Nursery Rhyme Week!

Nursery rhymes and songs can be used anywhere at any time. As such, they are one of our most transportable forms of play. Here are some of the ways finger plays, rhymes, chants, and songs teach children concepts and skills and even provide emotional support.

1. Language Development. As children recite rhymes and sing songs, they are learning new vocabulary and how to articulate words, modulate their voices, and enunciate clearly. They learn to pronounce words easily by saying them over and over again and by practicing them without effort or the pressures of criticism.

2. Reading Skills. It teaches them the left-to-right directional motion, which is important for children to experience (When you read to your children, let them follow your finger or trace the words so they also absorb this concept). It also teaches them story sequence. What happened first, second, third, etc. Story sequence also helps with retelling the story or rhyme

3. Math Concepts. There is frequent use of counting in young children’s songs and rhymes, in both a forward and backward direction. Children learn to add as they count forward and subtract as they count backward. Other stories and songs explore words that describe size (“Billy Goats Gruff”) and weight (“The Three Bears”) and use math-related words to define concepts such as many, few, plenty, and so on. This contributes to the child’s basic math foundation.

4. Creativity. Rhymes and songs provide great building blocks for creativity. Children love to act out the rhymes as they say them. Sometimes they use their whole body or just use their hands and fingers. In our classroom children are encouraged to display their creativity, which helps to increases their self

This week we learned several different rhymes! Here are some that were our favorite, as well as activities that went along with them.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Manipulative

we looked a different star shapes and diamonds. 

Art

We made our own Twinkle Star

Hey Diddle Diddle

Large Muscle Activity

We pretended to be cows and we jumped over the moon

Manipulative

Nursery Rhyme Floor Puzzle

Art

We made cows jumping over the moon

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Large Muscle Activity

we crawled around like spiders.

Math

we counted to 8 using the legs of a spider

Blocks

we built a spout for the spider to climb.  I allowed the bugs from science center join blocks center this week for this activity!

Art

we made a large spider

Humpty Dumpty

Large Muscle Activity

Have each kid take turns rolling like a egg from one area of the rug to the next.  As they are rolling recite the Rhyme, Humpty Dumpty.

Blocks Center

We built Humpty Dumpty's wall and had horses and men to help retell the rhyme.

Art

we made a Humpty Dumpty

 By the end of the week we had one bulletin board filled with all our different rhymes.

Below is a link to more Nursery Rhyme Fun!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhymes-Unit-1513726

My Family

This week we focused on our families! Throughout the week the children developed an understanding of various family patterns.  They also discovered what family members do for each other.

Books we read.....

Fingerplays

My Family

If you peek in my room at night (stand on toes as if peeking)

My family you will see (nod head)

They kiss my face and tuck me in tight (kiss into the air)

Why? Because the love ME! ( hug yourself)

This Is The Mother

This is the mother, kind and deear. (make a fist then point to the thumb)

This is the father sitting near (show each finger in turn)

this is the brother strong and tall

This is the sister, who plays with her ball

This is the baby, the littlest of all.

Se my whole family large and small? (wiggle all fingers)

I Love My Family

Some families are large (spread arms out wide)

Some familes are small. (bring arms close together)

But I live my family (cross arms over chest)

Best of All!

Art 

Family Trees

I had each child use thier hand print to make their tree.  Each apple represents who is in their family!

Family Portrait

Each child drew their OWN family portrait!

Science

Feely box

Place objects pertaining to a family into a box.  Include items such as a baby rattle, a toothbrush, a comb, baby bottle, etc.

The children feel the objects and try to identify them.

Housekeeping/Dramatic Play

Family Picnic

collect items to make a picnic basket. Include paper napkins, cups, plates, eating utensils, etc.

Baby Clothing

arrange the dramatic play area for washing baby dolls.  Include a tub with soapy water, washclothes, drying clothes, brushes, and combs.

Blocks

Bulid a community of houses and use different people to represnt the different families in your classroom.

Math

Families- BIGGEST to smallest

Cut out from magazines several members of a family.  the children can place the members from largest to smallest, and then smallest to largest.  They can also identify each family member as the biggest and the smallest.

Family Member Glyph

Each child got a house.  We made different color sqaures for each type of family members. If they only put the sqaures in their house that represented their family. For example: if they had a brother they put a red square in their house or two!

Social Studies

I had each student bring in a family picture(s) to share with the class.  We talked about who was in their family and counted how many were in their family.  I then posted them around the room so they could share them all week. The students really enjoy showing off thier family and see them around the room!

Next week Wheels on the Bus Preschool Learning will adventure through Nursery Rhymes!