Sprouts Of Iman Preschool

Treasure Hunting

2012-02-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

We had collected lots of shredded paper for our preschool children. I wanted to make it interesting for my younger preschoolers. I thought about what I could add and how I could make it fun and exciting for them- what would attract them to the activity? We already added some magnetic ball, but when we added some red and white gems and provided a few bamboo basket --they knew what do.

Each of them were eagerly exploring and discovering their treasures --They were not only feeling the paper and seeing how they could manipulate it, but also were curious about what else they could find. When they discovered the crystal colored and ruby colored gems -it was amazing to observe their expressions- surprise, joy, interest.... We were counting how much they collected, describing the color.

M said her mum has lots of jewelry-she will have it when she will grown up. Ma agree that her mum has some too-but she didn't think that mum will give it to her. Boys were excited to count how many gem they have- looking for more to add to their treasure. They were engaged with the activity for quite a long time, until we invite them for our Duhr salat.

Find the treasure!

I see one!

It feels strange

Look at my treasure

Did we find them all?

Who Created this Beautiful World?

2012-02-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

In our sensory table we provided various colored, shaped sea fish, sea shell, rock and sea weed to give the concept of what do we see in the Ocean. Children always love to play with the water -we wanted to see them having more fun and learning about science, math and religion with their peers. Some of them were feeling the temparture of the water-some were very dramatic when they found a great big whale with a gray shark in the water table.

X thought little fishy was so hungry, so she gave it some sea weed--MashaAllah. S was carefully collecting all the rocks from the water and counting--1,2,3----.We have been sharing stories about sea shell, fish, etc--We asked them who created this beautiful world for us? They answered, "ALLAH" .Why did ALLAH created fish for us? Most of them were sharing their thoughtful ideas, some said-because we will eat them. Some said to play with them. So E said, "To make gold fish crackers."

Our goal was to encourage them to engage with social play -they were making space for their peers when another child wanted to join with them, teaching them problem solving skills, negotiation-learn about the creation of ALLAH and increase their communication skills.

Registration

2012-02-06T17:24:00.005-08:00

Re-registration for current students is now being accepted for the Sept 2012 school year.

OPEN HOUSE & GENERAL REGISTRATION
Saturday March 3rd, insha'allah
1pm-4pm

Please contact us for a tour and/or registration package

Using Pipettes

2012-02-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

Pipettes (droppers) are tools children learn to use in preschool . We use pipettes to build fine motor skills (which are needed for cutting and writing skills), hand-eye coordination and cognitive development. By learning to use pipettes, children gain the ability to follow several sequential steps needed to complete the task successfully.

Thirst Bird

2012-02-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

1:Once upon a time there was thirsty bird -looking for water -it was so hot that day and there as no water -suddenly the bird found some water in a bowl -but he could not reach the water --what should the bird do?One child said, "Bird needs to drop a rock??--Teacher shared the story at our group time - The story was all about science and critical thinking skills. "The bird carefully dropped one rock, two rocks"------Children were counting and they saw the water level getting higher- wow, bird was able to reached the water -ALHAMDULILLAH, Allah is Al-Razaaq- The Ever-Providing -The bird said "Bismillah", drank all the water, then said, "Alhamdulillah"- thanking Allah for giving him the good idea.

Alif, Ba, Ta

X was selling his rock -there is a weight machine-which one is the heavier rock? Pine cone? How much is the price for a rock ? "I have lots of money, I want to buy all".

S likes drawing -she loves to tell me a story when she draws something. I was commenting, "I can see you drew a circle with your brown crayon. S answered ,"Sister Fatima, This is my friend A -I want to give it to her after school." She worked so hard to finish her art and carefully kept it in her cubby.

Exploring Colour Mixing

2012-01-28T13:01:00.000-08:00

Our emergent topic of blue+yellow= green started when a group of children made a great learning discovery at the art table. We had put out pastels and paper, with the intention of building fine motor skills, discovery and creative expression. A wonderful learning experience emerged when 'Saa' discovered that a yellow pastel- coloured over the blue pastel- turns to the colour green. She had this amazing expression of wonder on her face, like a light-bulb just turn on in her brain. She looked at me- She didn't speak, but her facial expression seemed to say, "I just discovered something really cool with the art material". We had a lovely group discussion about colours and colour mixing. The other children at the table quickly joined in the discovery, attempting to recreate the same colour mixing on their own paper.

These are the provocations that we introduced over the next few classes, based on the interest of the group.

A story about colour mixing, friendship, being yourself and inclusion.

The book was out of the library, so I made up a prop story using pompoms. I squished together a blue and yellow piece of play dough to demonstrate the part of the story where they turn green. During group time, the children were sitting so still throughout the story- silent, with big eyes watching- even the wiggly-young-boys were silent and still.

Some of the children were interested in cars and had been driving over 'mountains' and through 'valleys' in the block area. Bringing something of interest into the art area encouraged the few art-reluctant children (boys) to investigate the activity. 'A' eagerly drove the cars through the paint and all around the paper, smiling from ear-to-ear.

Alhamdulillah, Allah gave us a perfect natural material to use in the classroom. Snow made a great material to explore colour mixing and also expand knowledge about temperature, melting, sold/liquid, Allah's creation, weather...

We started out in the water table with a simple colour mixing science experiment, then later added more water and tools to extend the exploration.

Play dough is always a big hit with the children. A wonderful sensory exploration that is perfect for building fine motor skills and creativity. It works phenomenally for a hands-on experience in colour mixing.

By the end of class-all the play dough was a nice green colour.

Of course, we had to bring the science of colour mixing with us when we went outside. Most of the children spent the whole outdoor time turning the snow into colouful designs. This time- yellow snow was safe to touch!

Math and Manipulatives: Do they weight the same? Lets count how many. Lets make a pattern or sequence with the blocks. There are many easy ways to expand the interest of the group into different curriculum areas.

More colour mixing-squishy bags.

It is always a joy to experience learning with the children- and I thank Allah for every second I get to spend with the children- engaged in meaningful learning experiences together. One of our goals for the children is to discover ideas and knowledge themselves, instead of the teachers 'telling' them. Yes, we often 'set up' the environment for these discoveries to happen (and often the children discover additional things we were not 'planning' for)- but when the children figure things out for themselves, the learning will 'stick' with them- it becomes meaningful to them...Their new brain connections are set for life, insha'allah.

Play = Learning

Play Dough Exploration

2012-01-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

1: X said, "I can make it like a green snake !" Y answered, "My one is bigger"-Children are learning language when they are sharing their ideas with their peers. They are also comparing the lenght of the play dough-big, small ,bigger, longer, etc.

2: F is working so hard to cut his play dough with the scissor. I was holding my scissor, describing and showing him how to insert his fingers -he was observing my fingers and he did it! The use of scissors helps develop children's fine motor skills.

3: Children have their unique style to interact with the medium .They need ample opportunity to explore. D was using his scissors to mark his play dough -Another child said- "Are you making pizza?" He was kneading his play dough for a long time.

4:F decided to knead and roll it his play dough. He just started preschool with us. He was observing other children and than he carefully picked up his play dough and rolled it like X. When he have finished he said, "I want green scissor ".

5: J was decorating her play dough with lots of light green balls. I said, "I can see you put so many green balls on your play dough". She replied, "I am making chocolate chip cookies".

This play dough exploration develops children's fine motor skills-creativity, language and social skills...and more.

Homemade playdough recipe

3 cups boiling water

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons cream of tartar
food coloring optional -

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except for the flour in a large bowl. Once well mixed, add flour. Stir continuously until the dough mix leaves the sides of the bowl. When well blended, remove from bowl and knead on floured board. Careful! The dough will be HOT - especially in the center. Until it cools, this is a job for an adult. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. At first it will seem undercooked, but as you knead and sprinkle with flour, you will find you have made a nice, soft playdough. Store in an airtight container. I never refrigerate my dough as putting it in the fridge makes it sweat and it goes sticky.

Things to add to dough

Glitter
Rice for texture
Vanilla or a few drops of essential oil for scent

Different Ways of Learning

2012-01-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

For one of the art activities, I put multicolored pompom balls, glue and Popsicle sticks- and also displayed colored pencils, if they wanted to explore more. X is the only child who often ignores the art activity. When he saw that we put pompom balls, he was really excited to join with the other children. He was very careful to spread the glue on his orange paper, then with his two fingers he picked black, orange, black and white balls--whenever he was picking, he was saying the color. I was amazed to observe how the other children were helping him to tell the colors as well. They were improving their fine motor skills, counting the balls, sorting them and being very creative when they were placing the Popsicle stick on their paper. X was so engaged and enthusiastic while gluing all the materials I provided for the children. When X had finished his art, he was looking at it with his beautiful smile and told me, "Sister Fatima-I did it, I will show mummy." I have seen the enjoyment and passion in X-how happy he was when he had finished his activity. He recieved uninterrupted time and various materials to explore his creativity and expand his skills. Children always need that support from adults-no matter if it is from their parents or teachers. Please give that opportunity to our young people to be confidence and secure.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

2012-01-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

At Sprouts of Iman Preschool we prepare children for all areas of Kindergarten readiness. Our training in Early Childhood Education, specifically in child growth and development, enables us to plan and implement programming based on the most current research into how children learn. In consultation with Kindergarten teachers and by following the BC Guidelines for Early Learning we are able provide a complete Kindergarten readiness program.

It is well researched and documented that children learn best through play based activities. That is why at Sprouts of Iman, learning through play is vitally important to us. We want the best possible environment for your children to learn and thrive in. All areas of child development are built when they play. From fine motor skills to Cognitive development, play is children's work- building strong minds and bodies. Based on observation of the children, we carefully select preschool activities and experiences that work on developing specific skills needed for Kindergarten success. Each children is unique and on their own time-table with regards to their development. That is why we use emergent curriculum, following the child's interest and developmental needs, when planning our curriculum. This way, we can plan exactly what each child in our program needs to work on for Kindergarten readiness.

