On the Calendar

For the week beginning Monday, February 8th.

AM CLASS: Letter Review and Valentine Fun.
Tuesday: Letter Recap and Review activities.
Wednesday: Valentine Exchange. Each child is welcome and encouraged to bring a valentine to share with each classmate. No bags or boxes necessary. We will be Making our own! If you need a new class list please let me know. PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING WRAPPED CANDY OR CLOSED TREAT BAGS ONLY.
No SHOW & TELL

PM CLASS: Valentine Fun.
Tuesday: I Care about YOU!
Wednesday: Valentine Exchange. Each child is welcome and encouraged to bring a valentine to share with each classmate. No bags or boxes necessary. We will be Making our own! If you need a new class list please let me know. PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING WRAPPED CANDY OR CLOSED TREAT BAGS ONLY.
No SHOW & TELL

P is for Pigeon

If you follow this blog, then you certainly must know that I am a big fan of the Author Mo Willems and, that I have a great many of his picture books in both my preschool and home libraries.

I particularly love Willem's series of Pigeon Books.
So, when it comes time for Letter Pp Week, I do my best to include The Pigeon.

Mo Willems uses Word Bubbles in nearly all of his picture books.
I use the Pigeon Books to introduce the concept of a Word Bubble to my preschoolers.

As you read the stories with your class (or child), encourage them to point out the word bubbles on the pages and allow them to recognize and tell you which Word Bubbles belong to which character. (Where the arrow of the bubble is pointing, etc.)

(This is Miss Morgan's fave of the series)

After you have read through one or more of the Pigeon Books (I read the whole series to my class!) Give each of your preschoolers a copy of the Pigeon coloring page below.
Have them color the pigeon and then tell you what they would like their Pigeon to be saying. Write the sentence in the bubble for them, or if they are able, have them write it themselves.

Do you hate it when you can't find exactly what you are looking for when you dream up a particular lesson? I do! So, occasionally I make my own, and am left hoping it doesn't look too unprofessional. Ha Ha. I drew this Pigeon Coloring Page myself, I'm happy to share it with you if you'd like to use it in your class or in your home. But, please don't knock my drawing skills:)

Click on image to enlarge and print.

P is for Pajama's

Pajama Day!!!
P- pajamas!
P-P-pajamas!


Be sure to read this darling story to your kids as the cozy up at circle time in their Pajamas.

Pretzel Math

Have your students wash their hands as if they are preparing for snack time.
Have them sit at the table and give them each a napkin and 10 pretzels.
Call out a number and challenge your students to count out the correct number of pretzels to match your number. Continue to call out numbers and give equations for kids to solve. Such as, "take 3 of your pretzels and place them in a row on your napkin. Now add 2 more. How many do you have now?" When you are done with your pretzel math, you can eat your pretzels!

P is for Pirate

On a Pirate Ship
Do you think you would be brave enough to be on a pirate ship?
An adventurous tale
By Sarah Cortauld and Benji Davies



Pirate Ship Coloring Page
Click on image below to enlarge and print

Popcorn Calling Me Song

You can't say that P is for POPCORN and leave out my favorite popcorn tune now can you?

Laurie Berkner's (of course) song Popcorn Calling Me
is a must have.

I was walking outside, it was a quarter to 3 when I heard my popcorn callin' me.
Walk on home, it said. Walk on home. Walk on home or I'm gonna be gone.

CHORUS: (quieter and rub hands together)
And I heard it go sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle,
sizzle sizzle sizzle.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle POP! (clap your hands) POP, POP, POP!

I was dancin' outside, it was a quarter to 3 when I heard my popcorn callin' me.
Dance on home, it said. Dance on home. Dance on home or I'm gonna be gone.

CHORUS

I was runnin' outside, it was a quarter to 3 when I heard my popcorn callin' me.
Run on home, it said. Run on home. Run on home or I'm gonna be gone.

CHORUS

P is for Popcorn

You will need:
Purple P outlines. (Copying onto cardstock works best because it won't bend.)
Glue
and POPCORN!


You will do:
Cut out your letter P (some children will need help with the center)
Cover your P using Po-corn and glue!

Pip the Penguin

How Big is a Million
by Anna Milbourne

Follow Pip the Penguin on his adorable journey to find a million.

Book includes a fold out poster with literally a million stars on it!

Penguin Facts

• Penguins are birds.
• Penguins don't fly, they swim.
• Penguins have GREAT hearing.
  
