Community Helpers

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Community Helpers are people that we see in everyday life. Toddlers in the Yellow Room explore different careers throughout the year, especially those that take care of us and help us in daily lives (doctors, firefighters, police officers, construction workers, mail people, supermarket cashiers, etc.) Whatever the job, there’s a great story to go along with it!

“Clotheslines Clues to Jobs People Do” by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook
“Hello! Hometown Heroes” by Tony Armier
“Here Come the Helpers” by Leslie Kimmelman
“My Neighborhood” by Maddie Frost
“They’re Heroes Too: A Celebration of Community” by Pat Brisson
“Who Do You Want to be When You Grow up?” By Paula Faris
“Whose Hands Are These?” By Miranda Paul
“Whose Hat is This?” By Sharon Katz Cooper

Kindness + Caring in Purple

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The Purple Room teachers are working on building kindness and caring for one another in our classroom community. We often discuss what types of things make us feel good as well as what we can do to make others feel good. Books are a great way to teach this lesson and broaden our class discussions about kindness. Here are the books we use to help teach this lesson!

I Am Love: A Book of Compassion - Susan Verde
In My Heart - Jo Witek
Namaste Is A Greeting - Suma Subramaniam
The Feel Good Book - Todd Parr
The Peace Book - Todd Parr

Tu B'Shevat + Wonderful Trees!

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Tu B’Shevat, also known as “the birthday of the trees,” is Sarah’s favorite Jewish holiday! While it may be snowing in Boston, Tu B’Shevat marks the time of year when the almond trees in Israel begin to bloom, and is often seen as a day to appreciate trees and all that they do for us. Observance of Tu B’Shevat can be done in many ways, some of which include planting new trees and tree saplings, participating in a seder (similar to the ones we have during Passover, but eating fruits and nuts instead of matzo and charoset), and even just educating ourselves about trees and their importance to our world. 

Here are a few reasons why trees are important: they provide shelter and shade for both humans and animals, they offer nourishment through their production of fruits and nuts, they convert carbon dioxide to oxygen…the list goes on! Thank you for all you do for us, trees! Happy birthday!

Here are some of Sarah’s favorite books about how wonderful trees are for us and our world:

Do You Like Being a Tree? By Datia Ben Dor and Itay Bekin
Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon and Lee White
Little Land by Diana Sudyka
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
What Do You See When You Look at a Tree? By Emma Carlisle

Sustaining The Light

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Visit this month’s Remarkable Moment to read Amy’s thoughts on sustaining the light of Chanukah. Some of the books we have found to be especially meaningful for use in our classrooms are below!

Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall 
Leo the Lightning Bug by Eric Drachman 
The Storm Whale in Winter by Benji Davies
The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle
You are Light by Aaron Becker 

Immersed in Autumn

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The Yellow Room has been busy exploring our changing seasons over the past few weeks. The children have noticed so many color and weather changes, leaves, acorns and pinecones on the ground, and have loved exploring them in water and paint!

Immerse yourself in all things Fall with these books!

The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
Dot & Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Nuts to You! By Lois Ehlert
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Author Josh Funk ~ It's Not...

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Fairy tales are such a classic part of children’s literature and exist in one form or another in most cultures around the world. Josh Funk has taken four classic fairy tales and altered them to be a part of the genre known as “fractured fairy tales.” Fractured fairy tales are ones that modify the original story to include a funny plot twist, alter how characters act/interact, and/or tell the story from another point of view. Josh Funk has the original characters not following the directions of the growingly exasperated narrator and changing their stories, resulting in hilarious dialogue and plot twists!  

The Blue Room feels this series provides a fresh take on fairy tale variations, explores the concepts of “narrator” and “character,” as well allows for children to compare and contrast with other versions of the same tale.  We often ask the children “what’s the same?”; “what’s different?” with books like these during “story time” or “small group work” to gain an understanding of their knowledge, build upon observational skills, and show that stories can be told in many different ways - empowering them to tell their own stories!

It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk
It’s Not The Three Little Pigs
It’s Not Hansel & Gretel
It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood

Check out his website here: https://www.joshfunkbooks.com
He’ll be in South Hadley, MA on Saturday, and has some upcoming readings at bookstores around Massachusetts next year!

