February blog – Mrs. Smith’s Elementary Class
Notable Dates In History
We’re in for a full month of learning and we just can’t wait to get started, as February brings several holidays, celebrations and notable dates in history.
The first day of February is ”National Freedom Day,” when the first meeting of the U.S. Supreme Court was held. February 2nd is “Ground Hog Day.” If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, that means we are in for six more weeks of Winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, we will have an early Spring.
Several important people were born in the month of February: Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman doctor; Rosa Parks, a woman who was arrested and fined for not giving up her seat on the bus to a white passenger; author Charles Dickens, who once mentioned that memories from his childhood helped him create his fictional stories; Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was against slavery and believed that all people should be free; George Washington, our first President of the United States.
October is the perfect month to teach your children about pumpkins! There is so much you can learn with pumpkins!
Fall is the perfect time to explore the five senses with young children. Take your child for a nature walk and look for the signs of Fall. Look for leaves changing colors or squirrels collecting acorns. Encourage your child to collect Fall specimens like leaves, pine cones, acorns and make a journal. Take your child to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Try to cook some Fall foods with your child like applesauce or pumpkin pie. Enjoy the beautiful Fall weather with your child and make some everlasting memories.
The first step to help your child learn to read is to Read to him everyday. Reading to your child on a regular basis will make reading enjoyable! Watch your child’s interests and supply appropriate books, this way you can build your child’s library at home. Listen to your child read and ask him questions about the story and characters. Do not set impossible goals for your child, that will make him frustrated. Your positive attention will build self-confidence in your child and create life long love for reading!
s the school year winds down, it’s time to think about ways to keep your little one interested in reading over the summer! Letting your child choose his or her own books for reading allows them to truly engage in the reading experience. Don’t be afraid to let them select a book that you think may be too hard- their interest in the pictures will help them create a story all their own! Another way to keep the engagement alive is to write down the stories they tell you! They will love hearing you read their words back to them. Keep the creativity flowing by letting them illustrate their words, too! If you are looking for some inspiration, here are a few tried and true summer favorites: