DONUTS!
We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit COPS Donuts earlier this week! This recent addition to our neighborhood is owned by a classmate’s family friend and they welcomed us to their shop to sample their treats.
As is our want, we infused some fun learning into this experience, specifically focusing on particular mathematical skills. We started by not sharing the details of the trip, only noting that we would be visiting a local shop to get some food and that the food would be round. We had the kids make predictions about what they thought it would be. We then revisited our predictions — which we defined for them as going back to think more about them with new information in hand. This time, we shared with them that the food would be something sweet. Some children chose to revise their predictions accordingly. We did one more round with a third and final clue: the food has a hole in the middle.
While at the shop, we were able to watch the made-fresh-to-order donuts get their final preparations in the form of glaze and sprinkles. Then we had a chance to ask some questions. Some of our wonderings were…
“How do you make donuts?”
“Why are there speakers on the wall?”
“How did you make the donut-themed art on the walls?”
Armed with some new information AND a box full of yummy donuts, we headed back to school to sample them. And they were delicious!
To cap off our experience, we polled the kids on their preferences. Did they like just the cinnamon sugar? Just the glaze? All-things-COPS-donuts? Or did they not enjoy them? With that complete, the kids shared their noticings, providing another learning opportunity in the area of data collection and analysis. Suffice it to say, there was overwhelming support for the donuts!
Donuts AND math? What could be better!
Literacy Update
We recently began an exploration of fairy tales and fractured tales. Part of this study has been a focus on key elements of stories, including characters, setting, and problems. Characters are who is in the story, setting is where the story happens, and the problem is what the characters are doing in the story. Learning these key elements will help us with the next phase of this curriculum, which will focus on the children telling their own stories. We encourage you to pepper these terms into your own reading with your children at home!
Questions to Ask Your Orange Room-er
1.) Whose birthday did you celebrate this week?
2.) Where did you go for donuts? What kind did you like?
3.) What new material is in the Sensory Table? What can you do with them? (Answer: Coffee Beans)
4.) What new material is in the Art Area? What can you do with them? What is their fancy art name? (Answer: Pipe Cleaners AKA Chenille Sticks)
5.) Who is Old Man Fookwire? How does he feel about birds? Squirrels? What does he always say?
6.) What is your new half group?
Reminders
Please help us help your children develop their school-readiness, self-help, and independence skills. Ways you can help:
* Let them complete their morning routines on their own.
* Have them carry their own backpacks… at least when moving through the building.
* Speaking of backpacks… send them every day! The kids are working hard on learning to manage their belongings and their backpacks are an essential component of that.
* Still speaking of backpacks… help them clear out their bags every. It is hard to pack a bag that is already half full.
* Kinda still speaking of backpacks… help them empty their Friday Folder each weekend and return it the following week. We did not do this routine today (since many folders are still missing) but want to reintroduce this as a weekly routine next week so please help track those down and send them back in.
These skills are likely to be baseline expectations as they enter Kindergarten so solidifying them now gives them a leg up for next year!
