Our PreSchool Blog

Today we practiced holding scissors the correct way. Scissor skills are a definite aspect of independence in the classroom and at home. Understanding the correct way helps keep your preschooler safe and strengthens fine motor muscles. Click here for a great video on teaching preschoolers to use scissors.

1. Index and middle fingers in the bottom hole, keep at the bottom.

2. Thumb in the smaller hole always facing up.

3. Use other fingers to support the outside of the scissors while cutting.

One of our objectives in the Toddler room this month is to go over the concept and vocabulary “in and out”. The boys and girls practice this everyday. Whether it be playing in and out of the play house, putting objects in or out of the sensory table, or going in and out of the classroom… the children are putting the words in to motion each day! Our friends had a great time putting the balls “in” and “out” of the bucket.

Name recognition is a skill practiced daily in preschool. Today we strengthened our fine motor and wrist muscles while working on a vertical surface. The Smartboard makes name practice especially fun. Some fun ways to practice names around the house are writing in shaving cream, flour, dirt, sand, steam on the bathroom mirror, sugar or salt. Letter building is fun to do around the house as well. Help your preschooler create the letters of their name with dry or cooked noodles, beans, candy, or coins.

Click on the picture to practice 10 Little Numbers with your preschooler!

In the Toddler room, the children have been going over the shape of the month… a Circle! During group time, the boys and girls have been looking around the room for circles. Today, Ms. Bree-Anna read the book “What is Round?”. It highlights objects in everyday life that are the shape of a circle. For example a nickel or a balloon! The children also used their fine motor skills to paint a circle yellow. Go on a scavenger hunt around your house and look for all of the round objects!

This week we are practicing how to draw horizontal and vertical lines in Early 3’s! Today with Ms. Bree Anna we began our practicing by tracing different line shapes in order to understand what a line looks like. Drawing lines is not only a wonderful way to develop those fine motor skills, but it is a basic skill that is essential to learn for pre-writing.

We are working on name recognition in our Early 3’s class. We used our fine motor skills and creative energy together in this activity where our names “appeared.” By writing every child’s name in white crayon, and having them paint in water colors over it, they can see their name show up against the colorful background!

Click on the picture to watch The Alphabet Song. This is great practice and lots of fun. It is important to expose children to letters and letter sounds every day in as many ways possible. Sing and dance along with your preschooler!