Little Red Hen Does Seeds

Here's some excellent books on seeds, sprouts and plant growth:

Little Red Hen - traditional
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
The  Tiny Seed - Carle
How A Seed Grows - Jordan
A Seed Is Sleepy - Aston
The Reason For A Flower - Heller
I Am A Seed - Marzollo

We use our illuminated 30 power microscopes to view seed coat and embryo.  We say that the rest of the seed is the "lunchbox for the baby plant" since it has food for the plant when it grows under the soil.

We've learned that there is a baby plant in every seed.  Investigating soaked lima seeds and uncovering the plant embryo is fantastically exciting!

It's good to have simple cut and paste activities to reinforce our independence.

Enjoy this time lapse video of seeds, roots, shoots, leaves and flowers:

From Seed to Flowerhttp://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/tdc02_vid_plantsgrow/
Your child likes this plant growth sequence for children:

From Seed to Fruit (interactive)
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/evscps.sci.life.seedint/

We found the baby seeds in donated altar flowers.  It's lots of fun to take them apart and make 'flower soup' for outdoor play.

We pick corn seeds off the cob and grind them up.  We're saving the seeds to feed the ducks and chicks once they are older.  Right now, they need baby food, just like we did!

We are very careful with the ducks and chick.  They peck at our hands when we offer food, but they don't have teeth, and it tickles!  Their constant peeping makes for a cheery classroom.

 

Joys of Being Four

Large group negotiation, small group cooperation, individual initiative and success. 
Pretty cool accomplishments when most of our children are 'singletons' with little demanded of them in the way of chores.

I am so thankful that parents are, by and large, knowledgable and relaxed when it comes to 'teach my child to read'.  For the youngest child, this is a 1 on 1 endeavor.  One child, one adult.  In a perfect children's world (such as the world of Redeemer Preschool) our children have better things to do than rote and drill.

 



The group shot is of their first superstructure built in my class.  With teacher guidance, petty squabbles melt as the adult 'helped them with their words" (you really don't expect all 4-year-olds to have the experience and verbal skills to get along all the time!)  Adults don't do their work for them; we give them words to define their accomplishments and clarify the work still to do.   

I love the twosome.  They were having an awesomely happy time.  I think the look is due to Mrs. Keyburn asking them to pose.

Tatum spilled corn kernals out of the sensory table.  She grabbed the broom and swept it up.  I turned around to see her sweeping again.  I'm convinced her activity around the sensory table for the rest of the class period was self-inflicted. 

On a recent sunny day, the Dolphins searched for Monarch caterpillars and other interesting wildlife in the milkweed patch.
 

Preschool Mulch Delivery

On Thursday, 200 yards of playground mulch was delivered at just the right time for the Dophins to watch from our Outdoor Classroom.  Bunnies, ducks, big trucks; what could be better?

Obviously, 4 boys thought that completing their task was more important.  They raked leaves from the large pecan tree that shades the greenhouse - all the better to collect the delicious nuts.  Inside the Rainbow Room we use mochajetes to crack the shells and learn to pry out the nutmeat. Nothing beats taking something apart to learn how it is constructed, and we're becoming champs at the structure of the tiny seed from which strong pecan trees grow.

 

By the way, adults are invited to spread much this Saturday, 10/27.  All 3 playgrounds have piles of mulch awaiting steel rakes and pitchforks.  Come early, bring the children, and teach them to use tools and learn what volunteers can accomplish!