One of our parents asked if I would post some of the song lyrics so she could help her child sing the songs we start our Line with. I thought this was a great idea so here they are for you!
A-RAM-SAM-SAM
A ram-sam-sam, A ram-sam-sam
Gooly, gooly, gooly, gooly gooly Ram Sam Sam. (2 X)
A-raffi, a-raffi,
Gooly, Gooly, gooly, gooly, gooly ram sam sam!
A Volkswagon, A Volkswagon,
A Chevy truck and a Volkswagon. (2 X)
Ferrari, Ferrari,
A Chevy truck and a Volswagon!
A Burger King, A Burger King,
A Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Burger King. (2X)
Mc Donalds, McDonalds,
A Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Burger King!
A Pink Tower, a Pink Tower,
Knobless cylinders and a Pink Tower (2X)
The Red Roda, the Red Rods
Knobless Cylinders and a Pink Tower!
THE PATTERN SONG
Let's all play the pattern game
Make a set, Repeat the same,
Can you do the one's we name
Let's play the pattern game.
Triangle Circle Square (3X)
Try it if you dare.
Underwear and hat and shoe (3X)
See, you can do it, too!
Cereal, hot dog , beans and cake (3X)
Makes my belly ache.
Happy, angry, silly, sad (3X)
They're feelings we've all had.
Dit dit, Goo Goo, Deedle Deedle Dop (3X)
I think it's time to stop!
Itty Bitty, Oogy Woogy Cutsy Wootsy (3X)
I think it's time to stop!
WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THE BABY-O?
What shall we do with the baby-o (3X)
When he won't go to sleepy-o?
(Child says what to do, like "Give him a bottle)
Give him a bottle (3X)
That's what to do with the baby-o!
LITTLE TOMMY TINKER (first time through start low, then 2nd time regular, then very high squeaky voice the third time through) (a clinker is a hot coal)
Little Tommy Tinker sat on a clinker
And he began to cry, "Oh Ma! Oh Ma! What a poor boy am I!"
OPEN SHUT THEM (hands)
Open shut them, Open shut them
Reach up to the sky
Open shut them, open shut them
Cover up one eye.
Other verses:
1) Wave them all around; Pat them on the ground.
2) Swish them in your hair; wave them in the air
3) Give a little clap; put them in your lap.
Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your hcin
Open up your little mouth but--do not put them in! (hide behind back)
THE VERTEBRATE SONG
Spiders are invertebrates, Octopus are invertebrates, Insects are invertebrates
Because their backbone is not inside.
Bunnies are vertebrates, fish and snakes are vertebrates
You and I are vertebrates
Because our backbones are inside.
You and I are mammals, Cats and dogs are mammals
We have fur or hair
We're warm-blooded and feed our babies milk.
Penguins are birds; so are geese and robins
They all have feathers, live in nests and babies hatch from eggs.
AIKEN MAN
There was a man who lived in the moon, In the moon, In the moon
There was a man who lived in the moon
And his name was Aiken Drum.
And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle
He played upon a ladle and his name was Aiken Drum.
His eyes were made of potato chips, potato ships, potato chips, his eyes were made of potato chips,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
His nose was a big french fry, big french fry, big french fry...
His lips were mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes...
And his hair was made of hash browns, hash browns, has browns...
THAT SHOULD HOLD YOU OVER A LITTLE WHILE!
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
ON VISITING THE CHILDREN'S HOUSE CLASSROOM
How can you make the most of your visit to our classroom? Let's keep in mind that you are there to see how your child is doing socially and academically. In order to gain the purest picture of that, we ask that you do the following:
1. Prepare your child for the visitation day by saying you want to watch them choose activities and work on them; you want to watch them play with their friends; and you want to watch them follow the routines of the classroom. In order to do that, you will be sitting in the big chair by the door to watch all he/she is doing.
You can refer to the difference between watching someone work and touching their work; the rule inour room is when watching, they do not touch a person's work. For the parents, watching means they do not touch their child's work; they watch from the chair.
2. The teacher may find time to explain the workings of the classroom to you; if not, jot down any questions you have and allow her to answer them afterwards or by phone or note. It is important to us that all your questions are answered!
