Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: April 13-17, 2015

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.

Playdoh + Letter & Number Stamps-

Using playdoh and stampers with letters and numbers on them,

children practiced letter and number recognition by stamping
various letters and numbers into their playdoh and then
identifying them. Children were encouraged to try spelling
something in their playdoh using the letter stampers (their name,
a sibling or parents name, a word they saw around the classroom,
etc.)
2.

Crown Creations-

After reading two versions of the Fairy Tale The Frog Prince,
children created their own crowns either making them a Prince or
a Princess, just like the Prince and Princess in the story. Children
used sequins, jewels, glue and markers to design their crown to
their liking.
3. Story SequencingFirst, children wrote their first and last names on their papers
(writing). Next, children were given a paper with all of the characters
from the story on it. Using scissors (fine motor), children cut out each
picture and then sequenced them in order (part-whole relationships) ,
according to how it happened in the story (reflection, comprehension,
book knowledge, classifying, drawing conclusions). Using a glue stick
(fine motor), children glued their characters down on their paper in
the order that they determined (decision making, sense of
competence, diversity).

KDIs

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

resources, reflection

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

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

Physical: fine motor,

Physical: large & fine motor skills, body awareness
Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, alphabetic knowledge,
number recognition
Math: number words and symbols, counting, part-whole relationships, spatial
awareness, unit, data analysis,
Science: observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions,
communicating ideas

Physical: fine motor, body awareness

Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, book knowledge
Math: number words, counting, part whole relationships
Creative: art
Science: communicating ideas
Social Studies: diversity, decision making

Approaches to Learning: reflection (children reflect on their experiences)

Social/Emotional: sense of competence (children feel they are competent)
Physical: fine motor skills (children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye
coordination in using their small muscles )
Language/Literacy: comprehension (children understand language), book
knowledge (children demonstrate knowledge about books), writing (children write
for many different purposes)
Math: part-whole relationships (children combine and separate quantities of
objects)
Science: classifying ( children classify materials, actions, people and events),
drawing conclusions (children draw conclusions based on their experiences and
observations)
Social Studies: diversity (children understand that people have diverse
characteristics, interests and abilities), decision making (children participate in
making decisions)

Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: April 13-17, 2015

4. Candy Color SortingInspired by Hansel and Gretel, children sorted pebbles (colorful
beads) into the corresponding candy category on their papers
(children had paper that had various pictures of candy, separated by
color).
5.

Chalk -

Making the most out of a beautiful Spring day, we headed outside for
small group. Children used chalk to practice their writing skillsfirst
by writing their first and last names, then by writing all of the letters
that they knew. After that children drew shapes and finished up by
drawing a picture of whatever they wanted.
Large
Group

Physical: fine motor

Language: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary
Math: counting, shapes, part-whole relationships, data analysis
Science: observing, classifying, communicating ideas, drawing conclusions
Social Studies: diversity, decision making, geography

Approaches to Learning: initiative, engagement, reflection

Social/Emotional: self-identity, sense of competence, community
Physical: fine motor skills
Creative: art
Language/Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, letter recognition,
number recognition, alphabetic knowledge
Science: natural and physical world

Approaches to Learning: engagement

Social/Emotional: sense of competence, community
Creative Arts: music, movement, appreciating the arts
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
Social Studies: diversity

Songs, Fingerplays & Activities:

Song
Witches Brew
ABC Bones
Your Face
Put Your Finger On
Birthdays
The Dinosaur Stomp
5 Little Frogs
Listen and Move
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Days of the Week

Literature:

Book Title
The Frog Prince
The Frog Prince
The Troublesome Pig
Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel
Frog and Toad are Friends

Author
Mary Engelbreits
Classic Fairy Tales
Priscilla Lamont
Cynthia Rylant
Classic Fairy Tales
Arnold Lobel
Language & Literacy: comprehension, speaking, vocabulary, phonological
awareness, alphabetic knowledge, concepts about print, book knowledge

Costello Building Blocks- Weekly Happenings: April 13-17, 2015

Sensory
Table

Sand, jewels, gems, digging tools and various containers

Science: classifying, communicating ideas
Creative: pretend play

Play Doh
Table

Playdoh & letter & number stampers

Physical: fine motor
Math: part-whole relationships, shapes, spatial awareness, patterns, data analysis

Activity
Table

Color Sorting

Children sort jewels by color and place them on the

matching color crown

Candy Land the game

Physical: fine motor
Math: number words, counting, part-whole relationships, measuring, data analysis