February 1, 2016

The Value of Art for the Preschool Child

Art is basic. Of course, every subject area is important, but no program for young children could succeed without emphasizing art. Through making, looking at, and talking about their own artwork and the art of others, three-, four-, and five-year-old children are doing the following:

1. Expressing their feelings and emotions in a safe way. They learn to control their emotions and recognize that they can express and handle negative as well as joyous feelings through positive action.
2. Practicing and gaining fine muscle control and strengthening eye-hand motor coordination. By holding paintbrushes and learning how to control paint, crayons, scissors, and other art tools, children gain the skills necessary for later writing activities as well as a feeling of control over themselves and their world.
3.  Developing perceptual abilities. Awareness of colors, shapes, forms, lines, and textures result as children observe these and try to replicate them through art.
4.  Being given the opportunity to make choices and solve problems. How do you get the legs to stick on a clay figure? What color should I use? Making art offers children a multitude of choices and many decisions to make.
5. Seeing that others have differing points of view and ways of expressing these than they do. Comparing children’s drawings, paintings, or models gives children concrete, dramatic examples of how different people express the same thing in different ways. While learning that their way is not the only way, they learn to value diversity.
6.  Becoming aware of the idea that, through art, culture is transmitted. Becoming acquainted with the art of the past, children are involved in learning something of their origins and themselves.
7.  Experiencing success. Because art leaves the end open to the creator, all children experience a measure of success. This is why art activities are appropriate for children with special needs. Regardless of the physical or mental need of the child, there is some art media and activity through which he or she can experience success.
8. Making connections between the visual arts and other disciplines. Art integrates the curriculum. Content from every subject matter can find form through art.

Enjoy,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

Jan. 20, 2016

The Importance of Parent-Teacher  Communication

There’s plenty of evidence that shows positive communication between parents and teachers helps improve academic performance.

As your child’s greatest teacher and role model, it’s vital that you get involved in their schooling, rather than sitting back and letting the teacher handle it all. Your child need to see the importance that you, as their parent, put on their education, though make sure this doesn’t translate as an emphasis on always having to come first or being top of the class.

While teachers are experts in teaching, you’re the expert on your child. You know what stimulates, bores and interests them, what they’re good at and what they struggle with. You know your child’s learning style and you also know if there are any other issues going on that might be affecting their learning at school. So ongoing communication with your child’s teacher is essential to make sure they can tailor their approach to your child while in class.

Parent-teacher interviews are a great opportunity to communicate with your child’s teacher and hear how your child is tracking academically and socially relative to their classmates. However, they are also a great way to discuss any troubles or questions you may have regarding your child. With many parent-teacher interviews coming up, it is important that you take the time to think about the things you would like to discuss with your child’s teacher – to ensure you make the most of your allocated time.

In saying this, communicating with your child’s teacher isn’t just about attending parent-teacher interviews and conferences; there are lots of other ways to stay in touch and to create a positive two-way relationship, including email, volunteering in the classroom or by adding comments to a homework book. At drop off or pick up time, teachers are usually very busy so it might be best to schedule an appointment for when it’s more convenient.

Above all, remember that it’s a three-way relationship between you, your child and their teacher and that only by working together positively can you help your child achieve their full potential.

Best,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

Teaching Children How to Think

Teaching Children How to Think

To function and create change in this modern world, individuals need critical thinking skills – the ability to think about ideas or situations in order to fully understand their implications so as to be able to make an informed judgment or decision.  Critical thinking includes skills such as questioning, predicting, investigating, hypothesizing, analyzing, reflecting, revising, comparing, evaluating and forming opinions.  It involves an inquiry process of exploring issues that may not be clearly defined and for which there are no clear-cut answers. Critical thinking also includes metacognition – the process of thinking that enables us to reflect on our own learning as we develop knowledge and skills.

According to Tony Wagner in his book, The Global Achievement Gap, mastery of the basic skills of reading, writing and math is no longer enough. Instead, work, learning and citizenship in the 21st century demand that we all know how to think – to reason, analyze, weigh evidence and problem solve. He goes on to say that children will need seven basic survival skills to succeed in the world that awaits them:

·         Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

·         Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence

·         Agility and Adaptability

·         Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

·         Effective Oral and Written Communication

·         Accessing and Analyzing Information

·         Curiosity and Imagination

Robert Fisher, a leading expert in developing children’s thinking skills, says that thinking is not a natural function like sleeping, walking and talking. Thinking, he stresses, is a skill that needs to be developed, and people do not necessarily become wiser as they become older. Children learn to think when adults take them seriously, engage them in meaningful conversations, inspire their imaginations and ask them questions that get them to think. This is exactly the approach that we need to incorporate into the classroom.

