The New Year brought about new opportunities for learning and set the tone for the months ahead.
In January, the children learned about winter. They also learned about changes in our weather, what we wear and what we eat. On Jan. 22, Dr. Frost sponsored a snow day at Las Sendas. All the children were able to play and slide in our own park. Everyone had a great time. The Fox family asked Dr. Frost for the sponsorship. Thank you, Dr. Frost and Fox family, for the fantastic experience.
Celebrations of friendship and love
We celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. by learning about him and what he did for all of us. The children made special art projects to signify the unity of friendship, no matter the color of skin. One of my students told her parents she learned about Dr. King, who helped us be friends.
February is a month of love for one other. We will be learning about the concept of pairs. We will read lots of books about mittens, like The Mitten, by Jan Bret, and many other versions. Mittens will be made and matched. We are continuing to learn and practice patterns and sequencing by making bracelets. The children are working hard, making sure they learn to recognize all the letters of the alphabet and numbers 1 through 20. Each child now knows how to write his name, except a few 3-year-olds.
We will have a Valentine’s Day party, complete with lots of goodies and fun. All the children will receive their own baskets in which to place their Valentine cards. Children will write their own name on their Valentine’s Day cards. Everyone is invited to the celebration.
Fun with rhymes and leprechauns
In March, we will be learning about Dr. Seuss and rhyming. The season of spring will be another fun topic, as well as St. Patrick’s Day. The leprechaun will leave special treats for all the children.
Registration for summer and fall
Also, March will be the beginning of registration for summer and fall classes. A $25 fee will be required for registration. The summer session will be the same as the current session (9 to 11:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). We will have an afternoon session only if we have enough children registered.
Reports of progress
Progress reports were sent home, and parent conferences were completed. Everyone did a great job.
Learn by doing
Aristotle long ago said, “For the things we have to learn, we learn by doing them.” Think back to when you learned to drive a car or took up a new sport. No explanation or amount of reading about the subject was enough. You needed to go through the process or procedure yourself. We learn to do by doing.
You cannot tell your child what five is. Children can learn about the concept of five by counting five beans, five crayons or five balls. As a result, they will have a better understanding of the number five.
You cannot give a child a talk on all the times she should say thank you. Instead, when you give your child a snack or help her find a missing toy, remind her to say thank you. When we want our children to learn the days of the week, we need to hang a calendar. Each day, we cross off or point out the day as it passes, repeating the name of the day. At school, we strive for learning by doing.
If you have any questions about Desert Rose Preschool at Las Sendas, please call me at (480) 654-4223, or send an e-mail to jbuttitta@cox.net.