May is upon us, we are so happy the warm weather is on its way! We will be spending more time outside, so please be sure your child is dressed appropriately. We ask that you send your child in closed toed shoes (preferably sneakers) to protect their precious little feet. We also ask that your child has a change of size and weather appropriate clothing in their classroom. Don’t forget to apply sun block before coming to school in the morning. If you would like for us to reapply a coat of sun block after nap please be sure to fill out the Sun Block Authorization Form located in the front office.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our moms and grandmothers out there. We have a special Mother’s Day treat for you on Friday, May 8th during pick up time. We will be providing a special snack in the front office. Make sure to stop by and pick something up.
We are in store for a very special month. The week of May 11th to the 15th we will be celebrating “Teacher Appreciation” week here at Discovery Isle. We have organized some events for the teachers to enjoy their special week. Please look for your Teacher Appreciation week itinerary in your child’s sign in/out book. Thank you for all of your participation in advance for making this a memorable week for our awesome teachers.
Attention Kindergarten Parents: We had a blast and are so sad to see our wonderful Kindergarten children move to first grade. Please save the date. Graduation will take place on Friday, June 12th at 3 p.m.
Attention Pre-K Parents: This year has flown by so quickly! Who can believe our wonderful Pre-K students are going to Kindergarten? Graduation for Pre-K will take place Thursday, June 25th at 3 p.m. Please be sure to mark your calendar!
Developing Writing Skills in Young Children
– From Crayons to Concepts –
In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS
In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.
At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)
In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.
At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)
In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.
At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)
In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.
At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
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May 2015
May is upon us, we are so happy the warm weather is on its way! We will be spending more time outside, so please be sure your child is dressed appropriately. We ask that you send your child in closed toed shoes (preferably sneakers) to protect their precious little feet. We also ask that your child has a change of size and weather appropriate clothing in their classroom. Don’t forget to apply sun block before coming to school in the morning. If you would like for us to reapply a coat of sun block after nap please be sure to fill out the Sun Block Authorization Form located in the front office.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our moms and grandmothers out there. We have a special Mother’s Day treat for you on Friday, May 8th during pick up time. We will be providing a special snack in the front office. Make sure to stop by and pick something up.
We are in store for a very special month. The week of May 11th to the 15th we will be celebrating “Teacher Appreciation” week here at Discovery Isle. We have organized some events for the teachers to enjoy their special week. Please look for your Teacher Appreciation week itinerary in your child’s sign in/out book. Thank you for all of your participation in advance for making this a memorable week for our awesome teachers.
Attention Kindergarten Parents: We had a blast and are so sad to see our wonderful Kindergarten children move to first grade. Please save the date. Graduation will take place on Friday, June 12th at 3 p.m.
Attention Pre-K Parents: This year has flown by so quickly! Who can believe our wonderful Pre-K students are going to Kindergarten? Graduation for Pre-K will take place Thursday, June 25th at 3 p.m. Please be sure to mark your calendar!
Developing Writing Skills in Young Children
– From Crayons to Concepts –
In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS
In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.
At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)
In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.
At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)
In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.
At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)
In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.
At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education