Pre-K January Newsletter 2019   

     We hope that you had a wonderful vacation and a Happy New Year!  We are so excited to receive our Cool Culture passes!  You now have access to 90 of NYC’s best-loved museums, gardens, zoos and historic houses. We can’t wait to hear about all the fun things your child did over the break.

     This month the children will continue to study where people and animals around them live.  They will be learning about the different types of homes for animals and people in their neighborhood, for example: apartment buildings, houses, brownstones, nests and trees.  You can help your child observe what types of homes they see as they travel to school and back.  You can also talk to them about the different parts of a home, for example: attic, basement, garage and living room.  Discuss with your child, what they think the homes they see are made of, for example: bricks, wood or glass.  There is so much you can talk to your child about while walking to school together.

     We have also begun Friend of the Week.  Every week we will celebrate a different child.  We will talk about the letters in their name, and interview them about things they like.  We will also make a portrait of the child.  We will ask each child to bring in something special to share at the end of the week for a show and tell. It could be anything, from a picture to a special toy.

     In math, we are learning about patterns.  Simple patterns have 2 colors or variables, for example red, blue, red, blue. You can help your child by looking for patterns together, for example there are patterns in clothing, such as stripes or prints.  You can also help them to create patterns at home using small toys, stickers or stamps. Always have your child tell you about the pattern when they are done.  

     Your child has been engaging in many gross motor activities in the multi-media room, such as hopping and skipping.  You can do gross motor activities at home.  You can help your child by creating movement patterns such as walk, walk, jump, walk, walk, jump.  You can use movements such as: skip, run, jog, hop, turn and sit.