Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: December 8- 12, 2014

Description
Plan-DoReview

Small
Group
Activities

PLANNING Time, WORK Time, RECALL Time

This three-part sequence is unique to the HighScope Curriculum.
Occurring daily, it includes a 10- to 15-minute period during which
children plan what they want to do during work time (the area to visit,
materials to use, and friends to play with); a -minute work time for
children to carry out their plans (or shift to new activities that interest
them); and another 10- to 15-minute period for reviewing and
recalling with an adult and other children what they've done and
learned.
1.

Gingerbread Box Houses:

Children worked in group of 5 in their small groups. Using cardboard

boxes and various art materials, the children worked together to
create their own gingerbread house. Afterwards, weleft these houses
out in the art area and some children used their work time to
continue to construct these houses throughout the week.
2.

Gingerbread Baby:

Im the gingerbread baby, happy as can beto be living in the house

that _____ made for me! Children filled in the blank with their own
names and designed a house just for their gingerbread baby.
Book: Gingerbread Baby-Jan Brett

3.

Gingerbread Boys & Girls:

Using foam gingerbread boys and girls and various craft materials, the
children built their own personalized gingerbread boy or girl. Thank
you to Renata for bringing this activity in, in honor of her 5th birthday!

4.

Playdoh & Cookie Cutters:

Using playdoh and cookie cutters, we had our very own Cookie
factory! The children were very busy making lots of gingerbread boys
and girls as well as lots of other types of cookies. We practiced rolling
out the dough before cutting out our cookies. After we cut out the
cookies we baked them and got them ready for Santa and Elfie (our
class Elf).

KDIs

Approaches to Learning: initiative, planning, engagement, problem solving, use of

resources, reflection

Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence, emotions, empaty,

community, building relationships, cooperative play, moral development, conflict
resolution

Physical: fine motor skills, body awareness

Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary
Math: number words and symbols, counting, part-whole relationships, spatial
awareness, unit, pattern
Science: observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions,
communicating ideas
Social Studies: decision making

Physical: fine motor skills, body awareness

Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary
Math: number words and symbols, counting, part-whole relationships, spatial
awareness, unit, pattern
Science: observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions,
communicating ideas
Social Studies: decision making

Physical: fine motor

Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary,
Math: spatial awareness, shapes
Creative: art
Science: communicating ideas, observing, classifying, experimenting, tools
Social Studies: diversity, decision making

Physical: large & fine motor skills, body awareness

Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary
Math: number words and symbols, counting, part-whole relationships, spatial
awareness, unit, data analysis,
Science: observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions,
communicating ideas

Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: December 8- 12, 2014

5. Markers & Paper:
In an effort to save our makers lives, weve been having occasional
small groups to remind us how to properly use the classroom makers
and how to put the lids back on when were done. We colored
pictures and then practiced putting the lid back on until we heard the
click when we were done!

Large
Group

Physical: fine motor,

Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, concepts about print, book
knowledge, writing
Math: spatial awareness, data analysis
Creative: art
Science: observing, classifying, communicating ideas
Social Studies: diversity

Songs, Fingerplays & Activities:

Song
Birthdays
Seven Days of the Week
The Days of the Week
Them ABC Bones
I Have A Little Present
Learning Letter Sounds
Scamper, Scamper
Must Be Santa
Jingle Bells
Sleigh Ride
Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer

Literature:

Book Title
Bears Christmas Surprise
Snowflake Kisses and
Gingerbread Smiles
Merry Christmas Mom & Dad
Its Christmas, David!
Claude the Dog-a-Christmas
Story

Author
Elizabeth Winthrop
Toni Trent Parker

Shoo Fly
There Was an Old Lady Who
Swallowed a Bell
Dragons Merry Christmas
The Smallest Elf
Cliffords First Christmas
Arthurs Christmas

Iza Trapani
Lucille Colandro

Mercer Mayer
David Shannon
Dick Gackenbach

Dav Pilkey
Annie Ingle
Norman Bridewell
Marc Brown

Approaches to Learning: engagement

Social/Emotional: sense of competence, community
Physical: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, body awareness
Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, phonological
awareness
Math: number words and symbols, counting, part-whole relationships
Creative: music, movement
Social Studies: diversity

Language & Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, phonological

awareness, alphabetic knowledge, concepts about print, book knowledge

Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: December 8- 12, 2014

The Gingerbread Baby

Jan Brett

Sensory
Table
Wrapping paper, scissors

What
were
working
on at
school
that you
can work
on at
home

Coats, zippers, snowpants, hats, gloves boots!

Weve been working hard on becoming independent with our skills. In
addition to putting on their own coats and zipping them, the chidlren
have been working hard at becoming independent with the rest of
their outdoor clothing snowpants, hats, gloves and boots.
You can support us and your child at home by having them put on
their own outerwear when its time to go somewhere, and
encourage them to keep practicing t heir zipper on their own too!

Approaches to Learning: initiative, planning, engagement, problem solving

Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence, emotions, community,
cooperative play, conflict resolution
Physical: fine motor, body awareness
Creative: pretend play
Science: experimenting, communicating ideas, natural and physical world, tools

Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence

Physical: gross motor, fine motor, body awareness, personal care, healthy
behavior