Maple News
5.23 - 5.27
Kind Touching and Healthy Problem Solving
To support our children with kind touching, we often engage in role playing. Kind touching can be a gentle pat on the back, a hand shake, high five or hug. Children are asked to consider these responses in a variety of situations. For example, how can I thoughtfully and safely express my excitement around a friend? A high-five could be a good response to excitement. With permission, a hug or hand-shake could also be used. We suggest that all children ask other children before touching them if it is ok to do so. We also praise students when they've successfully supported others during times of need. For example, if a student is feeling frustrated, jealous, or upset, we love seeing one child rub another gently on the back while providing kind words of support. This happens regularly across our day. It's so beautiful to see children taking ownership in this way.
Directly linked to our conversations about 'kind touching', are our lessons that support children in being problem solvers. For example, we may pose the following questions to children: what do you do when you feel you're being treated unfairly, having difficulty sharing materials in math, or having a hard time combining your ideas with someone else's during imaginative open-ended play? Through role playing and discussions, we often engage in 'if - then', a game of sorts that supports us in making healthy choices in difficult times. For example, we may narrate alongside the children, "if someone is using the blue colored pencil I'm interested in, and I grab it from their hands without asking, then...."
We can all imagine a 'then' in this situation. However, "if someone is using the blue colored pencil I'm interested in, and I ask politely if I can use the colored pencil after they've finished with it, then the person will most likely say 'yes' because I've asked calmly and respectfully. After they've finished with the pencil, I will be able to use it." A child may also decide to carefully head to another area of the classroom to look for another blue colored pencil.
In the situation above, a problem has been solved in a healthy and safe fashion. We remind the children to engage in self-talk regularly. Through self-talk, children can calm themselves before acting or making decisions.
Over the next Three weeks, we will be explaining our social emotional curriculum more thoroughly through our newsletters. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us via email or phone.
Brian and Sivanne
How Does the Community Meet our Needs: Visits to Fort Green Park and Bagel World
While in Fort Greene Park, the children met with the Park Ranger. The ranger shared that there are over two hundred trees in the park, and explained how and when the park had been used as a military fort during the revolutionary war. We also learned that the monument holds the remains of soldiers. Following our question and answer sessions, the children played with two turtles that live in the visitors center of Fort Greene Park. Our visit to the park highlighted the ways in which the park has served us both in the past and present. Currently, it provides us with a beautiful place to relax and exercise....
Photos with the Ranger
Photos at Bagel World
Writing Workshop
While writing, children we encouraged to add fancy words to their stories. For example, using words such as delighted, frightening, awful, and brilliant can help to add so much more detail and color to our work.
We also stressed the importance of planning across each page before writing. Children exercised this beautifully, particularly while starting the second books of their series. Across the room, children could be seen placing a quick sketch and a couple of words on each page, reminders of what they'd like to include in their stories arch, before delving in.
Talk to you child at home about the character they are developing. Ask about the adventures they've taken them on!