by Macky & Veronica | Feb 15, 2019 | Preschool
Present & Past / Presente y Pasado
This week we continued working with our “Present and Past” Unit. We continued studying a variety of pictures that represent typical items from the past and comparing them to those same modern day items. The children did a great job participating and recognizing which pictures represent the past and which pictures represent the present. We also worked with the theme of Valentine’s Day, teaching the children that Valentine’s Day is a day to share with the people we love, our friends and family. I also taught 
them that the most common symbols of Valentine’s Day is the heart, especially the red and pink ones. We also talked about how friends usually give out chocolates, flowers and stuffed animals on this fun day.. The kids did a great job doing activities related to Valentine’s Day: printing their little hands, making a flower, decorating hearts. They loved to share with their friends.
Letras
This week we continued practicing the letter B/ letra B. Be sure to point out the letter that we practice when you are reading. The English and Spanish pronunciation of this letter sound are virtually the same. We traced the letter with crayons, traced the letter with markers on the blackboard, made the letter with play dough, sand and rice too.
Número
This week we started working with the number 11/el número once, doing different activities, like counting and sorting 11 eleven/once with little manipulatives: bears, beans, little play dough balls. As well, they worked tracing the number 11/número once in a piece of paper.
La Figura y Color
This month we continued working with corazon/heart shape, the kids did different activities with heart shape as, cutting a hearth shape and glue it in a piece of paper, glue a little pieces of paper in a hearth shape too. Also, the kids were passing the shape to examine the heart shape up close. We continued reinforcing the color names we have learned: rojo/red, azul/blue, verde/green, amarillo/yellow, cafe/brown, and the new color to learn this month pink/rosado. Kids had fun searching around the classroom for pink color too.
Have an excellent long weekend!
by Macky & Veronica | Feb 8, 2019 | Preschool
February, the month of love and friendship!! Our new theme for this month is: “The Past and Present” We will learn that the world has not always been as it is today by discovering things they use in everyday life that were not available long ago. They’ll use reasoning and imagination to think of ways to live without those items and experiment with pioneer life.
The goal of this unit is that the children will understand that many things they take for granted have not always existed. This prepares them for future cultural history lessons. We looked at a variety of pictures to represent old items. Typical items that I showed them: a candle, the way that people used to have night light; a horse, old schools, houses, television, the ways to deliver the mail, and transportation ways. Also, I showed them pictures of items in our present lives such as streets with asphalt, modern houses, airplanes, trains, communication ways, etc.
In our circle time before of our activity I taught kids that before they were born, before their parents were born, before their grandma and grandpa were born…the world was very different. So, I gave them some pictures to show them. Then, they did and activity to guess if children who lived long ago, even before their grandma and grandpa were born, might have had those things (wagon, ink, and old things). They did a great job for our short week of school. I am so glad to see kids participate with this activity.
Letras
This week we went over to the letter B/ letra B. Be sure to point out the letter that we practice when you are reading. The Spanish and English pronunciation of this letter sound are the same.
Bolsa – bag or sack,
Bandera – flag,
Bicicleta – bicycle,
Ballena – whale,
Barco- boat.
Número
This week we co
ntinued working with the number 10(diez) doing different activities, as counting and sorting 10 ten/diez little manipulatives. As well, they worked tracing the number 10/número diez on the classroom blackboard.
La Figura y Color
This month we started working with the corazon/heart shape, a perfect time to see this shape! The kids were playing with the shape, tracing the heart with their fingers. Also, the kids were passing the shape to examine it up close. Also, the kids continued reinforcing the colors names that they learned as rojo/red, azul/blue, verde/green, and amarillo/yellow, cafe/brown, and the new color to learn this month pink/rosado.
Have a good and warm weekend!
by Macky & Veronica | Feb 1, 2019 | Preschool
This week we finished the unit “Classic Tales”/ “Cuentos Cásicos”. This was an amazing month! Kids loved and enjoyed the classic fairy tales that we read! There are morals to learn from in each of the classic tales. This week the kids learned about “La Gallinita Roja”. This basic story outline is a tale of the little red hen who finds that none of her lazy friends are willing to help her plant, harvest, or grind wheat into a flour. Yet they all are eager to eat the bread she makes from it. Therefore, at the time she asked their friends “who wants to eat the bread? Everyone wanted!!! Ahahaa, nooo she said” I did everything by myself, so I am going to eat by myself”. The friends (dog, cat and mouse) then learned they should help the red little hen with all their chores from then on.
