5-Day: If you give the 5-Day class a cookie...
The children loved our Jan Brett author study so much that we decided to do a short follow-up author study in the weeks leading to Valentine's Day and Winter Break. This week, we introduced books by Laura Numeroff (with pictures by Felicia Bond) beginning with the classic, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Reading these books together is a delightful experience as the children predict what silly things the animals might do next! We are observing and learning patterns the author uses to begin and end each story, and we enjoy reciting the final words of the books together.
Books in this series include:
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
If You Give a Dog a Donut
If You Take a Mouse to School
If You Give a Pig a Party
To extend our reading experience throughout the classroom, we completed a variety of projects this week. At the art table, we painted and decorated a giant mouse, just like the character in the book! We "frosted" paper cupcakes and decorated them with confetti "sprinkles." We also created paper plate masks of animals from the books to play with as we act out the stories in dramatic play.
At the math table, we counted "chocolate chips" in cookies and placed them on the matching numbers in a cookie jar. We created many shapes and designs by stretching rubber bands onto muffin tins and geoboards. We also counted, measured, and sequenced as we baked chocolate chip cookies and applesauce muffins together!
Check out this article to learn more about the wonderful ways your child can learn as you cook together: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/cooking-preschool.html
We are practicing our baking skills in dramatic play as a kitchen is set up, complete with books and puppets to reenact the stories. Another highlight is the discovery table where we are mixing, scooping, and pouring oatmeal all morning long! Here are some favorite quotes from this area:
Alex - "I'm making cake. Actually I'm making a Shirley Temple cake. I'm making chicken pot pie!"
Margot - "I'm making sugar pie cookies. We need a little more sugar, a little more butter. It would be a little greater with sprinkles inside."
Connor - "I'm making cereal!"
Nate - "I'm making a cupcake!"
Marie-Sophie - "I'm making music chocolate!"
Ashwin - "I'm making dough so I can make a cake. I need lots of cups of oatmeal. I'm making chocolate on top of my cake. Now the delicious sprinkles!"
Coming Up:
Friday, February 8 we will celebrate the end of our author study with a Pajamas and Pancakes Party! Children are invited to wear pajamas to school (we will not go outside that day because of Creative Movement) and we will make pancakes together.
Kristi and Cathy
