HEALTHY LIVING AND TRANSPORT
In this beautiful setting, winter has replaced autumn and has given us some joys of playing in the snow, sledding and snowballing. During this term, we talked about health in all its forms and through different experiences, the functions of water, different foods and exercise. We also paid a lot of attention to the winter season and transportation.
In the forest, in the classroom, every day, the children learn by looking, listening, and through mimicry. They continueto develop their primary functions and their creativity, sensory skills and language.
Young and old alike learn from each other and everyone has found their place.
SCIENCE
During this term, we addressed the essential topics of winter, health and transport.
This winter brought us snow and ice, which allowed us to work in science on the transformation of snow/ice into water. This also led us to review the water cycle as well as the notions of floating and sinking, thanks to boats we created in the classroom.
As part of the project, we talked about Antarctica and the different animals that live there. The children had fun discovering the animals hidden in the ice, thus developing their curiosity and touch through the different sensations of the polystyrene representing snow.
We also worked on sensory experiences, tasting some food, feeling, touching ice and snow.
During this term, we addressed the subject of healthy food, different tastes and senses, and developed our taste through an activity consisting of testing and differentiating between tastes and flavours.
SENSORIAL
We also developed our sense of touch, thanks to different other activities.
One of these activities has been to create some natural playdoh.
Children love it! It is so much fun to create and work with it. Touching is a very important sense to feel and appreciate, especially when it is school-made!:-)
CRAFTS
During this term and throughout the year, the children touch different materials, create shapes, objects, characters and animals according to the themes addressed and also develop their imagination as well as their fine motor skills.
Through painting, drawing, modelling clay and colouring the children use their imagination and have created works regarding winter such as a snowman, winter landscapes and also crafts related to Chinese New Year and Valentine’s day.
The children also worked on Valentine’s Day creating some hearts, cards and crafts working on fine motricity. They really enjoyed it!
During the first week of this term, the children enjoyed working on the theme of Epiphany. We talked about the Three Kings and did some counting and graphic design activities about this theme.
EPIPHANY
Creating a crown
ACTIVITIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTS
We worked on the notion of land, sea, and air and the children had to figure out the transports that were floating, flying or going on land.
Talking about winter, the children created snowmen using different matterials and supports
In addition, in order to continue on the theme of winter, while the snow had spread to Paris, the children embarked on the creation of a winter freeze.
The children used cotton, paint, pencils and cotton swabs that were made available to them in order to imagine the frezze representing the mountains, the snow and the snow-capped peaks.
One of the themes also covered in this term was food. So in class, we studied which foods are good for you, which ones should be eaten in limited quantities. We carried out activities in this regard.
On this topic, the children really appreciated the creation of a strawberry by painting with their hand.
Children also appreciate free crafting activities, coming up with their own ideas.
PRACTICAL LIFE
Practical Life is a key component of the Montessori educational approach. It involves providing children with hands-on, real-life experiences that contribute to the development of physical, intellectual, and social skills.
During this term as with others, we focused on skills related to self care, such as the abling frameworks but also cutting fictitious fruits. These help develop their fine motor skills.
I also introduced new pouring activities for the children to practice pouring liquid or solids from one container to another. Children really appreciate this activity which requires precision of gesture and rigour. A good exercise to reproduce endlessly at home in order to develop concentration and precision.
As part of our daily routine, the children are in the habit of cleaning and tidying up the classroom in order to be in the best conditions to work.
Composting is also one of our concerns that is followed throughout the year as part of our school’s Eco project .
These activities help children develop their independence, coordination and fine motor skills along with concentration and a sense of responsibility. In repeating the same gestures children reinforce their self-confidence and acquire the necessary maturity related to their age and growth.
Puzzles
COOKING
In keeping with part of the theme of this term, we cooked galettes des rois. The children enjoyed discovering the recipe and placing the bean inside. But I think what they liked the most was tasting it :-;
FINE MOTRICITY
In order to develop and work on children’s motor skills, we have, among other things, made a lot of use of scissors and carried out various cutting sessions.
LITERACY/PHONICS AND WRITING
This term through action of these sounds, the children begin to use their knowledge of letter sounds to blend and segment words and listen more carefully to sounds that compose the words and their names.
