"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious."
-Albert Einstein |
Science by Discovery
Children learn scientific concepts through real experiences such as playing in the mud, holding a rabbit, walking in the rain, jumping into leaves, and playing with worms. For young children, science is a natural and spontaneous process - and sometimes a messy one! Teachers and parents can enhance children's understanding of science by allowing kids to "mess around" in the physical world.
Our program promotes the development of the processes that are integral to science: observing, classifying, communicating, measuring, inferring, and predicting. Observation skills are learned by examining rocks and leaves or by noticing the different sizes of shadows. Classifying skills are learned through sorting buttons or shapes and by recognizing similarities and differences of objects.
Children develop measurement concepts and skills by measuring how much a plant has grown or by using blocks to measure their friends' height. Finally, children infer and predict outcomes by guessing what is inside a box or by predicting what will happen when water is poured over ice. These are examples of ways in which science is used every day.
Including children in preparing supper, planting a flower bed, or building a bookshelf provides additional opportunities for children to experience science firsthand. A young child's natural curiosity and willingness to explore new things make the preschool years a perfect time for beginning the science curriculum.
Taken from Diffily, D., & Morrison, K. (Eds.). (1997). Family-Friendly Communication for Early Childhood Programs. Washington DC: NAEYC.
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Construction Field Trip
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Downtown Places
Our caterpillars came in the mail, so this week we begin observing them and the changes taking place. Each child has an observation notebook to record the changes they see with our caterpillars. This is a great opportunity for the preschoolers to become scientists and learn how to observe changes in living things.
Continuing our study on buildings, we are taking a field trip next week to the Children's Museum in downtown Kalamazoo. The Metro Transit bus will take us downtown where we can observe the buildings around us. Once we get downtown, we will walk to the museum and explore everything it has to offer. Our trip will take place Tuesday, May 13. We will leave our building at 8:40 a.m. and return at approximately 11:30 a.m. We would love to have some parent volunteers help us with this excursion. Please see Jenny F. if you would like to join the fun.
Focus Questions: "What is special about our building?" and "What happens inside buildings?"
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Transitioning to Preschool
At this point in the year, many toddlers are ready to leave the smaller Toddler Room that they have grown so comfortable with, and make the transition to the larger, less familiar Preschool Room. While this transition may be intimidating for some children (and parents!), the toddler staff takes many measures to ensure that children are ready physically, socially, and emotionally to take this next step in their educational journey.
Many factors are taken into consideration before the transition process begins. Self-help skills, social relationships, and age are just a few of the areas that toddler teachers assess when determining children's readiness to move to the Preschool Room. Play behaviors and toileting progress (potty training) are two additional factors that are taken into consideration.
Once a decision has been agreed upon by parents and staff, children begin the four week transition to the Preschool Room. This gradual transition allows for children to gain exposure to their new classroom in small chunks of time that increase over the span of several weeks. A toddler teacher accompanies children during the first few weeks, helping them become familiar with their new environment and teachers. As children become increasingly comfortable, the toddler teacher begins to step back, which allows the preschool teachers to step in and build relationships with the children.
The move to Preschool is a big milestone for children, and we strive to make it as stress-free as we can for families. If you have any questions about your child's upcoming transition, don't hesitate to ask one of our staff members. We are happy to share this exciting time with you!
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Billing for
Apr. 21-May 2
Due Apr. 22
Late by May 2
Preschool Field Trip downtown
Tuesday, May 13
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| Looking Ahead to Summer | |
Are you taking classes this summer?
Are you looking for fun opportunities for your child?
Do you want to keep your child's skills polished through the summer?
Now is the time to sign up for our great summer programs!
Summer programs
are available for toddlers, preschool and school-age children. |
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Small Wonders: Beautiful Birds
Sat, May 10,
10 - 11 a.m.
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Explore nature with your child! Interactive nature stations are set up to encourage learning with your child. Program concludes with a walk outside (weather permitting).
No registration required- just drop in!
For children 5 years and younger accompanied by an adult.
$2 per child program fee
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Will Your Child be 4 years old by Oct. 1, 2014?
The Children's Place Learning Center is a KC Ready 4s and GSRP approved site. These programs offer tuition assistance to attend our Preschool Program.
Please see Kathy for an application or more information. |
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