May 2023
Important Dates
May 5, 2023: Walk-a-thon
May 9, 2023: Coffee with Ms.Laporte; classroom visits for families, starting at 8:45am
May 11, 2023: Plant Sale
May 29, 2023: School is closed for Memorial Day
Reminders
- Please check your child’s folder every day, and please return the folder to school the next day.
- Please remember to label all of your child’s belongings: write your child’s name on their jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes, lunch containers, etc.
Instructional Unit Theme: Babies
Essential Question: What are babies?
Focus Questions:
- What do babies need?
- What can we learn about animal babies?
- How do babies change?
Math Focus
Students will focus on:
- Sorting and classifying by common features
- Number Sense
Dear Pre-K Families,
This month we are learning about Sorting and Classifying and Number Sense.
Sorting and Classifying
Children will make groups of objects that are the same and then break down the categories further by finding common features.
Number Sense
Students will be working on matching up pairs and counting by twos.
Here are some fun activities that are easy to do at home and help reinforce these concepts:
- Gather shoes from different family members. Sort them by color, size, or type, for example; boots, sneakers, buckles, etc.
- Collect shoes from family members. Line them up in pairs and count by twos.
CENTER SPOTLIGHT: DRAMATIC PLAY
In the Dramatic Play Area, children take on different roles and recreate real-life experiences. They use props and make-believe to deepen their understanding about the world they live in.
The ability to pretend is very important to your child’s development. Children who know how to make believe develop a rich vocabulary, which is important for reading. They learn to cooperate with others and solve problems, and are able to think abstractly- all important skills for success in school. When children pretend, they have to recall experiences and re-create them. To do this, they need to picture their experiences in their minds. For example, to play the role of a doctor, children have to remember what tools a doctor uses, how a doctor examines a patient, and what a doctor says. In playing the doctor or other roles, children learn to cooperate with others and to share their ideas. We talk with children and participate in their play to extend their thinking.
When children make believe, we might ask open-ended questions:
- Is your baby sick? What are you going to do?
- Are you the storekeeper here? I need to buy some food. What do you sell here?
- What are you cooking for dinner tonight? It smells so good!
What You Can Do at Home
You can encourage the same kind of pretend play at home that we do at school simply by playing with your child and providing some simple props. A sheet over a table creates a house or a hideout. A large empty cardboard box can become almost anything- a pirate ship, a doghouse, a castle, or a train. The nice thing about dramatic play is that it requires only your imagination. Here are some simple ways to encourage your child’s learning through dramatic play:
- During bath time, include plastic boats, cups, and rubber dollars and play pretend.
- Save food cartons, make some play money, and play store with your child.
- Read stories together and involve your child in acting out different parts of the story.
- Collect some old clothes your child can use to dress up and make believe.
- Say to your child, “Let’s pretend we’re going on a train ride. What do we need? Tickets? Suitcases? Do you want to collect the tickets?”
When you engage in pretend play with your child, you are teaching important learning skills, and you are spending valuable time together. Have fun!
Thank you for working with us. We hope that you are enjoying doing these activities with your child.
Sincerely, the Pre-K Teachers