The little red hen is a very simple fable that invites children to reflect on the importance of working and striving to achieve things. I invite parents to take advantage of this moral, motivating with collaboration inside the house. The little red hen can serve as a motivation for them to acquire new and small responsibilities (setting the table, bringing the dishes to the kitchen after eating, organizing their toys, carrying the dirty clothes to the basket, to name a few) that will help your children who are becoming more autonomous every day. And autonomy is one of the keys to healthy self-steem.
Vocabulary learned this week:
Gallina – hen,
Gato – cat,
Perro – dog,
Raton – mouse.
We did some fun activities: paper red little hen, sequencing (first next, and last), painting in white paper the colors of the red little hen story (combination of colors…red, yellow and brown), and kids made their own pizza. The kiddoss enjoyed their projects!
Letra
This week we learned all about the letter Dd/ letra Dd. Be sure to point out the letter that we practice when you are reading. The Spanish and English pronunciations for the letter D are virtually the same. (Sometimes you will hear more of a /th/ sound in the Spanish pronunciation.)
Pre-K letter practice!
Preschool letter practice!
dedo – finger,
dinosaurio – dinosaur,
delfin – Dolphin,
delantal – apron,
diez – ten,
dientes – tooth.
We incorporated our touch investigation with the letter, Dd/ letra Dd.
Número
This week we worked with the number 10 (número diez) doing different activities: counting 1-10 using stickers, counting some manipulatives, 10 ducks, horses, bears and blocks. As well, they worked tracing the number 10/número diez.
La Figura y el Color
This week we continued learning the oval shape (óvalo). And also, we reviewed all the shapes that kids are learning: circle/circulo, square/cuadrado, triangle/triángulo, rectangle/rectangulo, and oval/óvalo. Also, kids were coloring sheets of paper using different colors, reviewing our color range: rojo/red, azul/blue, verde/green, yellow, amarillo and and café/brown.
Have a great weekend 
by Macky & Veronica | Jan 25, 2019 | Preschool
This week children continued learning the “Cuentos Clasicos” Unit. We read the classic tale “Pinocchio.” The main idea of this fairy tale is that lying is bad and you do not have to do this.
This is a description of Pinocchio Story:
“Geppetto was a carpenter who made wooden toys for the children of his village. One day, he made a wooden puppet. As soon as he had finished, the puppet came alive and began to dance and sing. Next day he sent Pinocchio to school. On the way Pinocchio found a puppet show. He began dancing with the puppets. The puppet master gave Pinocchio five gold coins and said, “Give these to your father.”
Then Pinocchio met a shy fox. He told him if he planted the coins under a tree, he would get many more in the morning. So, Pinocchio planted the coins and went to sleep under the tree.
The fox tied Pinocchio to the tree, took the coins and ran away.
A kind fairy, dressed in blue, set Pinocchio free. Pinocchio began making up a story to tell the Blue fairy. Then a strange thing happened. Pinocchio’s nose began to grow longer and longer. The more he spoke, the longer it grew.
“Stop!” said Pinocchio.
“It won’t stop. Every time you tell a lie, your nose will grow longer,” said the Blue Fairy. “Please make it stop,” said Pinocchio. “I promise not to lie again.”
The next day, on his way to school, Pinocchio met a boy who said, “Come away with me to Funland.” “In Funland every day is a holiday!” the boy said. “There are toys and games and sweets. And best of all, no lessons to learn!”
So, Pinocchio rushed off with the boy to Fun land. He had lots of fun playing and eating.
Suddenly, Pinocchio and the other boys found their ears growing longer. They were turning into donkeys! The wizard of Fun land had cast a spell on them.
As they wandered around, they came to a circus. The ringmaster made Pinocchio work for the circus. There, Pinocchio hurt his leg while doing tricks. The angry ringmaster threw him into the sea.
In the water, the spell was broken. Pinocchio became a puppet once more. A whale that was swimming by opened its huge mouth and swallowed Pinocchio.
In the Whale’s stomach, Pinocchio saw Geppetto in his boat. “I was looking for you when the whale swallowed me up. I am so glad to have found you!” he said. They hugged each other in delight. “I shall be a good boy from now on,” promised Pinocchio. When the whale was asleep, they crept out of its huge mouth and sailed home. When they reached home, Geppetto fell ill. Pinocchio fed him hot soup and looked after him. “I will go to school and work hard so that I can earn lots of money,” said Pinocchio. “You will never have to work again.”