The children discovered the phonics and began to copy their names. They began to write their names using sand, concrete letters and the whiteboard to recognise and practising writing their name.
We are also focusing on spoken language thanks to our discussions during circle time about different subjects such as talking about their weekend, the books we are reading in class and putting the stories into the correct order.
Finally, the children enjoyed the time reading at the library or in class, choosing and reading books related to their interests.
NUMERACY
Regarding numeracy, we work each day on a different matter such as counting from 1 up to the current date, working on bigger than, smaller than, identifying different shapes and beginning to introduce the notion of addition.
Counting from 1 to 10
SHOW AND TELL
Every Friday, the children are happy to share an object from home. It’s an opportunity for them to talk about what they like and introduce the class to their favorite object.
FOREST ACTIVITIES
Since the beginning of this term, the children have explored the forest and have become more comfortable and creative when playing with all of the forest materials at their disposal.
They also have gained more confidence during this term when it comes to climbing and balancing on trees and tree trunks.
CLIMBING / BALANCING
EXPLORING THE FOREST
During this period, we did a lot of walks through the forest to study the different changes related to the change of seasons.
CYCLING
During this term, the children continued cycling even in the snow 🙂
BUILDING A HOUSE
Building a house has also been part of our daily activities….
As well as sliding in the snow 🙂 The children have had a lot of fun!
In the forest, we also practised a lot of coordination games, allowing the children to improve their motricity.
SPECIAL DAYS
During this term, we also had a great time on special days such as the days when the snow had settled or the Jeux Olympiques project on Wednesday afternoons during which we defended the colours of our team 🙂
SNOW
Olympics games on Wedneday’s afternoons
TRIP TO ST GERMAIN EN LAYE
Concerning our transportation subject, we decided to take the tram and to go to St Germain en Laye. The children were very excited and the trip was great, even if we have had some rain:-)
We went to see the castle and the children appreciated the vue of the Park.
During this term, we practiced singing and playing instruments through walks in the forest but also thanks to songs and music with Marie.
Dear Parents, I hope you enjoyed this page describing your children’s activities throughout this second term, which we had the pleasure of sharing together.
Enjoy the winter holidays and I am looking forward to seeing you after the break.
Dina
French with Marie
Durant cette troisième période de l’année, nous avons principalement lu 6 albums de jeunesse (en lien avec le thème de l’hiver et les fêtes tels que l’Epiphanie et la galette des rois, la Chandeleur, le Nouvel An Chinois, Mardi gras:
De ces ouvrages, ont découlé différentes activités qui ont permis l’exploitation de ces histoires. Nous avons donné du sens à l’apprentissage, une façon plus ludique et une approche plus concrète.
A chaque début de semaine, vos enfants ont appris et chanté une nouvelle chanson (6 semaines = 6 chansons) :
J’aime la galette, Le bon roi Dagobert, Trois esquimaux, Les petits souliers, Petits flocons blancs, L’amour brille sous les étoiles
Les objectifs de cette période ont été de :
– s’entraîner à la pratique de la langue française
– mémoriser des petits mots fréquents et les utiliser à bon escient
– se repérer dans l’espace
– jouer avec les nombres
– reconnaître de petits mots
– réaliser des activités de graphisme
– et de motricité fine
– comprendre les albums lus en classe
– participer à des projets artistiques
– faire de la cuisine
- La galette
- le petit bonhomme de pain d’épices
- les crêpes
– un gâteau au chocolat pour le goûter du Carnaval
– découvrir les fêtes de l’Epiphanie, du Nouvel An Chinois et de la Saint Valentin
– chanter collectivement des chansons
French Topic with Marie
The theme for this period is “Healthy living and Transport.” We studied We’ve read these books:
We studied what was necessary for a person to be in good health, then we discovered various foods and their different flavors. Next, we sorted them and distributed them into several groups. Finally, the children cut out pictures from food brochures to create their own plate.
Then, we explored various ways of transportation, studying their diverse characteristics: those that float, those that fly, those that roll..
They played the bingo themed “Food” and “Transport”
They learned two songs: “La ronde des légumes” and “Transports autour du monde”.
We also invited parents on a Friday afternoon to come and taste the galettes prepared by the children to celebrate Epiphany.
