Ms Shelby's Class - Toddler 3

June has been a month full of read-alouds, water play, and dot paint! The children have enjoyed gearing up in their swimsuits, lathering in sunscreen, and running from our classroom door down to the sprinkler and water table on the playground.

Our favorite books this month have consisted of Going on a Bear Hunt, Duck Goes Potty, Where is Baby's Mommy?, Where's that Monkey?, The Birthday Box, Dr. Seuss’ ABC Book, Tubby, and Blankie.

The children listen intently while the teacher is reading to them, especially when we're reading Going on a Bear Hunt. Some of the children in the class even participate by saying some parts of the book, like the sound the grass makes "swishy, swashy," the sound of the mud, "squelch, squerch," and their favorite—the sound of the river, "splash, splosh.” The favorite part of this book for the children is when the family enters the bear cave and comes face to face with the bear they've been looking for. The teacher will read quietly at this part, the children lean in close, then all of a sudden all together the class will say, "IT'S A BEAR!" and the class is filled with excitement again.

In the first couple of weeks of July, we will be focusing on America. We have several books for read-alouds that have a patriotic feel and theme to them. Our art activities, as well as sensory, will have patriotism included in them. We will have red, white, and blue colored rice in the sensory table with the children as well as star cookie cutters, tweezers, and scoops for the children to explore with to develop their motor skills (hand and wrist movements).

Art activities will range from creative versions of the stars and stripes to hand paintings, chalk art, and anything the children feel like creating with the materials provided. To wrap up the month, we will visit the topic of transportation and accompany that time with interactive read-alouds that include buttons for the children to push and hear the sounds of cars, trains, planes, etc. We will also explore how to make art collages while painting with some of the cars we have in our classroom.

July 31st will be Miss Shelby's last day with Toddler 3. Miss Shelby has accepted an elementary teaching position with Bartlesville Public Schools.