So, Pinocchio studied hard in the school. Then one day a wonderful thing happened. The Blue Fairy appeared and said, “Pinocchio, you are brave and have a kind heart. You deserve to become a real boy.”
So, she turned him into a little boy. Geppetto and Pinocchio lived together happily.”
Kids learn new vocabulary this week:
Papá – father,
Pinocho – Pinocchio,
Grillo – cricket,
Hada – fairy,
Burro – donkey,
Zorro – fox,
Ballena- whale,
Nariz – nose.
As well the children did activities such as making Pinocchio, donkey ears, cricket and fairy puzzles. We had a great time playing with donkey ears, and Pinocchio’s nose !
Letras
This week the children reviewed the letters that they are learning (A,E,I,O,U,M,S,T,P,N,F,L), as well, we gave them a little introduction of our new program to learn the letter sounds “Estrellita.” All the kids are getting very good at saying the word chart. They were very excited!
Números
We continued working with the number 9/numero nueve, kids did some different activities, as counting 9 manipulatives, the kiddos used stickers, little animals farm animals as ducks, horses, sheep, pigs, rabbits, and donkeys. Also, they were tracing the number nine.
La Figura y el Color
This week kids continued learning the oval shape (óvalo). We had fun with activities tracing ovals and looking around our classroom for the oval shape. Then, we continued learning and working with brown color /color café. We colored brown donkey ears and searched for different brown manipulatives in the classroom.
Have a great weekend!
by Macky & Veronica | Jan 18, 2019 | Preschool
This week children continued learning the “Cuentos Clasicos” Unit. We read the classic tale “Caperucita Roja”/ “Little Red Ridding Hood”. This classic fairy tale is one of my favorites that helps teach children about protective behaviors. This can be a difficult but important task and by using this classic tale I can assist preschoolers in the understanding and discussion of stranger danger concepts.
The main ideas of discussing in class:
What is a stranger?
How does your body tell you that you are scared?
Who are your safe people to talk to when you are scared?
What can you do when you don’t feel safe?
For the purpose of this preschool lesson plan on stranger danger concepts here is the basis of the story :little Red Riding Hood”: Granny is sick in bed and Little Red Riding Hood’s mother asks Little Red Riding Hood to take cakes to her. Granny lives on the other side of a very scary, deep, dark forest. On the way a wolf jumps out and asks Little Red Riding Hood what she is doing. She is very scared but answers the wolf regardless. The wolf runs away and uses the newly learned information to his advantage. Little Red Riding Hood continues to Granny’s house, but when she arrives a strange voice calls out “come in dear”. The wolf has dressed in Granny’s clothes and attempts to eat Little Red Riding Hood. A wood cutter hears her screams and comes to her and her Granny’s rescue. The wood cutter takes Granny and Little Red Riding Hood home safely.
Thus, after reading the story we discuss in class as:
Little Red Riding Hood does not know the wolf, and naively tells information. What is a stranger? I explained that strangers are people we do not know, some are nice, some not, but because we do not know them, we need to know how to keep ourselves safe.
Little Red Riding Hood might like to tell her mother she is scared. Who can you talk to when you are scared? Who are your safe people?
These are all important things that could be reinforced and discussed at home as well.
The kiddos loved the story as they participated in this tale. We had fun and did activities that helped with fine motricity such as: creating a little red riding hood, wolf, and basket. Kids learned our new vocabulary of the week:
Caperucita roja – little red riding hood,
Lobo –wolf,
Abuelita – grandmother,
Mamá-mother,
Cazador – hunter,
Canasta -basket.
Letra
This week we learned all about the letter Ll/ letra Ll. Be sure to point out the letter that we practice when you are reading. The Spanish and English pronunciation of this letter sound are virtually the same.
Leche – milk,
Lampara – lamp,
Leon – lion,
Lagartija – lizard,
Lechuga – lettuce,
Lapiz – pencil,
Luna – moon.
Números
We worked with the number 9 – número nueve. We had fun with our different activities, such as counting 1-9 using stickers, dots, counting objects, and tracing the number too.