Read what the BC Kindergarten guide has to say about learning through play...

Much of children’s early learning takes place through play. Play is so important that its
significance in children’s lives is recognized by the United Nations as a specific right. The
positive emotions associated with play are as important as the skills children are building
in creating a disposition to enjoy learning and to embrace it with confidence.

Play promotes healthy physical, intellectual, and social-emotional development in ways that
cannot be achieved by focussing on narrow pre-academic skills, such as counting to 10 or
learning the alphabet. For example, when children play with blocks, sand, or water, they are
learning the basis of logical and mathematical thinking, scientific reasoning, and cognitive
problem solving. During dramatic play they are re-contextualizing what they have learned
from personal experience or listening to stories. In symbolic play using literacy materials,
they are deepening their understanding of the nature and purposes of written language.
During active play, children learn to have fun while being physically active. They have
a chance to release their energy, display calmer behaviour during the day, and sleep
better at night. During group play activities with their peers, children are building
relationships, combining ideas, compromising, developing oral narratives, and learning
to take the perspective of others — key elements of social competence, creative thinking,
imagination, and emerging literacy.

To foster optimum development in all domains, children need two kinds of opportunities
for play: child-initiated and teacher-initiated. These are described in detail in the pages
following. Both opportunities contribute to the development of children’s language
skills, early literacy, conceptual learning, problem solving, perspective taking, creativity,
memory, and representational skills.

In both, the teacher or teacher assistant supports
children to extend what they are doing and to make meaning as they engage in
play activities. Teacher-supported play based programs have been shown to support
children’s self-regulation and academic learning more effectively than control classrooms
that did not include any support from teachers.

Read more about how children learn and what they learn in Kindergarten.
BC Full Day Kindergarten Program Guide

Kindergarten Readiness- How We Teach the ABC's- and a Whole Lot More

2011-12-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

Children are presented with diverse, hands-on material which are carefully selected based on their interests and developmental needs. Through exploration, discovery and questioning- children learn and build upon their emerging skills. Using 'curriculum areas' (which often intersect), we are able to focus on specific goals and objectives for the children. This curriculum will prepare the children with all the skills needed to be successful in Kindergarten and beyond, insha'allah. The most important skills for Kindergarten readiness are strong social and emotional development.

IslamicStudies
Children have the opportunity to use hands-on material, such aspuzzles, teacher-made activities and literature that explore Islamicthemes. They also have a space to performingSalat alongside the teacher. Group timeis utilized to present Islamic concepts, using felt-board stories,songs, rhymes, interactive activities, games, discussions, etc. Additionally,Islamic manners and concepts are introduced and practiced naturally duringthe day, such as saying dua’ before eating, pointing out the beauty of Allah’screation during a science exploration or exploring books about the world aroundus.

Practicing our Salat movements

Language & Literacy

Activities in the literacy area support children’simagination and creativity. They learn about the importance of printas a means for communicating and gaining information. They areexposed to new ideas and experiences when they explore differentliterary activities.

In the literacy area children have the opportunity todevelop literacy concepts such as language, phonemic awareness,concepts of print, concepts of books, fine motor skills and alphabet knowledge. They explore emergent reading and writing activities. Listening andthinking skills are enhanced, as they listen and tell and retellstories.

Making a mail box

Mailing letters

Nature study

Art

Art enhances children’s creative and literacy development byallowing them to reflect and expand on stories, create their own stories, anddevelop their creative and emotional expression in a safe and acceptingenvironment. This is an important part of learning how to express themselvesand to communicate. In the art area children are given the opportunities tolearn important art concepts and creativity, as well as to practice decisionmaking, learn about cause and effect, identify colors and shapes, texture,design, refine hand-eye coordination, develop fine and gross motor skills,express feelings, and practice sharing.

For young children, the process of creating is what is mostimportant, not what they actually create. Through their art, children expresshow they feel, think, and view the world. Art is an outlet that allows childrento convey what they may not be able to say with words. Involvement with a richvariety of art materials instills confidence. Art is enjoyable and satisfyingfor young children. It enables them to learn many skills, express themselves,appreciate beauty and have fun -- all at the same time.

Painting our bird feeder- team work

This picture represents a whole story

Exploring liquid water colours

Practicing scissor skills

Stamping zeros

Patterns and sequencing

Math, Puzzles, Games, &Manipulatives

The Math and Number Concepts encourages exploration of concepts related to math, as well as, literacy. Children develop creative problem-solving, logicalthinking skills and practice emerging math skills such as sorting,classification, counting, sequencing and matching. Physical development is enhanced as childrendevelop hand-eye coordination and fine muscle skills. Children learn towork cooperatively in small groups playing simple table games and buildingtogether. They begin to demonstrate perseverance and self-regulation, as wellas experiencing satisfaction in their accomplishments as they work at a task until it iscompleted.

Exploring weight and colour matching

Building with Bristol Blocks

Fishing Game

Puzzles

Community helpers-Matching

Fine motor skills and matching/sequencing

Exploring fractions

Science & Discovery

This area provides materials for children to learn about theworld Allah has created, problem-solve, discover, explore, evaluate, and drawconclusions, sequencing, classifying and recording. Children will beable to work together to find out what it feels like to be a scientist. Literacyskills are practiced as children observe, evaluate and reflect on differentscience activities they are engaged in. They make discoveries, practice making predictions and inferences, whichare critical in developing comprehension skills used in reading.

What can you see and discover?

Discovery bottles

Exploring Magnetism

Exploring natural material

Blocks & Building

Children have the opportunity to develop many cognitiveskills as they experiment with the size, shape, color, number, and volume ofthe materials in this area. They test physics principles when they buildskyscrapers and bridges carefully balancing each block they add to theirdesign. They practice social skills when they share, negotiate for materials,and collaborate with other children. Symbolic thinking is developed as theycreate models of architectural elements from their world. Vocabularies expandand literacy learning is enhanced when children talk and draw about theircreations.

When children lift, shove, stack and move blocks, they learnabout weight and size. Discoveries about balance, sequence and gravity aremade. When playing with blocks, children gain many logical thinking skills,including the ability to make use of classification and equivalence. Each timethey use blocks, they are expanding critical thinking by making decisions abouthow to build a structure or solve a construction problem.

Working together to build the biggest train

Dramatic Play

In the dramatic play area children take on a role andrecreate real-life experiences. They use props and make-believe about a widevariety of topics. As children plan, implement, and construct their playthey have the opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas withlanguage. Through the use of language they learn social skills, negotiatingskills, and conflict resolution techniques. They draw on past experiencesto try to solve problems and construct their understanding of new concepts.

The ability to pretend is very important to children's lateracademic success. When children pretend, they have to recall experiences theyhave had and re-create them. To do this, they have to be able to picture theirexperiences in their minds. For example, to play the role of a doctor, childrenhave to remember what tools a doctor uses, how a doctor examines a patient, andwhat a doctor says. In playing the role of doctor, children have to be able tocooperate with other children and defend their own ideas.

As children act out roles, they develop many new skills.They learn about themselves, their families and society. Engaging in dramaticplay, they learn to judge and select relevant information. This is an essentialskill for cognitive development. Children also learn from one another as theyinteract in socio-dramatic play. They learn to ask and answer questions and towork together to solve problems.

Doctors at work

Outdoors

Outdoor play is fun for children and important totheir growth and development. Opportunities to climb, jump, run, skip, hop,throw, catch and ride provide children with healthy release of energy. Being outside allowschildren to stretch their muscles, breathe in fresh air, take in sunshine, andenjoy the freedom of space.

What goes on outdoors is much more than simply physicalactivity. Children advance in all areas of development when they play outdoors.The special qualities of the outdoor environment set the stage for uniqueexperiences. Science, for example, comes alive when nature is explored andobserved firsthand.

Social skills and language develop as children build castlestogether in the sandbox or work together to carry a heavy pail full of sand orwater. Children also pull each other in the wagon and negotiate compromisesabout the use of equipment.

Sand & Water Table- Sensory

Children's explorations with sand and water help buildvarious skills. By sifting sand and pouring water, children improve theirphysical dexterity. By joining others in blowing bubbles or making a sandcastle, they develop social skills. At the same time, they enhance theircognitive skills as they explore why certain objects sink in water and othersfloat. As a liquid, water can be splashed, poured, frozen andevaporated. As a solid, sand can be sifted, raked, shoveled and dumped. Playwith each substance can be used to foster children'ssocio-emotional, cognitive, and physical growth.

A child has a practical math lesson in fractions whenshe pours a cup full of sand into a two-cup container. Her fine-motorskills are also being developed as she washes a tea set or maneuvers a cup fullof sand into a sifter. Her eye-hand coordination is helped.

Sensory explorations encourage children to explore and learnabout cause and effect. (For example, what happens if I put a sponge in thewater? What happens if I then squeeze the sponge?).

Play dough is great for building fine motor skills

Group Time

Generally teachers begin this group time with a specifictopic for discussion. It may be a topic related to Islamic studies, a projectthe class is working on, or it may focus on a specific skill. Teachers also include stories, creative movement, games, songs & rhymes. These activities promote language development, fine-motor skills, and coordination, as well asself-esteem. Children learn to focus, work in a group, take-turns, share ideasand feelings, new concepts and have fun.

Library Area
When childrenare read to regularly and encouraged to look through books on their own, tolisten to stories, and to make up their own stories, they begin to understandthat pictures have meaning and that words tell a story. Their language skillsgrow through exposure to books with different words. Exposure to multi-culturaland multi-generational books and stories help children to begin tounderstand how people are different and that our differences make us eachspecial.

Exposure to books and storytelling helps children understand that theirfeelings, fears, questions and problems are not unique to them- that people have these things in common. Acquiring alove for books is one of the most powerful incentives for children to becomereaders.

Snack

Snack, like other scheduled activities, areexceptionally good learning times. Children can learn to say the appropriateDua’s, serve themselves, to eat with a group, and to try new foods. They willlearn to use utensils and napkins as their skills develop. They will also learnby watching others which is one reason why it is valuable for teachers to sitwith children during meals.