According to many experts, to develop these basic skills, we need to re-define the role of the teacher and the student. Teachers need to move from primarily being the information keeper and information dispenser to being an orchestrator of learning where knowledge is co-constructed with the student.  Teachers will become facilitators, guides, mentors, sources and resources who make use of spontaneous teachable moments to scaffold children’s learning.   The 21st century will require knowledge generation, not just information delivery, and schools will need to create a “culture of inquiry” that is shared equally by teachers and students.

Enjoy,

Ms. Nora Sierra

SONG FEST

 Please do not forget that this Friday, December 11 we will hold our Songfest. This year, the theme is the AWESOME 80’s, and our students have been working very hard in preparing their presentations for our school community. The show will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Since traffic tends to be very hectic at this time of the year, and especially on Fridays, we recommend you try to be here early. We are inviting you to come at 5:00 p.m. and enjoy the delicious food that will be sold by the DPTO, the drinks sold by the seniors, and the tasty pastries sold by the Community Service, and do a little bit of Christmas shopping with selected vendors from the Xmas Bazaar.

Best,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

November 30, 2015

Nuestro Pequeños Hermanos (NPH)

Nuestro Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) is an international organization that takes in abandoned and orphaned children, providing a home and education.  Here in Honduras, the NPH organization provides for over 500 children in at large ranch near La Venta and home in Tegucigalpa for severely handicapped children.   While many children at the ranch have aunts, uncles, or grandparents that come to visit them and can provide some Christmas gifts, some children at a ranch have no family to visit.  It is these children, whom we would like to provide for this Christmas.   A paper tree will be sent home that has a child’s information about his/her size for shoes or socks.  Purchase the new item and return it to Mrs. Agurcia’s Room (Rm. 7) by Tuesday, December 8th, with the tree tag taped to it.  Thank you for giving this Christmas!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYC2A5njQTk

Best,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

What Are Fine Motor Skills?

What Are Fine Motor Skills?

Fine motor skills are achieved when children learn to use their smaller muscles, like muscles in the hands, fingers, and wrists. Children use their fine motor skills when writing, holding small items, buttoning clothing, turning pages, eating, cutting with scissors, and using computer keyboards. Mastery of fine motor skills requires precision and coordination.

Fine motor skills develop after gross motor skills, which control actions like throwing and kicking balls, as well as walking and jumping. Gross motor skills utilize larger muscle groups and require less precision.

How Do We Help Children Develop Fine Motor Skills?

Practice,  practice, practice. In most cases of fine motor skill development, practice does, in fact, make perfect. Some ways to develop these skills are having children do the following activities:

·        

•     Pop bubbles on bubble wrap with just the index finger and thumb.
•      Use an eyedropper to add food coloring to batter with just the index finger and thumb.
•     Finger painting
•     Puzzles
•     Video games
•     Trace shapes or letters
•      Legos or building blocks

These activities focus on smaller muscle groups. Using the same muscles can help children develop muscle memory, which is when repetition of one action allows that action to be performed almost automatically without much effort. For example, pressing the correct buttons on video game controllers can be difficult the first few tries. But after playing the game a few times, we tend to master the buttons on the controller. Whether or not we can master the video game itself is a different story, but it does become second nature to press certain buttons to run or jump in the game.

Notable Accomplishments in Fine Motor Skill Development

Two popular terms that come up with learning about fine motor skills in children are fist grip and pincer grip. An example of a fist grip is when children use their whole hand and wrap it around a pencil to write their names. A pincer grip refers to the pinching muscles. Eventually, most children learn to use a pencil with their thumb and one or two fingers, which indicates that they have developed the pincer grip. When it comes to terminology for this lesson, grip and grasp are interchangeable.

Enjoy,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

November 9, 2015

6 Ways to Encourage Writing in Preschool

There are many different ways to encourage writing skills with preschool aged children.  Today I’m going to share with you some of the ways we encourage beginning writing in our preschool classroom…

The first thing I suggest is to make the “writing process” fun!  Put away the workbooks until the time comes when the child is interested in them, and instead incorporate writing activities into their daily play…

1. Start with their name

When introducing writing to your children or students, you want to make it relevant to them.  What is more relevant than their name?  Begin by pointing out the letters in their name when you see them in environmental print.

