Älvsborg nursery – “Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better.” – Einstein

We celebrated Earth Day together. We learned about protecting the Earth and how to treat it well. The children used their imagination to paint their own pictures of the Earth after we looked at examples. We then went outside and collected sticks which we then painted with different colours, and then made into a rainbow wind chime.

When the weather is good it’s great to go out into the forest together. The children learn how to walk over and climb over different terrains, and they can become more confident. When we went down to the football field we practiced balancing by walking across the lines that are painted on the field.

At lunch time we try to show our friends how we like to eat our food. Some of us prefer to use spoons, some of us forks, and some of us prefer to use our hands. The children understand that every way of eating is okay, and the important thing is to be who you are, even if that means that you get a bit messy!

When we practice free play the children learn how to play together as friends. They get to decide to do what interests them, whether that be reading books, playing with cars, or playing in the sand. The children can learn about friendship and the ways in which they can play with their friends, through sharing and showing kindness.

Lunch time is a great time to show the children how we all are different, and that we all like and prefer different things and that nothing is wrong, because with food its all right! Thank you for also sharing your outing in which they learned about balance and coordination and the earth day where they appreciated the earth a little bit extra!

Älvsborg Preschool 2 – The Bumble Bee

The children were building on a project which we have been working around and introducing this month . It is the Bumble Bee project which we expressed with different activities, an outing to coop konsum ( where they met some bumble bees and learnt how important flowers are for our environment, and why living ecologically is also essential). Learning was executed through observation , a different environment, doing an activity and listening. The parents were subtly asked to participate by sending collages of their children with questions. It was a method where the parents could visually connect with their children and communicate about their experiences at preschool. The pictures also helped the children to express themselves and fill the gaps where they might verbally lack the right word. Communication skills were uplifted, and last but not least the children had a lot of fun.
The goal was to give the children a very different perspective now when it comes to insects and flowers and nature as a whole. We also connected this project with second step, and asked the children to talk sweetly ( like the honey), be nice to our friends, and help each other like the honey bees.

They identified themselves with the honey bees this month. We discovered that the children related immediately,  when it came to living things surrounding them, they could identify in a gender neutral way.

World Book Day

The children listened to stories from different cultures, countries and languages. Through this the children experienced a journey of different concepts, and learned about “the proud pen”, “the friendship of the scissor and needle”, “the cat who ate ducks”, “the talkative parrot” and many more. The stories gave the children different perspectives and the ability to learn the moral of the stories. This activity was an exhibit of their advanced cognitive skills. The children learned to connect step one to step two and further on in the stories. They built on their previous experiences and learned something new.

It’s really a great idea to follow the same theme and to also bring the project home for further reflection, and discussion with the parents.

Guldheden Nursery – Entering the world of Letterland

This month we have been focusing on “Letterland”.

Letterland activates learning by using our senses – music, actions, movement, song, art, craft, games, books and role-play.

Our children enjoy dancing to letterland songs. It is an easy method, to learn the alphabet through music, and dancing to music makes learning more fun. We made it all the more fun by dancing with balloons too. As the children are dancing together, it contributes towards developing friendship, love and care for one another.

Friendly letter characters provide strong visual memory clues, so that the children learn and retain phoneme/grapheme correspondences. Our daily routine includes reading the alphabet characters aloud from the posters and books in the classroom. Our children take turns as they point out the letters which they like to hear aloud. Then repeat with the Teacher. This is a good way to learn phonetic sounds.

Our children are able to identify many of the letters through the pictures. They like to repeat each word after the teachers. This develop their use of spoken language, vocabulary and concepts, as well as the ability to play with words, relate something, express their thoughts, put questions, and put forward their arguments and communicate with others (Lpfö).

 

Focused multi-sensory activities appeal to all learners and activate all learning channel. These days children are more attractive to audio-video media like iPads. Therefore, we use iPads as a tool to increase their concentration time to learn letters/words. By this they develop an interest in pictures, texts and different media, as well as the ability to make use of, interpret and talk about them (Lpfö).

