The "Act" of Tearing Develops Small Muscles

      Sometimes the simplest of activities can be challenging for a young student. It took quite a while for this little one to tear her red construction paper into pieces in order to fill in an outline of an apple. She was so proud of her picture afterwards. The muscles in her hands are still developing but training such as this distracted her from the arduous nature of the task. Because art doesn't feel like work to the young, teacher's often use it to enhance child development.

• More complicated apples on a branch for first graders to fill in with torn construction papers.
• A very simple squirrel pattern for fall themed lessons - preschool - kindergarten may tear grey or reddish orange papers to fill this one in...
• Print this giant pumpkin out and have first and second graders fill it in with torn orange, green and brown papers

The simple act of tearing construction paper
 may present a real challenge.

Eating Should Be A Happy, Healthy Experience!

These little tikes sure can eat; they consume as much food as the teachers!

      Lunch time is a happy, healthy experience at our little school! Students may either bring their lunch from home or order their lunch from the big cafeteria at the middle school. The hot lunches are brought special delivery to our classroom everyday. Children sit together in a pleasant environment. No loud distractions or music is played during this time. Students say a little prayer before eating and are encouraged to have pleasant conversation while dining. There's no rush; food is consumed at a leisurely pace. Lots of fruits and veggies are included with the lunches too. Two teachers eat with the students at their table to ensure that an adult is always available should a child begin to choke.

Cut and Paste The Yellow School Bus

The yellow school bus project appears to be nothing more than child's play.
But does it serve a purpose more important than mere entertainment?

      Earlier this week, our young students experienced their first cut and paste art lesson. During the lesson, we discovered how much dexterity each child possessed. Each student was also observed while given a set of simple tasks:

• Could the student remain seated during a ten to fifteen minute project?
• Did he or she listen to directions attentively while the teacher was speaking?
• Did the student follow the directions to the best of their ability?
• How did he or she handle the scissors or glue stick?
• Did the student appear to identify the colors easily? (yellow, black, grey, white, and red)
• Did the student know and/or name the shapes?
• Did the student appear happy or frustrated by the activity?
• How much did the students engage with children sitting at the same table?
• Did the student loose interest quickly?

      This kind of informal assessment helps teachers evaluate how much to expect initially of their students and to what point their learning skills need to progress within a reasonable time frame. It is typical to ask very young children to perform a simple series of tasks at the beginning of a school year in order to make this general analysis. Parents should not be alarmed to learn of it because it is a sign of quality control on the part of the staff. It means that your child's environment with be adjusted to their specific needs. Your son or daughter's growth and welfare will be ensured by those who are trained to meet his or her individual constitution. This is one of the primary differences between childcare/daycare and early learning.

Back To School Books

      Our lead teacher has an abundance of books for children to read and explore according to the theme she is teaching. "The first week of school" is our opening theme for preschool this week, and as you can see, there are plenty of books in the classroom based upon this topic:

• "First Day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg
• "Little Critter's This Is My School" by Mercer Mayer
• "The New Bear at School" by Carrie Weston
• "D.W.'S Guide to Preschool" by Marc Brown
• "Pooh's First Day of School" by Kathleen Zoshfeld
• "If You Take A Mouse To School" by Laura Numeroff
• "Tucker's Best School Day" by Susan Winget
• "It's the First Day of School!" by Charles M. Schulz
• "Class Clown" by Michael Martchenko

      Actor and author John Lithgow talks from his own experience about why reading aloud to children is important. Lithgow visited the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library on September 15, 2012, to read from his children's books and visit with Kansas City Symphony conductor Aram Demirjian.

Find out more about the Library's Building a Community of Readers initiative at http://www.kclibrary.org/building-com....

Learn more about Family Read Aloud month and the Turn the Page KC for city-wide literacy at http://turnthepagekc.org/

Handwashing Must Be Taught in Preschool

      Handwashing with soap is among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, which together are responsible for the majority of child deaths. This behavior is projected to become a significant contribution to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015. October 15 has been appointed to become Global Handwashing Day in accordance with year 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation by the United Nations.

      Hands often act as vectors that carry disease-causing pathogens from person to person, either through direct contact or indirectly via surfaces. Humans can spread bacteria by touching other people's hand, hair, nose, and face. Hands that have been in contact with human or animal feces, bodily fluids like nasal excretions, and contaminated foods or water can transport bacteria, viruses and parasites to unwitting hosts. Hand washing with soap works by interrupting the transmission of disease.

      Washing hands with water alone is significantly less effective than washing hands with soap in terms of removing germs. Although using soap in hand washing breaks down the grease and dirt that carry most germs, using soap also means additional time consumed during the massaging, rubbing, and friction to dislodge them from fingertips, and between the fingers, in comparison with just using water for handwashing. Effective hand-washing with soap takes 8 – 15 seconds, followed by thorough rinsing with running water.

This video makes hand hygiene fun for young children. Sara tells the story about Germy the Germ and how to wash him away so you dont get sick. The video includes colourful animations and simple sing-along songs. 