 

Back To School

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Welcome (back) to FJECC! New beginnings and change can be challenging for anyone, including children. Whether it is a child’s first school experience, first day in a new classroom/grade level or first day at a new school, reading relatable children’s literature can assist with easing anxiety and facilitating easier transitions. Children can picture themselves as they read about characters who have been in their shoes. Reading books about beginnings/changes can also act as conversation starters, a way to preview a new situation and help answer questions that may arise. Find the books listed below at the library, bookstore or online and enjoy this time reading with your child!

A few of the Red Room’s favorite school themed books include:

The School Book by Todd Parr
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg 
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
Lola Goes to School by Anna McQuinn 
School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex
The Night Before Preschool by Amy Wummer
If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff
Sammy Spider’s First Day of School by Sylvia Rouss
How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

Dinosaurs

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The Toddlers in the Yellow Room love dinosaurs, and their teachers do, too!

DINOSAURS!! Although they have been extinct for hundreds of years many people remain fascinated with these giant lizards and they have found themselves into the hearts of children! Whenever we teach the children about dinosaurs we end up learning so much from them especially the type of dinosaurs and the correct pronunciation. Below are some books that the children enjoy reading with their teachers!

Digging for Dinosaurs, Smithsonian Kids
Here We go Digging for Dinosaur Bones, Susan Lendroth
How Do Dinosaurs… (Collection), Jane Yolen
Roar! Roar! I’m a Dinosaur, Jo Lodge
Stegothesaurus, Bridget Heos
Triceratopposite, Bridget Heos
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, Ryan T. Higgins

Saxton Freymann, Author & Illustrator

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A note from Misty, FJECC Blue Room Teacher, on her love for the books by author & illustrator Saxton Freymann.

Saxton Freymann’s unique use of food sculpture and photography make for memorable, creative, and silly illustrations.  Coupled with short sentences of text or idioms, which often rhyme, Freymann’s books have been a favorite of Misty’s since she was first introduced to them in her Children’s Literature class in college.  She owns almost all of his books and highly recommends them all!

Fun fact: Freymann’s illustrations are reminiscent of those of Israeli author and illustrator- Hanoch Piven who visited FJECC this past month and inspired families, children, and educators to “look for the faces” in various found objects, just as Freymann does with his medium of produce!

 

Boston

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Every year in the Green Room the students learn a bit about their big, beautiful backyard of Boston, Massachusetts. With so many students passionate about trains, the focus sometimes is on the MBTA and the different ways to use transportation in the city. Other times they may study the building of Temple Israel, visit the Swan Boats and read the story of Mr. & Mrs. Mallard in the Public Garden or visit kid-friendly institutions such as the New England Aquarium, The Museum of Fine Arts or Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University.

Green Room students will even learn about the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 and the 1990 art theft from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, both in age-appropriate ways. Of course we always play Boston sports, as we learn about the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox!

The emergent curriculum is enriched by our Music Specialist, Wayne Potash, who sings songs about Boston with us! Check out “Charlie on the M.T.A.” (begins at 2:25). Our favorite books about Boston, below, also support our learning.

ABC in Boston by Robin Segal
Boston by Deborah Kent
Boston Baby: A Local Baby Book by Shirley Vernick and Courtney La Forest 
Bus Route to Boston by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Catie Copley by Deborah Kovacs
Charlie on the M.T.A by Julia M. O'Brien-Merrill
Journey Around Boston From A to Z by Martha Day Zschock
Larry Gets Lost in Boston by John Skewes and Michael Mullin 
Larry Loves Boston by John Skewes and Michael Mullin 
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Red Sox ABC By Sage Stossel
You Can't Take A Balloon Into the Museum of Fine Arts by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman

Construction

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The Orange Room friends are becoming so engaged with the materials in the classroom and have started becoming interested in constructing different buildings and towers. We brought tools into our classroom, along with nuts and bolts to start with a strong foundation of how buildings are constructed. As we continue diving into our new unit, we will explore construction vehicles, jobs, and various building materials such as Lincoln Logs and Magna Tiles. Does your child like to build? Enrich their vocabulary with these books!

Cold & Snow

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A note from the Yellow (Toddler) Room on teaching children about snow & the cold weather.