In this activity the children glued, and coloured the first letter of their name on to paper.   Through out this activity we developed the use of the sounds of the letter which they are working on. This stimulates a use of different senses in their approach to developing an interest in the written language and an understanding of symbols, and their communicative functions (Lpfö).

Our activities also took care of following aspects:

• develop their ability to listen, react and express their own views, and try to understand the perspectives of others,
• develop their creative abilities and the ability to convey impressions, thoughts and experiences in many different forms of expression, such as play, pictures, song and music, dance and drama (Lpfö).

Thank you Guldheden Nursery, for showing some of the many different ways that you show our children the fun and exciting world of Letterland.

Majorna Nursery – Exploring our sensory and emotional feelings

One of the activities that we have done this month whilst exploring the letter “G”, has been to enjoy messy play with “Green Gelatin”. The children love sensory play, and with this type of activity they can explore different materials while they develop their five senses.

“Preschool teachers are responsible that children experience a sense of enjoyment and meaningfulness in learning what is new.” (lpfö98)

According to our theme – “Shapes and numbers”. The children have used toilet rolls, as they have stamped circles on to paper. We are not just learning about shapes, furthermore we are also helping the environment by using recycled toilet paper rolls to make the circles.

In the nursery we start the process of Second Step, and helping a child to develop their social and emotional skills. During this month we have also been learning about our feelings. What makes us happy? and what makes us sad? as we show our feelings through our expressive faces. It is important to know, and respect that sometimes we can be happy, and sometimes we can feel sad.

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child develops the ability to take account of and empathise with the situation of others, as well as a willingness to help others.” (lpfö 98).

Learning about emotions, shapes, and having some messy sensory play sounds like a perfect recipe for a fun and eventful week! Thank you for sharing these events with us, and letting us be more part of nursery’s day in preschool.

Älvsborg Nursery – Playing, jumping and splashing with water fun

Sensory Play with water and colorful paper boats

Our Nursery children love sensory play. For this activity we made colorful paper boats. We then filled up the sensory table with warm water and mixed food colors in the water. The children had fun playing with the boats in the water, and experimenting with sinking and floating. The children were very good at sharing their space whilst taking turns playing with their boats.

Outdoors Fun 

Children thoroughly enjoy going outside especially after rain.With the rain comes wonderful puddles to play, jump and splash. The children were laughing, and saying jump, jump, jump! They improved their gross motor skills, and learned how to play together.

A week filled with water play inside as well as outside while simultaneously working on gross motor skills and their sensory skills sounds like a lot of fun! Thank you to the teachers in Älvsborg nursery, for sharing your week with us, and allowing us to be a part of the children’s day while at preschool, and giving life to their experiences through your pictures!

Guldheden Preschool 1 – Exploring what helps us move around, in our world of differences.

This month our theme was about transportation – so our goal was for the children to learn about transportation, how we can travel, and by what means.
In this activity the children glued  ice cream Popsicles and after that they are painting them to the colors of their choice. Learning what an airplane is, how it sounds and how we can travel with it.

Here the children are drawing the shapes of a car, a boat and an airplane, with three different colors to separate one from an other. After that we put our creations on our art corners.

Here we are playing with cars, trucks, busses, airplanes and many other vehicles inside and outside of the classroom.

On this day our children made their own traffic light! Using the colors red, yellow and green for “stop” “wait ” and “go” with their handprint.

This day was “rock your socks day”. A day for us to support and honour those with Down syndrome.

Amazing to see the children and IPS bringing awareness and showing respect to the people living with down syndrome, and to understand that we all are different in many ways but we are all equal! Thank you for sharing your week with us through your text and pictures.

Älvsborg Preschool 2 – Exploring their world through doing

With sensory creativity the children practice painting without brushes. It is through creative experimentation, and using different mediums that the children get the feel of the art with their hands, and learn through doing (that is through their actions). It also helps them to feel comfortable with messy play, which is an essential ingredient to gaining skills to explore our world with our senses. As a child tries to do different things by themselves, they increase their ability to explore new experiences.

This was an outing in which the children learned through doing, observation and experience.

