Week Three

 Week three morning bins are in full force!

In one group, we have these puzzles from Target.

Children can work with one another and trade when their friends are done so they can play with them all.

Most people have those color bears.

I have one tiny set with a cube and matching cups.

The kids roll and add that color bear to the cup.

I have these frogs!

I bought them years and years ago.

There are three sizes of frogs.

Many colors and logs that the small frogs can sit on.

There are cards too so the kids can follow the patterns.

Here are our family counters. They can be bought here.

I have the houses too. The cards are in the drawer.

When I move these over to the cube shelves, I will add the houses :)

Here are some larger hashtag puzzles.

When I put them in the cube shelves,

I have cards that I add.

Beginning of the 2022 school year

 This year our school began the day after Labor Day Monday.

Week one of our morning bins starts off SUPER EASY- little teacher direction. Toys that most of them have seen before. Sometimes I get children that have never been in school or daycare. Some children I get have been in the child care center since they were six weeks old.  My classroom is located in a child care center.  My classroom during 4K runs like a public school classroom. Our 4K school is across town. With my classroom being located in the building, no bussing is required! :) 

These are our morning bins.  The numbers stay on the right and the names have Velcro on the left. 

The names move and the numbers stay.

We have run into a bit of a snafu-

I had an additional student join our class.

I have 4 sets of bins- one for each day of the week. 

So I have a bit of extra work each day- I have to add and remove items from his bin.

Week 1 of the morning bins are just the toys. In week two, I add the cards.

The children have had time to explore in week one.

At the end of the week, I take out these toys and their matching cards, and they go in our cube shelves.

The cube shelves hold our materials for 4K.

Most of the time, they belong to me, so even if the children stay in the room after I leave, 

they don't get to play with.

Fear not, there are still plenty of toys to play with around the room that we don't use during our 4K time.

At the beginning of the year, the cube shelf is pretty sparse.

One student said last year when we were using something new...

Child A asked if he could use something new to me the teacher.

Child B  "Did Ms. Jennifer teach you to use it?

Child A "no"

Child B "Then you can't use it then."

Although I agree with her, her tone was very harsh, but correct!

In one of the small groups we did the second week of school we read Pip the Pup and the crayon.

On one side of the paper, I have them try to write their names. they can just color whatever.

Then we flip over the page and we make things that Pip makes in the book.

I ask them what they remember that she made and we try to draw what she does.

I send the paper home that day.

Before we use a new supply or tool, we read a book 

Read more about Pip HERE.

See you next week!

 Our schedule:

Arrival: Children put on slippers, get their stars, and grab their folders. 

We answer a question of the day from HERE. Grab the FREE stars HERE.

We trace our names found HERE. FREE

They show me their traced names and I toss them an eraser. 

They erase, then put away their marker, eraser, and plastic sleeve. 

Then they get their morning bin. 

Here are our morning bins from the beginning of school.

The timer rings letting them know they have one minute until the time is up.  They put away their drawer if they are "done" if not done, they stack them on a side table to be finished at centers. We gather on our rug. Read about that HERE.

We read a story and later we add components to our daily routine. Read about those HERE.

When we are done with a story/meeting/calendar time. Our transition to washing our hands varies from day to day.   I give them a pump of foaming smelly soap. They wash their hands and then have a seat at our snack table.  My students' families supply the snack and we serve water.  

After snack, they read books.  I have several bookshelves filled with books for the theme.  

Next up are centers and small groups (Tuesday-Thursday)

Centers read about them HERE.

We are constantly watching to see who is Pip Certified. More details are HERE.

They get a badge and their name on the Pip Certified chart for everyone to see. That way, the children can ask an expert if there is a question. They get to wear a badge all day too :) 

After centers/small groups, we celebrate our learning with a dance party. We dance to two songs. One song I pick, the other song the Hoppy Helper picks.

We do a small lesson for journals. We use this HERE$

After journals, we do either science or social skills. 

Then we head outside. This officially ends our day of 4K. The children that remain stay with the center until their parents pick them up.  The child care center is open until 6 p.m.

It's time for lunch! 

After lunch, we read books or work with "busy boxes." Busy Boxes are small index card sized boxes with small toys inside.

Quiet music now fills the room. All the children have washed up from lunch and been to the bathroom. Books are put away and lights are turned off.  Children are snuggled in their sleeping bags. And they drift quietly into sleep... well that is the hope ;) But let's be real, they are kids :)