By ourkeeping health and safety as a primary concern, children learn to understandand respect each others food allergies, as well as family preferences andbeliefs about foods. Children usegatherings, such as snack as social times. Pleasant conversations at the tablecreate a comfortable atmosphere for children to feel a part of a group.

Childrencan also feel useful and proud of being able to help with mealtimes by settingup the table, sponging the table after eating, and throwing out their owntrash.

Learning About the ABC's Through Play Activities

2011-12-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

Are They Learning Anything Yet? Play Is The Way To Learning

By Mary Stuart, E.C.E.D.H

Forget the flash cards, and the ABC homework sheets, if we want to see our children become competent, critical thinking and harmonious human beings, we’ll get off the “fast-food style” of “education” and get back to the basics of learning for young children which is simply PLAY. Ask any leading expert – Dr. Lillian Katz, Dr. Spock, Penelope Leach, Dr. Stanley Greenspan, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, Dr. Frasier Mustard and any new upcoming researcher they will all agree, prove and promote that: PLAY IS THE WAY TO LEARNING.

Real learning for children and adults is hands on. Regardless of what the media and what “child expert” companies selling extremely expensive gadgets, toys, CD, DVD, you can’t hurry learning, you can not create super babies/children, you can’t give them an “edge” over others – but you can retard the process, produce anxious children, and turn-off children to learning with too much emphasis on ROTE learning – being able to regurgitate 123’s, ABC’s. Child development is DEVELOPMENT. Each and every child goes through stages of growth as they develop. That is the way it is.

This is the time of year that our centres are gearing up for a new year and there are always some teachers and parents alike that want to get “updated”; try something new. That is our nature; that is what we tend to do. However, new and old research stills tells us the same: CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH PLAY.

So what are they doing? What are they learning?

Play develops curiosity and self determination. Through active exploration of materials attractively displayed, children have to opportunity to explore at their own pace determining for themselves what materials can/can’t do. It is active and it is creative.

Play builds knowledge of ourselves and social relationships. The “Mine/Me” stages has an opportunity to move to the co-operative play stage by interacting with others in games, in manipulative areas, in negotiating for the red block, blue car, leader/follower in the imaginary trip to the zoo. Just like all areas of development, social skills have to be taught, coached and practiced. Play is how children discover what are acceptable negotiation techniques and which are not. Controlling the emotions of rejections, of misunderstandings, frustrations and anger in a safe comfortable way enhances a child’s enjoyment with himself and with others. This is a good thing…

Play builds self-esteem, a sense of personal power and problem-solving skills. With hands-on, self-directed satisfying materials, play teaches children to believe in their own inspirations; they can plan, make decisions, experience control and express ideas through their active, play-filled creativity. They encounter problems and learn how to solve them. How do I make the Lego tower get bigger without falling over? How do I make those sand castles? How do I get my red car back from Sam? Confronting problems in play helps children learn how to see options, to try different solutions and to make decisions.

Play builds language and communications skills. As children develop a greater understanding of objects, materials and relationships, they begin to master their meaning and vocabulary- and complex ideas begin to form. Communication comes while practicing conversation skills, such as paying attention to someone who’s talking, listening carefully and then taking turns.

Play builds both large and small physical skills. Building balance, strength, co-ordination all comes from fun-fill exhilarating opportunities to run, jump, skip, climb, openly and freely in a safe and happy, encouraging environment.

Little hands want to do, but can’t until the right stage of development is acquired and that comes from manipulating playdough – pinching, poking, from experimenting with paint brushes, markers, crayons chalk. After this stage, comes the time for pencils, scissors and their finer requirements. Who wants to sit at a desk and copy??? We didn’t like it back in our day, why should we possibly think this would work now?

Play brings all learning together. It is multi-dimension, multi-sensory, comfortable and natural. As much as we want to move away from it, we can’t:

PLAY IS THE WAY TO LEARNING.

Mary Stuart, E.C.E.D.H.

References:

Building Healthy Minds, Dr. Stanley Greenspan

Learning Language and Loving It, A Guide to Promoting Children’s Social and Language Development in Early Childhood Settings, Elaine Weitzman, Hanen Centre Publication, Toronto, Ontario, 1992

To Listen to a Child, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton

Your Baby and Child, Penelope Leach

Your 2, 3, 4 Year Old (series), Louise Bates Ames

September 2005

Learning About Weight and Balance

2011-12-10T13:37:00.001-08:00

A hands-on exploration into math concepts...

We presented the children with the boxed scale. We looked at the box's pictures and words, asking the children question about what could be inside. "What do you see in the picture? What do you think might be inside? What do you think it might be used for?" Then we explored the scale, introducing the idea of weigh, balance and math vocabulary.

I wonder what weighs more- A real or a plastic banana?

What happens when you add other items to the scale?

I wonder which side has more- Lets count together...

Which one feels heavier to you?

Does a train weigh more or less than plastic fruit? This side is lighter.

I wonder how many items it takes to make them even- balanced?

In case you are wondering...The real banana weighs more?

No bananas were harmed in the process of this exploration. The children were great at being very gentle. :)-

2011-12-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

December newsletter

Dear parents ASSALAMUALAIKUM,

Winter is here, so please dress your children warmly. The cold is really chilly! Warm clothing, which includes mittens (better than gloves), warm waterproof boots, jacket and a neck warmer or scarf will be needed very soon. Please remember to put extra clothing in your child’s bag to help when children get wet.

Last month a lot of our preschool children were sick because of the flu. MashaAllah it is very nice to see the children well and joining us again.

Sister Farzana cannot work with us because of her personal reasons, and she has resigned from Sprouts of Iman Preschool. Sister Mehbooba is working as a substitute teacher right now. The children have really been enjoying Sr. Mehbooba.

Last month we were having fun with magnetic activity. Children were experimenting with the magnets, exploring with other object and reading books about magnet. We were sharing various types of action song and story, such as Enormous Turnip, sticky, Lama Lama Red Pajama-etc using various kinds of props. Children were also enjoying several different sensory activities- with birds food, water /sand play and Styrofoam with magnets.

This month we are focusing on Salat. They have already seen video and we have been demonstrating how to perform Salat.

We will also focus on the weather and social development–“how to take turns and share toys with other children.”

Our preschool will be closed from Monday December 19^th to Monday January 2^nd^. Inshallah you all will have a safe and nice winter break. We will re-open Tuesday Jan 2nd insha'allah.

Juzaka’Allahu Khairun,

Fatima

Magnet Treasure

2011-12-06T13:11:00.001-08:00

Magnets are one of the most popular activity for our preschool children. They love to do experiments with the magnets. I always display the magnetic sticks with some objects in the science area. I was wondering how this activity can be more interesting for the children. I put various objects, hide them and displayed them in our sensory table. There are scissors, marbles and other metal- and non metal objects as well .We covered them all with Styrofoam and crystal beads. It was interesting to observe that children have their own style of playing with these materials. They were having fun with the Styrofoam when it was sticking on their cloths and hands. One child said-"Its look like a snow." One child was giggling when he had noticed that all the styrofoam was sticking on their body. One girl said,"I am icing on my cupcake." It was not only their sensory experience, they were communicating each other and sharing their excitements and joy. They were recognizing the colors, shapes and learning about scientific concepts -how magnets attract different object and why styrofoam were sticking on their body. They were playing together, helping each other- making the space for their friend, so that they could also join.

"I can see it looks like a snow."

"I want to cut the snow with my scissors."

"Where is my magnet?"

Play is the most important activity in the lives of children

2011-11-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

Future Engineers?

Masha'allah, so many important skills are learned through 'play'

GOOD TIMES AT PLAY

Human Development and Family Studies
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension

Authors

Rain, Rain
go away
Come again
some other day,
Little Johnny
wants to play.

-Children's nursery rhyme

Play is the most important activity in the lives of children. Sometimes it seems more important than eating and sleeping. Sometimes play is easy and fun. Sometimes play is trying hard to do something right.

Play is the work, the occupation of childhood. If you study how a child grows, and watch children play, you will understand why play is so important.

This section is for anyone who cares about children and wants to know something about children and their play: Mothers, Fathers, Babysitters, Brothers, Neighbors, Sisters, Teachers,
Grandparents, and Students

When you read this section you will:

find out what play really is,
learn about the kinds of play,
discover how play helps children grow,
find out how people who take care of children can help children play,
discover fun things to do with children, and
find many more books to read if you want to know more about play.

You will see children playing at home, school, church, outside in the yard, at the store, in their room, and in the park. Start now to watch children play.

WHY IS PLAY IMPORTANT?

Play is important because it helps children grow strong and healthy.
When children run, jump, roll, throw, catch, or swing they are building muscles. They burn energy that makes them tired and hungry. Physical play improves strength, endurance, and balance. Body coordination improves when children play in physical ways. Physical play helps
children sleep and eat better.

Play is important because children can learn about the meaning of things in the world.
Games help children learn what words mean, like "stop" or "go." Play with sand and buckets help children learn what "full" or "empty" means. They learn to collect and use information. They learn about time. They discover how things feel and taste. Children learn about art, science, math, music, nature, animals, and people when they play.

Play is important because it helps children learn about people.
While playing, children will learn to take turns and share. They will act out their feelings, listen and talk to playmates, and follow rules. They will try leading and following. They will start to understand themselves and others. Play helps them know what they like and what they don't like. During play they can pretend what it's like to be someone else, like a firefighter, doctor, mother, or teacher. They can pretend they are a baby or grandfather.

Play is important because it helps children learn and grow in a way that helps them feel good about themselves.
Children enjoy play. It is easier to learn when we are relaxed. We remember things we've done when the things were fun. Even when play is hard, children are excited when they discover that they can control their bodies and actions. "I did it!" means "I feel good about me." Good play offers children success.

Play is important because it is practice for being grown-up.
Children at play learn to pay attention and to stick with a job. They learn to face problems and solve them. Play helps them learn what is right and wrong. They learn to be good sports, honest, and not to cheat. Children develop their imagination when they play. They learn to follow directions. All these skills will be important when children become grownups.

