The Color Yellow

This week, we took a break from our yellow manips.  Instead, we found more Sesame Street characters and a Sesame Street building at a yard sale.  I cleaned these up and left these out for the children to play and explore as they arrived.  They also have the option to eat breakfast brought from home, watch out the window, read a book, put together a puzzle, or watch a learning video on tv.

After all the children arrive and my little guy wakes up, we head outside if it is pretty out or downstairs to our learning room.

Once downstairs, they free play in centers while I prepare snack.  My centers include: A Dramatic Play Area (kitchen and dress up), Reading Nook, Music, Math Manips and flashcards, Blocks, Free Play (outdoor type toys that I have out during winter when we can't get out much such as a teeter totter, riding toys and a slide), art, writing, and sensory/science (this is a hit and miss if I have something included in this.

Learning Time Area/Writing Center

 Science Center: Blue water area was in here as well as our scavenger hunt items we found.  We used those items as color sensory play.

 Full view of our classroom from learning area.

 This area is actually in a separate room that I turned into a ball room so that we had another area to go during those long winter days.  I also had in this room a closet that we called the library with all my extra books and a keyboard for playing music as much as they want and a toy box of random toys.

 Music Center: We have a bucket of instruments below.

 Free Play Area and Blocks

 Manips/Math

 Reading Nook and puppets

 Dress Up (Hoping to figure out a way to organize this and even hang some up, but for now this is easiest for the toddlers to pick up and toss in box.)

 Dramatic Play Center

 Learning Time Table/Lunch and Snack Table

Working on Words/Letters: We worked on the color word yellow daily as well as names.  We would sing and follow along with Y.e.l.l.o.w Spells Yellow on Youtube. We would also review R.e.d. Red, and B.l.u.e. Spells Blue. After we sung about the colors, we would go over our color yellow sheet.  I took pictures of things that were yellow off of Google images, and the students would tell me what each item was and what color it was.  Then, I would hold up a name card and ask who's name it was.  After the students guessed right, we would sing that child's name song (All are to the tunes of Mary Had a Little Lamb or B.I.N.G.O.).  We would continue doing this until we got through all of the names.  We try to sing and point along with the alphabet song to review our letters daily as well.

On Wednesday, we did extra working with words letters instead of a writing activity.  I didn't plan it this way, but we got downstairs later than normal as well as our extra activity took a little longer than I expected.  I decided the toddlers were finally ready for a word wall.  Because they are so smart? Because they know words already? Because they can read already? No, I decided to put it up so that they can see their names all day long as well as see the color words we have been working on weekly.  I feel the more they see them, the quicker they will learn them.  They already know when I point to a certain letter on the chart who's name starts with that letter; therefore, I felt like they were ready to start recognizing their whole name.  Some already can just by recognizing that first letter on the name card.  So back to the word wall...I didn't want to just put it up and let the toddlers come in and see it.  Instead, I decided to put up the letters with them watching and helping me decide who's name goes under which letter.  Amazingly, they were able to help with this task.  We only did A through M at first because I don't have any of their names that start with letters after M.  However, it still took awhile, and we didn't get time to do a writing activity.   (Word Wall sheets came from Hubbard Cupboard! I absolutely love that site.  Forgot How much I enjoyed that site when teaching pre-k!)

We also started doing opposite words during this time.  I have little wooded puzzles that they can connect opposite words.  I only gave them one to start out with until they mastered putting it together and telling me the words.  Then, I gave them a second puzzle if they played with them correctly and didn't try eating them.  (That still seems to be an issue depending on the day. Typical toddler problem!)

 

Listening to Reading: We read several stories about colors. Big Bird, and of course ducks. Some of the stories we read were 10 Little Ducks by Eric Carle (one of my all time favorite authors), Early Bird on Sesame Street, 5 Little Ducks, (There is an amazing Youtube video that the students can watch and follow along with the words.  I love giving them chances to follow along as well as listen to stories on cds, so they aren't just hearing me read to them.) and I Am (used for our writing activity as well), We also read the Creation Story daily.

When reading the I Am, I read it through one time and stop on certain pages to see if they can finish the sentence I am___ by looking at the pictures.  Then, we reread it, but I have the toddlers help me on every page finish the sentence.  This story was very easy for them to pick up on! They were able to read back most of the story to me after only hearing it one time.

Working on Writing: The toddlers love to write! Usually they choose markers to write with; however, this week, they decided to write with them all! Some even wrote with two utensils at the same time!

Day 1: They had the choice to write with yellow markers, yellow crayons, or yellow colored pencils.

Day 2: We wrote our yellow journal entry: yellow sun!  We talked about how God said "Let there be light." and there was! Genesis 1:3. Of course this led to other things God created.  (More of a review for the Creation Story.)

Day 3: We ran out of time to do our writing activity due to spending a lot of extra time on working with words/letters.  

Day 4: Journal Entry-We read I Am and wrote our own entry stating what we are doing. 

Day 5: Yellow Paint! I never saw the toddlers come running to the table to easily before.  The minute I got the paint out, they all were trying to climb into their seats!  I love doing activities that they are excited about!

Reading to Self/With a Buddy: I allow them to read during free time, at the table or with a stuffed animal.  This time is really just picture reading or memorizing and 'rereading' stories such as Five Little Monkeys.  However, I feel it is a huge pre-reading step.  It gets them enjoying books and learning how to hold them correctly.  Some are even starting to picture read and tell me what is happening in the story.  Others are able to repeat almost every word in certain stories just by hearing them and looking at pictures!

Bible Time: We learned about the Creation Story again to go along with yellow sun.  (Like I've said many times before, toddlers learn best by repeating, repeating, repeating!)  We broke out my sample book that the kiddos made last fall, and I 'read' to them out of that. 

 

The next couple of days, we read from a children's Bible and a small board book.  (You have to be careful when reading from anything other than the Bible even children's story Bibles because they aren't always the most accurate; however, children prefer these because of the pictures so change up what is needed and allow them to enjoy.) 

Another day, we acted out the story.  Their favorite part was when I turned the lights out!  They also love pretending to rest on the 7th day!

 Extra Activities: Yellow Scavenger Hunt, Yellow sensory play, fine motor skills with shapes, play dough letters, and of course dress up is always a fun part of our day!  I also introduced mustard to them during lunch and we ate a yellow lunch with corn, mustard, nuggets, and bananas.