The Tools of the Mind Connection

A newsletter connecting home and school environmentsWINTER ISSUE # 10Date:

book list that we have read, will be reading, or have in our classroom library

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We are having so much fun with our Vet/Pet theme! The children are enjoying taking care of animals, training them, and making them beautiful! New vocabulary we have been practicing is “Obedience”, “Grooming”, “Diagnosis”, “Humane Society”, and “Designer” along with various names of pets.Rhyming is a fun way to practice phonemic awareness and understanding word families – both great pre-reading skills. Even on the way to school you can play a simple rhyming game. You start by saying one word – like “CAT” – and tell your child to say as many words they know that rhyme with cat. You can help out at first and then change to another rhyming “family” when you think you have got them all!!

WHAT AM I DOING IN PLAY?

Theme: Vet/Pet

Roles I can be: Vet, receptionist, Mom, Dad, Accessory designer, baker

What’s happening in my centers: Designing various accessories to sell in the pet

storeMaking various treats for the animalsFiguring out a diagnosis for why an animal is sick

I am practicing my reading/writing and math by:Making signs and price tags Making change, printing on receiptsWriting prescriptionsMaking menus and/or recipes

EXTENSIONS AT HOME:

Write a short picture story about an animal that went to the vet Read a story from the book list, read your play plan and/or teach

someone at home the fingerplay Think of a unique recipe for an animal treat in the bakery

FINGER PLAYS I KNOW

5 green and speckled frogs sat on a speckled log

eating some most delicious bugs…

yum! Yum!

One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool

Now there are 4 green speckled frogs

Glub! glub!

(continue with 3, 2,1, none!)

WHATAM I READING?

NEED YOUR HELP!! Do you have a job you would like to come in and share with the class? Contact the teacher with your idea to possibly schedule a time to visit.