KINDS OF PLAY

Did you ever think about all the different ways children play? You could make a long list, but it is easier to remember if we put them into groups.

ACTIVE, PHYSICAL PLAY
Children are supposed to be active. They will swing, cut, saw, pound, roll, spin, and run. They will have contests and races. They will form teams and play "red rover" or jump rope alone. Children need lots of space for playing ball, but not much space to play jacks. Children enjoy dancing.

DRAMATIC, IMAGINATIVE PLAY
This kind of play is make-believe play where children can act out their wishes: "I wish I were a princess; let's pretend we're going to the moon; let's play dress-up; I'll be a firefighter." Children can pretend they are anything - a person, animal, car, or even a banana! Children can act out stories, write a play, or have a circus.

CREATIVE, EXPRESSIVE PLAY
Children are free to create new things - pictures, designs, ways to do things. They paint, cut, sew, draw, build, twist, and write. They sing, hum, whistle, or beat a drum.

SOCIAL PLAY
Young children like to play alone, but around 3 years they will begin to play with others. Think of all the things two or more children can do together. Social play is interaction between children. Group games, races, talking to each other on toy telephones, and playing house are social activities.

MENTAL PLAY
Mental play is exploring and discovering. Words, numbers, touching, tasting, and seeing are part of mental play. Children use their minds to remember what cards have been played and plan how to win a card game. A baby learns that someone picks up what the baby drops from the high chair. It becomes a "game." Children count and read. They start collections; butterflies, stamps, insects, and coins and learn to classify them. It is fun to find a new thing to add to a collection. Children tell jokes and riddles about flowers on a nature walk, and learn colors from balloons.

There are many more ways that children play. You will learn more about the kinds of play when you read *Good Times with Toys*.

HOW DOES PLAY HELP CHILDREN GROW?

Play helps children grow and change in four ways: physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. As you learn about these, there is one important thing to remember: all children are different. You will notice this as you watch children play. You will see differences in children who are the same age. A child who cannot throw a ball at all now may throw a ball better than anyone the next time you see the children play. Remember, there is a general path of development that all children will follow, but all children will not go the same way at the same speed. Some babies crawl for a long time, while other babies stand and walk without crawling much at all. Even twins grow in different ways at different times. Understanding that there are individual differences in the speed and style of growing is an important principle of human development.

PLAY AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
When children play they learn to use muscles. Gross motor play involves the large muscles. Fine motor play involves use of smaller muscles. Large muscles like those in their arms and legs get stronger and work better as children run, hop, and climb. Small muscles in fingers and toes become more controlled.

Babies grasp with their whole hands; 4-year-olds can easily pick up little pieces. The ability to balance comes with the practice of walking along curbs, climbing trees, and monkey bars, and playing hop scotch. When parts of the body work together so that the whole body moves smoothly and accomplishes a task, it is called coordination.

Children have a lot of energy. They need lots of chances to play physically in order to burn up energy, then they sleep and eat better, so they will continue to grow. At all ages, motor coordination ability depends on play experience. If children do not have enough chances to
draw and paint, they will not be as skilled as children who do have these play experiences. An infant looking at a colorful mobile over the crib is developing eye muscles. The child's eyes follow the movement and color.

When children learn to walk, they want to pull things across the room. The toddler jumps and runs and builds a block tower. The preschool child uses a wooden hammer to pound pegs, rides a tricycle, and climbs. They take a puzzle apart and put it back together again. In doing this they are learning to use their fingers. They want to touch the ice in their glass or taste the soap.

Children of school age keep on growing. The 6- and 7-year-old uses crayons and scissors to color and cut with skill. The 8- and 9-year-old can hit a ball with a bat, ride a bicycle, jump rope, and play jacks. Older children can thread a needle, catch a fly ball, build a model plane or car.

PLAY AND MENTAL DEVELOPMENT
When children play they learn to use their minds. An important child psychologist, Jean Piaget, who studied how children develop, has helped us understand a lot about how children learn. They learn through their senses, by tasting, smelling, seeing, feeling, and hearing different things wherever they are playing. They learn size, color, texture, and weight. Counting in early childhood leads to skills in reasoning and logic in later childhood.

Games and play should be hard enough to challenge a child, yet easy enough to prevent failure and long term frustration. Children become bored with toys and games that are too easy. The challenge of making something work, figuring out problems (like where a puzzle piece goes),
and building or rearranging something helps children grow.

Children do a lot of experimenting when they play. They discover for themselves that dirt tastes terrible. While playing they learn that some toys are heavier than others, that a ball bounces, and boats float. They learn the names of colors and that some things will hurt them. They learn to imitate what others do and how sharing works.

Children like to think hard about what they are doing and try out their own ideas. They can solve the problem of building blocks so they will stand high. Finding the pieces of the puzzle that belong in certain places and dressing and undressing a doll are pleasant problem-solving activities. Play helps minds and bodies work together to finish a task.

Children's creative imagination is used when they make things from materials on hand. A child can decide what to do with blocks, sand, paper, water, boxes, paints, crayons, paste, rhythm instruments, kits or supplies for playing store, or costumes for dress-up. The real fun of playing comes from doing something with things. Simply watching others do things or watching a mechanical toy does not provide the child with creative enjoyment.

PLAY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
How children relate to other people is called social development. People who have studied children's play noticed that children relate to people in different ways at different ages.

Early Play (Infant) Most of an infant's play is with parents and other family members.
Babies like this play and the good feeling it brings. You can sing to babies, move their hands and feet, nuzzle their tummy, and the babies will smile, laugh, and coo. When baby is a little older, simple games like peek-a-boo are fun. Babies especially like the good feelings that come from being talked to and held close.

Solitary Play (Toddler) The toddler enjoys playing alone. At this age there is little play with
other children of the same age, though they may walk around each other. Older toddlers, about the age of 2 1/2, will begin to relate to other children by touching and speaking to them.

Parallel Play (Preschool) At this stage, children enjoy being with each other, but they do not
interact very much. They will play side by side, watch, and listen to each other. They sometimes may fight over the same toy.

Associative Play (Preschool) Children still are doing their own thing. They often do the same thing as other children, but they do not do it together. Children sitting side by side in a sandbox will repeat what the others are doing.

Cooperative Play (Preschool) When speaking and listening skills are more developed, children can communicate. They plan, and tell each other what to do. They do things in response to what others do. They pretend to play house, be a mother and father, and try out relationships.

Later Play (School) School-age children structure their play with rules and time limits. All
those playing together are expected to play fair. They choose up sides and form teams. They take turns.

PLAY AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Drawing, painting, and music encourage self-expression. Play helps children feel good as they learn to control their actions and bodies. They are happy when they learn to enjoy the beauty of colors, the rhythm of a melody, or the action of games. Playing with dolls, stuffed animals, or carpenter tools also may help them express anger or hurt. They often work out feelings in play that they dare not show in everyday living. Children act out their hopes and fears in creative play. When children are encouraged to tell their own stories, paint their own picture, act out their own feelings, or build their own pretend world, they are better able to hold onto their own hopes and dreams. Without that support, dreams may fade. Ambition and self-approval may decline. Snuggling up to children, gently patting or stroking them can give children a feeling of security. When someone is not around to play with a child, a familiar blanket or a furry toy animal will comfort the child.

Read more here http://www.nncc.org/Series/good.time.play.html

Encouraging Creativity Through Open Ended Art

2011-11-24T13:22:00.001-08:00

Painting our 'Kaba" for Hajj

Children's Open-ended Art

Encouraging Creativity through Open Ended Art
by Debbie Gray

Creativity is defined as the ability to generate a new idea and product.
Creative thinking is random and intuitive, meaning, exciting ideas appear from nowhere, unexpected connections occur, and solutions to different problems can reveal themselves. Creative thinking is as
important as the analytical thinking which our society has traditionally emphasized. Creativity needs to be nurtured.

Young children have the desire to create. Art is a means of selfexpression, a way for a child to show his/her feelings and express emotions. It is important as educators that we take a child’s artistic
talent seriously and appreciate and value the process of creating open-ended art as well as the product. Open-ended art allows the children to do “free art” and make independent choices on what materials to use and the outcome of the work. Open-ended art is focused on individual expression rather than
on the final product. When a child experiments with open-ended art with a variety of materials, the child is learning initiative, problem solving, taking risks by showing originality, and expressing herself through representation.

In contrast, with pattern or teacher directed art work, the focus is on the finished product. This type of art work stifles the child’s creativity and can hurt their self esteem if their picture does not look exactly like
the pattern or their friends’ work.

How do we as educators (and parents) support and encourage open-ended creative art work?
• Provide a rich assortment of materials and experiences.
• Follow the child’s lead. Children generally learn from experiences that are an interest of their own.
• Expand on the child’s ideas whenever possible by explaining other uses for the materials that are provided, and asking open-ended questions.
• Make objective observations. As the child is creating try to make descriptive, factual observations about the work, for example, “I like the way you used a lot of green and red.” or “I see you have made a lot of blue circles in your picture.”instead of statements such as “I like your picture.”
• Encourage conversation by asking open-ended questions or prompts such as “Tell me about your picture.”
Exploration and creative thinking are linked to meeting challenges throughout our life!

i
Parents As Teacher National Center –Born to Learn Curriculum 3 years to Kindergarten Entry.
ii
Zellich, K. (1996). Constructivist Art-Decoding the differences
http://www.claytonearlylearning.org/files/encouraging-creativity-through-open-ended-art.pdf

My Bird is Very Hungry

2011-11-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

Sensory Exploration

1: My bird need a house- I am making a house ----.2: I make a ducky cake -
3: Oh no -its so messy - I need to clean --sister Fatima
4: I make a chicken cake too

5:My bird is too hungry --

Teacher's comment- We set our sensory table with birds food and some plastic birds-Children were excited to interact with the grains. Each of them have their unique style and use creativity to play with the material. It was interesting to hear when one child said that she made a duck cake - she was stirring the grains with the metal spoon - patting it and placed all the grain inside the bamboo basket. Other children wanted to follow her idea-- they all were making duck cakes, chicken cake and bird cake as well. They were sharing the cake with each other and pretending they were eating the real cake. Next, insha'allah, we will feed the real birds outside...

