Corn, Cornhusk Dolls, (and Binoculars too!), and Love Chants

Highlights of our Day

To go along with these week's theme of corn, we did several things using it. A few days ago, I shucked fresh corn and put the husks aside. When the children arrived this week, we soaked the husks to make them soft, and then we made cornhusk dolls. They were much easier than I thought they'd be and it was something the kiddies got excited about.



We have a head (with hair), arms, and hands, just need a torso, legs and feet.


All finished!





Fine Motor
We also removed the kernels from the Indian corn cob.

Practical Life (and more Fine Motor)

Next, we used the kernels for some additional fine motor fun with a transfer activity. The children used the spoon to transfer the kernels from one bowl to fill the other bowl. They also practiced pouring back and forth.



Sensory
Damon discovered the geometric puzzle cabinet today and played with the circle tray.


The children finally finished their bird binoculars from last week. These projects take time, so instead of rushing, we take our time, and get them done as we can. =)



Music



I love, love, LOVE Ella Jenkins' Call-and-Response rhythmic group singing! It's very similar to the djembe class I took this summer and the children and I have been singing and drumming along to these two songs in particular, both lead by a young 12 y/o girl. Take a moment to listen...

Love Chant from North Africa.

http://muzetunes.com/playback.asx?c=TPkZIUT52ay_Usslikl0pCoH81b2PRPV0l0NaWbYj_A=&f=B

Chant from West Africa

http://muzetunes.com/playback.asx?c=TPkZIUT52ay_Usslikl0pFpkCL81czPl7viY2VJoxOM=&f=B



Take note of Lulu's hair. Yes, she is shaking her head THAT hard to the rhythm.

Can you see why I love my job?



Other glimpses from this week...

The children have been playing with this botany flower puzzle. It's designed to help illustrate the different parts of a flower and for children ages 3-6. Got it so they could use it down the road, but already, they're intrigued and are doing quite well with it!

Bird Binoculars, Azul el Pescado, and Visitors!

Wrapping up the week with some photos.

Art
Painting the rolls which will become our bird binoculars.









Austin helping clean up.



Culinary
The children helped make treats for their pet dogs. And the only one that tried licking the spoon was my daughter. Go figure.







Ok, so did ANY of your pets eat the treats we made? The mix ended up having WAY more flour than the recipe called for, but I promise, my feelers won't be hurt if EVEN your pooch didn't eat them! ;()

I don't think I've given a proper introduction to our school pet.

Meet Azul (name given by Domi).



I rescued him at a dinner banquet in which he was the centerpiece at our table. He's already grown and his color is beautiful now. The kids enjoy feeding him and watching him.

Ita comes to visit
We had a treat yesterday. Mia brought her Ita to come visit the casa for a while. Ita (short for Abuelita), was visiting from McAllen. It was wonderful meeting you Ita. And now I know where Mama Tanya gets her warm fuzzy hugs from.





Practical Life
Putting on shoes and getting ready to go home.

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...
--

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