La Figura y el Color
This week we continued learning the oval shape (óvalo). We talk about the shape while the kiddos took turns passing it around in order to examine it up close. They also traced this shape on the board and looked for this shape around the classroom. We also continued learning and working with the brown color /color café.
have a great long weekend!! 🙂
by Macky & Veronica | Jan 11, 2019 | Preschool
This week we started working with “Classic Tales” /“Cuentos Clásicos”. Classic tales are a quintessential part of our culture and a great way to teach life lessons. One of the great traits of fairy tales is that children always have a lesson to share. Then, this month children will learn different Classic Tales to share like “The three pigs and the wolf/ Los tres cerditos y el lobo”, “Red Riding Hood/Caperucita roja”, “Pinocchio/Pinocho”, and “The Little Red Hen/La gallinita roja”.
This week we focused on the classic tale “The three pigs and the wolf”. I read the kids a copy of this classic fairy tale. This basic story outline is a tale of three pigs and each builds a home. One takes little time in building the home out of straw and spends the rest of his time playing and relaxing. A second pig builds his home out of sticks, which takes slightly longer, but he too values relaxation time. A third pig chooses to build a home out of bricks, which requires a great deal of time and effort. He values taking the time to build a home properly over relaxation and recreation. When the Big Bad Wolf comes to the homes only the third pig’s house of bricks stand up to the pressure applied by the wolf.
After I read the kids the three pigs and the wolf tale, we talked about the moral of this story that has inspired generations to work hard for success, with hope that the hard work will eventually lead to favorable outcomes. As well, we had fun and worked hard in class doing our projects and cleaning up all the toys!!
We worked on projects of the three little pigs houses (straws or hay, sticks, and bricks), using different materials, such as straws or hay, sticks and red paper pretending the bricks. As well, we worked on the pig’s houses sequences, retelling what comes first, next, and last in the story.
Vocabulary learned this week:
Casa/house,
Tres cerditos/three little pigs,
Lobo/wolf.
Letra
This week we incorporated our touch investigation with the letter Ff/ letra Ff. Be sure to point out the letters that we practice when you are reading. This letter makes the same sound in Spanish and English.
foco/lightbulb,
futbol/soccer,
falda/skirt,
fresa/strawberry.
Número
This week the kids continued learning the number 8 / ocho, as well we we over the numbers that kids are learning in this class (1-8) the kiddos did different activities, as counting and recognizing the number through manipulatives, dice game, also they traced the number 8 eight in the classroom board.
La Figura y el Color
This month kids will learn the oval shape (ovalo). I talk about the shape with the kids passing around the oval shape, and they could examine this shape up close. Then, they traced this shape on the board and then looked for the oval shape around our classroom. As well, we introduced them to the new color:café/brown, so we used a brown crayons to draw shapes and numbers.
Have a great weekend!!
by Macky & Veronica | Dec 21, 2018 | Preschool
This week we continued and finished our month topic “Celebraciones”. I personally enjoy this unit because kids were able to learn a little bit about other culture’s traditions such a Kwanzaa, Hanukah and Christmas. For the little ones, Christmas is a magical time of the year.We talked about how Christmas is not just all about receiving gifts, it’s also about doing things for others. Besides, learning about the tradition of other cultures is essential in today’s global classroom. We learned about the Christmas Mexican tradition. We were able to learn that in Mexico Christmas is celebrated from December 12th to January 6th. From December 16th to Christmas Eve, children often perform the “Posada” procession (in or lodging) they celebrate nine posadas. These celebrate the part of the Christmas story where Joseph and Mary looked for somewhere to stay. For the posadas, the outside of houses is decorated with evergreens, moss and paper lanterns. In each posada, children are given a candle, they call at the houses of friends and neighbors and sing a song at each home. The song they sing is about Joseph and Mary asking for room in the house. But the children are told that there is not room in the house and they must go away. Eventually, they are told there is room and are welcomed in! When the children go in the house, they say prayer of thanks and they have a party with food, games and fireworks. One game that is often played at the posada parties is a piñata that is a decorated clay or paper-matche jar filled with sweets and hung from the ceiling or tree branch. Children take turns to hit the piñata with a stick until it splits open and the sweets pour out. The children rush to pick up as many sweets as they can!!
People in Mexico also celebrates “los Santos Inocentes” or “day of the Innocent Saints” on December 28th and is very like April Fools Day. Another important day is in January 6th called “El dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos” ’ Epiphany, the Feast of The Three Kings”.
They were very excited knowing about Mexican tradition, and the best thing for them I believe was to have the experience to live a little bit of this tradition as, singing and breaking the pinata, and rushing to pick up the sweets!!