Early Learning Framework:

Exploration and Creativity- Develop a sense of wonder for natural environments: The children's interest in bugs was used to expand their understanding of materials and creatures found in nature. Building and expanding on their interest in bugs, we have been exploring different types of birds, birds diets and Allah's many wonders found in the natural environment.

Language and Literacies- Develop diverse language abilities and the capacity to communicate with others in many ways: The children had many opportunities for one-to-one and group language interaction, both with a teacher and other children. The teacher introduced new vocabulary during these interactions and used the props to role model language and creative expression.

Social Responsibility and Diversity- Learn to appreciate diversity: Children were able to recognize uniqueness in each other's ideas and find value in them. Different types of birds and seeds were explored, drawing attention to Allah's diverse and wonderful creation.

Useful Information

2011-11-24T12:12:00.001-08:00

To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.
He creates what He wills.
He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills,
and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills.
The Noble Qur'an - Ash-Shura 42:49

The Essentials of Early Literacy Instruction

http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/Roskos.pdf

Developing Children's Thinking Skills

http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200309/Planning&Reflection.pdf

Child-Centred Art vs Teacher Directed Crafts

http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/ArtwithChildren/childcenteredart.html

Learning and Art

http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200407/LearningArtsThroughTheAges.pdf

Let The Children Play (research into play in early learning)

http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/LessonsInLearning/Nov-08-06-Let-the-Children-Play.pdf

Play and Literacy

There are consistent findings in research

about the close relationship between

symbolic play and literacy development and

good evidence that increasing opportunities

for rich symbolic play can have a positive

influence on literacy development.

Pretend play with peers engages children

in the same kind of representational

thinking needed in early literacy activities.

Children develop complex narratives in

their pretend play. They begin to link

objects, actions, and language together

in combinations and narrative sequences.

They generate language suited to different

perspectives and roles.......

We're Going on a Bug Hunt

2011-11-17T18:45:00.001-08:00

We're Going on a Bug Hunt

We’re going on a bug hunt! (echo)
We’re going to catch some big ones. (echo)
What a sunny day. (echo)
Are you ready? OK! (echo)

Subhanallah! A bee! A black and yellow bee. Flying over flowers, BUZZZZ

Subhanallah! A ladybug! A red, spotted ladybug, Crawling through the grass, SHHHHH

Subhanallah! A grasshopper! A big, green grasshopper Hopping around the tree,BOING BOING

Subhanallah! A butterfly! A pretty, orange butterfly, Floating in the sky, WHOOSH, WHOOSH

Subhanallah! A spider! A big black spider, Creeping on ME! CREEP…CREEP… SCREAM

There's a bug on the table!

We see a bug

Ladybug, Ladybug,
Gentle Please

Can you see the ladybug?

Spider web- Look for the spider

Searching for spiders

Non-Newtonian Fluids

2011-11-17T17:54:00.001-08:00

Goop: Squishy solids and lumpy liquids

The children explored textures and consistencies,

solid-liquid and suspension,

wet and dry...

Reading Tips for Parents

2011-11-17T15:22:00.000-08:00

Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers

By: Reading Rockets

Read early and read often. The early years are critical to developing a lifelong love of reading. It's never too early to begin reading to your child! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.

Read together every day

Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close.

Give everything a name

Build your child's vocabulary by talking about interesting words and objects. For example, "Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings?"

Say how much you enjoy reading

Tell your child how much you enjoy reading with him or her. Talk about "story time" as the favorite part of your day.

Read with fun in your voice

Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices. Ham it up!

Know when to stop

Put the book away for awhile if your child loses interest or is having trouble paying attention.

Be interactive

Discuss what's happening in the book, point out things on the page, and ask questions.

Read it again and again

Go ahead and read your child's favorite book for the 100th time!

Talk about writing, too

Mention to your child how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.

Point out print everywhere

Talk about the written words you see in the world around you. Ask your child to find a new word on each outing.

Get your child evaluated

Please be sure to see your child's pediatrician or teacher as soon as possible if you have concerns about your child's language development, hearing, or sight.

Helping Your Child Become a Reader

By: U.S. Department of Education

Parents who limit television, choose child care that is literacy-rich, and read and talk to their children often can help their children become readers. Learn about steps parents can take to promote reading in their children's lives.

There are a number of steps that parents and other family members can take to help prepare their young children to become readers and to support the reading habit once they are in school. These include:

1. Talk to your child

Feed your child a diet of rich language experiences throughout the day. Talk with your infants and young children frequently in short, simple sentences. Tell stories, sing songs, recite nursery rhymes or poems, and describe the world around them to expose them to words. Name things. Make connections. Encourage your child's efforts to talk with you.

2. Read Aloud

Try to read aloud to your children for 30 minutes daily beginning when they are infants. Ask caring adults to be your children's daily reader when you are unavailable.

3. Test your child's eyes and ears

Have your child's eyesight and hearing tested early and annually. If you suspect your child may have a disability, seek help. Evaluations and assessments are available at no cost to parents. Call the early childhood specialist in your school system or contact the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities.

4. Choose child care carefully

Seek out child care providers who spend time talking with and reading to your child, who make trips to the library, and who designate a special reading area for children.

5. Ask the teacher about your child's reading

Ask your child's teacher for an assessment of your child's reading level, an explanation of the approach the teacher is taking to develop reading and literacy skills, and ways in which you can bolster your child's literacy skills at home.

6. Limit TV watching

Limit the amount and kind of television your children watch. Seek out educational television or videos from the library that you can watch and discuss with your children.

7. Create a reading corner

Set up a special place for reading and writing in your home. A well-lit reading corner filled with lots of good books can become a child's favorite place. Keep writing materials such as non-toxic crayons, washable markers, paints and brushes, and different kinds of paper in a place where children can reach them.

8. Visit the library

Visit the public library often to spark your child's interest in books. Help your children obtain their own library cards and pick out their own books. Talk to a librarian, teacher, school reading specialist, or bookstore owner for guidance about what books are appropriate for children at different ages and reading levels.

9. Show that you read

Demonstrate your own love of reading by spending quiet time in which your child observes you reading to yourself. You are your child's greatest role model. Show your child how reading and writing help you get things done every day-cooking, shopping, driving, or taking the bus.

10. Join a family literacy program

If your own reading skills are limited, consider joining a family literacy program. Ask a librarian for picture books that you can share with your child by talking about the pictures. Tell family stories or favorite folktales to your children.

11. Give books

Consider giving books or magazines to children as presents or as a recognition of special achievements. Special occasions, such as birthdays or holidays, can be the perfect opportunity to give a child a new book.

12. Tap relatives

Connect your children with their grandparents and great-grandparents. Encourage them to read books together, talk about growing up, tell stories, and sing songs from their generation.

13. Attend book activities

Ask about free readings and other programs at bookstores in your community.

Adapted from: Raising Readers: The Tremendous Potential of Families. (July, 1999). Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader. America Reads Challenge, U.S. Department of Education.

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/147/

Dua's We Are Learning

2011-11-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

Eid Mubarak

2011-11-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a blessed Eid Al-Adha

Bug Hunting

2011-11-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

We have seen so many different types of bugs when we were outside. Some of the children were so excited to watch caterpillars when they were playing with the fall leaves. One child told me that, "I found a caterpillar." The caterpillar was already on her palm, lying down like a ball. I kindly told the child to put it down gently, so that the caterpillar will not be scared. The child gently put it down. Then I asked all the children-who created all the bugs? They Said-ALLAH. Then I told them that we need to be gentle with all the creations of Allah. All the children were so curious to see what the caterpillar was doing, so we decided to bring our science bug jar to the outdoor area and place the caterpillar in the jar. One of the child said-"caterpillar too hungry, we need to give him food." They collected some leaves and told me to put it inside the jar. Listening to the children, I placed some leaves inside and put the jar on the log to explore the bug. The next day we read the story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' with some colorful felt props.

Sensory Play

2011-10-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

1:My boat is going down

2:Ice cream yellow ice cream

3:All water going down.

4:I filled my tray.

Preschool children learn through their five senses. As early childhood educators and parents it is our responsibility to create an environment where they can have ample opportunity to explore with their senses. Sensory exploration is really important for children's social /emotional development. Children will learn better from their daily hands-on experiences, not just from academic lectures.

Sensory exploration will give them opportunity to develop their fine motor skills needed for writing -they will learn to balance when they hold something. Pouring and measuring will give them scientific and mathematics knowledge. Playing with a group will help them to learn about problem solving and negotiate between each other. When they feel the the texture, smell or hear, they will learn to express their experiences with their verbal language and gesture.

These are messy activities and it may take some extra work to clean up, but these are enjoyable and valuable educational moments for our preschool children. They enjoy playing with the water, sand and with the pine cones and more -so please give them opportunity to explore the world with hands-on activities.

So Many Leaves

2011-10-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

1:"I put my leaves on the sand"

2: "What a mess"

3:When M was cleaning the leaves, L wanted to help her.

4:S was so busy dumping all the leaves .

5:I found so many leaves.

Reflection: Fall is the season for the children to explore the world differently. Weather is gloomy and tricky as well. Maple leaves were turning green to yellow and lastly red, and then time to fall down. We wanted to encourage the children to have the sensory experience with the natural objects. We collected plenty of multicolored maple leaves and set them in our outdoor play area. Most of the children were so excited to play with the leaves. Some of them were enjoying to throw them, some of them were just touching them with their hands, and some of them wanted to hear the sounds of the crispy leaves when pressed with their shoes. There were various types of dump trucks, dust pan and wheel barrow for their play with as well. M decided to use the dust pan to clean all the leaves.

