Bird Feathers, Sign Language, and Water Pouring

Do I have the most amazing parents, or what? *And what I mean by parents, are YOU all. That's teacher lingo in case you didn't know. As teachers and caregivers, our students become 'our kids' and their parents become 'our parents'. Lisa knows what I'm sayin, right? ;) Have you all heard that joke about the teacher in the grocery store who sees a man, goes up to him and says, 'Hello, you're the father of one of my children', and the man freaks out, until she explains what she meant was the father of one of her students! Tee hee hee...

Ok, back to business...
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Highlights of our day

Today, Gwen arrived with some birds for our show and tell. A hummingbird, penguin, a goldfinch, and a duck! Austin brought in two super cool items (one book and one pamphlet) on local birds and he also had a big envelope from Redmond, Oregon, sent by his grandmother Ria. It had feathers in it! So the kiddies got to feel feathers from a seagull, a mourning dove, a turkey, and another dove! What I love about these stuffed birds is they make a very accurate sound when squeezed. The kids enjoyed listening to the sounds after we read our stories today, and we even could hear birds in the backyard during our storytime because we had the patio doors open. Talk about perfect timing. We then went outside and listened and watched for birds. Lulu is convinced she saw an Eagle.

Mama Allison even showed us the signs for the following birds today.
Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Eagle

Lulu showing Mama Melissa and Gwen items on the nature table.



Fine Motor and Practical Life
Pouring Water



So what's the big deal about having the kids pour water? This sums it up well.

Pouring water from one container to another, prepares children for more complicated work like washing a table or flower arranging. It also helps children function better as they’re able to pour their own drink at snack time or when they’re thirsty. They will also learn about the proper way to clean up after themselves if they’ve spilled. It gives children the opportunity to demonstrate grace and courtesy when they are able to offer and pour visitors a drink of water. =)

Pouring ultimately enhances control and coordination. This gives the child more independence. It is a self-correcting work that needs no teacher intervention. With every turn, the child is learning with improved results and gaining confidence. It maybe frustrating or messy at times, but resist the urge to help. The process is enjoyable for the child and he/she is learning fine and gross motor skills, as well as developing eye-hand coordination, in a safe, prepared environment.

Bottom line, they LOVED it!

As they emptied their small bottle, they learned how to dunk it underwater in the large bowl to refill it. Once their bottle was filled, they'd pour it back out into the large bowl and start again.









Gratitude

A big thank you to Gwen and Mama M for the gift of the birdhouse windchimes for the casa.
Now we have an additional serene sound we can hear while we play on the patio. Thank you!!

~Andrea