• Penguins lay eggs.
• Penguin chicks have fluffy feathers.
• A group of penguins is called colonies.
• They usually move in huge groups.
• Penguins use their wings for swimming.
• Penguins hunt for fish, squid or shrimp like krill in the oceans to fill their stomach.
• Most penguins can swim about 15 miles per hour.
• Penguins have insulating layers of air, skin, and blubber.
• Penguins have tightly packed feathers that help them to keep warm.
• Penguins open their feather to feel the cold.
• There are at least 18 different kinds (species) of penguins.

Oreo Penguin

Have You Ever Seen a Penguin?

Have you ever seen a penguin, a penguin, a penguin?
Have you ever seen a penguin swim this way and that?
Swim this way, and that way, and this way, and that way.
Have you ever seen a penguin swim this way and that?

Have you ever seen a penguin, a penguin, a penguin?
Have you ever seen a penguin slide this way and that?
Slide this way, and that way, and this way, and that way.
Have you ever seen a penguin slide this way and that?

Have you ever seen a penguin, a penguin, a penguin?
Have you ever seen a penguin waddle this way and that?
Waddle this way, and that way, and this way and that way.
Have you ever seen a penguin waddle this way and that?

Penguin Waddle Race

You will need:
2 balls
A starting line and a finish line:)

You will do:
Divide your kids into 2 teams.
Have them race from start to finish while holding a ball between their knees,
waddling like penguins!

*Movement and Exercise
Guaranteed to produce lots of laughter

Overheard at preschool.

Girl #1 I'm really glad that Miss Morgan mostly puts us girls together for center time. Some of the boys in our class are. . . boys.

Girl #2 Ya, we have a girls only table. But, some boys are cute.

Girl #1 Cute? I guess.

Girl #2 Do you have a boyfriend?

Girl #1 A boyfriend? No way. I'm too short still.

Girl #2 I had one once. Then we broke up. I don't think he knew he was my boyfriend though.

Girl #1 Are you going to get a new one?

Girl #2 Ya, I think so. Maybe even two.

On the Calendar * UPDATED

For the week beginning Monday, February 1st

AM PRESCHOOL: It's Pp Week Folks. Pigeons, Popcorn, Pirates, Pennies, Pretzels and more!
Tuesday: Tuition Due ~ Book Orders Due
Wednesday: Show and Tell [P items Pretty Please] - PAJAMA DAY! Don't forget to wear your P-jama's!


PM PRESCHOOL: Penguins!
Tuesday: Tuition Due ~ Book Orders Due
Wednesday: Show and Tell [Something Triangle]


PLEASE NOTE: All checks written throughout the school year must be made payable to Brilliant Beginnings Preschool, even book orders. THANKS!

On Miss Morgan's Book Shelf

I'm going to be honest with you here.
I LOVE Olivia.
She reminds me of my daughter Ellie (and maybe even a little bit of a young Miss Morgan).

I recommend any and all of the Olivia books, written by Ian Falconer.
They are lighthearted and fun to read, clever and full of humor.

While we're talking openly, you might like to know that I also ADORE
the OLIVIA cartoons. The show is based on the books and is (I dare say) the only cartoon I enjoy watching with my children. Yes, my children watch TV.

Rule of life #127. . .

O is for Octopus

Fruit Loop (O's) Octopus



For this project you will need:
Octopus Head Pattern (you can find and use mine below-copy it onto cardstock)
Pipe Cleaners (4 per child, cut in half)
Large Googly Eyes
Glue
Hole Punch
Fruit Loops (or Cheerios)

You will do: (and by you, I always mean your students)
Color and cut out the Octopus head
Punch 8 holes along the bottom of the body for the legs
Insert a pipe cleaner into each hole and fold them over at the base
Thread the fruit loops onto the legs
Bend the legs up at the bottom to keep the fruit loops from coming off
Glue on two large googly eyes


Octopus Head Pattern
Don't judge my drawing skills please!
And yes, it most certainly could be used as a Jelly Fish as well. Ha ha.

Click to Enlarge and Print

*A Miss Morgan Original

Octopus Song

The Octopus
(Sung to the tune of Three-Blind-Mice)

Octopus, Octopus
In the Sea, In the Sea
To swim they use all 8 of their arms
Their color changes to hide them from harm
They live in the sea, not on a farm
The Octopus

Orange O's

Can you think of a better, more fun way to practice making the
Letter O than to use Orange Paint and your fingers?

*Letter Practice, Sensory Development and Stimulation

Square Games

I Spy a Square
Have a child spy something in the class room that is shaped like a Square. Don't let the child tell the other students what it is. Have the other children guess until they get it right! Take turns, giving each child a chance to spy something Square. Encourage your students to see the difference between Square objects and rectangle objects.


