Dear Families,
 We are in the midst of our ocean focus, and everyone is really enjoying it. The children are reading a lot of books, making ocean creatures and talking about the different ways ocean creatures eat, move and live.
The TuTh group has settled into a rhythm with our teacher activity time. We work on creative writing one day and letters and the sounds they make on the other. This group will begin walking to Central Elementary School for lunch on April 28th; we will send a note home soon detailing how much (if any) your family will need to pay for hot lunch. (You may, of course, send in a lunchbox if you choose.) We will be doing this on Tuesdays only. We will eat with the Kindergarten and then join them on the playground. On Thursdays we will eat, as usual, in the classroom.
The MWF group has started to really enjoy group dramatic play; a pack of puppies can often be heard barking in a house they built in dress-up. This move from individual and parallel play signals a developmental shift: these children are moving into the world of peers. Very exciting!!
 A parent recently commented to me that she has learned a lot in our classroom just listening to how we speak with children. The way we talk to children, like everything else we do, is done mindfully.
One thing we do a lot is ask open ended questions. A question like: "what color is this block?” evokes a one-word answer. But an open-ended question, "Tell me about the blocks you are using," encourages a child to describe the blocks or explain what she is doing. There is no right or wrong answer here.
An answer to an open-ended question gives us a window into what the child is thinking and feeling. And the answer is sometimes wonderfully creative. In explaining or describing, children use language more fully. Children are engaging in conversation, not answering a “quiz”.
In the classroom you might hear one of say to a child:
*Tell me about your picture.
*Tell me about your picture.
*What else can you do with the playdough?
*What could you use to make the tower stand up?
*What do you think would happen if____?
*Is there another way to _____?
It is difficult to change the closed question habit. But when we ask open-ended questions, children reap great benefits as they think through their answers, we find out more about what they think and feel.
 It is Spring Conference time- I am looking forward to talking with all of you about your child’s work and play here at the Early Ed Center. We can look at their progress this year and goals for next year, discussing Kindergarten transition and other important issues. As I have we have 28 students, the conferences will stretch over the whole month of April- maybe even into May. A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board. I tried for a variety of times, but please let me
know if we need to make other arrangements.
Thank you to everyone who completed the family questionnaire- please hand yours in if you haven’t already.
Thank you to everyone who has spent volunteer time in the classroom, and everyone who has helped out by doing laundry or making a special snack, etc.
Thanks for all you do,
Jennifer
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