cupertinolittlestarsblog

Busy Little Stars!

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:53:19 +0100

Time has passed quickly and another “little star” is ready for Kindergarten. She has now read over 460 books and is very prepared for school. We will miss her and her entire family tremendously. They have been here for over 6 years. The younger children are also working on their learning programs. The three year old knows all of his letters and sounds and is working on blending as well as learning how to print his letters and numbers correctly. The toddlers have studied colors and shapes. Now, they are beginning to work on letters and sounds. Our youngest is learning to crawl and has been enjoying looking at books and learning nursery rhymes and songs.

We have been spending almost all day outside thanks to the cool weather. We have been playing with water, balls, driving vehicles and various other outdoor activities. The children have even been doing their schoolwork outside on the picnic table.

Until next time,
The Star Gazer
Karen Hackett

Recently at Cupertino Little Stars Daycare

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:28:48 +0100

Our last children are completing the Pre-K program and graduating to kindergarten. They have both worked very hard and learned a lot. One is reading at the beginning of third grade level, and the other is reading at first grade level.

We also had a former student here for the summer to participate in reading tutoring. He has read over fifty books and made a great deal of progress!

Our three year old has now read 117 books, and the two year old completed learning all of his letter sounds and has read his first book. Another reader is born!

We have been busy teaching the eight month old activity songs, nursery songs and rhymes, and have her up to 76 as of this writing. She kicks and bounces to her favorites. She now says seven words and is a real communicator. She is very good natured and happy, even though getting new teeth at the moment. She is amazing!

We have redone the outdoor infant crawling area and gotten a fresh new load of cedar chips for the yard, as well as new sandbox sand.

The majority of the day we are outside playing in the yard or doing our work on the porch. The weather has been wonderful this summer for outdoor time!

Now we are gearing up for fall activities, and have space available for new students for full or part time, beginning in September. --

"The Star Gazer"
Nana Karen Hackett

This Week at Cupertino Little Stars

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:44:02 +0100

We are very excited this week to welcome our newest student. She is a bright and beautiful four month old who is interested in everything going on around her! Since developmental care is practiced here, she will have many activities and experiences planned just for her. These will help her achieve maximum development of mind and body. Some activities are done while her basic needs are being met, such as my singing nursery songs while diaper changing and feeding. Other activities will be planned for her to experience with me, some on her own and some with the other children. Each day I have planned for her to have new experiences in each of four categories: listening and talking, physical development, creative activities, and learning from the world.

The other children, who are now 5,4,3 & 2, are busy working on their own individual learning plans. The five year old is on page 164 of a second grade reader, and has previously read 607 books to me. The four year old has now read 41 books, the three year old 51 books, and the two year old is already sounding out and reading some words as well.

All of the children 2 - 5 are working on their own levels in math. The five year old is working on money up to one dollar, time, and the calendar. She can read numbers up into the hundred thousands, and easily does basic addition and subtraction. She is learning to carry now. The dot - to - dots she does are 250 and up.

The three and four year old are practicing numbers in the teens and twenties. These exercises include counting, dot-to-dots, sets, addition, subtraction, properly writing the numbers, etc. The three and four year old are on approximately the same level since the three year old began with me before the age of one, but the four year old didn't begin until almost three.

The 3-5 year olds do a lot of writing to perfect handwriting and sounding out words.

Our two year old counts well, and likes to scribble while getting close to drawing shapes. He already cuts very well with scissors. He also loves to play his own tunes on the piano!

We all do a lot of music activities and art, and spend hours outside in the fresh air. We have been gardening, playing ball and games, and just plain having a great time in free play. It was even warm enough last week for a day of water play. Spring has arrived!

Until next time --

Nana Karen, the Star Gazer

This Week at Cupertino Little Stars

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:31:09 +0100

This week we are studying subjects beginning with letter “I” such as ice skating, icebergs, igloos, ice cream and icies. Each day will have a drawing and writing assignment for the three and four year olds, and a drawing/art project for the two year old. I have science experiments and ice cube igloo fun for all of the children to enjoy as well. They will also do some dot-to-dots and reading and math activities.

The reading is coming along well, with the eldest child having read over 600 books and the next two having read 22 and 35 books.

After morning work time we will have lots of time to do our play dough, puzzles, beading and whatever other free play activities the children choose. A lot of rain is expected this week, so we won’t be outdoors as much as we would like, but soon the spring weather will return and outside we will go.

Until next time --

Nana Karen “The Star Gazer”

This Week at Cupertino Little Stars!

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:36:09 +0100

We didn't see the groundhog's shadow, so according to legend, our spring is almost here! Today is sunny and we spent a lot of time outside once the yard dried out.

Our project themes this week are based on Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day. Next week will continue the Valentine's theme, followed by Presidents Day.

We are also studying letter O items and animals, number ten and decagon. The oldest three students are reading like champs. The eldest is reading a series of first and second grade readers, usually a chapter or two a day, quite fluently. The other four year old is working on a 32 page book, her 21st. The three year old has now read 29 books and is sight reading a lot of three letter words. Our two year old is doing color and shape review, precutting activities, counting objects, learning letters and sounds, and doing themed art projects.

Our indoor free play has been more extensive than we are used to, with all of the rain this year. Luckily I have over one hundred bins full of a variety of blocks, puzzles, games, musical toys, books, cooking and household toys, dress-ups, etc. We rotate through these, with the children taking turns choosing their favorites, as well as their favorite music. A piano is available for their use as well. We have a good time no matter what the weather may be. No one is ever under-stimulated here at Cupertino Little Stars!