3. Helpful ideas on what to note during your observation: How is discipline handled? How does the teacher interact with the children? With her assistant? Is there a variety of materials being used? In terms of watching your child, specific questions include: What activities does he/she choose? How long is he/she engaged in the activity? To what degree does your child follow the rules of the classroom? What kinds of social interaction do you see your child doing? How much movement does your child perform in the classroom? Does your child seem independent and comfortable?
4. Keep in mind that at the Children's House level, development of the child represents a huge spectrum. Some children are exploring at a more sensorial level than others; some are interested in one area to the exclusion of the others. Allow the teacher to explain where your child is developmentally and avoid judgments about his/her "status" by comparing to the other children.
5. Having you in the classroom is a very special gift for the child. We sometimes see the child revert to a high degree of dependence when the parent arrives. When this happens, we accept this and want you to realize that you will not see a typical work cycle with your child. Please do not sit with your child but allow him/her to stand next to you at the chair. You may suggest to the child to show you their favorite work in an area you point to; if they don't want to, avoid idle threats like you'll leave if they don't work. Equally destructive is the comment to them that you can always see them use play dough so show you something else; the child chooses the material that helps them fulfill an inner purpose we cannot know. Maybe they feel comfortable with it or enjoy the relaxation it brings. You are here to watch them run their life, not to run it for them. If the child "melts down" in front of you, it is best after a bit to let him/her know you enjoyed the chance to come see them and that you will see them after school. Be matter-of-fact and take your leave. The teacher will help redirect the child back to work at this point.
Each child is very unique. When they enter the classroom each day, it is similar to arriving at a party: there are some who are slow to warm up and others who confidently begin their day. Similarly, your presence is greeted differently by each child. Parents can help the child best by preparing him/her for the visit. Teachers can guide the child through this experience through encouragement and physical proximity. But the child ultimately must go through the experience him/herself, and we have to allow the child the chance to grow. We do this through love and support from both teachers and parents.
We look forward to having you observe in our classroom and hope you will call or email us for a time that works for you. Our Line is from 8-8:20 am and is followed by bathrooming and work time. The preschool children leave the room about 9:45 for a brief lesson with Suzanne and then have recess before boarding the bus or being picked up. The Ks continue their work time until 11 am.
1. Prepare your child for the visitation day by saying you want to watch them choose activities and work on them; you want to watch them play with their friends; and you want to watch them follow the routines of the classroom. In order to do that, you will be sitting in the big chair by the door to watch all he/she is doing.
You can refer to the difference between watching someone work and touching their work; the rule inour room is when watching, they do not touch a person's work. For the parents, watching means they do not touch their child's work; they watch from the chair.
2. The teacher may find time to explain the workings of the classroom to you; if not, jot down any questions you have and allow her to answer them afterwards or by phone or note. It is important to us that all your questions are answered!
3. Helpful ideas on what to note during your observation: How is discipline handled? How does the teacher interact with the children? With her assistant? Is there a variety of materials being used? In terms of watching your child, specific questions include: What activities does he/she choose? How long is he/she engaged in the activity? To what degree does your child follow the rules of the classroom? What kinds of social interaction do you see your child doing? How much movement does your child perform in the classroom? Does your child seem independent and comfortable?
4. Keep in mind that at the Children's House level, development of the child represents a huge spectrum. Some children are exploring at a more sensorial level than others; some are interested in one area to the exclusion of the others. Allow the teacher to explain where your child is developmentally and avoid judgments about his/her "status" by comparing to the other children.
5. Having you in the classroom is a very special gift for the child. We sometimes see the child revert to a high degree of dependence when the parent arrives. When this happens, we accept this and want you to realize that you will not see a typical work cycle with your child. Please do not sit with your child but allow him/her to stand next to you at the chair. You may suggest to the child to show you their favorite work in an area you point to; if they don't want to, avoid idle threats like you'll leave if they don't work. Equally destructive is the comment to them that you can always see them use play dough so show you something else; the child chooses the material that helps them fulfill an inner purpose we cannot know. Maybe they feel comfortable with it or enjoy the relaxation it brings. You are here to watch them run their life, not to run it for them. If the child "melts down" in front of you, it is best after a bit to let him/her know you enjoyed the chance to come see them and that you will see them after school. Be matter-of-fact and take your leave. The teacher will help redirect the child back to work at this point.
