This week for Large Group, we worked on using the "G" or frog sound in words and phrases.  We sang the Go In My Car song and also used our hands for the word "go" as we sang.

We used the parachute to help us understand the meaning of the words up, down, under, stop, go and to help us practice counting.  We practiced moving the parachute up and down.  When we moved it up, we looked to see who we could see across the circle and said hi.  We listened for Teacher Heidi to say "GO" and we shook the parachute until we heard her say "STOP".  

We then played a game where we took turns choosing a number and we counted to that number and then ran under the parachute until we heard Teacher Heidi say "STOP" and then we came out and chose another number.  If we could not say a number, we could use our fingers to show what number we wanted or we pointed to the number on a piece of paper.

We had so much fun and didn't want to stop!

The "G" Sound-The Frog Sound

The "G" Sound-The Frog Sound

For the month of April, we are working on the "g" or the Frog Sound.  This sound is made by keeping your tongue back and using your voice to say "g".  If you put your hand on your neck when you say this sound, you can feel your voice vibrating to make the sound.  

We practiced saying the "g" sound by itself and in words.  This month we are going to be singing the Go In My Car song because it helps us practice saying "g" in the word "go".  When we sing the song, we use our hands to sign the word "go" as we sing.  Ask your child to show you how to use their hands to say the word "go".

You can work on this sound as home with some of the following activities:

-Have a race between cars.  Ask your child to say "go" at the beginning of each race.

-Set up a goal and kick a ball through it.  Ask your child to say "goal" each time a goal is made.

-Play with toy cars and trucks.  Model the word "gas" by going to get "gas" in the car or truck.

-Have your child put gum balls into a container saying "gum" for each one.

-Practice the word "gone" by having your chid say "all gone" when a snack is finished or when toys get put away or when a family member leaves.

Emotion Game

  This  week for Large Group, we talked about emotions and how you can tell how people are feeling by looking at their faces.  We played the Emotion Game.  Before we played, we reviewed the story of Emo Egg and talked about some of the emotions that Emo felt and how his face looked.  We practiced making each emotion with our own faces.  We then stood in a circle and we used our emotion and action dice to play the game.  One friend tossed the emotion dice to tell us how we were going to feel and another friend tossed the action dice to tell us what we were going to do.  We sang about the emotion and did the action to an adapted version of the song, If You're Happy and You Know It.  We sang...if you're happy, happy, happy clap your hands.  If you're happy, happy, happy clap your hands.  If you're happy clap your hands, if you're happy clap your hands, if you're happy, happy, happy clap your hands.  

We sang different words and did different actions to the song depending on what happened when we threw the dice.  We sang about being mad, scared, tired, sad, surprised and happy.  We growled, jumped, shouted hooray, clapped our hands, took a nap and stomped our feet. 

You can play this game at home by thinking of an emotion and asking your child what action they think would go with that emotion.  You can sing the song and do the action together.

Emo Egg

 

Last week for Large Group, we talked about emotions.  We talked about how an emotion is a feeling and how we can often tell by the look on someone's face how they feel.  We met Emo Egg.  Emo goes to preschool just like we do.  We heard a story about Emo's day at preschool and we learned about different emotions he felt and how his face looked when he felt them.  We practiced identifying the emotions by looking at Emo's face and making those emotions with our faces.  

We also sang If You Chance To Meet a Frown holding our own egg faces and we turned our egg face when we sang about a frown and a smile.  

To practice using the "t" sound or the ticking sound in phrases, we also sang the song Oh I Wish I Were A Teeny Tiny Egg.

You can play an emotion game at home by showing your child different emotions on your face and have them guess how you might be feeling.  You can switch places and have them show the emotions on their face and you have to guess what emotion they are feeling. 

Are you a.......???

This week for Large Group, we talked about animals and we practiced answering "yes/no" questions and asking questions.  We also practiced pretending to be an animal.

We read the story Are You A Cow?  by Sandra Boynton.  As we read each page, we answered each question with a yes or no.  To answer some of us used a thumbs up for yes or thumbs down for no or we used a picture symbol to point.  

After we read the story, we played a game where we each took a turn going behind a box and choosing an animal and making the sound that animal would make.  The rest of the class would use their "listening ears" and listen for the animal sound that was coming from behind the box and then they would guess what animal they thought it was.  When they made their guess, they would try to guess using the question, "Are you a duck?". If the class guessed right, the person behind the box would answer yes. If the class guess wrong, the person would answer "no" and the class would make another guess.

You can play the animal guessing game at home too.  You can also listen to and watch the story Are You A Cow? by searching the book title on YouTube.

Farmer in the Dell

Last week for Large Group, we talked about animals.  We practiced answering "wh" questions by telling Teacher Heidi what animal we thought Old MacDonald would have on his farm.  After we named an animal, we told the class what we thought that animal would sound like and we all sang the  Old MacDonald Had a Farm song using the animal we named and how we thought that animal would sound.  

We pretended to be many animals.  We were donkeys, pigs, cows, dogs, ducks, cats, horses and chickens.  Some of us even thought that maybe Old MacDonald had some dinosaurs, monkeys, snakes and elephants.

You can work on answering "wh"questions and using words and phrases at home by playing the same game with family and/or friends.

"T" the Ticking Sound

This month we are working on the "t" sound or the ticking sound.  We will be practicing using this sound by itself and in words and sentences.  There is a visual cue for this sound that is made by putting your hand in a fist and then flipping your pointer finger up when you say "t".  This visual cue is to remind us that when we say "t" our tongue goes up.

Some things you can do at home to work on the "t" sound are:

-Play the "tip toe game".  Walk around on your "tippy toes" saying "tip toe" as you walk.

-Get some toothbrushes and pretend to brush the teeth of stuffed animals or dolls and practice saying "t" while you brush.

-Make and have an afternoon "tea" with dolls and stuffed animals.

-Build some block towers and repeat the words "my block is on top" as you add new blocks to the tower.

-Count your toes saying "1 toe, 2 toe etc....".

-Talk about and point to body parts that start with "t", like teeth, tummy, toes and tongue.

-Make some art and use tape.  Have your child use the word "tape" to request it.