please don't let it stop you from allowing your child to participate in messy play.

Prepare for messy play! Use washable paints, glue, markers etc. Dress your child for play rather than in their Diva wear and GQ gear. If you like you can also use a smock to protect clothing or your retired oversized t-shirts. Also prep the area you will be using. If you know you are doing water or sand play indoors have towels or a broom handy. I’ve found with glue especially for younger children if you pour it out into a small container (preferably with a lid for later use) and let them use a q-tip or a craft stick it’s much easier for them to work with it.

Take it outdoors! This allows you to get comfortable with messy play without worrying about your furniture and floors. Take that shaving cream outside, use an old baking sheet and let your kids go to town! You can also use food coloring for some added interest and a quick science lesson on color mixing! This is where messy play started for me as a parent. I felt much more relaxed because I didn’t have to worry about spills etc.

Containing play indoors, literally! We have messy play indoors too, but it’s in containers. I have a special box with nothing but various color and kinds of scrap paper and a pair of scissors inside. The kids can cut until their heart’s content, inside the box! This keeps the floor from being a complete mess while still allowing the activity to carry on. This technique can also be used with water play (think dish pan basin) or even sand play just make sure the container has a tight lid. Trays or cookie sheets are also excellent tools for messy play and another way to contain the mess. We do everything from glue, to play dough to painting all on trays.

Now, if the inevitable spill happens just remain calm, this is a prime opportunity for your child to learn how to clean up their mess if they don’t know already. I always help but guide and teach along the way! If you should find yourself still on the verge of getting upset remember that they are still learning (you are still the teacher) and it can’t be as bad as the mess you’ve seen in some diapers, right?

Here are some messy play ideas to help get you started:

·        Markers, crayons, pens, pencils

·        Finger and face paints

·        Play dough, clay, goop

·        Cutting and pasting (Tip: I always recommend letting them do all of their cutting first in order to keep the scissors clean.) J

·        Sand, rice etc. and toys for scooping

·        Spray bottle painting

 This is a great link for messy play recipes!.

Have a very MESSY day!

Your Kindergarten Teacher's Pet Peeve!

Oh say it ain't so! I'm afraid it is true and I have to admit (although some experts might argue that at the Pre-K level it isn't all that important) it's one of mine too. Think you know what it might be, well it's not tattling! At least not for the purpose of this post anyway! :D  One of the biggest pet peeves of  many Kindergarten teachers especially at the very beginning of the school year is... children who, WRITE IN ALL CAPS! Yes, and there it is, in black and white or whatever color you may be viewing this is in. ;D I know parents can be very excited (and rightfully so) that little Johnny can write his name, mom's name and lots of other words but Johnny's teacher is not too thrilled that he writes as if he's shouting at her in an angry text message.

Now before you panic there is something you can do about it and it's really simple. After teaching little Johnny how to write in all caps (because they are much easier learn first) show him to also write his name using only one uppercase letter and the rest in lowercase letters since that is the way he'll be writing it for the rest of his life. It is also how we read and write unless it just happens to be the occasional Facebook post gone wrong! Believe me your child's teacher will thank you even if she never says it, she or he really does appreciate it!

FAQs: The Difference Between Preschool & Pre-K

Here is one of our frequently asked questions.  Sherina asks, "What is the difference between your preschool   
and pre-k programs?"
Excellent question! Our preschool enrichment classes are geared for younger children who are not quite ready to begin kindergarten. The pre-k enrichment program is a more advanced class for older children who are getting ready to attend kindergarten the following year. 

We do basically the same things in both programs but the preschool program is modified to accommodate younger learners. A great example of that would be the morning meet and greet or circle time. The younger children have a much shorter group time while the older children will focus more on learning how to sit and participate in large group instruction, in addition to more advanced learning like beginning reading with our morning message, calendar math and simple math operations whereas the younger preschoolers would focus more on names, numbers, shapes, colors and letter recognition etc.