Last Week of October in Early Pre-K

Dear parents,

Your child’s learning journey is going wonderfully! This week, we continued our work on patterns in math, building confidence with this important skill. We also started an exciting new topic in science: learning about healthy and unhealthy foods. We’ll be talking about how different foods help our bodies grow and stay strong. Finish reading the blog to get all the exciting details of your child’s week!

Large group

This week in our large group, we explored some exciting new concepts! We introduced the letter “i,” the hexagon shape, the number 9, and the color black. The children practiced recognizing and naming these, and they’re doing a fantastic job! For our board message activity, we went on a hunt around the classroom to find the color black, which the kids really enjoyed. We also practiced extending an AABB pattern, building on their patterning skills. Additionally, we had great discussions about their favorite activities in the art studio and the Ethiopian Center, where they shared what they enjoy most.

The children also shared about how they felt about our family day event, who they came with and what they loved about it!

“Is big day” Liyat

“I had two ice-creams” Ruaansh

“w, wing like Hala yesterday” Nina

“Draw” Ahmed

“I paint” Samuel

Math

This week in our Early Pre-K class, we continued exploring patterns in math, focusing on an AABB pattern. We introduced this concept through hands-on activities using a variety of colorful materials like counting bears and fuzzy sticks, allowing the children to see, touch, and understand the sequence. Connecting mathematical (abstract) concepts to sensory (concrete) activities helps build connections between mathematics and real life for the students. The children practiced creating patterns by repeating colors and, and many students were excited to make their own AABB patterns. They enjoyed experimenting with different materials, observing how the sequences looked, and even sharing their patterns with classmates.

Library

This week during library time, our Early Pre-K class focused on the concept of family. As we read a story about "What is Family?" to introduce children to the diverse forms that families can take. The book emphasizes the things that make a family- such as support, care, love and respect. We expanded the idea of family to include close friends who support and care for us. We explained that sometimes, friends can feel just like family.

“Family lives in the house” Kian

“Take me to grandma house” Alya

Science

We introduced a new science topic in our Early Pre-K class: healthy and unhealthy foods. This session was designed to help children start understanding the basics of nutrition and why making healthy food choices is important. Through open discussion, they shared their thoughts on what they believe makes food healthy or unhealthy.

We began by asking the children what they think healthy food is. Some of their responses included fruits, vegetables, and milk! We explained that healthy foods give our bodies the energy and vitamins we need to grow strong and feel good. Next, we talked about foods that may not be as healthy, like candies, sugary snacks, and fast food. The children shared their thoughts on why these might be less healthy, noting things like “too much sugar”.

“Apples are healthy” Hala

“Burger is not good for health” Shishani

Art

Yesterday’s art session combined creativity with early literacy and numeracy skills, as the children worked with fun materials to learn about the number 9 and the letter “i.” This hands-on activity helped them practice fine motor skills while engaging with numbers and letters in a memorable way.

Each child used colored beans to trace the shape of the number 9. By placing each bean along the outline, they practiced counting and following shapes, which reinforces number recognition and helps with hand-eye coordination. For a fun introduction to the letter “i,” the children used a Popsicle stick to represent the letter's stem and placed a bean on top to represent the dot of a lowercase “i.” This tactile activity helps them connect letters with shapes in a way that’s easy to remember.

Gymnastics

This week in gymnastics class, the children had a fantastic time practicing gross motor skills in a fun and imaginative way. The teacher set up a course using a rope arranged in different shapes on the floor, and the children were encouraged to walk around the shapes while keeping the rope in between their hands and feet.

By walking along the rope with their hands and feet on either side, the children worked on balance, body control, and coordination. This activity supports the development of gross motor skills in a playful setting.

The children got especially creative, imagining themselves as animals as they moved! Some pretended to walk like dogs or cats, adding extra fun to the session and turning their movements into an expressive and imaginative game.

The rope was arranged in different shapes, so the children also practiced recognizing shapes as they moved. They had to adjust their steps to follow each new shape, adding an element of problem-solving and spatial awareness!

"Like Dragan" Ismael

Music

This week we had an amazing music session with one of our student's parents. He came over with some musical instruments, sang different songs with the children and gave them the chance to play the instruments.