Ganon Playdates

Ganon Aleph and Bet sometimes take advantage of the fact 
that we have adjoining classrooms.  Lately, we have had
some "playdates" when the children go back and forth 

between the classrooms to play together.  They have a chance to play with different toys,
 different friends, and different morot.  The children have grown and matured enough 
throughout this year that they are ready for
this fun arrangement!

Partnering with Parents

 

ABC's & 1 2 3's by Morah Shani 

Partnering with Parents 

Take a walk. 

Take a pattern walk.

When walking to the park to shul or to a friend, create a pattern with your steps. 

ex: Take 2 large steps and then 3 small steps. 

Repeat the pattern and then make up a new one!

Lights, Camera, Action!!

The actors and actresses of Ganon Bet put on a Purim play. Each child's name was entered in a lottery and parts were given out. Everybody put their costumes on and we transformed the room into Shushan. Through song, action and words the children brought the story of Purim to life. Take a peek for yourself....

Ganon Bet Welcomes Spring!

How lucky our children are to have teachers who enjoy playing with them! Morah Alana and her students took advantage of the beautiful weather, playing with brand new balls. More and more children came to join the fun, and were happily welcomed.

A Visit from Mrs. Cohen

The children love when Mrs. Cohen comes to visit our classroom. She makes herself comfortable and gets right into the play, as you can see!

The Power of Play

Abundant research affirms again and again the powerful impact of play in every area of child development: cognitive, motor, emotional, social, and language. At its best, play is child directed and open ended, giving the child limitless opportunities to manipulate and learn about the world around him/her.

Children playing with simple building materials learn to negotiate for pieces, collaborate, observe each other's work for new ideas, and learn first hand about balance, symmetry, and spatial relationships. Children like Rebecca, who pretend to read, actually learn important concepts about print and the pleasure that books can bring. Card games can teach children to take turns, sharpen focus, and build math skills.

Of course, along with growth come some bumps and challenges. A good teacher uses conflict between children to guide them toward independent problem solving, empathy, fairness, and assertiveness.

Tapping into our own sense of play can help in making sure that our children take full advantage of this special time in their lives. What did you like to play as a child? Do you remember how it made you feel? I'd love to hear your responses.

Basketball

These kindergarten boys organized their own basketball game, naturally including anyone who was interested. They are developing some amazing skills. Look at the body strength that they're using, the agility, and eye-hand and spatial reasoning. What you can't see is the wonderful sense of sportsmanship, teamwork, and the absolute joy of play.

Sciencing

Science is a verb in the early childhood department, because it takes place when the children are actively engaged, observing, exploring, experimenting, and discovering. Jude is investigating the properties of sand, and using a variety of materials to test ways of moving it around (physics). But if you ask him, he'll tell you that he's playing, and having fun. Which he is!