--Nana Karen, "Star Gazer"

This Week at Cupertino Little Stars

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:28:00 +0100

Here at Cupertino Little Stars, we are currently working on the letter O and the number 10. This week olives, ostriches, officers (police) and octopuses are the objects of our studies, as well as ovals and octagons. Our winter theme is also continuing.

Our daily schedule has been disrupted by lots of rain, so we have spent free tim with fishing for letters, sewing activities, block building, cooking and household toys, book and magazine reading, music, train track and road building for our small vehicles, etc.

All of the children hae been working hard on their learning activities. The reading and writing are going really well. The eldest four year old has now read 584 books and the three year old has read 23 books. She got her first reading prize and was quite proud of herself. The younger four year old has read 19 books and is looking forward to receiving her first reading prize. She also looks forward to getting on the "big chart" which will happen when she completes her first 20 books. Students earn a book prize for every 20 books read, and they can take these books home and add them to their personal library. They are also doing very well on thier math and numbers.

The two year old is reviewing colors and learning more complicated shapes. He is doing a good job on his tters and reading activities.His language is exploding rapidly. He is working on counting to 30.

We did an evaluation of dominant hand strength today. Everyone tested strongly on hand muscles for writing and drawing from all of our fine motor activities.

Till next time!

Nana Karen -- "The Star Gazer"

This Week at Cupertino Little Stars Childcare

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:37:36 +0100

Our "Little Stars" were very busy last week with lots of learning as well as outdoor time. We did many drawing and writing projects based on the family, including graphing the male and female members to compare our families with each other.

All of the latest holiday photos are posted for the current and former "Little Stars." We are enjoying those daily. This week our theme is "friends."

The three and four year olds are making great progress on the reading and math. The eldest will be completing book #540 on Monday, and the next two will be moving onto the big chart shortly. This means that they will have completed twenty books and are blending short vowel words. They also know the sight words a, I, to and the. Some of the two letter words such as an, in, as, is, etc. have also become sight words.

The two year old now is drawing circles, which means that he now will have drawing projects too. He is doing well on letter recognition and sounds. He loves to count objects and we are now practicing up to thirty. He also plays the piano daily.

Outside, all of the "Stars" like to play on the climbing rope and play catch with Nana, as well as the usual sliding, teeter-tottering, car driving, digging and running around.

Till next time!

Nana, the "Star Gazer."

This Week at Cupertino Little Stars Daycare

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:33:40 +0100

The "Little Stars" and I had a lot of fun visiting with our graduated students over the last couple of weeks. Now we are back to our normal routine.

Out these this week is Families. We will be having discussions, writing and drawing on the different aspects of the subject.

The two year old is doing a color and shape review, since he was on vacation. He is also continuing with his study of letters and numbers. He is doing well on his letter sounds and we are working on counting to thirty.

The three and four year olds are doing well on their reading. The eldest has now read 526 books! She is continuing to enjoy her dot-to-dots over 250. The others are working hard at their individual levels. They are reading the 32 page books and doing the dot-to-dots up to 20.

We are also greatly enjoying all of the outdoor time that the break in the weather allows us.

Nana Karen
the Star Gazer

This Week At Cupertino Little Stars

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:49 +0100

This week at Cupertino Little Stars, we are continuing the creation of Halloween decorations. It is also Fire and Earthquake Week. We are doing safety drills, and all of the children are doing fingerplays, music, poems and art projects related to fire fighting.

We are beginning letter F f study this week. The shape for this week is heart and the color is purple. Our youngest will learn the above through art, reading, rhyme, games, music and puzzles.

The older children are reading at their own levels. Our newly turned three year old has read twelve books, the next oldest 11 and the eldest has read 453! Her books are much more difficult now, with many new sight words. Their art projects reflect a lot of originality, as do the stories they tell to go with them. Each of the older children is free to choose what "work" they with to do that day after our art time is over. Reading, dot-to-dots, mazes, sticker math, math manipulatives, work books, work sheets, more drawing, games, puzzles, etc. They also take turns choosing the toys to be rotated through the free play area, and the music we play.

We also spend as much time as possible outside. Our days are very busy and lots of fun!

This Week at Cupertino Little Stars

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:41:51 +0100

We are adding the color orange to our one year old's program this week, by mixing yellow and red. We are also studying square, circle, triangle and rectangle. He is participating joyfully in the alphabet/phonics song and motions, using the chart, which reinforces his new skills. Nursery rhymes and songs are still very popular, as well as "reading" in my lap.

The preschoolers are nearing the end of the 32 page book, number 9 for the reading charts. They are blending three letter words quite easily now and are having fun with the cute pictures. We are working on counting sets of eight objects, writing 8 and dot-to-dots of eight and up. Also, they are doing sticker math using various addition facts to total eight. They continue to work on writing J j facing the correct direction to go with the art projects. They painted using large Jj jar stencils, ate J j pancakes with jam, etc. This week they will draw jaguars in the jungle on which they will fasten vines, as well as other J j art projects.

Our oldest pre-K child has now completed 421 books, on which she answered questions, made rhymes and sentences using new words and did related activities. She received a dinosaur book for her twenty book reading prize and amazed her mom by immediate reading all of it -- dinosaur names and all! She is almost done with her #200 dot-to-dot book and is excited about earning her new #250+ book.

This week we are inviting the father of one of our former students to come demonstrate juggling for us. We will be practicing throwiing balls and beanbags up in the air and catching them in our beginning juggling efforts.

We are getting lots of outdoor exercise now that the weather is so perfect!