Using a variety of art mediums is a fun and effective way for children to develop their fine motor skills, which are essential for prewriting. Manipulating tools like crayons, paintbrushes, glue sticks, and scissors helps strengthen the small muscles in their hands and fingers. These actions promote proper hand grip, coordination, and control—all important skills needed for holding a pencil and forming letters later on. Engaging with different art materials also sparks creativity and encourages self-expression.

Incorporating American Sign Language (ASL) into learning supports emergent reading skills for three-year-olds by strengthening their understanding of language. Using ASL alongside spoken words helps children make connections between symbols, letters, and their meanings. The physical act of signing engages multiple senses, reinforcing memory and comprehension, while also building vocabulary. ASL can also enhance phonemic awareness, as children become more attuned to the sounds and shapes of words with a multisensory approach.

TFH will be closed for vacation.

We continue to engage in literacy skill daily. Our recent interest has been the book, Piggies, by Audrey Wood. This book represents children’s fingers as piggies and names each one: fat piggy, smart piggy, long piggy, silly piggy, and little piggy. We have been using these names for our fingers when we utilize sign language. For example the sign for water uses smart piggy, long piggy, and silly piggy all standing up while fat piggy and little piggy give each other a kiss. Then your hand is placed under your chin. Ask your child to show you! We continue to use sign language at meal times and when signaling all done at a play area.

While preparing a stock one day, the children observed me chopping an onion, which initiated a discussion about the layers of the onion. They enthusiastically explored both the top and bottom of the onion, peeling back the layers and inhaling its aroma. However, they were hesitant to taste the onion, deterred by its pungent scent, which led them to speculate that it might have a sour flavor. This discussion naturally evolved into an exploration of various tastes. We examined the concept of saltiness and discussed sweet and will continue to engage with topics related to taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch.

We work on strengthening our fine motor skills by painting with Q-Tips. Holding a small item, like a Q-Tip, encourages the development of their pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) and hand muscles. This fine motor control is essential for gripping a pencil and handwriting. While painting, toddlers naturally create dots, lines, and shapes—basic forms they will later need when learning to write letters. These basic forms are also included in our drawings of Mat Man.

The children are demonstrating a growing interest in books and engaging in gross motor play within the library area. This enthusiasm prompted a lesson focused on book care and understanding appropriate library behavior. During the lesson, I modeled the correct way to handle a book, emphasizing how to hold it properly, turn the pages gently, and opening and closing it with care. As I demonstrated these reading practices, I highlighted the importance of maintaining a calm body and keeping my eyes on the page. At the end of the lesson, I showed the children on how to carry and return the book to its proper place. This approach not only fosters an appreciation for books but also enhances their understanding of Print Awareness—an essential foundational skill for becoming proficient readers. Print Awareness encompasses the recognition that print conveys meaning and understanding the proper handling of books.

With the onset of fall, we are greeted by a palette of bright and vibrant colors that will serve as inspiration for our artwork. Our projects will include painting autumn trees, creating shape monsters, and an introduction to pipe cleaners. These pipe cleaners will act as a manipulable medium for constructing our Mat Man, facilitating a transition for children from exploring two-dimensional art to developing a deeper understanding of three-dimensional forms. Utilizing various tools and materials, the children will create basic sculpted shapes while engaging with our familiar Mat Man song.

While exploring the backyard, we stumbled upon a bird nest, which prompted several questions from the children, such as, "Where is the bird?" and "Why are there no eggs?" We will monitor the nest's location to see if we can identify the resident bird.

To enhance our inquiry, we plan to read books that introduce the concept of migration to the children. Currently, they are engaged in the exploration phase of inquiry, characterized by observation and investigation (DRDP 2015 preschool, COG-9). We will continue to foster a deeper understanding of the natural world through careful observation of our environment.

"Mine!"

"No, mine!"

This repetitive mantra can be quite exasperating for caregivers, as they recognize it is not a constructive approach to problem-solving. However, with three-year-olds, this situation presents a valuable opportunity to foster social and language skills. With appropriate scaffolding, the children can learn to identify the issue at hand and collaborate to find a solution.

When the refrain of "mine" begins, I take the opportunity to enhance the children's language development. For instance, one child may ask another, "When you're done, can I have a turn?" The responding child typically agrees, allowing play to resume. This exchange enables the first child to feel that their time with the toy is valued while also respecting the desires of the other child and providing a clear direction for what to do once they are finished.

Moreover, the responding child develops essential executive functioning skills by practicing patience and waiting for their turn. This skill requires consistent practice, and fortunately, three-year-olds offer ample opportunities for such learning experiences.

Our Mat Man activity is continually evolving as the children grow more familiar with the fundamental concept and start to identify aspects that Mat Man initially lacks. The original Mat Man song does not mention hair; however, I have incorporated a line at the end to suggest that Mat Man has hair to keep his head warm. Today, a child observed that she had eyebrows and announced, "I'm going to make eyebrows on my Mat Man" while we were drawing eyes. I paused the song to allow the children additional time to enhance their drawings with facial details.

To further support the children's exploration of facial features, I have placed mirrors at the drawing table. This enables them to examine their own faces while creating their representations of Mat Man.

We will continue to add facial details to our drawings and gradually shift our focus towards creating self-portraits.

Over the weekend, I went to replenish the milkweed supply for our caterpillar only to discover that no matter where I looked I could not locate the caterpillar. Maybe it wondered off in search for fresh milkweed, maybe he's hiding in one of the planters, or maybe he was a birdie's lunch, we may never know, but the search will continue.

We will continue to constructing our Mat Man with manipulatives and with crayon. Handwriting occupies a significant portion of a child's school day, is closely linked to self-esteem and future scholarly triumphs as children become budding literates. Establishing a proper foundation in pencil grip and fine motor dexterity is vital for embarking on the journey of handwriting. Crafting Mat Man serves to nurture these essential prewriting skills. Mat Man consists of drawing the head with eyes, nose, mouth and ears, then moves onto the body which has arms, hands, legs, and feet. See examples below of the first Mat Man drawn by students with crayon.

As we embark on the third week of school, our routines are becoming increasingly familiar. One of the key routines we have established is family-style dining, where all food components are served in large bowls, allowing children the freedom to choose what they would like to eat. If a child prefers not to take a particular item, they are under no obligation to do so.

Our Monarch caterpillar has successfully hatched from its egg and is now growing into a robust caterpillar. We monitor its progress daily, providing additional milkweed as needed. Once the caterpillar reaches its full size, we will place it in a butterfly net to observe its transformation into a chrysalis. In addition with this hands-on experience, we have been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The children are drawing connections between the fictional caterpillar and our Monarch caterpillar, enriching their learning experience.

Reminder that The Francis House will be opening late, at 9:30 on Friday, September 20th.