Playing Outside

The LE’rs have been having a lot of fun on the playground, especially on the obstacle/ropes course. We have also been observing tag games that start as exciting and fun, and then turn scary. The teachers and staff look for the moments when actions turn dangerous or when words become hurtful. Games like Lion Pride, Cops and Robbers, and other ways of Playing Tag have been around forever and are an important part of early child development. It is an essential part of their learning at Acera and we take full opportunities to teach important lessons when these “teachable moments” arise.

In 5-6 weeks the LE Block Area will be set-up on the wooden platform. The blocks are ordered, and the space will create an area out-of-the-fray from older students for our class (and possibly others) to build and construct houses, mazes, and other structures! We can’t wait!

Math: Fractions

We have started a unit on fractions this week and it has been really well received thus far! We started by introducing the different fraction families… the 1/2 family, the 1/3 family and so on, and explaining that fractions are equal parts of a whole. The students then made their own fraction family books by tracing the metal fractions, making them into characters, and learning how to write “one part of two”. We introduced fraction equivalents such as 2/4ths is the same as 1/2, by manipulating the fraction pieces. We will work more with equivalents next week and move on to addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Metal Inset: Felt

The students have made wonderful progress moving through the 10 metal inset exercises, so much so that we have to come up with an extension on the activity! Starting next Monday the students who have finished all the exercises will get to make designs with felt shapes. They will be beautiful!

Partner Reading: Wednesdays

Each Wednesday our Rest and Read time is shortened due to Creativity Afternoon. So, on this day we Partner Read. We selectively make successful partners and for 1/2 hour, one student reads to another. This week, after reading” The Titanic, Lost and Found” the two partners did a Titanic reenactment by throwing “life vests” off the loft. We had pillows everywhere but appreciated the connections that the students were making with the story.

Learning Ally

On one rotation a trimester, each student, working at their individualized reading level, will be able to use iPads at Rest and Read, using the app Learning Ally. The program has over 8,000 books all read aloud by real people with text and pictures. As the book is read, the text is highlighted so the students can follow along. We have been experimenting with the app’s success by having the students follow along with the story being read, and then pulling them individually to read to a teacher. It has been really interesting to use this new technology!