One of the goals of the first class is to evaluate some of the needs, strengths, levels and dynamics of this class to help with our plans and directions for each class and each child. Here are some of the highlights of this week's experience...
MUSIC/ART- We listened to "Flight of the Bumblebee" . You would be amazed if you had heard all that these young ones said about how this Rimsky-Korsakov piece made them feel and what they imagined was happening to the bumblebee throughout this well-known interlude.
The picture they brought home was their expression of what the song made them feel and how they described what the bumblebee was doing according to the changes in the music.
This type of exercise has amazing benefits. They are not only thinking creatively and outside the box, but they are learning to love classical music and to listen to it with a discerning ear. They are also learning to portray what they are listening to onto paper in an imaginative way!
BIBLE MEMORY- We are working on John 4:19 "We love him because he first loved us!" See if they can remember the hand motions! You can help them have fun and review it this week if you would like to!
MANIPULATORY/BRAIN BUILDING activities- We did some great activities where they really have to use their senses and higher level thinking abilities - such as making assessments and categorizing. Some of this activities included sock boxes, color sorting games and card games! It is amazing to see how these activities stretch their minds
SCIENCE- We are going through some fun experiments from Janice Van Cleave's science book in this class. Ask them if they can explain what is on the little card they have (hint - it's their fingerprint.)
SOME THINGS TO DO AT HOME: A lot of what I am doing with this younger age, is working on deepening and lengthening their attention span. Not so that they can sit still for hours, but so they can enjoy learning and using their minds. This ability to focus and concentrate will enable them to create, have original thoughts, be fascinated by simple, natural things, and be able to really think!
Some of you asked what you might do at home to help capitalize and reinforce what we do at LIFT. Here are some suggestions that would energize and empower all of our LIFT goals for your child:
- Encourage lots of imaginative play- with "basic" toys and supplies. This has the mega benefits of developing your child's mind and abilities rather than have a toy or a game that does the creativity, thought, and work of play itself! This also means lots of outside time as well!
- Read - read - read - read!!!
- Probably the very best thing you could do to increase their attention span and develop their minds for creativity, thought, and learning (in addition to tons of reading)- is to limit any electronic device in their lives as much as possible. The less electronic media - the greater the learning, creativity, imagination, and attention span.
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF WHAT WE DID IN BETA!
The color sorting game!
creative drawing to "Flight of the Bumblebee"
Playing a great sorting game!
Justice!
Chloe found a spoon!
Seth feeling inside the sox boxes!
Chloe and the sox boxes!
Seth drawing to music
Nathan's art to the flight of the bumblebee
Elle figuring out what was in the sox box!
Alessondra!
the sorting game
Nathan's drawing a creative work of art:-)
Concentrating hard to imagine what the bumblee is doing!
Nathan doing sox boxes!
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