The children practice their gross motor skills and have fun outside along whilst experiencing team work with their friends. Learning how to play outside is a vital ingredient for holistic development.

The children go to China virtually, and celebrate the Chinese New Year. This activity encouraged team work and fun. Playing and having fun are the most beneficial mindset for learning new things.

What a fun and educational week. The children had the chance to learn about other cultures, and to work together as a team outside. Thank you for sharing your week with us Preschool 2!

 

Majorna Preschool 1 – Baking muffins with Munching Mike

IPS is following a program called  “Letterland” , which is based on a multi sensory system which provides tools for children to learn letters, and sounds in different ways and fun activities. This time preschool is learning the letter “M m” Munching Mike – by baking some muffins. The children have the opportunity to explore their senses through touch, smell and taste. The children were happy to bake together with their friends, and with the help of the teacher mix the ingredients and put the muffin dough into the muffin’s form.

The children are developing the ability to experience different forms of expression by baking. It also includes understanding of concepts of quantity, measurement, order and numbers.

Having the chance to bake in Preschool is always a fun thing, but learning through their senses and science is of course educational as well! The children learn about teamwork, measuring and proportions, great job by preschool 1 in Majorna, and thank you for sharing your baking experience with us.

Älvsborg Preschool 1 – Learning through creativity, and exploring our identity.

The first theme of this term is called “arts, music and movements”. We have devided the group into two smaller groups, ladybug and spider-group, and within these groups we do weekly activities. So far we have created some very nice artwork with an animal theme, and have now finished our paper plate pigs and jelly fish. Some of the children practice to cut with the scissors themselves, and some of them cut together with a teacher.

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child develop their creative abilities and the ability to convey impressions, thoughts and experiences in many different forms of expression, such as play, pictures, song and music, dance and drama.” – Lpfö98, revised 2016

After the holidays, we received some new books, and they have become favorites amongst the children. We created a cosy reading corner in our classroom and when we’re there we read stories like “Orättvist!”, “Konrads klänning” and “My princess boy” together. They’ve learned some new vocabulary from the books, and enjoy reading along to their favorite parts.

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child develop an interest in the written language and an understanding of symbols, and their communicative functions.” – Lpfö98, revised 2016

Second step

As some of the book titles might give away, the dresses we have in our classroom have become very popular at the moment. We only have a few, so we all need to share them with our friends. We also need to learn that both boys and girls can wear whatever they like. Our puppets showed us how you can be a good friend, and share the dresses so everyone can feel beautiful and spin around in them.

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child develop their identity and feel secure in themselves”

“Girls and boys in the preschool should have the same opportunities to develop and explore their abilities and interests without having limitations imposed by stereotype gender roles.”- Lpfö98, revised 2016

What a wonderful message the teachers in Älvsborg Preschool 1 is sending to the children, and what a nice way to learn. Thank you for letting us be part of the children’s week, teachers!

 

Guldheden Nursery – Its through doing that we learn

Developing Motor Skills

Motor skills are an essential component of development for all children. Play is vital to a child’s development of gross and fine motor skills. Through play, children practice, control and coordination of large body movements, as well as small movements of hands and fingers. Through play they also learn to work together as a team and develop compassion for others too.

Movement is at the very center of young children’s lives. It is an important facet of all aspects of their development, whether in the motor, cognitive, or affective domains of human behavior (Gallahue ,1993).

Making shapes with play dough

Drawing for mummy and daddy

We provided support for children’s motor development by planning play activities such as, drawing, football, play dough, balancing, holding rope etc., that provided children with regular opportunities to move their bodies. For all intellectual functioning sensory and motor experiences provides the basis for further development.

Coordinating steps

Playing football

Climbing the rock

Lpfo:

 develop their curiosity and enjoyment, as well as their ability to play and learn.

develop their motor skills, ability to co-ordinate, awareness of their own body, as well as an understanding of the importance of maintaining their own health and well-being.

develop their ability to function individually and in a group, handle con icts and understand rights and obligations, as well as take responsibility for common rules.