Sunflowers at Harrison

After a day of rain on Thursday, we made it to Harrison Field on Friday! We practiced how to walk as a large group in Montpelier, and explored the field. While at Harrison, the children collected natural materials for an art project we will do on Monday, and saw the sunflowers the first graders planted last spring. We harvested one very tall sunflower to bring back to the classroom, which we will dry then harvest the seeds to plant this spring. This is a great fine motor activity in which the children use tweezers to pull out the seeds. This past week we did some fine motor scissor activities including one using shapes. The children traced each shape with several colors and practiced using correct finger grip on the crayon. They then cut the shapes out. Some children also chose to write the beginning letter of each shape. We are reviewing the names and characteristics of a circle, triangle, rectangle, and square. These shapes are used on our calendar and create a pattern as we add a new shape each day. We have also been focusing in math on numbers to 5. Understanding the quantity of each number, knowing it's name, and writing it correctly. In literacy we are learning that we are all writers. Writers write about what they know, and can use their writing to teach others about something. The children have been writing stories using pictures, and are beginning to add labels to their pictures with words or letters to represent the initial sound of a word. During reading, we are practicing building stamina for silent reading. The children are reading the pictures or words of familiar books such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. and simple books I have introduced at school. Ask your child to tell you more about what they have been writing and reading at school!