Finally, I have an update from our classroom.  You know how people say that time flies?  Well, I’m pretty sure it actually does.  How else could I account for immense time lag??

So…we have been learning about the rain forest – lots to learn since we don’t usually see aardvarks, sloths, anteaters, tapirs, harpy eagles and many of the reptiles.  Computers definitely have their place in the classroom.  I have shown the children short videos of the rain forest, explaining how precious and important it is.  I told them how there are plants and animals that can’t live anywhere else but in a rainforest, and that some people are still destroying it.  I told that special medicine comes only from the rainforest; that the kapok tree is sacred to the people of the rainforest.


At circle time the children are given an animal "piece"; they find it on the door and match to poster.

We have a wonderful book, The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry, that depicts a man who starts to cuts down a kapok tree.  He takes a rest, and in his dream many animals whisper in his ear:  “Please don’t cut down this tree.  It is our home.”  (I edit some books way down.) The children love the part where the boy from the Yanomama tribe whispers :  “When you wake up you will realize that you made a big mistake.”  The man wakes up with a new appreciation of the rainforest and the animals, and vows to never cut down another tree – especially in the rainforest.  Perhaps, when you take a nature walk with your child some day,  you will have the opportunity to reinforce this critical concept,






Zachary is building an elaborate kapok tree.



Hailey is completing a puzzle of the rainforest.


Dolls of the rainforest.


Your child may bring home "art work" where the chameleon catches a grasshopper.


One of our “works” is a book and a tray of lizards.  The children are fascinated by the lizards, so I got out my laptop and we looked at skinks, monitor lizards, iguanas, chameleons and komodo dragons.  Naturally this was the most enthralling of the reptiles. 




 

Just yesterday I heard a few comments about dreams.  I took Ryan out of his crib and just sat there holding him for a few minutes.  He started to tell me an involved story.  The best part was “A white cat was looking at me and it was pretty freaky”  (And I was kind of freaked out that he said that!) I think his dream was a spin-off of the Great Kapok Tree.  I explained to Ryan that he had a dream, and that dreams are pretend pictures.  I said it was like a halloween costume that is a pretend picture.  I asked him what he was for Halloween.  Big Foot.  I asked him if Big Foot  was real or pretend.  He said pretend.  Perhaps Ryan now understands what a dream is

Zachary told me “I have pictures but the words don’t come down.”  Aren’t the children amazing?

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Some of the other books we are reading are the following:

  Compost Stew, Mary McKenna Siddals

    We now have a tumbler compost bin.  Every day one child gets to be “gardener of the day”; wears a special gardening hat; and turns the bin a specific number of times.  It’s good exercise, and an opportunity to practice counting.

  In the Rain Forest, Green Start Books

  The Icky, Sticky Anteater, Dawn Bentley

    This book is fun, rhyming, and the message is that we are all different, and that is okay.

Chameleons Are Cool, Martin Jenkins

This is the Turkey to Shout About, Abby Levine

Giving Thanks:  A Native American Good Morning Message, Chief Jake Swamp

 Giving Thanks, Jonathan London

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Other work we are doing -


This is a fine motor exercise where the children find the "hats" that match the acorns.  They glue them back on and add a face to the acorn.



Another fine motor skill where the children pick kernels of cord with a strawberry huller.
When we are finished, we will tr to pop the corn ????



Some children simply practice hand-eye corrdination by placing the frogs on the peg on the log. Some children count; some are learning to add.



These are the leaves the collected on their nature walk.  They helped mount them and operated the laminating machine.  I just found the appropriate tree branch, which will be our Christmas Tree.  We will hang their leaves from the overhead branch.



Aldrin is Gardner of the Day - we take turns going out to spin our new compost tumbler.  (reference the book Compost Stew)



Emmet is learning about rhyming words/picutres



Elizabeth surveying the premises....it's loney out here.  (Good balance, Elizabeth)




This has nothing to do with anything.  Just a sign I found at Lowe's.  What a deal!!!!!

Here are a few Halloween photos from our visit to the Springfield Home for Seniors.  This was such a nice event.  The seniors loved it, and I believe the children did also.  I know I did.








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Good view of excavator in our driveway.



Ryan viewing construction - could not believe his eyes!

That's all, folks!