Since we all reside in a place where the weather can be unexpected and cold, these books show the beauty of winter and the magic of snow! We chose books that children enjoy each year, books that remind us to bundle up when it gets cold, and the many different animals that either love the snow or sleep until spring.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
The Little Snowplow by Lora Koehler
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
The Snow Globe Family by Jane O’Connor
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Thomas’ Snowsuit by Robert Munsch
A Warm Winter Tail by Carrie A. Pearson

Being Thankful & Giving Thanks

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A note from the Orange Room on teaching Toddlers about being thankful and giving thanks.

As our children get to know each other better, and start interacting on a deeper level, this time of the year is perfect for teaching about being thankful. Teaching gratitude is important in a young child's life; when they are younger that we can shape them into good humans who reflect on their behavior. Some of these books are simple, while others will challenge little minds to think deeper about their interactions. Happy Reading!

-Being Thankful by Mercer Meyer
-Be Thankful Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
-The Gratitude Jar by Katrina Liu
-I'm Thankful by Terri-Sue Hill
-The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings by Jan Berenstain and Stan Berenstain
-Llama Llama Gives Thanks by Anna Dewney
-Thank You Bear by Greg Foley

All About Me

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October in the Blue Room has been spent exploring the topic of “All About Me” through introducing the idea that everyone is different. One of the ways that we have incorporated this exploration has been through the use of some really wonderful children’s books. Beginning our year with this in depth exploration has allowed teachers and classmates to get to know each other better. It also has helped students develop a strong and positive individual identity and sense of self. 

Spoon
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustrator: Scott Magoon
Summary: Spoon is jealous of the other utensils (knife, fork, chopsticks) in the drawer, but it turns out that they are all jealous of him! “Spoon serves as a reminder to celebrate what makes us each special.”

Bodies are Cool
Author: Tyler Feder
Summary: This is a book all about body acceptance and confidence. “This picture book is a pure celebration of all the different human bodies that exist in the world.”

It’s Okay to be Different
Author: Todd Parr
Summary: Celebrates and encourages the ideas of both self-acceptance and the acceptance of others for who they are.

The Change Your Name Store
Author: Leanne Shirtliffe, Illustrator: Tina Kugler
Summary: A girl named Wilma does not like her name and decides to change it. She tries on new names from around the world, but decides her own name suits her best.

Not Quite Narwhal
Author: Jessie Sima
Summary: A unicorn that lives under the sea discovers that he is not a narwhal and figures out that he can celebrate all parts of his identity.

The Colors We Share 
Author: Angélica Dass
Summary: Shows us how wonderfully colorful humans really are, questioning the concept of race and the limited categories we use to describe each other. 

The Wicked Big Toddlah
Author: Kevin Hawkes
Summary: Absolutely nothing exciting happens in Maine . . . nothing, that is, except for the birth of one giant baby. "That's one wicked big toddlah you got there!" exclaims Uncle Bert . . . and so Toddie is named. Toddie's a baby just like any other . . . sort of. The thing is, he's big—really big. That means really big diapers, really big teeth, really big everything.  A journey through a year with baby Toddie, where we see he goes through what every other baby does - just on a bigger scale!

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born
Author:  Jamie Lee Curtis; Illustrator: Laura Cornell
Summary: In asking her parents to tell her again about the night of her birth, a young girl relives a cherished tale she knows by heart. Focusing on the significance of family and love, this is a unique and beautiful story about adoption and the importance of a loving family.

Loss & Grief

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A note from Amy Bolotin, FJECC Director

The upcoming Jewish holidays are a mix of festive celebration and somber reflection. We joyfully welcome the New Year at Rosh Hashanah, marking this season of new beginnings with greetings of L’Shana Tova U’Metukah (a good and sweet year). We hit the “reset” button by tasting the fruitful sweetness of the world as manifested in apples and honey. 

Ten days later we observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, during which we ask forgiveness for our own missteps and make note of the imperfections and incompleteness of human life. This holiday often brings memories of loved ones we have lost. And/or times spent thinking about the aspects of our lives that we may want or need to change. This is a time for deep reflection and connection with our spiritual lives. Adults often assume that concepts such as spirituality, religion and god are too abstract for young children. We shy away from talking about things like death, grief, loss because we do not want our children to experience the sadness and confusion that comes with these topics - or simply because they are daunting things to talk about and we are unsure how to begin. 

