Learning How To Belly Dance

~ Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion. ~

Martha Graham

"I got bells that jingle, jangle, jingle,

As I shake dancing merrily along."

"Shimmy shimmy cocoa bop,

Shimmy shimmy bop!"

~To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak.~ Hopi Indian Saying 

~Lose yourself in the music, the moment - you own it. ~ Eminem 

Thank you Ricki!

Writing Happens Every Day

How do the children in the wonderful world of kindergarten learn to become such great writers as they get ready to enter Grade 1?  It's because writing happens everywhere, every day!

The Sharing Board gives children a chance to practice writing their name...at first! By SK, children begin to write a sentence to sign up for sharing. We like to put the children's sharing sentence in their binders of work.

Small clipboards with blank sheets of paper are always ready for children to write their observations or record information. 

Cameron and Shawn shared what they noticed about the changes they saw happening with the chicks.

The sketch pads that are always available in the Dress Shop are regularly filled with designs, names and labels.

Chalkboards give children the opportunity to practice their writing and leave messages for others.

When the children are at music with Ms. Roberts, they learn that the language of music is written differently!

Opportunities to write, record and share information and observations isn't just for the indoors.

The children label their pictures and are encouraged to spell by sound. This is the best way to learn how to connect letters to the sounds they make.

Children gain confidence in their abilities. They volunteer to make a poster that conveys an important message.

SK's and JK's work together. They understand the idea of 'lists' and number the scenes they will need to make their Harry Potter movie!

Collaborating on a plan is a wonderful way for children to help each other. There is no better way to learn a concept than to teach it!

We encourage the children to write 'Thank You' notes.

We encourage designers to make a sign for their wedding dress shop.

Markers and transparencies at the light table shine a different glow as children practice the skills they are mastering.

Working together and collaborating as children master the skills of fine motor development also opens up the chance to talk about ideas. Language, story-telling and writing come together.

Signs are displayed proudly.

Rolled paper often stretches across the kitchen island for the children. This time they are presented with the suggestion of drawing a house.

We have a daily survey. Each child decides on the question they might like to ask and then writes it and makes the survey available at our cafe.

Some children write their plan on a big paper. Keegan and Malik decided to to put their instruction in a book!

Don't touch signs are common place where children aren't done with their work or their thinking.

Writing happens...

Everywhere...

Every day...

in the wonderful world of kindergarten.

Playing in the Sand

The best sand centres are the big ones! The long jump pits are a perfect place for children to gather and play in the sand. 

Roads are built and cakes are made very near each other. What a great way for children to share ideas.

Loose pieces become walls as cooking takes place beside the construction crew.

Scooping and scraping gets tiny muscles and big muscles stronger. The children notice that as they dig deeper, the sand changes.

Mountains, roads, volcanoes....the work of imagination.

Cooperation, shared space, 

Discovery,

Playing 'house',

Building worlds...

The joy of playing in the sand.

Learning Stories

The role of 'play' in kindergarten is the most important part of the day. It is the one part of the kindergarten program in which the children do the most learning. The children carry their natural curiosity, energy, interest and wonder into their play... and the teacher brings along just the right amount of support to make that play a rich learning experience.

Then the two match up in just the right way...Voila! A learning story!

"Tell me the story of your block structure."  

"Will you draw a plan of your structure, or a map of where you are travelling to?"

Sticks and twigs that scatter a teacher's yard offer a perfect invitation to the sand table. 

A book from the book shelf introduces an idea and the learning takes off!

"Hmmm... I know that fashion designers sketch and draw out their designs. Then they choose their fabrics and make the clothes. There are so many details!"

"It sounds like you're in the movie! Let's make a performance. Let's see now...what will we need?"

"Zoos make sure that animals are safe and can live as though they were in their natural habitat. You have to have very special training to work with the animals in a zoo."

"What do you think a zoo keeper needs to know about the different animals?"

"Where will the windows go?"

"We can build the tower on the ground, then we can all lift it together...very slowly, very carefully...then attach it."

"Hmmm...I wonder how the 'watcher guys' will get from the floor to their 'watcher' post?"

"What do you think will happen if we place the grass pieces there?"

"It's the forest and the guys have to go up and go over the bridge." 

"Trees can grow on mountains."

"This is the Harry Potter forest!"

Tubing becomes towers and tunnels and a town takes over.

"I think about a town and I see signs. Some buildings have names on them."

Small block play. 

We decided to bring the small natural wood blocks over to the baskets with train tracks to see what would happen.

The children added in animals and grass mats.

When children play, they involve their whole body and all of their senses. 
Learning through play is a whole child experience!