Friday, August 28, 2009

Is the Summer really at it's end? We had such fun the past few months. Playing, singing and dancing our days away.

September is the beginning of a new school year and that means back to group lessons and following the schedule.
Research shows that children do much better when they know what to expect and when. It helps them learn the concept of “time” As always Infants are fed and nap according to their individual needs and as they grow & develop are eased into a schedule. The new Schedule is at the end of this post.
WELCOME
We say hello to Emily Rose. Emily is going to be coming to HGCP beginning Sept. 9th. She brings her mommy Erica and Daddy Joe... Emily is the niece of “Tommy” who many of you know through pictures that I have in my kitchen. Tommy had touched my heart when he was enrolled here during my first year of private child care and for a couple of years after. He recently graduated from High School. His mom and I have kept in touch all of these years & I keep adding his picture to our Wall of Fame!
Emily’s mom Erica was in Day Care when I worked for Lackawanna County. That tells you that I have been "at this" for quite some time... I am very pleased & honored to welcome this family “back Home” to Our Child Care Family!

“Boz “ If you hear your child mention the name Boz or Gracie and Drew these are not new students here at HGCP :-) However they are a part of our time spent here. BOZ (the big green bear) will be ONE of the ways that the children will be learning about Jesus & Christian values. Your children will be learning many important concepts utilizing this Series.

Kindermusik As always - the children enrolled at HGCP enjoy the
Kindermusik Classes at no additional charge (except for the small cost of At Home Materials)
In addition Families that are enrolled at HGCP receive a discount on the evening or Saturday KM classes offered here.

Look for more Sign Language activities this year as we focus on more Vocabulary words, learn new songs, & stories and create special projects.

There are a limited amount of Full Time and Part Time openings available.
Day Care Opens 7:30 AM
Part Time openings ages 2-5 8:30- 11:00 Mon- - Wed. Fri. or Mon-Friday

New Fall Schedule
Morning Session 8:30 – 11:30
Breakfast – 8:00 Circle time
Calendar, Weather, Lesson .
Music & Movement
Lesson Follow Up Activity ,Outside Activity or Dramatic Play
Lunch - 11:30 – 12:00

Afternoon Session 12:30- 3:30PM
Free Play – (Fine Motor Activities)& Story Time
Quiet Time 1:00 –2:30
Snack - 2:45
Dismissal – 3:00-3:30

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Where did April go?

Can there really only be one week left in April are we really entering the 5th month of the "New Year" already?
Although the Parent newsletter and your weekly notes give you some idea of what the children have been doing I want to tell you a little more about this month’s life lesson that they are learning.
The children have been busy learning about the environment around them. In the -- on the -- under the ground to quote a verse from our Kindermusik theme this month "Down on the Ground" Talking about GOD'S CREATION. Our featured story is the Listening Walk the children were encouraged not only to listen while on a walk but listen to the sounds at home, at play, and during Quiet Time
Each sound that they hear is a gift from GOD. Listening is a learned skill but Hearing - is a gift from GOD. I was so blessed to not only be born with my hearing but to be born of Deaf Parents where I needed to learn the skill of listening. I believe that I "listen" more than someone who were born to parents that have the sense of hearing. I enjoy going for Listening walks especially around Lake Scranton. I have not been physically able to do that in a long long time but I am confident that I will again. Each sound that I experience actually brings tears to my eyes that God used me to help my parents communicate in our society. As a child & a young adult I did not appreciate the gift as much as I do today. Now that both of them are gone, I use the gift to teach others the beautiful language that my Parents used all of their lives. The world was not so kind to them as it is now. There are laws and adaptive equipment that help the Deaf. Television that was once a silent box with fast moving programs can now be viewed and read. NOT an easy task still but brings much more meaning to the programs. Communication to a neighbor or a friend or relative no longer means that you have to wait to see the person or have someone make the call for you. You can do so by typing a TTY message or email. My parents did not have that luxury however they did have 4 children that were gifted with speech and hearing. We did our best to make they journey through life a little easier but looking back I wonder if I knew what I know now – did I do enough. Fortunately they both knew that they did not need their sense of hearing to communicate with Our Lord. They did that on a daily basis.
Today I am asking – are we using our GIFTS that our Heavenly Father gave us to the best of our ability? Are we reaching beyond our comfort zone to go the extra step to do his work? Are we using HIS gifts for good and not for selfish reasons. I pray that we all are doing what the Father asks of us. I believe that teaching the children sign language here at HGCP is a small part of my work here. If I can make a small impact on one or more of these tiny little lives -- who knows what GREAT work for the Deaf Culture that they can do one day? Or in the Hearing world as a person who has learned to "Listen" to the best of his or her ability.
Today take some time to sit in a quiet place – and listen for his voice. “Hear” what it is that he puts on your heart.

