Woolsey Academy For Young Learners 417-742-3519
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About us
    • A Day In The Life
    • Contact Us
    • What Parents Just Like You Think
    • Enrollment Forms
  • Pre k With Me!

The Community Helper We Never Think About...

11/30/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
..All month long we have been discussing Community Helpers. by Experience Early Learning.   We have learned about doctors, firefighters, police officers, plumbers, teachers, and so many more.  I was pleasantly surprised when I hung this on our study wall.  

Factory workers are a vital part of our community and seldom ever discussed.  Often, when parents discuss what they do for a living, they are hesitant to state that they are a factory worker.  This should not be.  This overlooked profession is the backbone of our community and provided just about everything we use on a daily basis. 

We made it a point to help our little learners understand this important role.  

In famous preschool fashion, we played a game.  We made this little game up and we called it, "Find something made in a factory."  Our toddlers raced around the room pointing to tables and chairs, plates and cups, crayons and markers, even their shirts and shoes.  Time and again we called out, "YES!", "YES!"  "That was made in a factory by a factory worker!!"  We then asked an important question. "If your mommy or daddy did not go to work to make those things, what would we do?"  We came up with some ideas but decided that being a factory worker is a VERY important job and certainly a "helper" job.

We then gathered into small groups and decided to make something of our very own.  Using loose parts and materials provided by Experience Early Learning
This activity provided us with LOTS of loose parts and the opportunity to create a unique project.  We made LOTS of robots.  We chose  parts and pieces as we discussed what our robots might do and say.  Loose parts can be in the sand box, on the playground, in the sensory table, or the block table.  We can provide loose parts in Creative Parts by supplying buttons, poms, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, beads, glitters, spangles, adhesives, and the time and space to explore and create without direction or expectation.  
​"Giving meaning to loose partsGiving meaning to loose parts requires us to think about the possibilities of how a child learns and consider the materials and environments she uses. Loose parts create endless possibilities and invite creativity. For example, if a child picks up a rock and starts to play, most likely that rock can become anything the child wants it to be. Imagination, creativity, curiosity, desire, and need are the motivation of loose parts.
Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Loose parts can be used alone or combined with other materials. There is no set of specific directions for materials that are considered loose parts. The child is the direction." - https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/early-care/tip-pages/all/loose-parts-what-does-this-mean

Another one of our FAVORITE Creative Arts activities this month was Syringe Squirt Art!  

Using a syringe to paint with provided us with small and large motor opportunities.  Our mixed age group was all a twitter to get their hands on "shots".  During our "Doctor" Community Helper study we discussed "shots" and how doctors use them to help us get well or to stay well.  

We practiced pushing the plunger down, but the more difficult part for little hands was pulling it back out.  

Once we added the paint it was very difficult to operate.  We had to keep trying and persevere.  Our littlest learners worked hard and kept trying, asking for help of their older friends.
Picture
Giving children tasks that challenge them build their self-confidence, ability, and determination.   Allowing them to try and to fail in a safe and encouraging environment is fundamental to them developing even more determination to pursue harder tasks.  

"No one is great at something the first time they try it. Success comes from hard work, practice and, yes, even failure. When young children are learning to walk they have to fall down again and again and again in order to master the balance they need to stand upright (and even then, they will still fall down). When learning to feed themselves, tie their shoes or master long division, children have to try, practice and learn from their missteps and try again in order to master their new skills. You can help your child learn from their failures and use those failures to work towards great successes." - https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the-key-to-success-is-failure

Our curriculum developers at Experience Early Learning understand this and value the importance of giving children the opportunities to succeed and to fail.  We often give our little learners motor skill activities that are just like this that stimulate efforts and grit.

Just look at how hard they are working!!

Picture
By the end of this experience we observed all the different colors they created using their syringes, paint choices, perseverance and time.  

All in a day of play at Woolsey Academy!

As always, we wish you well and we hope you get to play today!

​-L
1 Comment
John Carston link
12/2/2022 10:13:24 pm

I never knew that tasks could help children grow and learn into something greater for themselves. My sister told me she was planning to enroll my nephew in preschool as he was engaging with academics. She asked if I had any idea what would be the best option. Thanks to this informative article, I'll tell her that it will be much better if she consults a trusted preschool as they can help figure out the best for my nephew.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Life is made of moments...

    "There isn't anything more full of hope, joy and peace than a child's smile... It captures the mundane and makes it extraordinary." - LaDonna Woolsey

    I am a www.prekwithme.com blogger. I decided to become one after trying their products because I they are comprehensive and serve my mixed age group well.  I do receive products to review from www.prekwithme.com and do so with my own honest and thorough opinions.  For more information, please contact me at [email protected]

    Categories

    All
    A Little Bit Of This And That!
    A View You Can Use!
    A-Z Alphabet Theme
    C Is For Cookie!
    Continents And Countries
    Curiosity
    Curriculum
    Dandelions And Darlings...
    Happy Halloween!
    Help For Tired Mommas...
    Holidays
    Letter M Monkey
    Letter N Newts
    Letter O Olympics
    Letter P Is For People
    Letter Q Is For Queen
    Letter S
    Letters Learning
    Letter T
    Letter U
    Letter W
    Letter X
    Play Based Learning
    Preschool
    R Is For Rainbow
    Sensory Play
    Teaching And Learning
    Turtles And Trains

    Archives

    January 2025
    September 2024
    November 2019
    September 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    A Little Bit Of This And That!
    A View You Can Use!
    A-Z Alphabet Theme
    C Is For Cookie!
    Continents And Countries
    Curiosity
    Curriculum
    Dandelions And Darlings...
    Happy Halloween!
    Help For Tired Mommas...
    Holidays
    Letter M Monkey
    Letter N Newts
    Letter O Olympics
    Letter P Is For People
    Letter Q Is For Queen
    Letter S
    Letters Learning
    Letter T
    Letter U
    Letter W
    Letter X
    Play Based Learning
    Preschool
    R Is For Rainbow
    Sensory Play
    Teaching And Learning
    Turtles And Trains

    Follow Me on Pinterest

    RSS Feed

    Follow Me on Pinterest

Location

What Our Clients Are Saying

My husband and I both work full time and during the year 2011 we needed a child care provider for our five year old daughter and our 20 month old son. I am a Special Education Teacher for the Willard RII district in Missouri. I found LaDonna Woolsey on the internet while searching for a child care provider.  I had called numerous places and never felt comfortable with any of them to even make an appointment to meet them in person. I called LaDonna, and almost immediately after the conversation started, I felt a sense of relief and made an appointment to check out her daycare in person, the following day.  When I saw her facility I was absolutely amazed. LaDonna answered all of my nervous mom questions and watching her interact with the children made me realize I had found the perfect person to watch my children during the day. She started providing Child Care services for my children immediately... - Lisa Lassley - Special Education Teacher for the Willard RII 

Contact Us

Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About us
    • A Day In The Life
    • Contact Us
    • What Parents Just Like You Think
    • Enrollment Forms
  • Pre k With Me!