Exploring the Letter I, Arctic Animals, and Early Math Fun!
This week in our early learning classroom, we dove deep into the letter I and i while exploring arctic animals, ice, and hands-on STEM and pre math activities. As part of our early childhood education program, we love introducing new concepts through play, science, math, and lots of creative projects that meet the Missouri Early Learning Standards. Here’s a peek at what we accomplished and how each activity supports children’s development in a preschool, pre k, and pre kindergarten setting.

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Literacy & Language: The Letter I and i.

• We began our study by reading Who Lives Here? Polar Animals by Deborah Hodge and The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School by Deborah Diesen. These books sparked conversations about where animals live and how letters and sounds help us read new words.
• We focused on letter I recognition by tracing, drawing, and discussing that “I” is for “Ice,” “Igloo,” and “Icicle.” Children practiced writing uppercase and lowercase I on construction paper, then painted them with sparkly silver paint to look like glittering ice.

Missouri Early Learning Standards Connection (Language & Literacy):

• Listening and Speaking: Children engaged in book discussions, learning new vocabulary like “igloo” and “icicle.”
• Reading: They identified the letter I in print, strengthening their letter-sound knowledge.

Arctic-Themed Sensory Play & Science

• We brought the arctic animals to life by building cotton-ball igloos and playdough igloos. We then used the playdough to create mock “icicles” and formed the letters I and i.
• Children explored an “icy” sensory tray filled with dough, giving them a hands-on way to investigate texture, shape, and how animals might move in a snowy environment. They created footprints and “tracks” for their polar bears and penguins, placing them “over and under” the dough snow just like in Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner.

Missouri Early Learning Standards Connection (Science):

• Scientific Inquiry: Children experimented with playdough (a changeable material), building shapes and discussing how animals might live in cold habitats.
• Physical Science: They observed textures and states of matter, associating “ice” with cold, and how it might melt or change.

Number Learning and Early Math

• We focused on number recognition from 1-12 using wooden puzzles from www.PreKWithMe.com. The children were excited to manipulate the puzzle pieces to match each numeral and shape.
• We introduced our new clock puzzle, also from PreKWithMe, which has movable hour and minute hands. The numbers 1-12 are represented on trapezoid-shaped pieces—leading to a mini-lesson on recognizing and naming trapezoids.
• These activities emphasize preschool math skills—counting, numeral recognition, shape identification, and basic time-telling concepts.

Missouri Early Learning Standards Connection (Mathematics):

• Number & Operations: Children practiced counting from 1-12, matching numerals to puzzle spaces.
• Geometry & Spatial Sense: They identified and named shapes (circle, heart, triangle, square, rectangle, trapezoid, hexagon, octagon) and manipulated puzzle pieces to fit corresponding outlines.

Fine Motor Skills & Creative Arts

• Painting our “icy” letter I with sparkle paint allowed for precise brush strokes, which helps strengthen hand muscles.
• Using cotton swabs to dab glue and sprinkle “sparkle sand” encourages pincer-grasp development, an important precursor to correct pencil grip.
• Standing at the chalkboard to trace letters also gave children a different posture to practice writing—helping them gain better arm and shoulder control.

Missouri Early Learning Standards Connection (Physical Development & Creative Arts):

• Fine Motor Skills: Children used small tools—paintbrushes, cotton swabs, puzzle pieces—to refine coordination.
• Creative Expression: They explored art materials and creative processes, expressing themselves while learning about the letter I and winter themes.

Social-Emotional Skills: Taking Turns & Sharing

• During our shape-matching game from PreKWithMe, children cooperated, taking turns and sharing puzzle pieces. When someone didn’t recognize a shape, classmates offered help—reinforcing empathy and teamwork.
• We read The Mitten by Jan Brett, discussing how animals shared the mitten. This opened a conversation about social emotional skills like caring and helping.
• Reading Llama Llama Home With Mama helped us talk about sickness and compassion for friends who are absent or not feeling well.

Missouri Early Learning Standards Connection (Social & Emotional Development):

• Relationships with Others: Children practiced cooperative play and kindness, such as helping a friend who struggled with shape recognition.
• Self-Regulation: They managed frustration or excitement when taking turns, developing patience and understanding.

Why Playful Learning?Our classroom activities are always engaging and fun, ensuring children learn through hands-on exploration. By embedding literacy, math, science, and social emotional skills in playful tasks, children stay excited about learning and build a strong foundation for future academic success. This holistic approach also aligns with the Missouri Early Learning Standards, ensuring we support every aspect of a child’s growth—cognitive, social, emotional, and physical.