When is it most important to clean your hands?

• Before and after meals and snacks
• Before caring for young children
• After touching a public surface
• Before and after preparing food, especially raw meat, poultry, or seafood
• After using the restroom
• When hands are dirty
• After touching animals
• When you or someone around you is ill

More Related Content:

• Keep Flu At Bay With A Song
• ABC's of Hand Washing - From the Missouri Department of Health (pdf)

Bake a Pink Elephant Circus Cake

Ella Elephant's easy to make (Of course, you must use Angel Flake.) Her trunk is long for peanut scooping, Her ears are big and always drooping!  The pink elephant circus cake design was published by General Foods Corporation in 1959.

1. Start with two cooled 9-inch round cakes made from the recipe below. Cut a ring 11/2 inches wide from one layer. Cut out a third of the ring for her trunk.
2. Divide remaining piece of ring into four equal parts. Place uncut layer on a tray for the body. Use small circle for Ella's head. Add legs and a happy trunk.
3. Spread a fluffy pink frosting over cake and sprinkle Baker's Angle Flake coconut generously over the elephant. Use a big chocolate cookie for her ear . . . a gumdrop for the eye and a twist of licorice for the tail.

Ingredients:
2.5 cups cake flour
2 tsps baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄2 cup plus
2 tbsp butter
1 1/3 cups Redpath Granulated Sugar
3 tbsps frozen Pink Lemonade
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup milk

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 8" round pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter in mixer until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, scraping as needed. Add concentrate, zest and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Beat until smooth. On low alternate adding dry ingredients and milk (start and finish with dry ingredients). Bake cakes about 25mins, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

Pink Lemonade Frosting
500g Redpath Icing Sugar
2 cups shortening (can mix 1⁄2 butter, 1⁄2 shortening if you like)
1⁄4 cup Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp meringue powder

Directions: Water as needed. Whip shortening (and butter, if using). Slowly begin adding icing sugar. Alternate between icing sugar and concentrate to keep frosting light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add water if needed for spreading consistency.

More Ideas for Circus Party Fun: 

• Hamilton's vintage circus first birthday party!
• Print free elephant coloring pages for your party 
• A Whimsical Circus First Birthday Party
• Real life: Circus birthday party: photo ideas
• Circus Birthday Party Decorations
• A Circus theme party with a Rice Krispie Treat Cake
  

Teachers At Our School Are Informed About Bloodborne Pathogens

      Parents, a bloodborne pathogen is a infectious, disease-causing microorganism that may be transferred through body fluids such as: blood, urine, saliva, semen, vaginal fluids, or sweat. Art teachers and their students can contract a variety of diseases from bloodborne pathogens in the classroom because of the everyday use of sharp instruments like x-acto knifes, needles, and razor blades. Even though we do not use these instruments anywhere near our preschoolers, we have been informed about the risks involved. To be better informed yourself read and watch a video here.

"Jesus Loves The Little Children"

Gary Chapman sings "Jesus Loves the Little Children" from the video series, A Hymn a Week, which he and his wife, Cassie, upload here and to Facebook.

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

• Words written by preacher Clare Herbert Woolston (1856–1927)
• Sung to the 1864 Civil War tune "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!" by George Fredrick Root
• Inspired by Matthew 19:14: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
• Some versions change Woolston's original words slightly by inserting the color "brown" between "red" and "yellow."
• Some modern versions read 'Ev'ry colour, ev'ry race, all are cover'd by His grace' instead of 'Red and yellow, black, and white, all are precious in His sight.'
• Alternate lyrics:

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Fat and skinny, short and tall,
Jesus loves them one and all,

OR

Jesus died for all the children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in his sight,
Jesus died for all the children of the world.

Nature Inspired Field Trips

      Although our preschool has not scheduled a visit to Powder Valley, I thought some of our parents may be interested in visiting this local nature center with their kiddos on weekends.
       Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood, MO., is a wonderful place to take preschool/kindergarten students to learn about God's world. They have both family and classroom-size self guided tours and classes. Classes specifically designed for Preschool through Kindergarten at the center fill up quickly, call ahead for a reservation at 314-301-1500. 

      Teachers may wish to design their own lessons and tours; I recommend you visit ahead of time to plan what you will do. There are also trails designated especially for little people and outdoor facilities to meet in if you prefer these to indoor classrooms. 

      There are many interactive displays, a puppet theater, aquariums and even a giant tree house!

Nature Inspired Art and Activities For Early Learners:

• Nature Bracelets
• Acorn Jewlery by 5 Orange Potatoes
• Bugs made from seed pods
• How to make your own grass heads
• Nature-Inspired Crafts for Kids
• Make Bird Seed Shapes from Cookie Cutters
• Earth Day Sign
• Make A Bird Feeder From A Pumpkin
• Craft a paper robin toy for Spring
• Frogs, Toads and Pollywogs for Spring
• Craft a birch bark birdfeeder
• Dangling nut head people
• How to safely string pumpkin seeds etc...

