Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback on the mail for the nursing home. Although my granddaughters are older, they thought it was a great idea. Both of them did homemade cards and wrote nice messages inside them.We mailed them out today. Even if you can only do one, please do it, we are in this together. Looking forward to hearing from everyone!
Although some of the kids have already mastered rhyming, I thought it would a fun activity to do a rhyming scavenger hunt. I have provided 10 rhyming pairs for them to look for things around the house or outside. Feel free to add your own sets, or add on to the ones I am providing.
Have fun and remember to do your 20 minutes of daily reading!
I thought I would get this out early, so perhaps you can spend more than a day on it. I was planning on doing this anyway, but now see the idea is on the Internet, with lots going around about it. I have made calls, and researched, so it’s ok to do!
I have found a nursing home that will accept cards and drawings from the kids. We need to remember the residents are no longer allowed visitors from this most vulnerable group. They may be confused why family members are no longer there for them. They may not understand the seriousness of the virus. I am very fortunate to have both my parents in their mid 80s still healthy. My siblings and I have been attending to their needs daily. I can not imagine us being cut off from them, like what those families are going through. Some are even afraid that their loved ones will not remember them when it’s over. This is a sad situation for sure.
I’m asking if everyone would be kind enough to send at least 5 cards, drawings, coloring pages, etc. The only thing they can NOT get are packages.
Have your kids take their time on them, maybe they can even write a little bit about themselves. Explain why we are doing this. Please try to do a few since there are many residents. Have them sign their names and they can even put Howe Montessori Preschool.
This lesson should teach kindness and compassion, fine motor (penmanship and coloring), and you can even walk to your neighborhood mailbox for exercise.
Just to let you know…NO decisions have been made regarding preschool tuition. I can tell you, however, no invoices will be sent reduced or otherwise. We will hear exactly what the plan is once we are back in school. Hopefully sooner than we think!
We do penmanship on Fridays. Make sure your child continues to write their name. Please have them only use upper case on the first letter, the rest should be lower case. Some of them are also working on last names. If they are, please continue to do that. You will need to goggle handwriting heroes for the lesson.(As I stated in an earlier blog, I am having trouble with a couple of my devices getting it otherwise.) Look for the skydivers video. The letters they can work on are: l t k i j. Not only have them practice formation with their finger, have them write each letter 5 times or more.
Please read for 20 minutes not only Friday, but Saturday and Sunday as well.
We are both really enjoying the communication we are having with families. Thank you all so much for the positive feedback. As always, if you have any questions, email us.
This morning I saw my first robin on my front lawn. How appropriate that would happen the first day of Spring. Hopefully that’s a sign of a good day ahead!
Today in addition to, or to replace your daily reading, I thought it would be fun to go on You Tube and find a couple of stories about Spring. Some cute ones I found were It’s Finally Spring or The Science of Spring. Have your child pick one or two out. Again, this may count as daily reading.
Thank you to Asinat’s mom for telling me about Khan Academy Kids. I have heard about this app, but never have known anyone to use it. She highly recommends this FREE app for rhyming, math, penmanship, and sounds. What I was most happy to hear is that there are stories for the kid’s to follow and answer questions. Love the reading comprehension! She has been using the app for some time, and they really like it.
Stephanie and I are continuing to give lessons on a daily basis. This was OUR choice. Please keep in mind these are only suggestions. That being said, we realize having daily lessons and extra activities may seem like a lot from two teachers. PLEASE do not feel overwhelmed. You are not obligated to do it all. Let your child lead the way and let them pick and choose, or if they would like to do it all, that’s fine too. We want to make learning fun for the little ones, making education a positive experience. Also most of the time spent in our classroom is free choice. Let them spend time cutting, drawing, coloring. They can also help prepare meals or set the table for dinner. Take walks or find a park that they will be exposed to nature experiences. Go for bike rides. Get fresh air. We will continue to give daily lessons, but please do not overwhelm yourself or your child. As unfortunate of a situation we are all in right now, this is a great time to bond as a family.
Hope this finds everyone still healthy. What a crazy time this is! I really miss the kids, and wish we did not have to teach like this. Please give them all a big hug from and tell them I miss them and will see them soon.
Remember to keep reading to your child for 20 minutes each day. It would be great if we had 100%. You don’t have to do it all in one sitting. Break it up if need be.
We are continuing our lessons in Community Helpers for March and April. Please download the above link so that your child can make a book. Again, I know it is a lot to color in one sitting, so you can have your child do it for small amounts of time. At the end of the book, have them write their name and shortcut date like we do in class: 3-18-20
I hope this finds everyone healthy. School administrators have been in contact with employees all weekend to keep us updated on the situation. We will continue to keep you posted as things change.
Stephanie and I have prepared 3 weeks of lessons. You will be receiving the lessons on the blog or in individual emails. Please try to do as much as you can, but don’t feel overwhelmed, or overwhelm your child. Montessori philosophy is to go out the child’s pace. Let them lead the way! Take breaks, provide healthy snacks, and let them get outdoors. Some of our lessons will include projects or paperwork. There is no need to turn the papers in, once this is over. The only thing you should turn in are your reading passports.
I thought it would be appropriate for my first science lesson to be addressing the coronavirus. Some of our litttles may not understand why we will be out of school for such a long period of time. It is best to stay calm and provide honest and simple explanations to them. I have provided links that will assist you and enlighten them to the situation.
I am still saddened how quickly everything happened yesterday. We had less than 4 hours to prepare for the next month. I am also sad about the fun activities that we had planned. Now they will not take place or they are on hold. Also we never got to say goodbye to most of the kids. I have to remind myself that right now the number one priority is for everyone to stay healthy.
I am hoping that everyone is still using reading passports. Please remember to read to your child for 20 minutes every single day. I will give them their stickers when they get back. Everyone that participates every day, will have their names put into a raffle for a bike. If you do not read to your child every day, please make this a new and lasting habit. Reading is most important in a child’s education.
I have some websites you can use for now to keep your child academically and physically active:
*abcmouse.com—I had past students use this with great results. This is especially good for math and language lessons. However, feel free to check out the other areas.
*applytherapy.com/handwriting-heroes/—This website helps with penmanship. This for some reason did not work on one of my devices. I googled handwriting heroes and had better results. If you get a chance to get out of the house, check out dollar stores. They always seem to have a lot of penmanship books.
*gonoodle.com —We use this in our classroom. This is good for music and movement. The kids love this one! Remember this one for a rainy day!
I read an interesting article earlier today. It was about the 1918 flu pandemic. Medics found that patients nursed outdoors and in the sunlight recovered better than patients indoors. Scientific research showed that fresh air is a natural disinfectant. Sunlight is germicidal and can kill flu virus. Spend time outdoors with the kids when you can. Walks and bike rides are great!
These were just a few ideas to keep your kids busy during this time. Hope you are all staying healthy! If you have any questions or comments please email me. I would prefer emails instead of commenting on my blog. I don’t always look at the blog, but check my email several times throughout the day. powerss@dearbornschools.org