Monday, April 6, 2009

March 30th - April 3

Dear Friends,
As you are aware this was a week that was to say the very least Heart-breaking for me. Although my thoughts were largely consumed with the recent Murder of my Cousin, I want you to know how BLESSED I felt, that God has me doing what I love to do caring for and teaching your children. He reminded me every day this week that the children are pure and innocent and although we are all born into sin. They can be led to a righteous path. By modeling what we do when faced with trials and tribulation that Satan puts before us. Our lessons this week focused on how we should treat one another. That we are all FAMILY and that love and respect is pleasing in God's eyes. That we need to honor and praise God in Good times as well as bad. We concluded the week's Bible Lesson of Palm Sunday with God Praying in the Garden. We discussed the many ways that we talk and how we communicate with one another - through shouting, whispering, and telephone, email, writing letters, etc. Their answers (as always) are precious and many times lifted my spirit and made me smile. We talked about Prayer - and how THAT is how we talk to God. Our Bible lesson for this coming month is GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS. It is my hope that I can plant the seed in the children that they will Talk to God on a daily basis as they would talk to you to me and their friends. To remember that he is HERE not just "Out there" somewhere and we can praise him and talk to him about our day. To start each day with asking him to guide us in our words and deeds, so that we may do what is HIS will, not MY will.
Thank you for sharing your most precious gift from God our Father with me. They (and you)are a blessing to me! God Bless you at this most Holiest of all weeks.

In Jesus Name.
Ms. Marianne

Sunday, March 29, 2009

March 23-27

This week we learned how sharing is a very important practice for each of us to learn. How it "Feels" to share and how it feels when someone does not share. The children experience sharing a lot through out the day. We share toys, crayons, paint, glue, toys, books, etc. We talked about sharing our time too.

In keeping with learning about the letter T we talked about turtles. How big the grow, where they live, and how fast they walk.

This week HGCP was treated to a New "Alphabet Center" from Elizabeth's mommy - Amy. The children had fun helping to get it ready, and matching the letters to their matching pockets. This Center will be very useful as a word wall too! THANKS AMY!
Our letter focus this week is the letter D.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

March 16- 20

The week of week – March 16- 20
This week the children were introduced to the letter S. Learning the “S” sound as in the words Sammy, sound sight, soft, soap, sand, sip, sock, soup and then the “SH” sound such as shoe, shock, shiver, shirt, shamrock, shiny, ship, sheer, shelf, sheep and shape.
The learned the ASL sign for the letter S.
They made Shamrocks using their hand-shape.
Our Scripture verse Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take hear, all you who hope in the Lord.” We talked about how God wants us to be strong on the outside and on the inside. (outside) We talked about exercise, going for a walk, playing… (inside) We can read our Bible, talk to others about God, pray to God, and study his word.
Our Science project was putting green food coloring in water and placing white carnations in the vase to see if anything would happen.
On St. Patrick’s Day we ate green food and talked about St. Patrick. Our Scripture verse: Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Discussion: God will guide us in our life’s journey. This is a poem that we shared.
“May your life be filled with joy
And lots of hearty laughter,
May it overflow with happiness
Today and ever after.
We discussed spiders… How many legs they have what they like to eat, I asked them if they ever saw a spider – and you will be happy to know that your houses are all Spider free – According to the children they have NEVER seen a spider… Funny thing is the very next morning there was one in my bathroom sink! It was too early to show them – and quite frankly I wasn’t asking it to “hang around” –eeeewwwwww! I gave him a “ride” down the water spout! :-D
Our Scripture for Wednesday: Colossians 3:13
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against on another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” We talked about how God wants us to have faith in him. Bu trusting God it allows us to forgive others. We discussed the things that we might have to forgive someone else for, such as forgiving someone who took our toy away or hit us, or called us an unkind name.
Thursday closed due to my cousin Funeral – thank you all for your prayers and understanding.
Friday’s Christian message was – Psalm 148:3 “Praise him sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.”
We talked about the importance of the sun. Why it is important and if it was shining today. What are some ways you can protect your skin, eyes, in the sun.
We make a smiley sun using ovals as the sun’s face.
Working on eye hand coordination… Gluing was the skill we worked on for this activity. Scissor skills for this activity were not appropriate at this time.
The children were introduced to some new recipes this week. Spinach soup (with white beans) and Sloppy Joe Mac (ground beef with Pinto beans) They liked them both.
Next week I will introduce the letter T.
Please have your child bring in something that begins with the letter T...
We will talk about the earth, rocks, Squirrels, Turtles, and the number 13.

