Tiny Tribe

The Boys Make Father's Day cards.... shhhh!!!!!!

The boys spent their class time this morning making secret Father's Day presents with Jennifer. We want to keep what they're making a secret, so the father's will be surprised on Friday! After class time, they set off to QFC to get some "special ingredients" for the second half of the present.

Finn happily told Jennifer and his friends how much his Dad loves baseball.

John talked about how he loves going on vacation with his Dad.

Austin thought it was hilarious when Finn and John were being silly about the glue :)

Chase had so much fun joining the Centipedes for this special art project!

Kenney Home Girls On a Scenic Bus Tour- Thanks Charlie!

The girls and boys split just for the day so the boys could finish their Father's Day projects while the girls took a trip to the Kenney Home. Everyone enjoyed themselves at the Kenney Home, and the girls were feeling extra loving today, blowing everyone kisses! On the way back to Jena's, Charlie, the Kenney Home bus driver, took us on a nice tour of Alki Beach and Schmitz Park. The kids had a blast- Thank You, Charlie!

Ava being silly on the bus!

Raya loved looking at all the trees in Schmitz Park.

Eva peeked around her front-row seat :)

Kaya checking out beautiful downtown Seattle.

Lena wanted to take a peek at the skyline too.

Back to Jena's-time for a good snack before lunch!

Summer Is Right Around the Corner...!

We got a taste of the beautiful summer weather today, so we took advantage of it and played outside this morning. The kids had a blast, check out the photos!

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Feelings and Emotions: Circle Time

Today, because there were only ten kids we decided that we would all have circle time together. Carrie brought out our box of felt stories and found something that we haven't talked about in a long time - the feelings flashcards! On the flashcards are pictures of different kids experiencing emotions with the name of the feeling on the card. The kids first guessed what feeling the child on the card was experiencing, and then we asked them for examples of what makes them feel that feeling.

Carrie: What feeling is this? Does this kid look happy or sad?
Kids: Happy!
Carrie: What makes you feel happy Luka?
Luka: I really am happy when I get to jump on the bouncy castle!

By having the kids name a feeling that they see on a card, and then give examples of when they feel that way, we are all learning ways to interpret and experience both our own feelings, and the feelings of our friends. The kids were really happy to talk about different times that they were mad, happy, sad or even shy. It was also quite the hoot to hear what made them mad or happy!

"We sort the marbles!"

Often during circle time, we talk with the kids about simple math and patterns. We often ask them to do simple addition, and to help us sort colors or objects. When we do this, the kids are overly enthusiastic, and without knowing it - they incorporate it into their free play! When there wasn't room for Finn, Austin and Nolan to play with playdough today during classroom time, they went into the preschool room by themselves and began to play with marbles.

After a few minutes of just feeling the marbles, and having them roll around them (and attempting to build some pretty awesome towers!), Finn, Nolan and Austin began sorting the marbles by color.

Finn: "We should put all the blue ones in this box! One blue marble, two blue marbles, three blue marbles!"
Nolan: "Yeah, I am going to get the red ones in this box!"

This is a great example of how the things we learn in circle time, and the math that the kids are learning become an integral part of the way that they play. Also, without any prompting the kids began to understand (and act out) simple math and patterns which shows us ways in which we can learn math creatively.

Positive Discipline Parenting Tools by Jane Nelson

Listen

Children will listen to you AFTER they feel listened to.

1.) Notice how often you interrupt, explain, defend your position, lecture, or give a command when your child tries to talk to you.

2.) Stop and just listen. It is okay to ask questions such as, "Can you give me an example? Is there anything else?"

3.) When your child is finished, ask if she is willing to hear you.

5.) After sharing, focus on a solution that works for both.

Eye to Eye

Have you noticed it doesn't work when you sit on the couch and yell at your child from across the room?

1.) Stop whatever you are doing. Get up and get close enough to your child and see his or her eyes.

2.) You'll notice that you speak more softly when you make the respectful effort to see your child's eyes.

Empower Your Kids

Share control with young people so they can develop the skills needed to have power over their own lives.

1.) Teach life skills.

2.) Focus on solutions together.

3.) Have faith in your children.

4.) Let go (in small steps)

5.) Increase self awareness: How do you feel? What do you think? How does this affect what you want in your life?

Classroom Patterns

Patterns are introduced to the class in many ways. We move from simple patterns to more complex patterns througout the year. As one of today's classtime choices, the Centipedes created their own multi-part patterns by using the colors yellow, green, pink, purple, blue and orange. Patterns are all around us, from the clothing we wear to the repeating patterns found in nature. Patterning is also a simple math skill upon which many mathematical concepts are based. Times tables, addition and skip counting all require an understanding of and proficiency in patterning. In preschool, identifying and creating patterns is just the beginning of the mastery of life-long mathematical skills

Myla, Eleanor and Austin talked about what colors they were going to use for their pattern.

Eleanor recited every color she used on her paper strip.

Myla looked for more pink squares to add to her pattern.

Our Little Beetles Explore the World of Bugs

Summer is a great time for learning about nature, life cycles, planting and growing, the weather, and one of our favorite's... bugs! We have set up a terrarium in our classroom which we plan to use as a bug habitat. We've been collecting sticks, rocks, moss, and leaves on our neighborhood walks and are now looking for some bugs to add.