2. Use your fingers

You can begin the writing process with the tools you were born with–your fingers!   Writing doesn’t have to take place with pencils or crayons.  In fact, using your fingers helps to develop the strength that is needed to eventually be able to grasp a pencil or crayon later on.

3. Offer interesting tools

If you have students that do not enjoy finger painting or having messy hands, then you can certainly offer other tools to use in their paint trays or salt trays. 

4. Offer unique writing experiences

Make writing fun by offering unique writing experiences.  Writing in shaving cream is a blast and one that children won’t soon forget.

5.  Keep a journal

Journaling is a great way for children to practice writing.  It can also be a fun way for children to express themselves creatively.  Invite children to journal about an enjoyable experience that they’ve had either at school or at home.

6.  Set up a writing station

If you have room in your home or classroom, a writing station is a perfect place to invite children to write.  A writing station consists of different types of paper or cards, stickers, writing tools, scissors, and glue.  Varying the materials that you offer in your writing center will keep children interested in coming back.

Enjoy,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

Learning Vocabulary: An Essential Skill

Word knowledge is linked strongly to academic success. Students who possess large vocabularies can express their ideas better and understand new concepts more quickly than students with limited vocabularies.

Today students are being tasked much more often to tackle complex text. However, if there are gaps in their vocabulary knowledge, these students struggle to comprehend.

Many students, including ESE and ESL students, lack the fundamental vocabulary for success in learning content-area subjects and reading academic texts. Vocabulary development builds reading comprehension. Without explicit, focused instruction, a student's vocabulary gap may widen with each passing year.

The use of computers in vocabulary instruction was found to be more effective than some traditional methods. It is clearly emerging as a potentially valuable aid to classroom teachers in the area of vocabulary instruction.

Vocabulary Spelling City is an invaluable tool that provides an effective and enjoyable way to expand and retain new vocabulary. The interactive vocabulary games contain auditory and visual support that ensures information is presented in a variety of ways.

Enjoy,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

5 WAYS TO SHARE YOUR PASSION FOR LEARNING

Many teachers would verify that they entered the field of teaching because they love it. Not only do they love teaching others, but the subject material they teach thrills them. Stories abound of would-be teachers switching out of college majors to pursue the career they love. In other cases, teachers work with their subject material – whether it is English, Math, Science, or whatever – in arenas beyond just their classroom. They gravitate towards those venues. They feel complete when they work with and talk about what they love.

The truth is that teachers regularly love whatever it is they may be teaching. The question is, “How can passionate teachers get their students to be passionate, too?” After all, unless students have some degree of interest in the topic, they are not going to be motivated to excel.

Regularly apply your passion, and tell your students. Be an example. If you were thinking about something, working on a project, or just walking along and found something interest that relates to class, tell you students about the experience. What you and your students talk about doesn’t have to be isolated to your classroom. Let them see how what you’re teaching applies to the world beyond the classroom.

Passion is cool. Set goals and reward improvement. When students set a goal for their own academic growth, half the battle is already won. Now they have an internal motivating factor that will help propel them to that next level of success. And lavishly reward students who make any improvements. With the right enthusiastic atmosphere, students might just realize that learning can be really, really cool.

Be cool!

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

October 12, 2015

September 25, 2015

Views of the Experts

Ever since the works of John Dewey (1934) and Herbert Read (1943), educators have seen a central purpose for art in education. Dewey believed every child should have art, not just those ‘gifted in art,’ and Herbert Read developed an entire school curriculum around art. While there are many arguments for including art to increase children’s competency and self-esteem, other important reasons for including art across the curriculum will be discussed in this article.

Iconic Representation According to Jerome Bruner, young children learn most easily through enactive and iconic representation (1983). Enactive representation is “muscle memory”; iconic representation is one-to-one memory based on visual icons – a McDonalds ‘M’, a Nike Swoosh, an apple for the teacher, etc. Maybe one of the reasons children take so easily to computers is because icons are used to label all its functions. Because of children’s affinity for identifying and learning icons, early childhood teachers should provide them with lots of opportunities to use visual symbols, such as labels, lists, pictures of objects from fieldtrips, photographs of favorite people, and icons they create – houses, people, the sun, trees, etc. Children use these icons to think and solve problems, and it is important we do not force written symbols upon them too quickly.

Spatial Intelligence One of Gardner’s eight intelligences is spatial intelligence, which involves learning, exploring, processing and excelling through the use of the visual arts (1983). While a child who learns this way will do well in artistic endeavors at school, she should also be provided opportunities to use spatial intelligence in all other activities, but especially academic endeavors – reading, writing, math, and science.

