Last Month at Pillar Kids: January 2023

January was a busy month for our Pillar Kids! We found ourselves needing to regroup and get back into preschool routines after our winter break. Once we settled in, things in our classroom took off!

Toddler Group (Ms. Lam’s group)

This month Ms. Lam’s friends focused on Caterpillars and Butterflies. The group talked about the 4 stages of a butterfly’s life, which includes 1. Egg 2.Caterpillar 3.Chrysalis 4. Butterfly. The children began to observe the life cycle, watching the caterpillars starting out small, growing larger over several weeks, and ultimately becoming a chrysalis! The little ones even took turns guessing when they would see the chrysalis. What a fun way to introduce life sciences to our toddlers .

The toddlers also enjoyed the “I spy” sensory bin filled with lots of fun insects and bugs. The children searched to find them in the bin and then match the corresponding bug to its card. At some point the children went to grab paint cups and started to create their own sensory bin, using the cups to scoop and transfer the lentils over to the other cup. This activity helps develop hand-eye coordination, and gives exposure to different textures and sounds as they poured the lentils from one cup to another.

Here are some of the books the children enjoyed reading:

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
2. Ten Little Ladybugs, by Melanie Gerth
3. Backpack Explorer: Bug Hunt, by Onana Befort Next Up for Toddlers!

Next Up for Toddlers!

This month Ms. Lam’s group will be learning about Shapes and Colors. Each week the children will be introduced to a new shape and color. The group will focus on the primary colors for the first two weeks, followed by the children experimenting with color mixing.

Preschool Group (Ms. Angelina’s group)

January was busy for the preschoolers. Ms. Angelina’s group started the month learning about snowflakes and what makes snow. They talked about how to make snowmen from snow, and touched on animals who live in snowy, cold environments, like polar bears and penguins.

The group also took a few days to learn about Lunar New Year, where they read books related to the holiday, and made red lanterns for the children to take home. During circle time they discussed traditional Lunar New Years celebrations, like the Dragon Dance. Ms. Angelina also shared a marionette of the New Year Dragon for the children to explore.

The preschoolers made snowman collages using doilies and other materials, counting the number of pieces needed to put the snowman’s bodies together. The children worked together, talking about the different designs and outfits for each of their snowmen. This was a fun way for them to work on their social skills as they talked to each other and Ms. Angelina about their plans for the snowmen’s outfits, jewelry, accessories, etc.

Here are some of the books the children enjoyed reading:

1. No Two Alike, by Keith Baker
2. My First Chinese New Year, by Karen Katz
3. The Snowman Story, by Raymond Briggs

Next Up for Preschoolers!

This month the preschool class will be talking about Colors and Shapes. We’ll learn the difference between primary and secondary colors and explore monochromatics. We’ll revisit some familiar shapes as well as learn some more complicated ones.