When A spread all the leaves on the ground-She just said--"Oh no what a mess" -.Two more children were join her to help the cleaning activity for a long time. S chose the wheel barrow and gently picked lots of leaves in it and dumped the leaves out on the water table. I was amazed to observe their perseverance and teamwork skills. They were calm when others were throwing the leaves, somehow they understood that those who were throwing the leaves were younger then them and were exploring the activity in their on way. Children were engaged with this activity for the entire outdoor time without any interruption.

B.C Early Learning Frame work :

Understand fairness both for themselves and others: When children were playing with the fall leaves Younger children were enjoying to throw the leaves on the ground. Although some of the children were cleaning the leaves, they still continued their cleaning activity with lots of patience. Alhamdulillah it was nice to observe that children were helping each othe to clean and dump all the leaves.

Develop a sense of wonder for natural environments: There were various shapes and colored maple leaves we provided for their free play. Children were touching the leaves, dumping, throwing, spreading and cleaning. They were creative and independent using the natural material. They had lots of time and various types of material as well to interact with the objects.

Positive Behaviour

2011-10-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

Some useful tips for our parents :

1. Children do as you do. Your child watches you to get clues on how to behave in the world. You’re her role model, so use your own behaviour to guide her. What you do is often much more important than what you say. If you want your child to say ‘please’, say it yourself. If you don’t want your child to raise her voice, speak quietly and gently yourself.

2. Show your child how you feel. Tell him honestly how his behaviour affects you. This will help him see his her own feelings in yours, like a mirror. This is called empathy. By the age of three, children can show real empathy. So you might say, ‘I’m getting upset because there is so much noise I can’t talk on the phone’. When you start the sentence with ‘I’, it gives your child the chance to see things from your perspective.

3. Catch her being ‘good’. This simply means that when your child is behaving in a way you like, you can give her some positive feedback. For example, ‘Wow, you are playing so nicely. I really like the way you are keeping all the blocks on the table’. This works better than waiting for the blocks to come crashing to the floor before you take notice and bark, ‘Hey, stop that’. This positive feedback is sometimes called ‘descriptive praise’. Try to say six positive comments (praise and encouragement) for every negative comment (criticisms and reprimands). The 6-1 ratio keeps things in balance. Remember that if children have a choice only between no attention or negative attention, they will seek out negative attention.

4. Get down to your child’s level. Kneeling or squatting down next to children is a very powerful tool for communicating positively with them. Getting close allows you to tune in to what they might be feeling or thinking. It also helps them focus on what you are saying or asking for. If you are close to your child and have his attention, there is no need to make him look at you.

5. ‘I hear you.’ Active listening is another tool for helping young children cope with their emotions. They tend to get frustrated a lot, especially if they can’t express themselves well enough verbally. When you repeat back to them what you think they might be feeling, it helps to relieve some of their tension. It also makes them feel respected and comforted. It can diffuse many potential temper tantrums.

6. Keep promises. Stick to agreements. When you follow through on your promises, good or bad, your child learns to trust and respect you. So when you promise to go for a walk after she picks up her toys, make sure you have your walking shoes handy. When you say you will leave the library if she doesn’t stop running around, be prepared to leave straight away. No need to make a fuss about it – the more matter of fact, the better. This helps your child feel more secure, because it creates a consistent and predictable environment.

7. Reduce temptation. Your glasses look like so much fun to play with – it’s hard for children to remember not to touch. Reduce the chance for innocent but costly exploration by keeping that stuff out of sight.

8. Choose your battles. Before you get involved in anything your child is doing – especially to say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ – ask yourself if it really matters. By keeping instructions, requests and negative feedback to a minimum, you create less opportunity for conflict and bad feelings. Rules are important, but use them only when it’s really important.

9. Whining: be strong. Kids don’t want to be annoying. By giving in when they’re whinging for something, we train them to do it more – even if we don’t mean to. ‘No’ means ‘no’, not maybe, so don’t say it unless you mean it. If you say ‘no’ and then give in, children will be whine even more the next time, hoping to get lucky again.

10. Keep it simple and positive. If you can give clear instructions in simple terms, your child will know what is expected of him. (‘Please hold my hand when we cross the road.’) Stating things in a positive way gets their heads thinking in the right direction. For example, ‘Please shut the gate’ is better than ‘Don't leave the gate open’.

11. Responsibility and consequences. As children get older, you can give them more responsibility for their own behaviour. You can also give them the chance to experience the natural consequences of that behaviour. You don’t have to be the bad guy all the time. For example, if your child forgot to put her lunch box in her bag, she will go hungry at lunch time. It is her hunger and her consequence. It won’t hurt her to go hungry just that one time. Sometimes, with the best intentions, we do so much for our children that we don’t allow them to learn for themselves. At other times you need to provide consequences for unacceptable or dangerous behaviour. For these times, it is best to ensure that you have explained the consequences and that your children have agreed to them in advance.

12. Say it once and move on. It is surprising how much your child is listening even though he might not have the social maturity to tell you. Nagging and criticising is boring for you and doesn’t work. Your child will just end up tuning you out and wonder why you get more upset. If you want to give him one last chance to cooperate, remind him of the consequences for not cooperating. Then start counting to three.

13. Make your child feel important. Children love it when they can contribute to the family. Start introducing some simple chores or things that she can do to play her own important part in helping the household. This will make her feel important and she’ll take pride in helping out. If you can give your child lots of practice doing a chore, she will get better at it and will keep trying harder. Safe chores help children feel responsible, build their self-esteem and help you out too.

14. Prepare for challenging situations. There are times when looking after your child and doing things you need to do will be tricky. If you think about these challenging situations in advance, you can plan around your child’s needs. Give him a five-minute warning before you need him to change activities. Talk to him about why you need his cooperation. Then he is prepared for what you expect.

15. Maintain a sense of humour. Another way of diffusing tension and possible conflict is to use humour and fun. You can pretend to become the menacing tickle monster or make animal noises. But humour at your child’s expense won't help. Young children are easily hurt by parental ‘teasing’. Humour that has you both laughing is great.

References: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/encouraging_good_behaviour.html/context/292

It's Like a Jungle

2011-10-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Children were using all the farm animals and wild animal on the floor with the farm and all wooden block for a week. I got a gift from my friends, wrapped with all the green paper grass and a beautiful wooden frame. I thought it would be great if I can add it for my preschool children to explore. I spread all the grass in our beautiful clear water table and put the wooden frame with crystal marbles and the crocodile and duck.

I assumed that children will have fun and be involved with this activity for a long time. I was astonished to observe how very excited and creative they can be with only this little added material. At the beginning they all wanted to explore the grass with their senses. I was amazed to hear all the vocabulary from the children. One of the child said-"oh not its too soft." Another one ,"its like a noodle." Some of them were sharing that they have grass in their backyards. They wanted to feed grass to the cow. Some of them helped the animals to drink water from the pond(wooden box).They all were interacting with the material for more then 20 minutes.

Later, some children decided to move the grass beside our glass window.We are blessed to have a beautiful natural scenario to look at from our classroom window. When children placed some grasses and wild animals with blue marvels, it was looking amazing. I was so full of joy to notice our young people's wondrous creativity. One child told me "sister Fatima -It's like a jungle -I make a jungle." Other children join there and shared their idea about what happens in the jungle. What kind of animal they saw-.

Preschool children do not need expensive material to be engaged- they can have fun and learning with any simple material around us. Recycling things, few colorful scarves or just some leaves and acorn can be their best friend. The learning and possibilities are endless, alhamdulillah.

B.C Early Learning Frame Work:

Feel valued for and explore their own strategies for their learning: Children were having uninterrupted play time. We always focus on children's interests. We always give time to the children to accomplish their activity. It is really upsetting for the children when they are deeply engage with an activity and adults interrupt their learning to make them join another activity. They have their own style of playing, as an adult we need to create the environment where they can explore and invent -so that they will feel respected.

Build, create, and designing different materials and techniques: Children had the opportunity to explore and creative with the material. They were using the grass in the water table and then they wanted to place it besides the window. Some of them spread it on the floor as well. After their exploration, they used the broom and brush to sweep the floor. They are our designers, helpers and sometimes little coordinators as well. They give us clues about what we need to provide for their activity- in order to build their development and meet their educational needs.

Dear Mom and Dad

2011-10-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom and Dad,

It may not look like much, but my scribbles are very important! Scribbling is the first step in learning to write,

and I am developing the muscles I will need to hold a pencil!

Sometimes a scribble is not just a scribble!

Love,

Your Child

*****

Stages of Art Development:

Stage One: Manipulative

Random attempts to manipulate various materials – scribbling, thick sweeps of paint strokes, pounding and squeezing of clay. Typically seen in children under 4 years, with focus on experiential and tactile.

Stage Two: Patterning/Design

Typically develops by age 4, experimentation with beginning to master materials. Children discovering lines, shapes, dots, spaces, and patterns.

Stage Three: Naming/Symbolic

Children able to make models or pictures representing things, often with object in mind as they begin the process.

Stage Four: Representation

Develops around age 5 or 6, with children’s art actually resembling objects represented. Initially many details missing, with more detail as skill level and motor control develop.

*****

Open-ended Art:
(Open-ended art is about the experience of creating and exploring the material, not just the end product.)

1. Provides a means of communication and

expression

2. Serves as an emotional release

3. Heightens aesthetic awareness and sensitivity

4. Develops and promotes creative thinking

5. Develops an appreciation for individuality

6. Serves as a balance in classroom activities

7. Assists in the development of physical

coordination

8. Strengthens self-concept and self confidence

9. Increases self understanding

10. Enhances the ability to visualize

11. Helps develop fine motor skills

12. Provides opportunities for problem-

solving and decision making

13. Provides insight and assists the adult in

understanding the child

14. Develops self-help skills

15. Illustrates cause and effect

(taken from http://123child.com/website-share/Open_ended_art.pdf)

News Letter

2011-10-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Assalmualikum dear parents

Mashaallah, September has gone so quickly and the children have done very well. We were focusing on hand-washing, following the schedule with transitions rhymes and developing the self help skills, for example: How to put on their own jacket and shoes etc. Alhamdulliah, most of the children are doing fine and adjusting well to our classroom routine. It is amazing to observe the children having a lot of enjoyment with us.