Practice Piaget believed that learning new concepts, ideas, and skills requires two fundamentally different processes: first, children need to change their mental structures to accommodate the new concept or skill; and second, they must practice this new concept or skill (Piaget, 1962). Art is a wonderful way to practice. A child who has just seen an elephant for the first time on a fieldtrip to the zoo, for example, returns to the classroom to explore the new idea through painting elephants.

Documentation Both Reggio Emilia and The Project Approach stress documentation. The Reggio curriculum, which has become known as the One Hundred Languages of Childrenexplores the variety of ways children use to document their own learning. Some Reggio programs even have a full-time artist, whose job is to help teachers and children with this process, and an art studio (Malaguzzi, 1993). Artistic documentation provides a visual representation of the child’s development and learning while communicating what children are learning to parents and the school community (Wardle, 2003). In The Project Approach, drawings, models, photos, and writings challenge children to integrate a variety of concepts and document what they have learned, as well as providing a communication link to parents and the school community (Helm and Katz, 2001).

Meaningful Learning We know that it is easier for children to learn concepts and ideas that relate to something the child already knows, or has directly experienced (Mayer, 1996). This is because it’s much easier to remember new concepts by attaching them to an existing memory. One way to make new learning meaningful is to offer children ways to explore how the new idea fits into what they already know. Art is a great way to do this. For example, after a teacher has just read a book about a farm to a group of five-year-olds, the child whose grandfather lives on a farm can draw or paint her grandfather’s farm, while an inner-city child might make sense of the book through art activities about his visit to a petting zoo and an 1850’s outdoor museum.

Multicultural Perspective Our programs are becoming more and more diverse with children who speak a variety of languages, have different religious beliefs, and engage in a variety of cultural and traditional practices (Wardle & Cruz-Janzen, 2004). Because all cultures and most religions use art in their traditions and practices, art enables our children to integrate their cultural backgrounds into the school’s curriculum.

September 21, 2015

FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES IN THE PRESCHOOL YEARS

One of the most important ways we can help our children while playing with them at home or in a childcare/ classroom setting is through setting up simple activities that help to develop fine motor skills. Young children need to be able to hold and use scissors and pencils appropriately before using them in a classroom context. We cannot expect them to be able to write if they haven’t yet developed the strength needed in their hands and fingers.

There are plenty of easy ways to strengthen these muscles, practice co-ordination and develop hand: eye co-ordination using simple, everyday materials and a bit of creative fun!

Have fun!!

Ms. Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn

MISSION

Our mission is to prepare students for the challenges of life and future academic work by instilling in them:

·         Self-esteem

·         Academic Excellence

·         Critical Thinking

·         Celebration of Cultural Diversity, and

·         Social and Environmental Responsibility

INDEPENDENCE DAY IN HONDURAS

Honduras Independence Day Celebration is preceded by weeks of listening to school kids practicing their march, dance and music. Throughout Honduras you can hear drums, see children being escorted down streets by teachers in military style march practices gearing up for the show they must put on to celebrate Honduras Flag Day officially every September 6th followed by their towns parade on the 15th of September to celebrate Independence day. The old timers have their families take them to view the parades and dance shows, the tourist gawk and take pictures and get in a festive mood. Younger generations sport their National Soccer team jerseys (since the colors match the flag and just about everyone from the poor to the rich has one) and the teenagers and children put on their show.

At the end of the day, in most small towns there is a lowering of the flag ceremony since they cannot afford to keep the flags flying at all times due to the wear and tear they sustain if used daily and limited budgets to continue replacing them throughout the year. Night time is followed by celebration parties in the streets as well as night clubs and bars in major cities.

Everyone enjoys a good time and breathes a sigh of relief as the Honduran children are happy to not have to continue their daily after school to as late as 10:00PM in many communities march and band practices that began at the beginning of the month to celebrate Honduras Flag Day on the 6th of September and continued every day including weekends.

The towns people can watch the news and TV shows or listen to the radio without having to crank the volume up in order to suppress the sound of the drums they have been listening to every evening for weeks and teachers prepare to celebrate their day off as Honduran Independence Day every year is followed by Teachers Day in Honduras the 17th of September.

Enjoy,

Nora Sierra

Early Childhood Assistant Principal

Discovery School

(504)221-7790

(504)221-7791(fax)

(504)9500-1720(school cell)

(504)9985-0732(mobile)

nsierra@discoveryschool.edu.hn