Mo Willems Author Study

 

This week we are going to be reading books by author and illustrator Mo Willems. His books are funny and entertaining and often voice the everyday concerns of children. KnuffleBunny talks about losing a beloved stuffed animal companion. Pigeon is impatient and wants to do what he wants to do right now!! Elephant and Piggie navigate friendship at a preschool/kindergarten level! I haven't seen anything yet that is objectionable. Unfortunately, it doesn't always remain that way, but so far, so good!

Our KDI of the week is reading- Children read for pleasure and information. We read Mo Willems books for pleasure. We'll contrast that with a non-fiction book we read for pleasure and information! Some kids love fiction, some love non-fiction. The most important thing is to read to your child! 

Table Activities- Our table activities include elephant and piggie playdough, nest building, invite to create elephant, piggie and pigeon, clean a dirty pigeon who doesn't want to take a bath, Mo Willems coloring pages, pigeon, duckling and the cookie clothespins, birdseed bin, elephant, piggie and pigeon puppets.

Small Group- Our small group activities for the week include character on the street, drawing a pigeon, adding a "Don't Let the Pigeon... to our journal, and picking our favorite book to read again.

Large Group- We'll have a blow up elephant and piggies to play with for a bit outside!

Books of the Week- Mo Willems books

Bible Story- This week our story is about the man who could not walk. Jesus was in Capernaum, a village near the Sea of Galilee. When word came that he was visiting a house in that town, so many people came that the house was full. A man who was paralyzed, either by illness or accident, was carried to the house by his friends. There was no way they could get in, so they carefully carried the man to the roof of the house and lifted up roof tiles and lowered him down right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." The teachers of the law that were there were astonished, blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins! 

Jesus knew their thoughts and he said to them, "What would be easier? For me to forgive his sins, or to say, get up, take up your mat and walk?" To show them that he was God and had the authority to forgive sins, he did just that- he healed the man! It was no gradual healing, but immediate! The man got up, took up his mat and walked!

Amazing! Jesus forgives a man and heals a man and all the teachers of the law can think- who gives you the authority? 

Jesus is God and he is man. He came to be like us to save us. He loves us enough to die for us! How blessed we are!

Here's to hoping for a full week of school this week!

Ff is for fractions

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This week we are thinking about part/whole relationships and looking and listening for the letter Ff as we manipulate fractions (parts) of things.

Our Key Development Indicator (KDI) of the week is Part-whole relationships- Children combine and separate quantities of objects. When we cut an object in two, we have two halves, put them back together, we get a whole! We'll explore those concepts this week.

Table Activities- Table activities this week include making and cutting paper pizza, cutting shapes, cutting real fruit in half, quarters and piecing it back together, math manipulatives, pattern block fraction shapes, fake fruit cutting, and cutting playdough.

Small Group Activities- This week our small group activities include cutting shapes in half, cutting shapes in quarters, adding Ff is for fractions to our journal, taking fractions and putting together a whole.

Large group- This week we will cut imaginary fruit as fruit ninjas and cut some balls in half and quarters to see what happens.

Books of the Week- "Eating Fractions" by Bruce McMillan and "Full House: An Invitation to Fractions" by Dayle Ann Dodds.

Bible Story- This week we are hearing about another miracle that Jesus performed. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, but he began much of his ministry closer to the Sea of Galilee. That sea is connected to a large salty body of water called the Dead Sea by the Jordan River. The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake on earth. Many men made a living fishing on the Sea of Galilee in Jesus' day. Jesus was preaching on the shore of the lake when it became so crowded people could no longer see or hear him. He asked some fishermen, brothers named Peter and Andrew, if he could get in their boat and they could put out a little from shore so he could have some space to preach. 

When he was finished preaching, he told Peter to go out to deeper water and let down his nets to catch some fish. Peter told Jesus they had been out all night, and had caught nothing- But Lord, because you say so, we'll do it. 

As soon as Peter let his nets down, the nets became so filled with fish that they began to tear. he called other fishermen out to help him! More fishermen, who were also brothers named James and John came out to help. Both boats were filled with so many fish that they were in danger of sinking! Peter fell to his knees and proclaimed, "Lord, go away from me, I am a sinful man!" Peter had been following Jesus, listening to his teaching and realized more and more that he was the son of God! 

Jesus told him that he would no longer catch fish, but that he would catch men. He would share the message of Jesus. Peter, Andrew,  James and John left their boats behind to follow Jesus. 

We can be fishers of men too! God has given us the ability to share his word with those around us! I can also relate to Peter's statement earlier. Sometimes God tells us to do things that don't make sense, takes people out of our lives or keeps us from doing something we really want to do, he knows us better than we know ourselves. He does everything for our good and his glory!

Have a great week!

What do you want to be?

 

This week we are pretending to be different occupations, having fun role playing and investigating what we would like to be when we grow up!

Our KDI for the week is Cooperative Play- Children engage in cooperative play. This simply means that children learn to work together. As we role play, there are different jobs at each place, for example, you can be the cashier at a flower shop, the flower arranger or the flower delivery person. You work together and pass the task from one person to the next!

Table Activities-  This week we are pretending or having dramatic play in a flower shop, art studio, doctor/veterinarian, grocery store, restaurant and airport/airplane.

Small Group- This week we will watch and listen to a video to guess what the occupation was, add "What do you want to be?" to our journal and make a community helper flip book.

Large Group- We will continue our dramatic play outside with other occupations.

Books of the Week- "The ABC's of What I Can Be" by Caitlin McDonagh and "When I Grow Up" by Al Yankovic.

Bible Story- Our story this week tells about the first miracle Jesus did. Jesus and some of his friends had gone to a wedding in the town of Cana. His mother was also there. In Jesus' time, weddings weren't a one day event, people traveled a long time to attend, so they lasted for an entire week. Guests were provided clothes and food for the whole time. At this wedding feast, they ran out of wine. Wine was a common drink in those days also. Usually at weddings, the best wine was served early and as the week went on, less expensive and lower quality wine was served. It had to be expensive, just like weddings are today! Running out of wine would be an embarrassment. Jesus' mother, Mary, came and told him that they were out. He let her know it wasn't time for him to act yet. She instructed the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. A while later, Jesus told them to fill the water jugs, which they did. He then told them to take a cup of water and present it to the master of the feast. They followed his directions and when the master of the feast took a sip, the water had turned to wine! The master of the feast called the bride and groom to him and complimented them saying- Usually the best wine is served first, but you have saved the best for last! Not only had Jesus made wine from water, it was the best wine! Jesus also asked the servants not to tell anyone that he had done this. His friends saw it and it made them even more eager to follow him. 

Miracles are something that only God can do. Sometimes he chooses to do them through people, like healing, like Paul or Elisha or water from a rock, like Moses. Jesus is able to do miracles because he is God! He does miracles to help people and because he is God. He is not a magician who does and trick and , tada- clap for me!! He does a miracle quietly and humbly, to bring glory to God his Father. As we learn more about Jesus, may our faith be strengthened and encouraged!

Pictures from our week with kangaroos and Australia-