Family Wellness

Fall Asleep Soundly to Comforting Sounds

If you haven't already, establish a bedtime routine for the whole family. Allow plenty of time for stories, teeth brushing, changing and relaxing so that everyone is in bed at a decent time. Younger children will need earlier bedtimes than you and your older children.

According to the American Sleep Association, the sleep needs of toddlers, kids, and adults all differ greatly:
Toddlers & Preschoolers (ages 2-5): 10 to 12 hours each night, plus daily naps
Children (ages 7-12): 9 to 10.5 hours each night
Teenagers: 8 to 9.5 hours each night
Adults: 7 to 8.5 hours each night
Add some noise to help your whole family fall asleep soundly. Is it true that the bedroom should be as quiet as possible? Well, up to a point, yes. The darker and quieter the room is, the more deeply you'll sleep, even if you don't realize it. But, adding "white noise" into the background of your kids' bedrooms can actually help them slumber.

These steady, quiet sounds will block out other more disturbing noises that might keep your kids awake. Plus, once they fall asleep, they'll be less likely to wake up from other noises. Try keeping a fan blowing at night--a cool bedroom is more conducive to sleep anyway. Or, try playing relaxing music or natural sounds, especially something that can be set on a timer. You can buy CD's that play gentle rain, waterfalls, or wind noises--there are plenty of choices. Let each of your kids pick one that they enjoy

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Building Character By Puttting God First

Building Character By Puttting God First
by Steve Arterburn

The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. Matthew 6:33 NCV

The best way to build character-and the surest way-is to do it with God as your partner. So here's a question worth thinking about: Have you made God a full partner in your life's journey? Or are you in the habit of giving God little more than a few hours on Sunday morning? The answer to this question will determine, to a surprising extent, the direction of your day and the condition of your character.

As you contemplate your own relationship with the Creator, remember this: Everybody, without exception, is engaged in the practice of worship. Some folks choose to worship God and, as a result, reap the rewards that He has promised. Other folks who seem determined to do it "their way," inadvertently distance themselves from God, and from the path He intends for them to follow . . . and when they do, they suffer.

In the book of Exodus, God warns that we should place no gods before Him (20:3). Yet all too often, we place Him in second, third, or fourth place as we allow ourselves to be sidetracked by the temptations, addictions, and distractions that are woven into the fabric of 21st-century life.

Are you working to keep God first in your life? Do you talk with Him seven days a week, not just on Sunday mornings? And do you make big decisions after you've consulted Him, not before? Make certain that the honest answer to all these questions is a resounding yes. If you sincerely wish to build your character and your life on an unshakable foundation, you must put your Creator in first place. No exceptions.