After all, kids did crafts related with Christmas such as a crown for Santa Claus, a crown of a star, they also did their name on a paper snowman, they played with piñatas, and they did a Christmas card for their parents.
LETRAS
This week, we reviewed the vowels/ las vocales (A, E, I, O, U). and letters M, S, P, T, N We did activities as, letters games, draw, coloring and letters recognition.
Número
8 Ocho
La Figura y el Color
This week kids continued learning the rectángulo shape (rectangle).We explained that rectangles are like a square stretched out. It is a shape longer than it is wide, and it can be turned so that it is wider than it is long. Each rectangle side has a corresponding side of the same length. I showed them a picture of a rectangle to demonstrate. Then, kids were looking for rectangular toys, blocks and rectangular books to play with and be more familiar with the concept of what a rectangle is. As well, the kids were coloring rectangle shapes with yellow color and playing with yellow blocks and bears.
I hope all families had a wonderful winter break and enjoy their holiday!!!
by Macky & Veronica | Dec 14, 2018 | Preschool
This week we continued working with our Celebrations unit. We learned about the Kwanzaa Celebration. This Kwanzaa theme helped kids learn about this weeklong celebration of the values and traditions of the African-American culture. Children learned that it is a celebrated for 7 days, December 26th through January 1 each year. We learned that the celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture. We also learned that during Kwanzaa a special candle holder called a kinara is used. They learned that a kinara holds seven candles: three reds, three greens and a black candle in the center. Each night during Kwanzaa a candle is lit. After all they learned in the circle time, we enjoyed dancing to Afro-American music. We had so much fun! We enjoyed our crafts and activities with the Unity Cup, that represents family and community, paper candles (red, green and black) the color of the bendera/bandera (African Flag), and Corn that represents the children in the community.
Letra
This week learned all about the letter Nn /la letra Nn. Be sure to point out the letter that we practice when you are reading. This letter makes the same sound in English and Spanish.
naranja/orange,
nueve/nine,
nudo/knot
nube/cloud.
Nido/nest,
Nutria/nutria.
Número
This week the kids learned the number 7, el número siete. We did all sorts of different activities, as counting and recognizing the number through Legos, play dough, as well they traced the number 7 seven in the classroom board.
Special focuses this week were on the rectangle and how many sides it has and the color yellow/ amarillo.
by Macky & Veronica | Dec 7, 2018 | Preschool
December is here and the holidays too!! So, this month we are going working with our “Celebration” Unit. We are going to learn about Hanukkah, Kwanza and Christmas celebration. This week we started working with the Januca/Hanukkah celebration. The kids will be learning about the different ways to share with others. They will learn about values and generosity by examples. Monday and Tuesday kids were working on their stocking decoration to add to our awesome preschool bulletin board. They did a great job decorating their stocking sock using their own imagination and at the same time developing their fine motricity using all the manipulative decorations. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday they learned about the Hanukkah celebration. Kids learned that holidays give us a wonderful opportunity to share and learn about different traditions. The kids were really exited learning a little bit of this Januca/Hanukkah tradition. The kids did a different activity such as: kids painted their hands with a blue water paint and they print their little hands in a piece of white paper making a Menorah: candle holder with nine branches.
LETRAS
This week learned all about the letter Tt. Be sure to point out the letter that we practice when you are reading. This letter has pretty much the same pronunciation in English and Spanish. (Less air in the Spanish pronunciation.)
tomate/tomato
tambor/drum
tijeras/scissors
triciclo/tricycle
tortuga/ turtle
We had fun with out letter activities: find the letter Tt in our classroom, letters game, drawing, coloring and recognition of letter Tt.
NÚMEROS
We were working and reviewing the number 7/número siete. The kids did a good job counting and recognizing the number 7. They did different activities like counting dots, blocks, stickers, fishes, color and tracing the number seven too. Forming groups of a given number is an important skill and something you can continue to work on at home during play time.
La Figura y Color
The ability to accurately identify shapes is a foundational mathematical skill, and it is quite rewarding for children because their world is full of shapes. Understanding shapes will enable students to be more in tune to the world around them and see the connections between objects. So, this month we started working with rectangulo shape (rectangle). We talked about it and examined it up close. We counted and noticed that this shape has a 4 sides/cuatro lados, just like a square but two sides are longer. We also reviewed the yellow/amarillo color, coloring, and finding different yellow/ amarillo objects in our classroom.
Have a wonderful weekend