Make a Class Square
Hold hands and form a Square. Together, make your Square as small
as you can or as big as you can.
Sing or repeat a class Square poem or song.
For example:
(sung to the tune of The Mulberry Bush)
I'm the shape that has 4 sides,
has 4 sides,
has 4 sides.
I'm the shape that has 4 sides.
I'm called a SQUARE!

Square Popsicle Stick Picture Frames

For this project you will need:
Large Popsicle Sticks (4 per student)
Construction Paper (Cut down to a square)
Markers
Glue
Pom Poms
A picture of each student for framing

You will do:
Glue photograph in the center of your construction paper.
Using markers, color your popsicle sticks.
Glue the popsicle sticks together on your paper, making a square frame.
Use pom poms and glue for the finishing touches.

Sqaure Song

I'm a Square
(Sung to the tune of The Mulberry Bush)

I'm the shape that has 4 sides,
has 4 sides,
has 4 sides.
I'm the shape that has 4 sides,
I'm called a SQUARE!

Square Snack

A yummy snack, SQUARED.

Circle Games

I Spy a Circle
Have a child spy something in the class room that is shaped like a circle. Don't let the child tell the other students what it is. Have the other children guess until they get it right! Take turns, giving each child a chance to spy something Circle. Encourage your students to see the difference between Circle objects and oval objects.


Make a Class Circle
Hold hands and form a Circle. Together, make your Circle as small
as you can or as big as you can.
Sing or repeat a class Circle poem or song.
For example:
(sung to the tune of The Mulberry Bush)
I'm the shape that doesn't have sides,
doesn't have sides,
doesn't have sides.
I'm the shape that doesn't have sides.
I'm called a CIRCLE!

Circle Snack

Fruit Loops are a pretty tasty Circle snack!

Circle Poem

ROUND LIKE A CIRCLE

Pumpkin, pumpkin
Sitting on the ground,
Look at you,
Big, orange, and round.

Big sun, big sun
Shining on the ground,
Look at you,
Big, yellow, and round.

Truck tire, truck tire
Sitting on the ground,
Look at you,
Big, black, and round.

Night moon, night moon
Shining on the ground,
Look at you,
Big, bright, and round.

Finger Paint Cirlces

Circles, circles, circles!

*Shape Recognition and Practice, Sensory Development and Stimulation

On the Calendar

For the week beginning Monday, January 25th, 2010.


AM CLASS: It's Letter Oo week. Oranges and Octopus'? Oh! Oh!
Wednesday - SHOW and TELL [O items Please]


PM CLASS: Circles and Squares! Squares and Circles!
Wednesday - SHOW and TELL [Something shaped like a Circle or a Square. Or one of each!]


ALL: Wednesday - Folders will be stuffed with February's Information. Please be sure to check them and take everything home!
Book Orders are up online. (Actual fliers will be handed out this week.) I have decided to change the due date of monthly orders. Orders will now be due the first week of the month so that the books will be delivered earlier in the month. This will help ensure holiday books to be here before their specific holiday:) This means that orders for the February Fliers that will go out this week, will be due on Tuesday, February 2nd. If you would like to order online but have forgotten how to do so, you can find the online ordering information any time, by clicking on the Read to Me Button located on the left column of our website.

Pasta Rainbows

For the project you will need:
Wagon Wheel Pasta - Dye your pasta for the Rainbows by following {these instructions}
*Note: I used three 12oz bags of pasta for twelve students and it was just the right amount.
You will need far more red and orange than any other color,
Red and Orange being the outside colors of the Rainbow.
There is no need to dye the yellow, seeing as dried pasta is already Yellow.
Wax Paper
Glue
Rainbow Template

You will do:
Place a piece of wax paper 8.5x 11 inches in size, over the top of your rainbow template.
Have the children follow the pattern, gluing and adding pasta to form a rainbow.
After the rainbows have dried, hang them up in the window, the light will shine through them making them look all the more AWESOME.





The Rainbow template that I created is below.
Feel free to use it for your own students or children.

Click on the image to enlarge and print.

What Makes a Rainbow?

Follow baby rabbit on his journey as he discovers what makes a rainbow.
With the turn of each page, a colored ribbon is added until you
reach the end of the story and have formed a rainbow.
A class favorite at Brilliant Beginnings for sure!

Rainbow Song

Do you know the Colors of the Rainbow?
Do you know the Colors of the Rainbow?
There's RED,
ORANGE,
YELLOW,
GREEN,
BLUE,
and PURPLE.
Now you know the Colors of the Rainbow too!