KIDSPACE sponsor child

Instead of buying individual Christmas presents for KIDSPACE children, we have decided to sponsor a child through World Vision for $45 a month.

Our child is Abdul Aziz Gondi, a two year old boy from Yehi village in Mali, West Africa.

Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world (ranked 173 out of 177) with 65% of it's land area classified as desert or semi-desert. More than 70% of the population survive on less than NZ$2 a day. Accessing safe drinking water is difficult and time consuming.

Mali's infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Chronic malnutrition causes developmental problems in more than a third of children under 5 years. KIDSPACE children will be able to write to Abdoul and learn about his way of life.

I traveled in Mali in 1978. Somewhere at home I've got slides of children, camel trains, sand storms, and even a kindergarten in Timbuktu, so I will hunt these out and bring them in and show the children.

Irene

Interest in literacy

Jack was very interested in writing numbers last week, his aim was to write from number one right through to one hundred. On this day Jack (ONLY?), had enough time to write to sixty nine, I thought this was very impressive. Rochelle and I worked closely along side him at different times throughout the day, when he asked for help. Jack has recognition of numbers and what they represent when spoken allowed. When I would say the next number is, let's say 27, he was able to listen to the number I said then write it down on his paper. This happened right through to double digits. Ka pai to mahi Jack!!! You are amazing, your love for learning and extending yourself really shows through. You showed such persistence to reach your goal. The very next day I observed you again writing your numbers, getting closer and closer to the big one hundred.

While Jack was working at the puzzle table, Lexi had sat down and chosen to work on the alphabet puzzle. Lexi asked if I could help her write her name with the pieces. I suggested she have a go first, then if she needed my help, I was right there. I watched as Lexi looked for the different letters of her name. She got a little stuck on finding the x so I showed her where it was, then Lexi found the i and successfully finished spelling her name. This puzzle has both lower and uppercase letters so I was able to talk about this with her in relevence with her name. Discussing with her that the first letter of her name L starts with a captial and the rest of her name is in lower case, then I talked about her last name having a captial letter also.

Jack and Lexi are showing familiarity with print and its uses through exploring and using literacy in meaningful and purposeful ways to them.

Tamara

Happy birthday Tamara

Ainslee

Trip to Nelson Park School to visit Donnagh

Lots of interest in baking

There has been a lot of interest in baking lately, children have been involved in imaginative baking play in the sandpit and with the playdough. We had Salina from E.I.T and she noticed this interest and planned various experiences for the children which happened throughout her four week practicum. On this occassion I organised to make muffins and Salina helped, Jaz, Josh, Emily, Noah, Charlie, Hannah Paige, Cian and Lexi (she left the table just before I took photos) rallied around the table eager to help. We made raisin and cinnmon muffins and replaced the ingrediants with dairy free, so Mollie could also eat them for morning tea the next day. The children often ask what the white powder is, "It's egg replacement", I tell them. All of these children were very good at turn taking, often they ask, "I want a turn, is it my turn"?. I let the children know they would all get a turn at measuring an ingredient and having a turn at folding the mixture. The concept of folding the mixture provided a bit of learning for some of the children, Charlie, Noah and Jaz were very eager to mix the mixture round and around, but Salina and I talked about the process of folding the mixture, very carefully and modelled how this was done (not to over stir the mixture). This was a great opportunity to extend on childrens interest and giving them an opportunity to be involved in real baking, which we like to do at KIDSPACE as often as we can. Children are able to engage in and learn about early maths concepts through the use of measuring cups and talking about different quantities. This was a social time where children shared when they helped with baking at home and what they made, making links with their centre life and what they do at home. A fun time was had by all.

Tamara

Straight after the Kapa Haka

Not long after we arrived back from seeing the Kapa Haka concert at Onekawa School.

Emily, Isabella, Jack and Zoe found the poi's and started spinning them around like they had seen being done at the school. All the girls said, "You go like this, this is where the poi goes, hahaha", (as they placed the poi's in the front parts of their t-shirts and dresses). From this I could see that the children had been really interested and taken back by the Kapa Haka as they reinacted what they had seen. Through these experiences children are able to link experiences from outside the centre and bring these experiences back into the centre and act these out in their play. These children were able to learn about the New Zealand Maaori culture, some have been exposed to Kapa Haka groups before and others hadn't. Zoe shared that her sister's in the Kapa Haka, she said to me, "that's not my sisters Kapa Haka, my sisters has a different one". I enjoyed seeing you children show confidence and act these dances out.

Tamara

Scarlett's dance

Last Monday afternoon I put some te reo Maori music on for the children to dance to. Scarlett wandered down to the art room after her sleep to see what all the noise was. She stood and watched as the older children danced. Once the older children had left she started to dance. She had some very graceful moves mixed with a few break dancing moves too. She danced like this for a good five minutes.

Scarlett, it was a pleasure to watch you dance. You showed great persistence and had an array of dance moves which you were not afraid to show off.

Rochelle