Social-Emotional Story Study: "Where the Wild Things Are"

This spring, our young learners ages 3+ read the classic story, "Where the Wild Things Are" as a preschool book club. Each page was studied through a social-emotional lens and followed with fun, hands-on, interactive activities to complete. 

Story Study commenced each week with one of our classrooms transforming into a "forest of imagination" similar to the one created by the main character, Max. Preschoolers played the part of Max by wearing his staple white wolf ears and t-shirt. Classmates then circled together for group discussions on identifying feelings and emotions. A stuffed animal “wild thing” was utilized as a tool to provide children the opportunity to express their feelings, favorite part of the book, encourage imagination and more. Afterwards, all listened intently to a read-aloud and specific vocabulary from the book were defined. To conclude each session, a craft or project to promote creativity, imagination and comprehension was incorporated. 

WEEK 1 ACTIVITY:

Crowns were decorated to symbolize being the king/queen of one’s own body, emotions & actions… just as Max was king of the “Wild Things” Themed bookmarks were colored as well. 

WEEK 2 ACTIVITY:

Classmates collaboratively completed a “Where the Wild Things Are” puzzle and coloring pages. 

WEEK 3 ACTIVITY:

Masks were constructed using paper plates and a variety of materials to resemble “Wild Thing” faces. Each finished product portrayed the well known yellow eyes, gnashing teeth, pointy horns and of course a few unique touches.  

WEEK 4 ACTIVITY:

A school-made “Where the Wild Things Are” board game was invented. To play & win, students have to work as a team to assist Max as he travels through the “forest of imagination” to find his way back home. Imaginative tasks that foster social-emotional development are accomplished throughout the game. 

WEEK 5 ACTIVITY: 

For the final story study session, the group acted out their favorite page from the book: Max sailing to the forest and encountering a sea creature wild thing. A sailboat was arranged using tree stepping stones and a white sail was hung. Small sticks were used as oars and a large branch transformed into a wild thing. 

Social-emotional education in early childhood is essential. Alike Max from, “Where the Wild Things Are”,  all children experience big feelings/emotions and have a natural desire for adventure. It is important to provide outlets that promote self expression while also instilling tools to use for emotional regulation. In addition, a child’s innate desire to discover should be always encouraged, but with guidance on how to do so safely. It is the role of educators and caregivers to foster all above in order for the next generation to have social-emotional intelligence and the confidence to explore their world. 

📖SMART START🍃

Weekend with Paul the Polar Bear

This past winter, our young learners had the opportunity to take "Paul the Polar Bear" home for a weekend. This assignment consisted of an activity bag (seasonal storybook, arctic Magna-Tiles, winter animal figurines) and a worksheet to complete. Students were excited to spend time with Paul and to share their adventures with the class. 

Homework assignments such as these are a fun, hands-on way to promote responsibility, independence, self-esteem, public speaking skills, family involvement and more! 

Thank you, students and families for hosting Paul. He had a wonderful winter with you all!

❄SMART START❄

Snow Much Fun

Winter was a wonderful time at SMART START! Our young learners engaged in a variety of hands-on seasonal studies. 

Read about SNOW MUCH FUN at SMART START below ❄️

Cold mornings are perfect for a pajama day!  Friends fashioned their cozy sleepwear and brought delicious cookies to swap with the each other. Hot cocoa was also enjoyed. 

Pajama Day & Cookie Swap Video

Pretend play snowballs were incorporated into a math and letter identification lesson. Basic arithmetic problems were solved using flash cards and adding/subtracting snowballs. Peers also played bingo by placing the snowballs on lower case letters that were called. 

SMART START Scientists geared up in lab coats and safety goggles for an exciting experiment. Using a plastic jar, baby oil, white paint, seltzer tablets and glitter, classmates created their very own snowstorm! 

SNOW STORM IN A JAR Video

Classroom chefs made their own snack-

A snowman bagel! 

