Dear Families,

For Tu Bishvat celebration  we celebrated with a hands-on planting activity. The children planted bean seeds, exploring soil and small pots with their hands. They were engaged, curious, and joyfully busy!

This week we are deepening our work around language development. Language is woven into our daily work in very intentional ways. We move from the most concrete experiences to more abstract ones, meeting each child where they are. We utilize a variety of matching activities on our shelves as one method.  As each match is made, we say the object names slowly and deliberately, and encourage the children to repeat us.

  • Object-to-object matching (most concrete): Matching real objects, such as plush fruits, mittens, and animal figurines, helps children build vocabulary through tangible, hands-on learning.

  • Object-to-picture matching:
    Using fruit magnets with matching picture cards encourages children to make connections between real objects and representations. 

  • Picture-to-picture matching (most abstract):
    Matching identical animal cards supports visual discrimination and early symbolic thinking. We aim for the most realistic and lifelike photos or images, rather than cartoony illustrations to support our early language learners. This supports understanding what the image truly represents. 

We also support language development through:

  • Reading books and storytelling, including Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? using our felt board,

  • Interactive storytelling with other props, and

  • Songs and finger plays, such as “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “The Wheels on the Bus.”

Here are a few simple ways to support this learning at home:

  • Name everyday objects: During meals or playtime, name fruits, animals, or household objects. Repetition helps build vocabulary.

  • Match and sort: Invite your child to match real objects to pictures in books, or sort toys by category (animals, cars, foods).

  • Read and sing together: Re-read favorite books and sing familiar songs. Toddlers love repetition, and it strengthens language, memory, and confidence.

Thank you for your continued partnership. We love watching the children grow in communication, independence, and curiosity each day.

Warmly,

Rachael, Pallavi, Kristy, and Sarah