We've been reading about all kinds of different bugs during circle time and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our painted lady caterpillars.

When bug hunting, we have to use our senses. We must stop to notice the ground in front of us and move in for a closer look. For a toddler, it is a delightful surprise to lift a rock and find a worm underneath or to watch a beetle, potato bug, or centipede scurry away quickly.

The Beetle class explored the neighborhood in the rain, looking for small creatures below.

How is it moving? Plants don't move....

What does it mean to hold things gently?

They learn about life by examining life.

Low Tide at Lincoln Park w/ Beach Naturalists

What is low tide?

Why does the water go away from the shore?

I was just here on Saturday and the water came all the way up to these logs!

How does the moon pull the water out so far?

What kinds of creatures can we find under these rocks and seaweed?

Tides rise beneath the Moon as the Earth turns. The gravity of the Moon tugs at the oceans, pulling the water around with it. Once every two weeks, the Sun and the Moon line up with the Earth. Their combined pull creates a spring tide, where the tides are higher than usual.

For us, that means hopping on a quick bus ride to Lincoln Park to explore the beach. The rain was coming down on us today but we were all geared up in rain pants, rain boots, and rain coats to explore the wet beach comfortably.

We found starfish is many shapes, colors, and sizes. We found crabs, sea snails, sea worms, anemone, and even a fish. The beach naturalists from the Seattle Aquarium were around to teach us about different animals and plant life. We are very lucky to be a short bus ride away from such an amazing natural outdoor classroom.

Beetle Bracelet Making

Lena created some beaded bracelets this morning during class time. First, she made one for her Aunt Lo Lo so she can take it home with her on the airplane today. She made one for her mama, too.

Raya also beaded a bracelet for her mama. Here she is showing it off.

Kaya was excited about her bracelet and hasn't taken it off all day.

Eva was being silly, showing her friends the bracelet that she created.

Celebrating our New Bug Aquarium!

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As a fun way to learn about bugs, we all decided that we were going to fill an aquarium with bug-related things - the bugs themselves, plants, leaves, grass, rocks and sand. Our adventure to the beginning of our bug aquarium began earlier in the day when we talked about different types of bugs at circle time. After reading a bug book that showed us what the bugs looked like (UP CLOSE! and MAGNIFIED!), the kids helped Jena draw a picture of what would go into our bug aquarium. The kids enthusiastically shouted out the things that bugs might need like air and water, and others shouted out different kinds of bugs, like ladybugs and beetles.

During our class time, some of the Centipedes molded things for the bug aquarium with clay, and others drew pictures of what a bug aquarium might look like. Luka and Layla drew flowers, and different bugs to show what they would put in their own bug aquarium.

Then, on our morning walk we all looked around as hard as we could for little bugs to add to the aquarium, and ended up with a few worms and some foliage for the bugs to munch on. Talking with the kids about the different things that bugs need to live and drawing imaginary bug aquariums not only shows them creative ways to see nature, it also teaches them a lot about life cycles. Beginning with pretending to be baby caterpillars (and butterflies) at circle time, and ending with asking them what bugs need to survive, it teaches the kids what all creatures need to survive.

Playdough to Plato -Sight words around the classroom

My friend and colleague, Malia, who most of us at Tiny Tribe simply know as "Chase's mom", is also deeply committed to education. Aside from working hard to become a master teacher, she has also developed an amazing program called Playdough to Plato, for parents and educators like you and me. I love her weekly blog posts and early literacy tips. She has one main purpose: to make learning engaging and supremely effective for our youngest learners. That excites me because I share the same mission in my preschool program. Her ideas are always play-based, fun, and outside-the-box. She knows that kids don't learn best with rote flashcards and workbook pages, but that they are most engaged when we cater their experiences to their own interests and abilities.

The Labeling Game from Playdough to Plato

Last week, Malia's idea for using sight words around the classroom gently encouraged me. Running a childcare and preschool program and being the mom to a three-year-old is a lot of work but, I do have a marker and some paper sentence strips and a roll of masking tape... and that's all I need to change the learning environment up in a big way. When I mentioned the idea to some of the kids the next morning they joined in with their own excitement.

As we walked around Tiny Tribe together, the preschoolers wanted me to label everything.

Ooohhh, ooooh, Jena! Let's write "toilet" on the toilet!
How about "couch "and "book shelves"?

"Sink has an "S" in it just like my name!

That spells garbage, right?
T-r-a-s-h spells garbage.

We're still learning, remember? :)

Hey, let's hide from my mom in the "l-o-f-t" , okay?

That comment really made me smile because I am regularly spelling things around the kids

that I want to keep a secret. Ha!

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, 13! Whoa! Refrigerator has thirteen letters!

Malia understands that the life of a busy parent, or preschool teacher, is full and hectic and we need simple and easy. Life is three-dimensional and for young children, learning takes place in real life moments, like gardening in the yard, cooking in the kitchen, shopping at the grocery store, or going to the bathroom. Thank you, Malia, for helping the teachers at Tiny Tribe

make learning easy and fun for everyone!