We become whatever we are committed to. Rick Warren

Our ultimate aim in life is not to be healthy, wealthy, prosperous, or problem free. Our ultimate aim in life is to bring glory to God. Anne Graham Lotz

God calls us to be committed to Him, to be committed to making a difference, and to be committed to reconciliation. Bill Hybels

Character builder

Think about your priorities. Are you really putting God first in your life, or are you putting other things- things like possessions, pleasures, or personal status-ahead of your relationship with the Father? And if your priorities for life are misaligned, think of at least three things you can do today to put God where He belongs: in first place

Sunday, March 15, 2009

030909--031309

Here is the post for last week. Please let me know your thoughts on this (once a week vs. daily) . .
You can also read the weekly report of the ABC Music and Me on my Kindermusik blog
http://kindermusikbymsmarianne.blogspot.com/
We focused on the color green and one of the Scripture verses pertaining to Green is in Genesis 1:30 “…I give every green plant for food.” God created all living things, which include plants, food and animals. God feeds all living things. We talked about how the grass is green (well it will be soon! ) ;)
Their Science project was mixing blue and yellow food coloring in a zippered plastic bag. Tipping it back and forth to see the colors blend and turn green.
Circle Time was guessing who was wearing something green. Naming some green vegetables.

We discussed Opposites : Rough & Smooth Using our sense of Touch we passed around a variety of objects and tried to guess which was rough and which was smooth.

Once of our project’s was making a Hat for St. Patrick’s Day. And a discussion about Leprechauns. The Letter R was our Focus. We also practiced making the sign for the letter R. This one is pretty easy for the children to do and remember.
Our story of Opal Oval was followed up with discussion about How God wants us to love one another and have that love continue and never end or stop. Just like an oval continues and never stops. God’s love for us never quits or ends. Romans 13:8 “… love one another, for He who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law”
We Made a “Pot of Gold” this was challenging as they still have to work on their fine motor skill before mastering this task. .
Children at this age love to use scissors but it can be challenging to work with a group of preschoolers and scissors. The songs and fingerplays that they do in Kindermusik Class, and the ASL they are learning are helping them develop their fine motor skills.
We will continue working these skills, and practicing the proper grasping technique.
(Placing thumb and middle and ring fingers in the handles of the scissors. Placing the index finger on the outside of the handle to stabilize the scissors and offer a better grip. Then, curl the pinky finger into the palm) Model the proper grasp for them. Teaching your kids to properly hold and use a pair of scissors helps develop the same muscles needed to correctly grasp a pencil.
We Closed the week with a Bible Story from Luke 15:3-7, John 10:1-16
THE LOST SHEEP. The children learned that Jesus was living on earth, he went everywhere teaching people about God. And how he often told people stories. They listened while I told the story about the Shepherd who had 100 sheep and lost 1. I ended the story with telling them how Jesus told us that he is like the good shepherd – He loves us. He doesn’t want any of us to wander away from him, just like our mommies and daddies would not us to wander away from them.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Apology/Parenting Humor removed

I have removed the "gadget" Parenting humor because it contained ads that were offensive to Christianity. I did not see this before today - so my apologies if anyone did see it and was offended. PLEASE let me know if ANY of the ads or link that appear here are offensive and I do not control their content but I WILL remove the ones that put them on.
Thank You!
Ms. Marianne

Monday, March 9, 2009

From Our Circle Time:

Circle Time discussion was about St. Patrick’s Day. We talked about leprechauns – Whether they are “real” or “pretend” and asked “Who” Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day… I explained that there is no such thing in the Bible about luck – that it pertains to Faith and how God loves us and wants us to live by His word. However we can be thankful and feel lucky that we have God in our life!

They were introduced to Opal Oval (shape we are talking about this month) They listened while I read the story Opal Oval Says, “Take Care of Your Body” They listened to Scripture verses through out the story. Such as Proverbs 15:13 “A Happy heart makes the face cheerful…” When we talked about brushing our teeth after eating meals and snacks.

Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me.” After reading about Exercising and how it is good for our heart.

And how our bodies need to rest and relax and eating a good breakfast gives us energy to do all the things we want to do. Psalms 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Through out the story we practiced some of the signs for keeping our body healthy such as brush teeth, comb hair, exercise, and rest, just to name a few.
Oval is a little confusing for the children at this age.
The Children colored a Birthday picture for my brother – he told them that he is going to put them up on his refrigerator. (R word)!

