Recently in Ayuko's Small Groups Category

Small group information:

Natalie's group: Natalie's small group will be wrapping up the small group sessions with taking what we have learned and using it to explain through art what ants do, where they live, what they eat, and what they look like.

Ayuko's group: After reading the book, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and going to the bridges, we will be discussing materials we need to make a real bridge. We will build our own bridge and act out the story as a culminating activity.

Theresa's group: Theresa's small group will be finishing up their group on laundry by talking about other ways to do laundry as well as using a wash board to do laundry. They will also explore other objects that spin because the children appeared to enjoy it while on their fieldtrip.

Small Groups:

Ayuko's small group will begin reading the The Three Billy Goats Gruff and act out the story. The children will also have the opportunity to visit a nearby bridge and begin discussing how to make a bridge of our own.

Theresa's group will be going on a field trip on Wednesday to a house to explore the laundry machines. Thursday will be used as a day to reflect on the experience the children had and what they learned while at the house. There will also be a laundry activity during small group time for the children's enjoyment.

Natalie's small group will be using the newfound information about ants and how they live to discuss it and draw it out. We will recall any information, and make guesses about what else ants do all day. We will continue to be ants and practice our ant movement.

Natalie's group: Wednesday the children are going on a field trip. They will go to Folwell Hall to move and act like bugs in the tunnels connecting Folwell Hall to other buildings. The children will have a day to reflect on Thursday.

Theresa's group: The children have showed an interest in laundry so we are focusing on that topic. The group will learn a new song about laundry and prepare for a field trip the following week.

Ayuko's group: The children recently went on a field trip along Pillsbury Drive to observe and touch a variety of buildings and wonder how they are made. Questions were asked: Can a wolf blow this building? Can you blow this building? We will begin a collaborative project on making our own big house that is sustainable from the wolf's blow.

Ayuko's group will be going on a field trip along Pillsbury drive to look at various building structures for ideas on how to create a strong "house." They will begin creating their own "house" that can withstand the wolf's blow out in the children's playground.

Natalie's group will be concentrating on bug movements. They will explore how different bugs move and how they live.

Theresa's group will be focusing on laundry in the home. They will begin to wash real clothes in real soap and water in a washing bin.

The small group meetings started this past week! The groups will be meeting every Wednesday and Thursday from now until the end of the term. Groups have been formed as follows:

Ayuko (building/story acting group): Otto, Beatrix, Sam, Max, and Ellie.
Theresa (family/house group): Maia, Cashton, Katie, Cormac, Elliot, and Alma.
Natalie (bug group): Ely, Ebisaa, Abby, Sofia, and Madeline.

Stay tuned to read about how our groups have been growing!

Student teachers continue their small group meetings this week, developing small project themes and activities.

Darya's movement group has recently danced with scarves and moved like animals. They also played a game, "follow the leader," giving each child an opportunity to move like an animal of their choice.

Edenia's sensory group explored the properties of bubbles. They added liquid soap into water and experimented with creating bubbles. They used a hand held mixer and a sponge to increase the amount of foam in the water.

Jeannine's food group will meet on Monday for the 2nd time. They will be looking for a picnic spot around school, doing family style servings, and eating food that is suitable for picnics.

Small Group
Small groups met this week.

Edenia's sensory group (Cashton, Maia, Elliot, Abby, Sofia) had a sensory experience with making bubbles using sponges and hand mixers.

Darya's music and movement group (Max, Beatrix, Katie, Madeline, Sam) recently met to play instruments and dance.

Jeannine's food group (Otto, Ely, Cormac, Eba, Ellie, Alma) went on a "picnic" with her group.

Please remember that not every child at this age is ready to participate in such a group. Some children may choose to participate on certain days and not others. Though we encourage children to join us, it is their choice to participate on any given day.

Small Groups:
• Becky's group has been meeting to explore themes such as vehicles, construction, and ramps. After exploring the ways that toy cars move on block ramps, the children were thrilled to discover a "natural" ramp in the building to test their cars on. Most recently, the children used this ramp to test a variety of objects, such as rolling pins, balls, books, and dolls to determine which items would roll and which items would not.
• Bob's Woodland Animal Small Group met for the third time this past week and seems to be coming out of the woods. Cardboard boxes were introduced as a material for them to work with and alter as they chose. They became houses not only for animals but also for fire trucks and the children themselves. We will see where developments take us.
• Elizabeth's Peely Group has been exploring different aspects of caring for a pet. We have constructed toys for her out of found materials, cleaned her cage, and observed her behavior. The children have enjoyed discovering what she does when given toilet paper tubes and pieces of wood.

Small Group
• Student teachers will continue their small group meetings this week, developing small project themes and activities. Groups have been formed as follows:

Teacher Becky-Vehicles Group: Otto, Cormac, Beatrix, and Maia
Teacher Elizabeth-Peely Group: Cashton, Alma, Katie, Ely and Madeline
Teacher Bob-Woodland Animals Group: Sam, Sofia, Abigail and Ebissa.

Again, please remember that not every child at this age is ready to participate in such a group. Some children may choose to participate on certain days and not others. Though we encourage children to join us, it is their choice to participate on any given day.