New week...new story

Continuing with our Things That Move theme, we have shifted gears this week.  For the last two weeks, we focused on moving our bodies.  For the next two weeks, we're focused on moving from one place to another--traveling.  

We're reading The Bag I'll Take to Grandma's by Shirley Neitzel...

To make it a little easier for larger classes to see the book, I have projected the book using PowerPoint and our SMART Board.  We also use pictures...

Pictures used with story

 ...and the actual items...

Actual items from the story

...to help with telling the story.  Then we have an activity on the SMART Board to help us with recalling events and vocabulary from the story.  With some of the groups, we will focus on the difference between things we NEED to pack for a trip and the things we WANT to pack.

Balloon Pop - vocabulary from the story

Memory Game - Things we WANT

Sorting Game - want vs. need

 
 

Last week in media...

Our theme this month is "Things That Move" so we started the month (first two weeks) with a focus on moving our bodies.

We started out with some MeMoves...

...read From Head to Toe by Eric Carle...and moved along with the book...

...and followed directions in a movement song.

 

We made a movie!

As this (our first) week draws to a close, I thought I would share one of the videos we made.  When the children visited the MMC this week, they got a *tour* of our centers and met the MMC teachers (me & Miss Helen).  After our tour, they helped us make a video of what they learned using the Storyrobe app on the iPad & some photos I had taken of the different centers and people in the MMC.  We had a lot of fun with it, and the kids did a great job remembering all the names of the centers!

Here's a sample from one of our afternoon PreK classes...

New - Language Cards

I'm adding some language cards to each center...these can be used by the adults to clarify verbal directions, or for students to ask questions or get assistance. They will be hanging on the center sign in each of the 5 centers...once I get some hooks, that is.

Language cards (visual supports) for centers

I also created a set to use when the whole group meets on the rainbow carpet. 

Visual supports for whole group meeting

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer!  We are back to school, and getting back to work in the MMC.  We're doing things a little differently this year in the hopes that we will be able to better meet the needs of our students.  We've divided the school into 3 groups, and each group will come to the MMC every week for a 9-week session*.

Here's how the year looks...
Group #1: 9/9/2013 - 11/8/2013
Group #2: 12/2/2013 - 2/7/2014
Group #3: 3/3/2014 - 5/23/2014

So, as you can see, we're getting ready to welcome our first group to the MMC this coming Monday!  That being said, I'd better get back to work to make sure everything is ready!
Stay tuned...

Last week of classes

As another year draws to a close, we are seeing our last visitors of the year in the MMC.  This week will be the final week of classes.

 

Here are some shots of some of our friends during their last visit to the MMC this year...love those smiles!

visitors in the mmc!

We had some special visitors in the MMC last Thursday!  My boys came in to school for "Take Your Child to Work" Day, and spent the day helping out in the Multimedia Center.  They had a great time meeting all of the kids, and playing with all the cool technology!

Ian, helping out in the SMART table center

CJ, modeling "MeMoves" for the kids in the SMART Board center

And after lunch, we had even more helpers...Mrs. New's boys (who were also visiting Wheatley on Thursday) stopped in to help out, too!

The SMART Table Center was a popular spot for our helpers.

MeMoves