Today’s Menu
B- Kix, Milk, Banana
L- Pasta, Meatballs, peas, tangerine, milk
S- milk, trail mix

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Thursday

Today was Kindermusik Day for 2-4 year olds. We welcomed a new student - Angelina & her mommy Vinnie. This was lesson 4 of Home Sweet Home. The weekly take home sheet will be sent via email.
Our Bible lessons are focusing on getting ready for Easter. Yesterday we did a "flannel board" story - "Jesus grows up" Although we don't know much about that period of time, we guessed at some of the things that Jesus may have done as a child. eg. Help Joseph with Carpentry, help Mary clean, played with other children.
Today the children made their own individual pizzas for lunch
Today's menu was:
Breakfast cereal,milk & tangerines (thanks to Elizabeth and her mommy for sending them in yesterday)
Lunch English Muffins, Mozzerella cheese, sauce, milk, peas, apple slices
Snack Cinnamon Graham Crackers (or as Elizabeth calls them - the sparkley ones) :-) milk
Please send in an item that begins with the letter R on Friday.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Getting Back to "Normal" :-)

I would like to apologize for the lack of communication through the blog recently. As you know I had a stomach virus and quite frankly between that and my insomnia - it has zapped me of my energy(including my brain cells)and I just could not think another thought at the end of the day!! The newsletter will be a little late as I am trying to compile all of my Tax info and due to procrastination through out the year I have a pile of data entry to do! I worked on it ALL weekend and every free moment that I have. Not to mention that 2-3 less days in the month REALLY do make a difference! Wow where did February go? The GOOD news is -- that the children have been quite busy with their, prayers & lessons and having fun playing and they are all eating well & getting along just fantastic and I couldn't be more proud of them! You should all take great pride in what a fantastic "Job" that you are doing as Parents!!! It makes my job easier when at a time I would have just liked to have crawled under the covers and stayed in bed for a week!
But we made it and ready to enter March like a Lion!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Thursday

Today was ABC Music & Me Day (2-4) Home Sweet Home Lesson 2 We experienced the different sounds that zig-zag blocks can make and how different kitchen utensils can make great instruments, we used measuring cups, large metal spoons, & serving tongs for our instrument play along today . Then we danced High & Low as our ears listened for the music to change.
Watch your email for this week's Take Home pages. Please visit the Kindemusik Blog to view what was learned in the 4-6 Moovin and Groovin class. http://kindermusikbymsmarianne.blogspot.com/

Today we had a review of the letter H. We traced the letter H with our fingers to give them practice on the correct way to write H h.
The paper that was sent home helps to reinforce the upper case and lower case H. Please have your child match the honey jar to the bee hive.

We talked about George Washington today.

Reminder Please send a letter H item tomorrow.

Today’s Menu:
Breakfast: Cereal, Oranges, Milk
Lunch: Chicken tenders, Mac/Cheese, Mixed Vegetables, Applesauce, Milk
Snack: Yogurt, Graham crackers

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Today we reviewed the numbers 1 2 3 4 …. Left & Right. On The papers that they brought home today – the children were asked to glue the shapes to their paper. The triangle and the rectangle were to go on the left and the circle and square were to go on the right. This also gave them a review of the shapes and colors as we worked with the right and left sides. They received a stamp on their hand today to remind them of their right hand. We always use our right hand on our hearts when saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Some of the things you can do at home when getting dressed or undressed always say now put on your right – your left shoe, sleeve, leg etc. By the time they get to Kindergarten their Teacher will be thrilled!
Today we introduced the letter H. and the h sound. Some of the items discussed -- heart, horn (ask them what Elvis did when Ms. Marianne blew the horn) :D) , hanger, hat, helmet, horse, house. The children helped read a letter H picture story today. While I read the words they said the name of the pictured object. I pointed to the words as I read the story the children were encouraged to do the same. Teaching them the left to right pattern of reading. Try this at home with them – they really enjoyed helping with the story. On Friday please send in an item that begins with the letter H. If you can’t find an item a picture or magazine clipping will do.

Today's Menu was:
Breakfast : Kix, banana, milk
Lunch: Pasta, Spaghetti Sauce, Meatballs, Peas, Oranges, Milk
Snack: Raisins, Pretzels,

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tuesday Feb17th

We are all refreshed after our Long weekend and ready to get down to *business*

Today we were learning about left and right. The children each got a star on their right hand and had to tell me which foot was their right foot. Then they pointed to their (right) ear, eye, elbow, knee, etc. Then we repeated using the left. We tried mixing up the left and the right. The star on their hand was a reminder that – that was their right hand (side) We followed up this lesson with the Hokey Pokey. If you do this activity at home REMEMBER if you are facing them YOU have to reverse all the directions when you demonstrate. They will look at you and copy the side of the body you are using… your left side will be on their right when you are facing them. They do not yet grasp the concept of mirror image. The children love this song and will love doing this at home.