Whether it’s sorting shapes, practicing number learning, or creating ice sculptures, our goal is to foster a love of early learning through discovery and wonder. We can’t wait to see how our young learners continue to develop pre math and letter I recognition skills in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for more updates on our preschool, pre k, and pre kindergarten adventures as we explore new themes, stories, and creative projects together!

Polar Adventures in Preschool: Exploring Winter Wonders and the Letter C
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(Aligned with the Missouri Early Learning Standards)
This week in our preschool classroom, we embarked on a journey through snowy worlds, arctic animals, and the ever-important letter C. From hands-on science experiments to fun art projects, our little learners exercised their creativity, practiced important language and literacy skills, and built upon their growing sense of curiosity—all central elements of the Missouri Early Learning Standards. We also spent time focusing on ABC fundamentals, ensuring the children grow comfortable with sounding alphabet letters and identifying alphabet letters in everyday activities.

Cozy Winter Storytime

We began our week by snuggling up with four wonderful winter-themed books:

• Who Lives Here? Polar Animals by Deborah Hodge
• Winter is Here by Kimberly Weinberger
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Reading these stories aligns with the Language and Literacy Development domain of the Missouri Early Learning Standards. The children strengthened listening comprehension, expanded their vocabulary, and had lively discussions about cold climates and wintertime adventures. Integrating our ABC lessons here helped foster pre reading skills and further our exploration of the phonics sounds of alphabet.

Focusing on the Letter C

Our deep dive into the letter C also supported Language and Literacy goals and tied back to the ABC sequence. We practiced:

• Sound Recognition – Identifying words starting with C (cold, coat, caribou, clock), reinforcing the initial teaching alphabet.
• Tracing and Writing – Strengthening fine motor skills (part of Physical Development) while tracing and writing “C” from memory.
• Letter Hunts – Spotting and naming the letter C using the Abc Puzzle from PreKwithMe.com and letter-image correlation sets, a fun way to practice identifying alphabet letters within the broader Alphabet.

These engaging ABC activities not only help children recognize letter shapes and the phonics sounds of alphabet but also encourage the early pre reading foundations outlined in the Missouri standards. We discussed how strong ABC skills support pre math later by building overall cognitive development.

Polar Animal Discoveries

Inspired by our storybooks, we explored the wintery world of polar animals. We learned about:

• Caribou
• Penguins
• Musk Ox
• Polar Bears

We colored pictures of these animals from PreKwithMe.com, discussing how they adapt to cold climates. These conversations encouraged scientific thinking and critical questioning, aligning with the Science and Approaches to Learning domains in the Missouri Early Learning Standards. By referencing each animal’s name, we reinforced ABC awareness through repeated exposure to the Alphabet and sounding alphabet letters.

Arts & Crafts with a Snowy Twist

Our art time also promoted both creativity and fine motor development (Physical Development standard):

• Cotton Ball Letter C – We glued fluffy cotton balls to form a “snowy” letter C.
• Puffy Paint Letter C – We squeezed and spread puffy paint for a 3D, textured version of the letter C.

In addition to exploring the shape of the letter, these projects allowed children to engage in creative expression, aligning with the Creative Arts domain. They also practiced sharing materials and working together, fostering Social and Emotional Development—crucial skills in a childcare and pre k environment.

Ice Melting Experiment

Science and discovery came to life as we observed ice melting:

1. Observation – Using magnifying glasses, the children watched ice cubes slowly melt on colored paper.
2. Hands-On – We practiced using tongs to handle the slippery ice, refining our fine motor skills.
3. Cause & Effect – We discussed temperature and why ice changes to water.

This experiment built upon children’s natural curiosity and promoted early Scientific Inquiry—both key components of the Missouri Early Learning Standards. Incorporating ABC topics as we counted ice cubes and described the cold allowed for cross-curricular connections, combining pre math skills with literacy development.

Looking Ahead

We’re so proud of how eager and engaged all of our learners were this week! By reading winter stories, examining polar animals, experimenting with ice, and focusing on the letter C, we covered a range of developmental areas emphasized by the Missouri Early Learning Standards—language, literacy, science, creativity, and physical skills. Our continued emphasis on ABC helps our preschoolers build a solid foundation for pre reading and pre math as they grow.

How can you support your child's learning?

Keep the learning going at home by spotting the letter C around the house, reading a favorite winter story together, or even setting up a simple ice experiment in your own kitchen. We can’t wait to see what new adventures the children will embark on next week!
Thank you for continuing to support our classroom and our commitment to meeting Missouri’s Early Learning Standards, one playful and inquisitive step at a time! We hope our ABC focus, combined with fun winter activities, inspires continued curiosity and a love of learning.