Hello, wonderful preschool families!
This week marks the beginning of Sukkot, which is one of the children’s most anticipated holidays of the year! We are busy preparing decorations for the Sukkah, practicing shaking the Lulav and Esrog, and looking forward to festive meals enjoyed together in the Sukkah! Although it will be a short week of school, with Tuesday and Wednesday off for the holiday, it will be a week packed full of fun and learning!
Practical Life is a very important area of the classroom, particularly for our youngest learners. These lessons, which include daily tasks such as pouring, scooping, scrubbing, and buttoning, are designed carefully with the young child’s needs and capabilities in mind. Practical Life activities support the development of fine motor skills, refining the movements and control of the fingers and hands through intricate movements and repetition. Developing and extending the ability to concentrate is also a highlight of Practical Life activities, preparing the child’s focus for lessons in all areas of the classroom. Through regular work with these materials, children also develop independence and confidence in their own abilities. This helps them not only the classroom, but all areas of their life and learning!
This week our Practical Life area will shift to incorporate signs of the season. The children will be invited to carefully hammer golf tees into the thick shell of a pumpkin. This activity is always a favorite, as the large orange pumpkin certainly draws the child’s attention. Quickly, one discovers the challenge this activity holds. Holding the tee in place, aiming the hammer, and using the proper amount of pressure requires great concentration and a lot of practice! The children will also have the opportunity to use tweezers to pluck seeds from the face of a sunflower. This precise motion is great strengthening work for the small muscles utilized in pencil control!
We are looking forward to a week of celebration, learning, and togetherness!
Morah Uma, Kara, Kristy, Chaya