During our group time we introduced books, felt stories, finger plays and various types of movement. Our classroom has science, art, dramatic and math activity as well. Our program is not theme based –we were focusing on children’s interests –based on their interest, we were continuing with the nature (farm/wild animals, fall leaves and various types of art activities.

EID UL ADHA and Hajj is coming Inshallaah –so this coming month they will be learn about Hajj and Eid ul adha. We will still continue the daily life dua (what to say before you eat, etc.) and other activity as well. We have learned and will continue to learn many new things.

Parents- please remember to sign your child in and out every day, it is required by licensing.

October is sure to bring a lot of fun insha’allah, we look forward to an exciting month.

Thank you,

FATIMA

Manger

Sprouts of Iman

Look I Found a Heart --

2011-10-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Its not grass--cows eat grass only

I have orange and red leaf --so many lines

Look I found a heart

My cow is sick--I need to give some leaves

Reflection: I collected some maple leaves from my neighborhood--all leaves are aesthetically beautiful-some of them are deep red, some are green and yellow, and some are mixed with various colors and shapes. I thought it was a good idea to add it for my preschool to do their science experiment. The room already has been set with wild and domestic animals--adding fall leaves can make this more interesting for the children. I set the table with maple leaves, magnifying glasses and also with pine cones-so that they have opportunity to compare whether it is soft or hard, smooth or rough texture.

When I invited the children to investigate, I told them where I found the leaves and what the name of the leaves are. They started to share their experience about what they saw when they were outside--One of the child said--I saw lots of yellow leaves--I want to take it --I said you will walk with your mummy, maybe take a basket and collect some leaves .Two children took the magnifying glasses and describing what they have seen.

It was so amazing for me to observe when one child brought a cow on the science table from another corner of the class room, following that child another child also chose a giraffe--They were feeding the animal and sharing their ideas about how to take care of their animals. One suggested how to do the treatment because the cow was sick and the medicine was leaves(We had just read the story "the hungry caterpillar"). All of them were sharing thier thoughts, concern and their imagination about how does the leaf look like. Which leaf they really like.

Some simple leaves brought so many new vocabulary words and excitement in our preschool!

B.C EARLY LEARNING FRAME WORK:

1: Exploration and creativity: Our science table was filled with various sizes and colors of maple leaves and with some magnifying glasses.Children brought animal onto the table and it was a social and dramatic experience for me to observe . They were creative and enhanced their imagination with animals and taking care of them. Some of them were thinking that cows need grass not leaves, at the same time another child was thinking the cow is sick --it may eat leaf to be cured .

2: Feel valued for and explore their own strategies for learning: Children were exploring the material without any interruption. Adults were present there for scaffolding as needed. Sometimes teachers helped children to expand their vocabulary and language skills. Sometimes teachers guided children for their safety. Children were using all the materials and chose their own style to play with it.

I Found a Pool For My Duck

2011-09-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

I found two red horses and three cows- My horses are jumping.

My giraffe is bigger than your animals.

"Oh no crocodile is coming--- we need to save our animal".

I found a pool for my duck!

Children were using their own imagination to use all the farm and wild animals. I was so surprised (and excited) to observe that children grabbed some blocks with various shapes, which were filled with colored water, and they used them as a pool for duck and crocodile. It was every interesting for me to observe their dramatic interaction between each others. Child A took his crocodile on the floor and pretended that the crocodile wanted to eat all the animals (A was making sounds as if the crocodile was shouting ) , then F and S were also pretending that they wanted to save the cows -so they were helping the animals to settle on the farm house roof. Some of the children wanted to sort the animals according to their types and also wanted to make the animal sounds. It was an amazing experiencing to observe all the children and their unique style of playing with the farm materials.

Learning outcome from B.C EARLY LEARNING FRAME WORK:

1: Exploration and creativity: When children were using various types of animals and farmhouse, they were using their imagination, all theirs senses and physical movement. They all have their unique style of playing and techniques to use the material and interact with other children.

Each of them were creative and expressed their feeling when they were using the material. For example: S made a pool with the block for her duck and F picked all the cows and horses, and counted how many cows and horses he had!

2: Feel a sense of security , self respect and self regulation: All the children were using their material independently. They were using their own style of playing with their material. Sometimes they were so expressive, and sometime they were very attentive with their solitary play.Teachers are there to provide the environment to ensure that they are safe and secure .

Teachers reflection:

We set up our class room with farm animals, wild animals and a house besides the block area. This was very popular with the children. Some of the children were also very busy with the train tracks and various types of transportation.

Early Learning Framework

School Closures- 2011/2012

2011-09-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Assalamu Alaikum,

Sprouts of Iman Preschool follows the BC Muslim School calendar for all school closure dates.

These are the dates to note:

October
10-Public holiday (school closed)

21 Pro-D Day (School Closed)

November

7 Eid Ul-Adha Holiday (Tentative date, School Closed)

11 Public Holiday (School Closed)

December

19-30 Winter Break (School Closed)

January

2 Winter Break (School Closed)

3 School Reopen

March

19-23 Spring Break (School Closed)

April

6 & 9 Public Holiday (School Closed)

12 Pro-D Day (School Closed for Students)

May

21 Public Holiday (School Closed)

June

22 Last day for Preschool Students

What Did You Learn Today ?

2011-09-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

When the children are exploring the material and environment, they are continuously learning and making new discoveries. It may look like they are just playing, but this is their 'work'.

When 'A' came to the class she was so delighted to see the wooden shape colorful blocks on the table . She was wondering what she can do with all the colorful pieces. She garbed it from the table, picked one yellow block and said, "I found one yellow block". Teacher 'F' was there -and said, "Yes A, I can see you found a yellow square block. What can you do with that? A replied, "I can make a house".

'T' was delighted to see the different color tempura paint on the easel. She was enjoying her color mixing. Then she wanted to try it on the paper. When she noticed that red and yellow can make pink -she said, "I can make pink with yellow and red!" She was not only mixing the color, she was holding the brush and gently dipping her brush in the paint and being very careful not to drop it on the floor.

Science table: 'M' wanted to see something with his magnifying glass. He took one marble and rock for his experiment. When he saw the reflection on the table from his magnifying glass, he said, "Oh no, I made a ball with my glass!"

Today is my first day -I am missing my mummy. I don't know anyone here! What can I do? Teacher F gave me the brush and all the new paint --I like blue, I want to put blue on my whole paper!

Play: It's The Way Young Children Learn (click to read the article)

Hand Washing

2011-09-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

We are learning about hand washing in our class. Please discuss and

reinforce these concepts with your child. And remember – your example is

your child’s best teacher!

Helping your child wash his/her hands upon arrival to preschool will, insha'allah, reduce the spread of illnesses and keep children with allergies safe.

Why is hand washing so important?

Washing your hands and your child's hands is the best thing that you can do to

stop the spread of germs. The moment that you finish washing your hands,

you start to collect germs again by opening doors, wiping faces, playing with

children’s toys and using the washroom. You cannot avoid collecting germs, but

you can reduce the chance of infecting others by knowing when to wash your

hands.

Washing hands thoroughly and often is one of the best ways to prevent disease. Children and

adults should wash their hands frequently throughout the day.

When should children wash their hands?

• The first thing you do when arriving at childcare or school;

• Before playing with a group media (playdough, watertable, etc) or toys;

• After having a diaper change or using the toilet;

• Before eating or handling food;

• After playing outdoors or in sand; and

• After playing with pets or animals.

• Whenever they look or smell dirty

As always – thank you for your support!

Songs and Fingerplays about

Hand-washing

Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hand

Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands

Wash, wash, wash your hands

Wash them nice and clean

Wash them on top,

Wash them on bottom and fingers in between.

Wash, wash, wash your hands

Wash them nice and clean

Wash them on top,

Wash them on bottom and fingers in between.

Washing Hands Song

Tops and Bottoms, tops and bottoms,

In between, in between,

All around your hands, all around your hands,

Makes them clean. Makes them clean

All around, all around

This Is The Way We Wash Our Hands

This is the way we wash our hands

Wash our hands

This is the way we wash our hands

To keep our bodies health

Wash Wash Wash Your Hands

(Tune of Row Row Row Your Boat)

Wash, wash, wash your hands.

Wash them nice and clean.

Wash them on top, wash them on bottom

and fingers in between!

The Big Achoo!

Tissue, tissue, where are you?

I can feel a sneeze coming through.

I’ll cover my mouth, and cover my nose.

Look out everybody! Here it goes!

Ah… Ah…. Choo!!

ALHAMDULILLAH!

Wash Those Germs Away!

After you use the restroom,

And after I go outside to play,

Wash your hands with soap and water,

And wash those germs away!

Adapted from http://drsydsays.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/handwashing-curriculum.pdf

Welcome Parents

2011-09-20T14:35:00.001-07:00

Dear Preschool Parents
Assalamualikum ,

Last week at preschool we spent time continuing to get to know each other, and share about ourselves. Children are learning how to share, take turns, and work together.

We also spent a lot of time painting at the art table with tempura paint, crayon and using glue for their craft, exploring sensory and fine motor skills. The children really are enjoying this exploration.

They are really enjoying their group time with Sister Farzana and Sister Fatima , which we will continue to work on each day after their free play time . Group time is spent talking about stories, and learning new songs, doing finger play with other children and learning to control their bodies with gross motor activities . We are also focusing with the children to greet each other in an Islamic manner (Assalmualikum )and saying Bismillah when they will start to do something .

From this week Sister Fatima will be in the preschool from morning and afternoon session and Sister Farzana will join her in the afternoons.

Gentle reminder for parents to provide earthquake emergency kit for each child .

Please provide healthy snacks and only water for their drinks.

There is a volunteer sign in sheet on the bulletin board Please sign in if you are interested in helping your child’s class with simple things like making playdoo, cutting art paper and general clean up in classroom.

