66-20 Laurel Hill Blvd. Woodside, NY 11377 718-672-2424
ABC Preschool and Kindergarten in Woodside, NY has started the new year with great excitement! Teachers came ready filled with enthusiasm and prepared to dig deep into the themes for the upcoming months. The agenda is packed with hands on exploration, creative learning, questions to really get students to think about their responses, and learning centers that invite students to use their imagination while they play and learn.
One of my favorite times of the day are early in the morning when teachers get ready to start their large group meeting, or what most of us know as Circle Time. Students are eager to share their morning news and get into the music and movement. But, perhaps one of the moments I personally think students are the most joyous during Circle Time is when they get to share their Home Connections projects.
Home Connections are not your ordinary, old school homework. It is a carefully planned project, completed related to the month's theme and it requires whole family involvement for true success. The creativity and the quality of the projects that have been brought in are worthy to be displayed in a museum. Students are so ready to share what they did and how they put it together. Mornings in a wonderful time where songs come alive and learning is seen through the smiles the students wear during and after participation.
What I like about the way teachers in ABC Preschool plan, is that they carefully plan their lessons after taking the time to assess and observe each student's needs and personal interest. I walk around and find one room with students sorting and classifying while another group is busy pretending to drive to the moon.
I look back at how it all started just a few short months ago and I wish you could see through my eyes and listen through my ears. You would be amazed at the positive changes so many students have gone through.
Children who were quiet and didn't want to participate are now anxious to talk, respond and tell others what the story is all about. Students that would just look at others and never join the fun are now leaders in the group showing another child how to make the wall higher or how to make the blocks roll. It's just amazing to see students developing at their pace, but truly growing!
I never get tired of asking a child to share more with me when it comes to what they're doing. "Tell me something about what you are painting." A teacher will ask or I will ask and the child will tell you a story. "This is me and my mom in the park yesterday and I was going up the swings."
"This is me and my grandma and my dad and my mom and this is a sun." "This is a sun." "This is an airplane and my mom." Yes, indeed. Those scribbles and those lines you see in their painting and their drawings all have a story. I wonder, do parents take the time to ask their children, "Hey, tell me something about what this means to you."
Yes! It's a new year. A year for laughter and more joy! A year for great explorations with our minds and our hands. A year to play in the sand and paint rainbows. It's a year to learn about making friends, saying, "Hello." and sharing. It's a great new year at ABC Preschool and I'm so glad that I get to see it all. I hope you stay and close and get to see all the wonderful things that are taking place and be ready for all the amazing things that are ready to come! It's been a great morning of remembering and I just couldn't keep it to myself. Until next time....
Written By Angeline Duran,
ABC Preschool & Kindergarten Director of Early Childhood Education
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