Playing in the snow is a classic childhood  activity. In addition to frolicking freely in the outdoor classroom, students challenged their gross motor skills shoveling a walkway to their play structure and pushing each other on sleds. 

Outdoor storytime is always a class favorite. The book, “The Cozy” by Jan Brett was read. A fun and entertaining tale that teaches about animals, friendship and kindness. 

The class was most excited to bring in a special item for “Snow & Tell” at school. 

Fine motor and scissor skills were enhanced while completing winter worksheets. 

Colorful snowflakes were created using do-a-dot bonkers and doilies. 

Magna-tiles are a class favorite. An acrtic themed set was added to our collection. 

Animals habitats were constructed using recycled materials and wild imaginations. Cardboard turned into dirt, styrofoam into snow, cups into tunnels and so much more! 

Animal Habitat Video

Groundhog Day was celebrated to conclude our winter activities. Students used flashlights, stick puppets and their own hands to make shadows on their white board. Peers also pondered over books about the holiday’s history. 

On February 2nd, a few classmates engaged in a reenactment of the annual prediction in Pennsylvania. All were pleased to announce that groundhog, Phil did not see his shadow-spring is coming! 

Groundhog Day Pretend Play

Thank you for reading! 

☃️SMART START☃️

SNOW STORM IN A JAR Video

Health, Wellness & Safety

This winter, our young learners have been learning all about health, wellness and safety through play based lessons. 

This unit began with a pretend play activity. The class put on nurse attire and created a “Hospital.” Each student had their own patient to care for using a variety of medical instruments: stethoscopes, thermometers, tweezers, needles etc. We discussed numerous scenarios that may lead to a hospital visit such as being sick, injured or  for an appointment. 

The group circled outside for a story time about the human body. The importance of proper nutrition, exercise and sleep as well as the concept of germs were explained. A human body costume was worn to guide a discussion on organs and their functions. 

SMART START Medical staff decorated fabric masks using puff paint, markers and fun shapes. 

A nurse from Massachusetts General Hospital came to school. Classmates were very excited for this interactive presentation. The nurse instructed on how to not spread germs and certain symptoms that tell you when to visit the doctors. In addition, she brought multiple tools and demonstrated how to use them. Everyone enthusiastically listened to each other’s heartbeats using a real stethoscope! As their weekly homework assignment, students colored pages in  themed packets the nurse brought for each child. 

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. In honor of this event, our curriculum was largely focused on oral hygiene. Students put on scrubs and dramatic played as dentists. An assortment of themed materials were utilized as peers practiced brushing, flossing, counting teeth, taking x-rays and more. 

Important tips and terminology were shared to the class while they played. 

Here is some information learned:

🦷healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, protein) keep teeth clean and strong

🦷sugary foods (candy, juice, desserts) can cause cavities (a hole in the tooth)

🦷plaque (sticky germs on teeth) can cause cavities

🦷brushing teeth 2-3 times each day prevents plaque and cavities

🦷baby teeth start to get wiggly and fall out around age 5/6

🦷visiting the dentist regularly is very important for your health

A read aloud of, “Tooty the Tenderhearted Tooth” was completed to reinforce these topics. This book is a fun tale about a tooth who shares the dos and don’ts of tooth care and encourages children to visit the dentist without fear. 

A pediatric nurse provided a health and safety zoom session. She shared her expertise on a vast amount of topics. In addition to children’s dental health, a few areas highlighted were car seat safety, emergency preparedness and water/pool protocols. Our young learners listened intently and eagerly absorbed all of the  knowledge shared. This zoom was an excellent resource for our classroom. It connected us with a community hero to enhance our curriculum while also teaching students about technology.  

This nurse was one of Ms. Mary’s (SMART START’s director) students from her first daycare 30 years ago! 

Thank you for reading about our play based health and safety unit! 

Curriculum Linked Here

🧑‍⚕️SMART START🪥