Thank You,

Sr. Fatima

Prescription for Play

2011-09-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

Community Activities for Younger Siblings and Parents

2011-09-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Assalamu alaikum,

Some parents are wondering what they can do with their younger children, while their preschooler is having fun exploring & learning at Sprouts of Iman Preschool.

Here are some suggestions for thing you can find within a short drive from the school:

Strong Start Program

Richmond Nature Park

Richmond Public Library

Shell Road Trail walk

Playground & Parks (South Arm, King George, Minoru, Garden City Park, and more)

Parent Orientation

2011-09-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Parent Orientation dates:

Thursday Sept 8th at 7pm

Friday Sept 9th at 12pm

Preschool opens for students on Monday Sept 12th

Eid Mubarak

2011-08-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a very happy Eid Mubarak. May the blessings and mercy of Allah be with you always insha'allah.

Welcome Ramadan!

2011-07-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ramadan Resources for the Family:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~umm_pub/presch.html (preschool age)

http://www.preschoolexpress.com/holiday_station04/holiday_station_oct04.shtml (preschool age)

http://amuslimchildisborn.blogspot.com/2010/08/ramadan-collage.html (Ramadan collage art)

http://amuslimchildisborn.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramadan-activity-2-travel-ramadan.html (Ramadan memory game)

http://tj-ramadan.tripod.com/ramadanlearning.htm (school age)
http://ourseeds.tripod.com/activities.html (various activities)

http://barakahlife.typepad.com/ (various crafts to make as a family)

http://www.crayola.com/calendar/detail.cfm?event_id=17&year=2006 (colouring/crafts)

http://raisingmuslims.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/ramadhan-lapbook-pics-printouts/ (Ramadan Lapbook)

http://islamicbulletinboards.wordpress.com/category/gallery-islamic-bulletin-boards/ramadan/ (Ramadan calendar and other printables)
http://www.mini-mumin.com/RK.html (free Ramadan 'kit')

http://www.kalamullah.com/ramadan.html (video/audio/ebooks)
http://www.muslimtents.com/iharam/watch.html (Watch live Taraweeh)

Gluten Free Play-dough!

2011-07-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Wonderful alternatives to wheat/gluten containing play-dough for those with allergies.

Gluten & Corn Free Kool-aid Playdough

· 1 cup rice flour

· 1/2 cup salt

· 2 tsp cream of tarter

· 1 package Kool-aid, unsweetened

· 1 Tb oil

· 1 cup boiling water

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, cream of tarter, Kool-aid, and oil until combined.

2. Add boiling water and stir until blended. Allow to cool; knead to blend color if necessary.

3. Store in airtight bag or container in the refrigerator.

Gluten-free Play Dough
Courtesy of the Celiac Sprue Association.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 cup water

1 tsp cooking oil

Food coloring, if desired

Preparation:

Mix ingredients. Cook and stir on low heat for 3 minutes or until mixture forms a ball. Cool completely before storing in a sealable plastic bag.

Rubbery Playdough
2 cups baking soda

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup cornstarch

Mix with a fork until smooth. Boil over medium heat until thick. Spoon onto plate or wax paper.

Homemade Play Dough

Adapted from the Kids Play Clay recipe on the side of the Clabber Girl Cornstarch canister

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup salt

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

Food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, mix salt and 1/3 cup water over medium heat, stirring occasionally (about 3-4 minutes). Mixture should appear like slushy, wet snow. Remove from heat.

Add cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. The mixture will resemble mashed potatoes. Stir till thickens, cool, then knead on a board or countertop that has been lightly dusted wtih cornstarch. If desired, divide dough into smaller balls and add a few drops of food coloring.

Store unused play dough in the refrigerator in a sealed container with a damp sponge

Gluten Free Homemade Playdough Recipe

3/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup salt
3/4 cup rice flour
3 teaspoons cream of tarter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cup water
food coloring (optional)

Add all ingredients to a saucepan (except food coloring). Cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until thickened in a ball. Remove from pan and let cool. Add food coloring and knead dough. Continue kneading until no longer sticky.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.

White Goop

Something fun to play with that's messy but easy to clean up!

Ingredients:

1 part corn starch

2 parts water

Directions:

Mix ingredients together until smooth.

Enjoy!

Suggestion:

Try to make a ball with the mixture. Note how it kind of keeps its shape as long as you are working with it, but as soon as you stop, it "melts" through your fingers.

You can find various other Playdough Explorations at:

quirkymomma.com: It's Playtime with Play Dough

quirkymomma.com: Dozen-playdough-recipes/

Building Those Fine Motor Skills

2011-07-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Motor skills are important.
We need them to be able to do so many things.
This isn't just done by using a pencil and paper. In fact, pencil and paper may be the last step in a long line of activities children need in order to build the muscles needed for writing.

The last thing we want to be doing with 3-5 year olds is to sit down with pencils and worksheets. How boring, painful and developmentally inappropriate for many children. Think about writing a long letter with your non-dominant hand, this is similar to how it feels when children are not yet ready to write.

We start with gross motor skills, the big muscles. Those have to be developed first before we can even think about the ability to write! So we run, jump, hop, skip, climb, paint with big brushes, shovel buckets of sand, pull a wagon, ride a trike and do lots of other movement activities (to name a few).

For fine motor skills, those small muscles, we do lots and lots of open-ended creative art, math and manipulative activities, puzzles, play-dough and clay, sorting, dressing, eating, and so-on...

Building Fine Motor Skills:


In order to have the ability to write, we first need strong gross motor skills. Children need more outdoor time, building muscle strength!

Even big kids need to climb!

Once they have had enough outdoor time, they can settle into an art exploration, using 'real' materials. Nothing better for fine motor development than letting children explore and encourage their creativity to flow (and building cognitive skills too)...

Some open-ended question you can ask during the art exploration:

Tell me about your picture.

Look at how you have made those colours mix together. How did you do that?

How does your picture make you feel?

And remember, it's the process that is important-not the product!

Creative Art Activities Promote Development:
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=544

Happy Exploring!

Outdoor Environments

2011-07-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

Now that we have set up the indoor environment with the basics to get started, it is time to think about the outdoor environment. We know that both environments will evolve as the children interact, and as ideas and interests emerge. Currently the environment looks quite empty without the children's artwork gracing the walls and their creations taking up space on the shelves, but we know this is an environment-in-the-making and will blossom over time. The classroom is lacking the narrations of children's learning and discoveries, which will be the important task of the teachers via pedagogical documentations. We look forward to adding colour, texture and interest items to the classroom as the children's needs emerge over the coming school year and beyond.

Our outdoor space looks empty, with all the ride-on-toys and other items stored away until our school opens in September. We have grand plans for this space, such as sand, water, art explorations, nature items and many more bits- and-pieces for creative engaging exploration.

We are inspired to bring many learning opportunities outside, in addition to those experiences we will provide inside. We are inspired by other schools who have amazing outdoor spaces and have high expectations for what we can provide in our outdoor learning environment. Outdoor time is vital for our health and well being, and we want to provide the children with opportunities to explore, engage, discover, imagine and experiment...and of course to run, jump, hop, build, climb....building muscles and strong bodies.

Insha'allah, we will turn this:

Into something amazing


Image from http://progressiveearlychildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-rusty-keeler-said-it-starts-with.html

http://www.kensingtonpre.sa.edu.au/gallery.htm

Creating Playscapes for Children
From 'Let The Children Play'

Natural Environments Photographs
From 'Department of Education and Early Childhood Development'

A Water Wall
From 'Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning'

A page full of wonderful links to Natural Play Spaces and more..
From 'Let The Children Play'

If you had a 'blank slate', what would you want to include in an outdoor learning environment?

Sprouts Of Iman Preschool

Treasure Hunting

Who Created this Beautiful World?

Registration

Using Pipettes

Thirst Bird

Exploring Colour Mixing

Play Dough Exploration

Homemade playdough recipe

3 cups boiling water

Things to add to dough

Different Ways of Learning

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Kindergarten Readiness- How We Teach the ABC's- and a Whole Lot More

Learning About the ABC's Through Play Activities

Are They Learning Anything Yet? Play Is The Way To Learning

References:

Learning About Weight and Balance

Newsletter

December newsletter

Magnet Treasure

Play is the most important activity in the lives of children

GOOD TIMES AT PLAY

WHY IS PLAY IMPORTANT?

KINDS OF PLAY

HOW DOES PLAY HELP CHILDREN GROW?

Encouraging Creativity Through Open Ended Art

My Bird is Very Hungry

Useful Information

The Essentials of Early Literacy Instruction

We're Going on a Bug Hunt

We're Going on a Bug Hunt

Non-Newtonian Fluids

Reading Tips for Parents

Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers

Read together every day

Give everything a name

Say how much you enjoy reading

Read with fun in your voice

Know when to stop

Be interactive

Read it again and again

Talk about writing, too

Point out print everywhere

Get your child evaluated

Helping Your Child Become a Reader

1. Talk to your child

2. Read Aloud

3. Test your child's eyes and ears

4. Choose child care carefully

5. Ask the teacher about your child's reading

6. Limit TV watching

7. Create a reading corner

8. Visit the library

9. Show that you read

10. Join a family literacy program

11. Give books

12. Tap relatives

13. Attend book activities

Dua's We Are Learning

Eid Mubarak

Bug Hunting

Sensory Play

So Many Leaves

Positive Behaviour

It's Like a Jungle

Dear Mom and Dad

News Letter

Assalmualikum dear parents

EID UL ADHA and Hajj is coming Inshallaah –so this coming month they will be learn about Hajj and Eid ul adha. We will still continue the daily life dua (what to say before you eat, etc.) and other activity as well. We have learned and will continue to learn many new things.

Parents- please remember to sign your child in and out every day, it is required by licensing.

October is sure to bring a lot of fun insha’allah, we look forward to an exciting month.

Thank you,

FATIMA

Manger

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School Closures- 2011/2012

What Did You Learn Today ?