Our PK1 classes were asked to reproduce a structure from a model or blueprint. It is a challenging activity that boosts spatial learning. Building structures encourages a child to test spatial relationships and mentally rotate objects in the mind’s eye. It also helps in the development of hand eye coordination. Learning math concepts through manipulation and games is the best way to make our young children curious and motivated to master a concept. Learning should always be fun!
Any grade transition can be distressing for students and their parents/caregivers, but this change is particularly challenging for youngsters (and their families) as they move from K to 1st grade. At SDFAS we help students transitioning throughout the year by building opportunities for our K to meet and work with the 1st grade students and teachers. From January till March, 1st grade and K students met once a week to sing together under the direction of Claire Selva, 1st grade teacher. Last week, our K visited the first grade classes: they sat at the desks and the 1st grade teachers explained to them how everything works. Then 1st grade and K started to have recess together. Next week they will have lunch together in the elementary lunch area.
1st grade seems now like a really nice adventure, and our K are ready!
Our PK1 & 2 classes are participating in a science challenge with the AEFE network of French school in North America. For the “défi science” they have to make 3 objects: one that shows the presence of the wind, one that shows the wind’s direction and one that can measure the wind’s strength. In previous posts, we followed their observations and experiments. Now the project is completed. Please follow the link to see the whole process and its conclusion.
https://padlet.com/pre_elementary_director/SDFAS_DefiScience_2018
It is never too early to begin to integrate academic learning and intellectual learning. Laying the foundation for the development of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) skills at the early childhood level is critical to helping students to develop the necessary thinking and collaborating skills that they will need later.
Our 3 PK1 classes went to Chicano Park located beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, in Barrio Logan. The park is home to the country’s largest collection of 72 outdoor graffiti, as well as various sculptures, earthworks, and an architectural piece dedicated to the cultural heritage of the community. Before the field trip, our students had a class museum experience: they created art pieces à la manière de Frida Kahlo and studied details of the various murals. In the park, they were divided in small groups and armed with pictures; they did a clue hunt to locate the details of their pictures in the park graffiti.
To complete their trip into the Chicano culture, our students, staff and parents volunteers had a “concha” from a panaderia for snack and stopped by Old Town for a tortilla making demonstration and typical Mexican lunch.
