Taste and See

"Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8 NIV)

This week in Science Lab, the students investigated God's magnificent creation.  We've been learning about apples, so this week's  lab was especially tasty. How amazing that a tiny seed can grow into a magnificent tree! And how wonderful that the flesh of the apple, meant to nourish the tiny seedling, provides us with nutritious, delicious fruit!

Will the apple sink or float?

Hooray! Our hypothesis was correct.

Weighing, Measuring, Recording Results

How many seeds does this apple have?

And now for the taste test...

Apple pie? Applesauce? Apple slices? Which one do we like the best?

Being a scientist has its rewards.

Most of the class liked the apple pie best. Now we'll make a graph to record our results.

 

Finding the Right Amount of Tension

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

We used OSMO to work on Number Sense.

OSMO is a fun way to practice skills in math, phonics, science, and social studies.

We worked hard on phonics and handwriting.

We played "I Have, Who Has."

This game helps us learn Sight Words.

Helping students achieve their potential is a lot like tuning a guitar.

To deliver the desired notes, the guitar strings need the right amount of tension. If the strings are too slack, the notes are flat. But if the strings are wound too tightly, they produce a sharp sound. If tightened too much, they may even break. 

  The same is true for the classroom. God created children with beautiful potential.  But if discipline is too lax, and if the students are given too much slack, that beautiful potential will never become reality. 

On the other hand, if there’s too much tension, if the atmosphere in the class is too sharp, the results won’t be pretty.

The same is true with academics. In order to learn new things, students need to struggle a bit. A certain amount of tension is necessary. If the work is too easy, chances are the students aren't learning anything new---just reviewing what they already know. But if the work’s too hard, the students become frustrated. 

As a teacher I’m constantly trying to provide the right amount of tension. I push the students to accept new challenges but to recognize when they’ve given all they can.

I try to make learning fun by adding games and varying activities. But at the same time, I remind the kids that sometimes we have to do things we don't particularly enjoy. Yet if we put in some hard work in the beginning, reading, writing, addition, and subtraction will eventually become second nature. 

And when we find the right amount of tension, we hear the beautiful sound of children who are excited to learn. 

Learning to Work and Play Together

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 ESV

Each one of us is a work in progress. And five- and six-year-olds are growing and developing in many areas. An important aspect of Early Childhood Education is the development of social skills. In the school setting, young children are learning how to learn in groups. They're also learning how to interact with one another during playtime. 

We're learning to help one another...find the page, read the word, understand the directions.

We're learning to learn in a group setting...where we take turns talking, refrain from interrupting, and refrain from distracting our classmates.

We're learning to play together, to share, to listen to our friends' ideas, to collaborate.

We're learning to be considerate of our friends...

...and to take turns.

We're learning to work together in pairs.

We're learning to work together in groups.

 The EC teachers' professional reading this summer was a book entitled The Importance of Being Little by early childhood expert Erika Christakis. In her chapter "Played Out," Christakis discusses how adults can help children navigate the inevitable conflicts that arise as children are learning to play together. She has much wisdom to offer on the subject, so I thought I'd share some of her advice.

"Sometimes we overidentify with our children, which makes us unreliable play coaches. I have been guilty of this many times, convinced my little darlings were being persecuted when in fact they were stirring up trouble...One of the unsung gifts of modern parenting is the enhanced intimacy we feel with our children, but it can be stifling to the cause of unencumbered play," she writes. 

I can relate. As a young mother, I often tried to rush in and solve my children's social problems. But after 40 years of teaching young children, I've learned it's more important to teach children how to deal with conflicts that arise during play.

Here are Erika Christakis' recommendation to adults who want to help their children build resilience through play:

• Practice gentle deflection. When a child reports a negative incident on the playground, clarify that it's not dangerous or destructive, and then move on. ..say, "That sounds annoying, but let's see what' in your backpack."
• If a child reports being called mean words, empower her in a relaxed tone: "But we know you're not a baby! That sounds like silly talk to me."
• Redirect a child who makes sweeping generalities. ("He's always taking my toys away.")…Even little kids can have "frenemies" who grate on their nerves yet offer something worthwhile...rich, extended play serves the dual function of revealing these human challenges and teaching children how to cope with them.
• Remind our children that everyone has struggles to work on when they play. Some kids are shy. Some have trouble controlling their bodies. Some people are good at rules, but aren't very friendly....
• Avoid using the word "bully to describe one-off or even multiple episodes of unkindness from four-and five-year olds. "Bullying" is one of the most over-used words in the school lexicon...In any case, bullying requires a pattern of chronicity and intentionality that describes older children's behavior, not preschoolers' and kindergartners' play.
• Teach children to explicitly disengage when they are feeling put-upon. …If you don't want to be chased, stop running. If a child doesn't want to be the cage cleaner in the Animal Hospital game, she can insist on a new role... Or simply walk away. A new game is always waiting.
• And my most heartfelt suggestion" recognize our children's power. Young children are usually strong enough not to be knocked off their feet by an occasional bad play date and we don't need to stage-manage their play or try to process every infraction with them under the guise of learning, or try to arrange---pitifully and impossibly--for all experiences to be pleasant.

Christakis, Erika. The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need from Grownups. New York: Penguin Books. 2016

Coming Near to God

"Come near to God and he will come near to you."  James 4:8 NIV

Our theme in Chapel this year is: Come Near to God."  

The children come near to God as they learn more about Him in our daily Bible lessons and in Chapel.

They draw near to Him when they sing praise songs.

But we don't just put God in a box and take Him out during Chapel and Bible time.  As the children grow spiritually, I hope they'll be aware that God is with  them throughout the day, no matter what they're doing. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and He is everywhere.

I hope they'll become closer to God as they learn to trust Him to answer their prayers.

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:6 ESV

As the students develop friendships and learn to love one another, they become closer to God.

 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." I John 4:12 ESV

"but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 ESV

 

New Beginnings

  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 ESV

Various stories are circulating concerning events of the first week of school, So I'll set the record straight and tell you what really happened.

We were listening to the story of Toy Story 4, when all of a sudden, Forky came to life. But he ran away! We had to chase him all over the campus. Fortunately, Forky left us clues. We used the QR reader app on the iPad to decode the clues he left. 

We searched everywhere for the renegade spork. And everywhere we went, the kids asked people they met, "Have you seen Forky?" On our search for Forky, we met teachers and other school personnel, such as the nurse, the cafeteria staff, and the librarian. 

We finally found him...he'd returned to the classroom. He realized he wasn't trash after all. He knew he belonged with his friends.

We worked up quite an appetite on our search for Forky, so we were ready for lunch in the cafeteria.

The kids had a great time meeting new friends.

In the course of the day, we performed a scientific investigation and made a discovery: Forky floats!

We mixed up a special road-trip snack mix: Raisin Pop Kaboom.

Our playground is being renovated, so the Preschool has graciously allowed us to use theirs until ours is ready.
Our day ends with Free Centers time, where we build, create, and use our imaginations. And sometimes we go up the ladder to Mickey's Clubhouse and read a book.

 Here are our new T1 Eagles.

In the upcoming school year, we'll be asking lots of questions, knocking on many doors, and seeking new knowledge. But--most importantly--we'll be seeking to know God better.

Welcome

Welcome to Mrs. Kemp’s clubhouse-where anything is possible because we serve a powerful God who is helping us every step of the way. We have a year ahead of us, so get ready to face new challenges, meet new friends, and travel to infinity and beyond.