BUILDINGS
Dear Parents,
This week PK3 has dived right into our new study: Buildings. This study offers many opportunities to explore buildings first hand. Children are very curious about them, so we take this opportunity to learn about how they are constructed, the materials, their characteristic, and their different uses.
Our focus questions were “What do we know about buildings?” and “What do we want to find out?” Their answers will guide our path through these next few weeks. Together, we studied pictures of different types and using lots of "building" vocabulary such as roof, door, window, glass, bricks and tiles, the children described what they noticed.
The Three Little Pigs served as examples of different materials used for buildings. Children chose their preferred material for building their homes. We actually read this book 3 times! It sounds like a lot, however books with repeated phrases allow pre-readers to become active participants in read-aloud time. This will help get them get ready for the reading process that comes later on in school.
We have planned lots of opportunities to experience activities relating to buildings both in and out of the classroom. On Tuesday we went for a walk around school, looking for all our building words. We discussed the materials used to make our school - bricks, glass, tiles. At the PAC (Performing Arts Centre) we observed walls, doors, windows and a big roof. This was a very interesting building to observe.
Here are some ways to encourage your children in our building study:
Look at buildings around you.
Chat about how many windows or doors you can see? Is the building bigger or smaller than another one? What is the building used for? What is it made from?
Send in a picture of your own building.
We can make a building poster to show the similarities and differences in our own buildings.
Have a great weekend!
PK Team