We reviewed the numbers 1,2,3,and 4. Using magnetic numerals the children count a group of objects from the counting tubs and choose the lid with the matching numeral for each tub.

To reinforce this activity at home. Your child can count groups of every day objects (crayons, cups, spoons, crackers, etc.) and match them with the written numeral.
Little helpful chores your child can help with will reinforce this as well. Children can help set the table and count out the place settings.

They are all doing great. Today Elizabeth and Maggie traded the toys that they each originally picked out, while I was making lunch. They are growing more independent every day!!! I am so proud of them. :-) They all began cleaning up their toys on the first *note* of the clean up song and transitioned into lunch time with ease!
Breakfast was – Pancakes, Apples, and milk
Fish, mixed vegetables, oranges, milk, and 12 grain bread was their Lunch today…
Graham crackers and purple cow for snack.
After Lunch they enjoyed a BOZ DVD which reinforced Letters. They learned that one of the letters in each of the characters names (GRACIE – BOZ – DREW) spelled out GOD!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thursday Feb.12th

Today the Children were introduced the letter B. Upper Case & Lower Case the ba ba sound and some items that begin with the letter B. Today they traced the letters with their fingers. We also introduced the number 10. We counted out 10 tiny crackers for snack. In keeping with the Valentine Theme Our books today were The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse. These stories tell about the different types of love and some sacrifices (The Giving Tree) and unconditional love as in Mama Do you Love Me? This is a story full of extraordinary vocabulary words. The children heard new words such as Inuit (IN-oo-eet) which mean "the people" which is what most native Arctic people call themselves instead of what they are often referred to as -- Eskimos. We will read this story again... I can tell it is going to be one of their favorites!*** Mama, do you love me? Yes I do, Dear One. I'll love you till the stars turn to fish in the sky and the puffin howls at the moon.***
Today during ABC MUSIC & ME the children enjoyed turning spoons into musical instruments during Kitchen Commotion. This type of Instrument Exploration helps them to develop a steady beat - this skill is important in learning to use scissors and bouncing a ball.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Wednesday

Today we had our Valentine's Day party. We made Valentine's for the parents & enjoyed home-made cookies compliments of Logan and his mommy (Megan). A fun day full of hearts and lots of love tucked in!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Tues. Feb.10th

It was another busy day at HGCP. After our opening activities, the children spent some time counting teddy bear counters into groups of 7-8-9 there follow-up activity was the paper that they brought home today. It isn't important if the coloring was complete or not. The concept was to match the numeral to the section with objects that held that number of objects. The children are successful counting but are not yet able to match the numeral. This comes with time & practice - so please do not worry if your child does not recognize the numeral yet. Some of the ways that the children will be learning this is through play and everyday activities. Board games that require matching numerals to spaces counted for example. When they are counting it is important to encourage children to count from left to right. It not only keeps them from counting something twice it is another step toward developing their pre-reading skill.

Today we did another Hap Palmer music lesson. This one is called "Getting to Know Myself" The first song "feelings" involves showing different emotions and how we look when we feel, happy, sad, angry, we also practiced Sign for each emotion. The "Circle Game" helped the children to explore the concept of in & out of the circle, around the circle. Touch various body parts using our wrists ankles, neck, elbows, along with the more familiar body part names. They are not only learning the directional concepts the children are developing their Attention Skills. Today our creative project was making valentine animals from pipe cleaners. A new song that we are learning is "Will You be my Valentine" sung to the tune of Muffin Man. The children are doing this new one in ASL.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Lincoln's Birthday & Over & Under

After our morning routine of Prayer, Pledge, Calendar, Weather, and names and addresses the children listened to a brief discussion about Abraham Lincoln. We discussed that it is his birthday this week and that he lived in a log cabin when he was young and that he grew up to be a leader of our country. The papers that they brought home will help you to further that discussion at home. The gluing of the pretzel sticks fosters eye hand coordination. Once again it is not important as to whether or not the pictures are colored, they are just a tool for you to open the discussion with you child.