In fact, I think children are more connected to the world in a spiritual way than most adults and that we are the ones who struggle to reconcile our inner lives with our daily lives.  I believe children have a deep and readily available sense of spirituality. Many have an uncanny capacity to accept the subtleties of the spiritual world in ways we find harder to access. I believe we can trust children to accept the information we share with them if - and this is a big “if'' - we share it in ways that are tailored to the information they seek and if we refrain from offering answers that are too long and overly complex. Of course, there are many books that help guide us through these conversations. Never underestimate the power of a story to help navigate the world of feelings and of challenging topics. The power lies in the ability of words and pictures to help us find a common language (or set of images), to help create a meeting place to explore the deeper thoughts and feelings that can be overwhelming otherwise. 

These three books are undeniably well-crafted to articulate what it means to lose someone you love. I think adults dealing with grief will find them as comforting as children do. 
The Loving Wind  Gabe Goldman
Grandad’s Island Benji Davies (Visit the Green Room to see more from author Benji Davies)
The Invisible String Patrice Karst

These three books support ongoing conversation around belief, god, spiritual practice:
Here Is the World; A Book of Jewish Holidays  Lesléa Newman and Susan Gal
Because Nothing Looks Like God  Lawrence Kushner, Karen Kushner, et al.
Mommy Can You Stop the Rain Rona Milch Novick and Anna Kubaszewska

Water

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With Summer in full gear, we know how important it is to find ways to stay cool, and one of our favorite ways is with water. As children, some of our fondest moments involved water - from drinking it with ice, splashing in puddles, or going to the beach with our families - we are sure you all do the same with your children. Although water is great source to cool off, we - humans, animals, and plants - are all dependent on water. These books talk about the beauty of water, how important clean water is, and ways we can keep it safe for every creature.

Below are some of our favorite books involving water:

The Adventures of Gary and Harry by Lisa Matsumoto
A Cool Drink of Water
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon
Hey Water! by Antoinette Portis
Water by Frank Asch
Water Can Be… by Laura Purdie Salas
The Water Princess by Susan Verde
We Are the Water Protectors by Carole Windstorm  

Social Learning

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Social learning is at the forefront of the curriculum in the Purple Room. Since young children don’t always have the ability to make connections between their actions and the resulting consequences, they benefit from some adult guidance. Every day they work on skills of negotiation, decision-making and modeling of appropriate social language.

These are some of the Purple Room’s favorite books:

Coriander, the Contrary Hen, Dori Chaconas
Enemy Pie, Derek Munson
Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores, James Howe
Pumpkin Soup, Helen Cooper
Zinnia and Dot, Lisa Ernst

Preschool Science

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Children are natural scientists. They use their senses and ask questions to try to understand the world around them. Books inspire, encourage, and continue to help kids to discover, explore, and ask questions about the world around them.

  • Bee Dance By Rick Chrustowski

  • From Seed to Plant - By Gail Gibbons

  • I See Myself by Vicki Cobb

  • Newton and Me by Lynne Mayer

  • What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Spring Weather

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With the coming of spring the Red Room really looks forward to our Outdoor Classroom time. We love the mild sunny days when we can peel off our jackets and the drizzly days when we can scoop water from puddles for “cooking” in the Mud Kitchen. We wonder about clouds that cover the sun and why the wind chimes hanging from a tree sometimes ring when no one touches them. Here are some books that support and encourage our outdoor experiences:

Blue Floats Away by Travis Jonker
Clouds by Katharine Hall
Flora’s Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw
It’s Spring! by Else Holmelund Minarek
Little Cloud by Eric Carle
The Puddle by David McPhail
Rain! by Linda Ashman
Singing in the Rain based on song by Freed/Brown, illus. by Tim Hopgood
Windblown by Edouard Marceau

All About Me

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The Purple Room always enjoys their annual exploration of All About Me. This is an opportunity to discover our similarities and differences as we engage in play and learning about ourselves and our friends. 

These are some of our favorite books to read:
All are Welcome: Alexandra Penfold
I Like Me: Nancy Carlson
It’s Ok to Be Different: Todd Parr
The Colors of Us: Karen Katz
The Family Book: Todd Parr
What is Beautiful?: Maryjean and David Avery