It is hard to believe we have finished our first half term in Junior Infants. There is a big difference between now and the beginning of September - lots of new friendships, new rules to follow and a big change in the structure of the day from playschool to now. Well done to all of the children for settling in so well and getting used to a new environment so quickly.
We have been having lots of Halloween fun for the last week (and maybe a bit longer too.) Here we are making 2 colour pattern paper chains. We compared these to see which ones were longest and shortest.
We have been having lots of Halloween fun for the last week (and maybe a bit longer too.) Here we are making 2 colour pattern paper chains. We compared these to see which ones were longest and shortest.
We have also been busy with Aistear and learning lots about the home and families. There is also a lot of discussion taking place - we "plan, do and review." Before every session begins, each group has a huddle and plans (without teacher intervention) what they will do and what each persons' role is. This has been a worthwhile technique for the children to use and has spilled over into yard time as some children have a hudddle at the start! During an Aistear session, problems arise - in certain areas more than others, where a lot of interaction is taking place. I try to allow the children to sort out their own issues, as much as possible - "How will you solve this problem?' "What could you do to fix it?" "If you were 'X,' what would you think/feel?" From week 1 doing Aistear to our final week this month, it has been fascinating to see the development and changes and the growing independence, and I am sure it will only improve. After Aistear, we tidy up as a team and if we finish tidying quickly in our area, then we move to help others. Some children are fantastic at this and we see a lot of skills that they learnt at home being used in the classroom - tidying, sweeping, folding, putting this away in their right place, asking for help when needed, and much more. Here comes a lot of Aistear photos - I find it hard to pick just a few!
We have really enjoyed looking out for signs of autumn. The classroom has quite a collection of conkers, pinecones and leaves, among other things. We did a science experiment during the week using pinecones. Firstly, we explored them, just looking and feeling first and then we pulled them apart to see what held them together and how they felt inside.
Then we began an experiment to see what would happen to pinecones if we put them in water. We found out a few really interesting things. The first interesting point was that when we looked through the water - the pinecones looked much bigger. We also noted that pinecones float on water, which we thought was helpful for spreading the pinecones to faraway places. In our experiment we had 3 containers, 1 with no water, 1 with cold water and 1 with hot water. We made predictions about what we thought would happen when they went into water. It was really interesting to watch. We noticed that the pinecones in cold water began to close up but very slowly. The pinecones in the empty jar stayed the same and the pinecones in hot water....well, I wonder who remembers at home what happened to them?
Then we began an experiment to see what would happen to pinecones if we put them in water. We found out a few really interesting things. The first interesting point was that when we looked through the water - the pinecones looked much bigger. We also noted that pinecones float on water, which we thought was helpful for spreading the pinecones to faraway places. In our experiment we had 3 containers, 1 with no water, 1 with cold water and 1 with hot water. We made predictions about what we thought would happen when they went into water. It was really interesting to watch. We noticed that the pinecones in cold water began to close up but very slowly. The pinecones in the empty jar stayed the same and the pinecones in hot water....well, I wonder who remembers at home what happened to them?
Here are our fine motor skills activities in action. These might give some ideas for activities you can do at home. And remember, household jobs can be excellent for strengthening these muscles. Win win!
We will be starting the theme of the Health Centre after the break. If you have any equipment that we could borrow or that you would like to donate, that would be fantastic. We are going to focus on the Doctor's Office and the Optician. In particular, if you have any old glasses that we could pop the lenses out of or old sunglasses, it would be great.
Have a fantastic mid-term break! See you all on Monday week!
Have a fantastic mid-term break! See you all on Monday week!