Through the use of a "Hap Palmer" tape the children worked on some developmental skills. The Concept of over and under was further explored by gluing some pictures over and under a tree on the second PS sheet that they brought home today. . The activities on this tape develops focused listening which is a skill that their teachers will be VERY happy that they know. ( once they enter school.) :)

Our Bible Story today was John 1:4-7

Quiet time was at the regular time today. 12:30PM

B- Kix, apple slices, milk
L- Tuna & cheese on 12 grain bread, peaches, grape tomatoes, milk
Sn- bagel & cream cheese

Valentine's Party will be on Wednesday Feb. 11th

Friday, January 23, 2009

Baby Talk



There has been a buzzword Baby Sign in the current trend. What is so special about it? Study finds that babies are not born with a blank slate of their brains when it comes to language. Sign language enables infants to speak earlier than speech language in the early stage of physical development. There is nothing more mysterious than this. Perhaps one day everyone will be able to speak both vocally and manually -- a matter of choice.
Baby sign or baby talk is a concept and practice of communication (not a language per se) with hearing babies in sign language before they can first vocally speak. The underlying idea about "baby sign" is simply that babies are capable of coordinating their physical parts (hands, arms, etc.) earlier before they could coordinate their vocal system. Its approach is as practical and intuitive as real-life among native ASL parents who speak ASL to babies, in the same way as parents talking English to their babies.

Thursday, January 22, 2009



An early literacy and language programABC Music & Me, an award-winning enrichment program for 2 to 6 year olds. ABC Music & Me is a research-based language and early literacy program built around music. ABC Music & Me helps develop pre-literacy and language skills through a child’s most-loved rituals: music and storytime.
ABC Music & Me supports the early childhood standards and requirements for “high quality programs” as defined by the National Institute for Early Education. Plus for the older age group, ABC Music & Me aligns with pre-K national and state standards.


Curriculum Description: Age Range: Age 2 to 6 years

Class Structure: New unit theme for each month, each contains four lessons.

Fourteen monthly units for 2 to 4 years old. Twelve monthly units for 4 to 6 years old.

Class Length: 30 minutes.

Class Size: Up to twelve children in class, with or without accompanying adults.


What A Child Will Experience In Class
Songs and rhymes to develop phonetic awareness and early reading skills
Tapping, clacking, and ringing rhythm instruments in time with music to improve hand-eye coordination
Focused listening with music to improve skills in following directions
Instrument play to strengthen fine motor skills
Developmentally-appropriate songs to develop vocal chords and expressive speech
Learning that emphasizes storytelling, imaginative play, and taking turns.


Registration includes:
Developmentally appropriate curriculum for children ages 2 to 6 years old
4-week semester with 12 different monthly themes
Weekly 30-minute class
Monthly Home Kit that includes a magazine-style Family Guide, CD with all the music from class, and an instrument every other month

Enroll online today at my website: http://www.kindermusikbymsmarianne.kindermusik.net/

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Why Should I Sign With My Child?

Benefits of using ASL with Hearing Babies- Babies can communicate before they can speak - verbal abilites are far less advanced than motor skills at this age.- Decreases frustration - Having a way to tell you what they want or need decreases their frustration and yours.- Strong connection or bond - frequent eye contact, better communication and less frustration makes you feel happier together
Benefits of using ASL with Toddlers- Minimizes the "Terrible Two's - ability to communicate to you what they want or need = less frustration = less tantrums.- Helps you to make sense of toddler speech - A sign with the sound "Ba" can tell you whether they mean ball or balloon.- Develop larger vocabularies - Research shows that signing children have 50 more speaking words at the age of 2 then their non-signing peers
Benefits of using ASL with Preschoolers and Early Elementary Age Students- Enhances early literacy skills - by adding a visual and kinesthetic way to learn children have proven to have more success in reading, writing, vocabulary, spelling and memory.- Increases IQ by 8-12 points - Research shows that signers have an 8-12 point advantage on the WISC intelligence tests and also score higher on the PPVT vocabulary test.- Increases self-esteem - knowing a skill you can teach others and being able to lead others in a conversation gives a sense of empowerment. - To see the research go to http://cas.la.psu.edu/faculty/daniels.htm.
Benefits of using ASL with Children with Special Needs- Using sign language has proven to be a successful intervention with children who have apraxia of speech, autism, down syndrome, as well as reading disabilities. - To see some research on apraxia go to http://www.apraxia-kids.org/site/c.chKMI0PIIsE/b.980831/apps/s/content.asp?ct=464165/ or for autism go to http://www.autism.org/sign.html.

