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Sunday, September 15, 2013

Exploration Stations and Peace Beads

This week we introduced several exploration work stations.  During exploration work stations students focus on exploring literacy, math, science, and life skills.  Introducing exploration stations is a process because students need to learn where the stations take place, how to explore their respective station, and how to clean up and put away their station properly.  It will certainly take a lot of practice, but the students are off to a great start.

Science Exploration
Students have been exploring natural materials such as seashells, 
buckeyes, pine cones, nuts, seeds, and much, much more. 


Library Exploration
Students have been exploring books and the process of "picture reading."  Some students have been looking for sight words they might know as well as reading simple sentences. 


Math/Sorting Exploration
Students have been working on the process of sorting, and how we use sorting in our daily lives.   
In addition, we have introduced Geo boards.  
Soon students will be making shapes and letters with the rubber bands.  


Writing Exploration
Students have been exploring writing materials while writing their names, friends names, and teachers names.  Others have been illustrating pictures and labeling their work. 


Engineering/Natural Materials Exploration
Students have been exploring natural wood slices and branches of all shapes and sizes.  Students have also been engineering castles, forts, factories, towers, and much more!  
Look at all of our talented engineers and their creations!


 

 Alphabet Exploration
Students have been putting alphabet rocks in alphabetical order. 
In addition they have been using them to make their names. 




 Write the Room
Students have been exploring written words and numbers around our classroom.  While using a clipboard and a pencil, students have been writing all the words and numbers they can find around the room.  Students have been excited to begin writing their new friends names as well. 

Art Exploration
In addition to many other open ended art opportunities, 
this week students also helped to complete peace beads for our classroom. 
 We will be introducing many more opportunities for students to explore in the upcoming days/weeks/months.  Be sure to ask your child what they explored in the classroom on a daily basis. 





 Before we finished our day on Friday, we invited Mrs. Garrabrant's kindergarteners to our classroom.  We started by listening/watching the book "Pinkalicious" from Barnes and Noble Online Storytime.  There are several books on their website that your students will enjoy!  We then ended our time with some fun education songs including phonics songs, sight word songs, color word songs, and number songs.  We can already tell these two classes will become great friends.  I look forward to them sharing all their wonderful experiences with each other. 


As promised, here are a couple of photos of our peace beads.  They look simply beautiful and with your help making them, will continue to support a peaceful and loving kindergarten environment. 



Have an amazing week.
Mrs. Julie Atkin

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