Miss Stephanie's class made ornaments out of clay. Making clay ornaments is a holiday or seasonal staple in preschool classrooms, and for good reason! While it looks like just a cute keepsake for the fridge or tree, the process is actually a "multivitamin" for early childhood development.

Here is a breakdown of what preschoolers are learning when they squish, roll, and decorate clay:

1. Fine Motor Development
This is the most significant physical benefit. Working with clay strengthens the small muscles in the hands and fingers, which are the same muscles needed later for writing with a pencil and using scissors.

Squeezing and Kneading: Builds hand strength.

Rolling: Develops bilateral coordination (using both hands together).

Pinching: Refines the "pincer grasp" used for gripping pens.

2. Sensory Processing
Clay is a powerful sensory tool. It provides tactile feedback that helps children understand their own physical strength.

Texture: They learn the difference between wet/slippery clay and dry/crumbly clay.

Proprioception: They learn how much pressure is needed to flatten the clay without breaking it or making it too thin.

3. Early Math and Science
It may not look like a lab, but the classroom table becomes one during this process.

Geometry: They explore shapes (circles, stars, hearts) and spatial awareness.

Cause and Effect: They observe how the clay changes from soft to hard after air-drying or baking.

4. Social-Emotional Growth
This is where the "gift" aspect becomes a teaching moment.

Empathy and Generosity: They learn the concept of altruism—doing something specifically to make someone else happy.

Delayed Gratification: They have to wait for the clay to dry, then wait to paint it, and finally wait to give it away. This builds patience.

Pride and Efficacy: Completing a project from start to finish boosts their self-esteem.

5. Artistic Expression
Unlike a coloring book with lines, clay is "open-ended."

Decision Making: They choose which colors to use, where to place the glitter, and which shape to make.

Creative Literacy: They are learning that they can turn an abstract idea in their head into a physical object.

Fairview Early Childhood Center was filled with smiles and laughter as staff brought The Gingerbread Man to life! Students and families enjoyed an interactive retelling, making this classic story a fun and memorable experience for all.

Please join us for Winter Family Fun Night. We will have pictures with Santa, snacks, open gyms and crafts. We hope to see you there!

Miss Andrea's class painted snow that was in their sensory table during work time.
Work time is part of our High Scope curriculum. Students plan where to work, and share verbally or with symbols/drawings, what they intend to do during work time (which area to visit, what materials to use, and who they will play with).
Work time is 65 minutes. This is the "doing" phase where children carry out their plans.
Then we have recall time. Children reflect on their experiences, sharing with their class what they did, what they learned,who they played with or what problems they solved.

See you on Monday, December 1st!

Rockford's own children's singer, songwriter and author Jim Gill performed at Fairview today for our annual Grandparents'/Grand friends' Day Concert.

Miss Carla's class painted ice with watercolor paint and put salt on it to erode it. They explored gems and the students got to keep their favorites. They made fossils from shells and air-dry clay. They learned what a geode was and compared them with boiled eggs. They painted egg cups to look like geodes, and students painted their favorite rock during work time.

Please join us for Turkey Bingo on Friday, November 14 for a chance to win your holiday turkey!

Fairview students decorated pumpkins and enjoyed pumpkin science this week!
Please follow this link for a slide deck.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j-5WDX3rXCc02JEIXz_f8t_I9IcAzVpg/view?usp=sharing

Meet the Fairview chipmunks!

Happy Halloween from the Fairview staff!

Fairview is a very colorful place!

Fairview provides magical customer service. Meet Markesha our OP who greets families every day with a smile.

Where is the Fairview staff? Staff dressed us as Where's Waldo today. "Where's Waldo?" (or "Where's Wally?" internationally) is a popular series of hidden-object puzzle books created by Martin Handford. The goal is to find the character Waldo, who is wearing a red-and-white striped shirt and beanie, in intricately detailed illustrations filled with many other characters and objects

Miss Lisa and Miss Randi's class made applesauce today. it was a hands-on, multi-sensory activity that integrated learning across science, math, literacy, and motor skills. It provided a meaningful, real-world context for our students to understand where their food comes from and how it's made.