Clean and Healthy

Clean Counts Get into the habit of cleaning stuff you share with others, such as computer keyboards, phones, remote controls, countertops, etc. And remember—germs love money as much as we do, so wash your hands after those ATM pit stops.
Clean Your Humidifier During the winter months you should clean your humidifier every three days and change the water every day.8
Know When to Wash Your Hands To prevent the spread of cold and flu germs, wash your hands at the following times: after petting an animal or using any gym equipment, as well as before and after eating, treating a cut, removing your contacts, and touching doors in high-traffic areas.9
Good Old Soap Antibacterial soaps are convenient and certainly have their place, but they're no more effective than regular soap at killing germs.10 So feel free to use good old-fashioned soap and water in addition to hand sanitizer.
Hand-Washing 101Hand washing is so important that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made official guidelines! They advise people to use soap and warm water while scrubbing vigorously for at least 20 seconds.
8 The National Institutes of Health 9 The Mayo Clinic10 The Mayo Clinic
Staying Healthy
Sleep It Off Not getting enough sleep decreases your immune system's ability to fight off a cold.1 So try to get a consistent six to eight hours of sleep every night.
Winter Doesn't Make You Sick Cold weather doesn't give you a cold.2 What really causes more sickness in the winter months is the increased amount of time we spend breathing germ-infested air indoors.
Use Antibiotics SparinglyUnless you're diagnosed with an infection, avoid using antibiotics for cold or flu symptoms. For one, too-liberal use of antibiotics can give rise to antibiotic-resistant germs. And there's always the risk of unpleasant side effects.
Fight Off Airplane GermsKeep germs at bay by washing your hands often (here's where a bottle of hand sanitizer can come in real handy). And be sure to drink lots of water to combat the super-dry pressurized air.
1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention2 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Healthy Expectations
We Get Well GraduallyGenerally speaking, a normal cold or flu lasts around five to seven days.4 If you don't start to feel better after a week, experts recommend you seek medical attention. Otherwise, over-the-counter medications should work just fine.
Know Your Sick DaysIt's not fair, but women average six bed-sick days a year. Men average four.6 Regardless, we're not alone in our misery. Every year, Americans report 1 billion colds and miss more than 50 million workdays and 60 million schooldays as a result.
Get to Know Your FeverThe University of Michigan Health System rates any fever from 100° F to 104° F as beneficial. Fevers ranging from 105° F to 107° F also are considered beneficial, but should be monitored due to higher risks of bacterial infections. Any fever greater than 107° F should be treated by a medical professional.
4 U.S. Food and Drug Administration6 The 2006 National Center for Health Statistics Survey for U.S. Adults

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The children and I watched as the 44th President of the United States of America was sworn into office. Regardless of your Political views you can't help but be excited about how far our Country has come. Yes there is still a lot of prejudice to deal with, but I am happy to say that I was able to witness this event in my lifetime. Many references were made about Martin Luther King and I remember when he was assassinated and how I felt back then. I have prayed that we as a Nation could overcome pride and prejudice and look where we are today. Welcoming our First African American President. We are not where we need to be but I am glad that were are not where we used to be. Thank God! If you have never visited the website for the White House Please do.... www.whitehouse.gov

My First Attempt

This is my first attempt at blogging. I think if I can find my way back here - it would be a start. From there hopefully it will be smooth sailing. I hope this will be a good way to keep my clients informed to our day, as well as any announcements that need to be made.
I am sure that - like anything else - I will get better as I go along. This will be a good place for Parents to see what our day is like and share some of the news of the day, week, month. In an effort to cut down on paper waste - Here, I will post the Daily activities, meals, or any notices that I need to share.

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