Each child is very unique. When they enter the classroom each day, it is similar to arriving at a party: there are some who are slow to warm up and others who confidently begin their day. Similarly, your presence is greeted differently by each child. Parents can help the child best by preparing him/her for the visit. Teachers can guide the child through this experience through encouragement and physical proximity. But the child ultimately must go through the experience him/herself, and we have to allow the child the chance to grow. We do this through love and support from both teachers and parents.
We look forward to having you observe in our classroom and hope you will call or email us for a time that works for you. Our Line is from 8-8:20 am and is followed by bathrooming and work time. The preschool children leave the room about 9:45 for a brief lesson with Suzanne and then have recess before boarding the bus or being picked up. The Ks continue their work time until 11 am.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
FOCUS ON FRIENDSHIP
We are entering our sixth week of school and the last full week of lessons at Line. So far we've covered: Respect, Listening, Concentration, and Peacefulness. These concepts reflected what we need to do our best learning. Now we move to what we need from each other: to get along. So we dedicate a full week focused on Friendship: what it takes to be a friend; how to work with a friend; how to solve problems peacefully; and developing guidelines for being a friend.
One of the instruments we use school-wide for solving problems is The Wheel of Choice. It's a circle divided into pie sections, each containing a way to solve a problem. Our job is to help the children decide which way is best for the given problem. The most widely used idea is "Rock, Paper, Scissors," so that's the one we start with. Others include walking away, saying "I'm sorry," moving away from the person, seeking the teacher, and using the Peace Rose. My standard reply to tattling is, "Don't squeal til you use the Wheel." If they haven't tried two methods, they have to do that before seeking adult intervention.
The Peace Rose involves adult guidance at the Children's House level. The two chldren sit at the Peace Table with a rose between them. The child who is holding the rose starts first, saying what he/she wants. Then the rose gets passed to the other person, who gets to have his/her say. When a conclusion/compromise is reached, they both hold the rose and say, "We declare peace."
I have sent The Wheel of Choice home to the parents of the Polliwogs, and I plan to do the same for the Falcons. I highly recommend using it in the home as an extension to the school. You can also set up a Peace Rose area with an imitation rose in a vase that is solely used for the purpose of solving problems. (It helps to have parents model using it, too, which, I guarantee, will be fascinating for children to watch!)
I welcome feedback on using these methods at home!
One of the instruments we use school-wide for solving problems is The Wheel of Choice. It's a circle divided into pie sections, each containing a way to solve a problem. Our job is to help the children decide which way is best for the given problem. The most widely used idea is "Rock, Paper, Scissors," so that's the one we start with. Others include walking away, saying "I'm sorry," moving away from the person, seeking the teacher, and using the Peace Rose. My standard reply to tattling is, "Don't squeal til you use the Wheel." If they haven't tried two methods, they have to do that before seeking adult intervention.
The Peace Rose involves adult guidance at the Children's House level. The two chldren sit at the Peace Table with a rose between them. The child who is holding the rose starts first, saying what he/she wants. Then the rose gets passed to the other person, who gets to have his/her say. When a conclusion/compromise is reached, they both hold the rose and say, "We declare peace."
I have sent The Wheel of Choice home to the parents of the Polliwogs, and I plan to do the same for the Falcons. I highly recommend using it in the home as an extension to the school. You can also set up a Peace Rose area with an imitation rose in a vase that is solely used for the purpose of solving problems. (It helps to have parents model using it, too, which, I guarantee, will be fascinating for children to watch!)
I welcome feedback on using these methods at home!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Orientation Night
If you missed Orientation Night on Thursday, August 21st, there's information and signatures needed from you in a folder to be picked up in the office.
In the classroom portion of the evening with parents, I emphasized the triangle of parent/child environment/teacher and responsibilities of each.
CHILD ENVIRONMENT: The classroom is known as the child's learning environment. It holds developmentally appropriate materials that appeal to the child and call to him to investigate. At the beginning of the year, however, most of the materials are covered up and the teacher is the focus as she builds a sense of how to use the room and works on community-building. Guided discoveries of each area with whole group activities in them help the children learn how to use the area prior to uncovering the materials held within it. As the child operates more and more independently in the room, the teacher takes on a more passive role and moves into an independent guide helping each child reach his/her potential.
