In the Classroom: The Leapfrogs
All Aboard!!!
The Leapfrogs have been engaged in a study of trains! It all started when the Leapfrogs found a book in our reading corner that had all different sorts of transportation.
These weren’t ordinary types of transportation, but the kinds that made the children laugh, like a cheese car (it looked like a block of swiss cheese), a banana boat (looked just like a banana), and the all time favorite...the bathtub train (shower head included).
The Leapfrogs became even more interested in trains when our good friends Ms. Denise and Mr. Jim from the School District of Philadelphia came for a visit. They brought several books to share with us.
The Leapfrogs were especially captivated by one called Our Train Book, a custom-made tale that incorporated the names of each child in our classroom into the story.
They were excited to read the repetitive words that included “As the train is coming down the track it goes clickety clack. (Leapfrog’s name) car is next in line. I wonder who is in back?”
The Leapfrogs noticed that there were no pictures in this book, so they took time to be illustrators using different shapes to master awesome trains. The children are VERY proud of their work and they now have their own story in our classroom that they can read independently.
During our exploration of trains, we turned our dramatic play area into a railroad crossing where the children lined up chairs to make trains and always remembered to leave the red chair as the caboose in back.
We also mastered a new way to make art by attaching trains to markers with tape. By moving the "trains" across a piece of paper, the children experienced making train tracks.
Lastly, we made a great connection with everyone’s favorite film Frozen. Together, the children read a sign that said, "Elsa came to freeze all of the trains. How can we get them out of the ice?" The children worked together to predict how we could free the trains.
The children decided to use rocks, forks, other manipulatives to break the ice. They even considered water, first using cold water and then hot. As they continued to bang away with rocks, the trains began to come apart.
The Leapfrogs will continue with our train theme until the children are ready to, as they say in Frozen, "let it go!"
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