More Related Links:

• Missouri Department of Conservation
• Powder Valley Nature Center

Pinchers Not Grippers!

      Did you know that the way your preschooler holds his or her crayons will affect their handwriting development in the future? Some students experience difficulty in manipulating a pencil when they begin to write in kindergarten. They "grip" their pencils as though they are holding a baseball bat. Ouch, that can cause writer's cramp for certain!

      Parents can help their children by training them early without even seeming to pay attention to the problem. That's right! It is an easy fix, but you must be willing to fight the schoolroom taboo. You must break their crayons. Yes, I understand that this is considered transgression across all kiddom but one must make sacrifices for the good of many or maybe just a few, for a limited time only. When little people are forced to hold tiny crayons, they will pinch not grip. This is an automatic result and also an easy way to break bad little habits.

• Handwriting development for small children
• How Handwriting Works
• Helping Children Develop Handwriting Skills
• Correct Pencil Grip

Developing A Seating Chart for A Rug

A giant oval carpet at the center of a spacious preschool depicts a pond full of lily pads, letters, numbers and one frog.

This seating chart is made from simple pocket
envelopes. Frogs are labeled with corrisponding
letters and numbers found on the rug above.

      The first day of preschool and children are given assigned seating on the rug! No, the seating is not permanent; it changes every day. As the young students arrive, their homeroom teacher, Jenn, gives them a choice between a letter or a number. She then proceeds to hand them a frog pop-cycle stick with the same number or letter to match their selection. Then each student puts their frog inside a  pocket labeled with their name. Not only does this little routine help young students to focus on a place to sit whenever they are called to the rug, it also begins to teach them letter and number identification. This year our classroom is full of three, four and five year olds. Some of them have yet to learn all of their alphabet or to how to count to ten. But they are well on their way with the staff at our small private school!

Creative Circle Time Seating:

•  Preschool circle time idea - Grab a spot
• "Camping" Campout at Preschool

More Related Content:

• My child won't sit still at circle time. What should I do?
• Watch a video of circle time in a private kindergarten

Paper Lesson Plans Links k-12

Paper Weaving Lesson Plans and Ideas: Recycled Paper Weaving in Grade Two * Paper Coil Baskets * Weave Paper Hot Air Balloons for a Mobile *****
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: *

Paper Cutting Lesson Plans: Freedom Within A Square * Positive and Negative Bunnies * Cut Paper Portrait *********
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: *

Paper Torn Lesson Plans: Torn Paper Owl: Who's Hooting? * How to Create Torn Paper Impressionist Art *********
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: alot of torn paper * Torn Paper Portraits * Torn Paper Collage Workshop ************

Paper Folding Lesson Plans: Fan Folded Palm Branches * Paper Quilling for Young Students ********
Art History and Cultural Connections: Qin Lin: Chinese Paper Crafts * Bor Sang Village in Chiang Mai * Brief History of Quilling as Art Also Called Paper Filigree *
Just Pictures: Paper Quilling - Lily Pond * North American Quilling Guild***

Paper and Cardboard Printing Lesson Plans: Cardboard Printing * Printing - Patterns on Paper Weaving ********
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: *

Paper Tissue Lesson Plans: Painting With Tissue Paper * Dunking Ducks * Collage Pop-Out Fish *****
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: The Grouchy Ladybug * Georgia O'Keeffe Inspired Tissue Paper Collages * Tissue Paper Masks ****

Paper Mosaic and Collage Lesson Plans: Aztec Inspired Mask Lesson Plan * A Recycled Landscape "Don't Pave Paradise!" * Portrait of A Survivor Newspaper Collage * Surreal Dreamscapes ****
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: *

Paper Recycling Lesson Plans: Recycled Paper Tube Collage *******
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: cardboard cupcakes * egg carton flowers ******

Paper Molding Lesson Plans: Mini Macchias * How to create backgrounds & embellishments using paper clay and rubber stamps * Creative Paperclay and Articus Studio Molds *****
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: *

Paper: 3D Pictures Lesson Plans: Creating Depth in a 3-D Landscape *******
Art History and Cultural Connections: ***
Just Pictures: Helen Musselwhite's fabulous Art (article) * Introduction to Paper Sculpture (courses) * Mixed Media Art ********

Paper Sculpting Lesson Plans: Effigy Pots Lesson Plan * Pop Art Sculpture * African Masks from Recycled Materials: Cardboard Construction *  big letter DIY * Friday the 13th and Paper Mache Pumpkins * Papier Mache Pizzas * Making a "Galimoto"*****

Art History and Cultural Connections: Master of paper crafts ***

Just Pictures: Wild Puppet Heads * Creatures from an enchanted forest * Liat Binyamini Ariel Studio * Maria Tenorio's Phtostream * Grade Three Bird Sculptures * turtles * Sculpted Taxidermy * Dragon * Our sculptural vases took several weeks to design and build but well worth the effort! * old doll new doll * elephant * Papier-Mache: Animal Heads * Cups of Modern Art ****