ROLE OF THE TEACHER: My job is to set up the environment to make it as appealing as possible to the children; to observe how the children use the materials and where each has problems; to re-teach the material, slowing down where the problem areas appear for the child; to entice children to try challenging materials; to model joy of learning and teaching others; to be a care-giver and exhibit the character traits we work on all year long, including: peacefulness, respect, courage, self-discipline, kindness, etc.
ROLE OF THE PARENT: Experiencing the Montessori approach to life--not just education--involves- in fact-demands, input from the parent as well. Attending Montessori school part of the day and then reverting back to non-Montessori values limits the effect of this type of education on your child. We are going to start very simple: two things you can start immediately doing are: 1)walk up to your child to talk to him/her instead of yelling across the room. We work hard on using a peaceful, quiet voice in the room so everyone can concentrate, and insist everyone walks over to the person they want to address, so this can be modeled at home as well. and 2)protect all signs of concentration your child shows you. Do not interrupt it or allow others to. Deep concentration is the child building who they are to become.
I have handouts, too, for each parent, including a phone directory sheet, snack sign-up sheet, volunteer sheet, and some paper cut-outs to decorate. There's also a sheet explaining some of the Montessori vocabulary we use and what slippers to buy for use in the room, etc. Please come get these from me as soon as you can. I am also requesting $20 for helping with supplies. This defrays MY out-of-pocket cost, which usually amounts to well over $500 a year. (One of the handouts I have for you shows the types of things I purchased for the classroom in one year.)
This is the first time I have used a blog to keep parents in touch with what we are doing in the classroom. I welcome your comments and suggestions as I fine-tune and experiment with all this vehicle has to offer.
Sincerely,
Nancy
In the classroom portion of the evening with parents, I emphasized the triangle of parent/child environment/teacher and responsibilities of each.
CHILD ENVIRONMENT: The classroom is known as the child's learning environment. It holds developmentally appropriate materials that appeal to the child and call to him to investigate. At the beginning of the year, however, most of the materials are covered up and the teacher is the focus as she builds a sense of how to use the room and works on community-building. Guided discoveries of each area with whole group activities in them help the children learn how to use the area prior to uncovering the materials held within it. As the child operates more and more independently in the room, the teacher takes on a more passive role and moves into an independent guide helping each child reach his/her potential.
ROLE OF THE TEACHER: My job is to set up the environment to make it as appealing as possible to the children; to observe how the children use the materials and where each has problems; to re-teach the material, slowing down where the problem areas appear for the child; to entice children to try challenging materials; to model joy of learning and teaching others; to be a care-giver and exhibit the character traits we work on all year long, including: peacefulness, respect, courage, self-discipline, kindness, etc.
ROLE OF THE PARENT: Experiencing the Montessori approach to life--not just education--involves- in fact-demands, input from the parent as well. Attending Montessori school part of the day and then reverting back to non-Montessori values limits the effect of this type of education on your child. We are going to start very simple: two things you can start immediately doing are: 1)walk up to your child to talk to him/her instead of yelling across the room. We work hard on using a peaceful, quiet voice in the room so everyone can concentrate, and insist everyone walks over to the person they want to address, so this can be modeled at home as well. and 2)protect all signs of concentration your child shows you. Do not interrupt it or allow others to. Deep concentration is the child building who they are to become.
I have handouts, too, for each parent, including a phone directory sheet, snack sign-up sheet, volunteer sheet, and some paper cut-outs to decorate. There's also a sheet explaining some of the Montessori vocabulary we use and what slippers to buy for use in the room, etc. Please come get these from me as soon as you can. I am also requesting $20 for helping with supplies. This defrays MY out-of-pocket cost, which usually amounts to well over $500 a year. (One of the handouts I have for you shows the types of things I purchased for the classroom in one year.)
This is the first time I have used a blog to keep parents in touch with what we are doing in the classroom. I welcome your comments and suggestions as I fine-tune and experiment with all this vehicle has to offer.
Sincerely,
Nancy
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