Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Red Cat, Blue Cat

Red Cat, Blue Cat

Red Cat wants to be like Blue Cat.  Blue Cat wants to be like Red Cat.  Each cat tries to teach the other how to act like the other.  Eventually they realize that instead of trying to be like each other, they should just like themselves.

My favorite part about this book are the facial expressions of the cats.  They're drawn on with marker, and they're very expressive.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Marley, Firehouse Dog

Marley, Firehouse Dog

Marley and his family are taking a walk and they see that the firehouse is holding an open house.  What kind of trouble could Marley possibly get into at a firehouse?  I don't want to spoil all of the fun that Marley gets into in the book, but he is sure an energetic puppy!

Marley, Firehouse Dog is a Level 2 easy reader.  Level 2 is characterized by longer sentences with engaging stories for developing readers.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Mmm, Mmm, Good!

THE PLAN

Playtime
We played with a variety of toys this morning.  The kids would play with something for five minutes and then pull something else out.

Two Little Hands
Toby was a naughty puppy again, and messed up the schedule pieces, so we didn't know what to do next!  The kids helped me put the pieces in order.  I hope Toby is a good puppy from now on!  See this post for our Two Little Hands rhyme.  

Beginning Song
The kids know the beginning song really well.  They didn't even wait for me to wake up Toby and start singing.  They just started on their own!

All About Today
Friday's weather was cold and sunny.  We also talked about how we know what season it is, and how we'll know when Spring finally arrives.

Read & Listen:

We read Mouse Went Out to Get a Snack by Lyn Rossiter McFarland today in Storytime.  Mouse ventures out of his house to find a snack- hopefully a piece of cheese.  He goes on top of the table and finds a feast!  This book is also really good for counting to ten.

Learning Time:
This week we are learning about taste!  I drew and colored a very interesting looking tongue which displayed the different zones of taste.  When talking about each zone, I asked the kids what kind of food would fit into each zone.  Sweet and Salty were easy zones for examples, but Sour and Bitter were harder.  "Bitter Strawberries" were one example used for Bitter.  After we were done talking about the different zones of the tongue, the kids got to eat!  We sampled jelly beans for Sweet, pretzels for salty, a slice of lemon for sour, and bittersweet chocolate for Bitter.  After they were done sampling, we talked about which one was their favorite and why.  Overwhelmingly, the jelly bean was the favorite.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Fancy Nancy: Too Many Tutus

Fancy Nancy: Too Many Tutus
What is Fancy Nancy to do when her mother says she has too many tutus?  Why, give them to her school's swap so that she can get more tutus!

This is a level 1 easy reader, perfect for kids who are ready to read on their own.  What better way to start reading on your own than with a carry-over from picture books?

Friday, February 1, 2013

Using Your Nose

THE PLAN

Playtime
We played with a variety of toys this morning.  The trains were a big hit.  We also have a new intern!  Her name is Cassandra, and she'll be with us until the beginning of May.




Two Little Hands
See this post for our Two Little Hands rhyme.  We had to teach Cassandra the rhyme, and I decided to try to trick the kids by pretending to not know the rhyme.  The kids will definitely let you know when you are doing something wrong!  

Beginning Song
We had to teach Cassandra the beginning song as well, and the kids were not shy about singing!  See this post for the beginning song.

All About Today
Friday's weather was VERY cold and sunny.

Read & Listen:

We read Sid the Science Kid: What's that Smell? today in Storytime.  Sid can smell his baby brother's dirty diaper from the other room.  Why?

Learning Time:
First we learned how to sniff using our noses.  Learning time today was spent smelling different bottles that I brought in from home.  The bottles had different scents: garlic, cinnamon, lemon, peppermint candy, and a Lysol cleaning wipe.  I let the kids take turns with smelling the different bottles.  A few kids really liked the cinnamon and peppermint candy.  Another thought the garlic bottle really smelled good.  They knew that the wipe was used as a cleaner, and knew that it wouldn't be good to eat.  

Overall, this was a good activity, and it kept even the littlest ones engaged.