Hi, families.
Thank you for sending in photos of your children for their cubby tags. Kids are surely getting the hang of how to utilize their cubbies at school. These photos will also come in handy for other purposes throughout the school year. Teachers most recently used them to create something we call our “face page.” When introducing the “face page” to children, we say that our “face page” is something that lets us see all of our photos on one paper. We explain that it can be a way for us all to get to know each other when we are at home! The face page can also help us see the letters in all of our names. As kids have been accessing cubby tags to help write their names or the names of peers, the face page is also a literacy tool that they can access at school or home.
As kids are internalizing our schedule, they are also starting to notice others in their school world. And as they start to notice and think about other kids, they may forget who the person with the brown curly hair is, or start to confuse some of the names. Children who spent time with peers at the water table, for example, may say they weren’t with anyone at school because of this same confusion. The “face page” is a fantastic tool to help kids make connections to school while they are at home.
We are all busy at school, whether it be playing, talking or observing. Sometimes, we are moving in and out of interactions (short and fleeting), or we haven’t really processed what has happened until long after. The face page is a way for kids to literally see each other closely and begin to notice each other’s features without feeling shy or having the other person move their head....or go away... or run past them!
We’ve also included that same photo schedule you received at the beginning of the year, on the back of the face page! If you are talking through your child’s day, it could be helpful to look at the schedule/face page and ask specific questions, “So, who was sitting with you at snack today? Did they have brown or blonde hair? Was it this person?!” “Who else was jumping in the gym. Did you jump with anyone?”
Where is your class “face page”? Maybe your child likes to look at it in bed before going to sleep, maybe it’s in a stack of paperwork on the kitchen counter! Consider hanging it on the fridge or in a central location where your child can notice and reference it. For parents who want to know more about their child’s day at school, these visual references can be a great way to get the conversation going!
Soon, conference season begins! We look forward to connecting and would like to thank you in advance for scheduling time to meet with us. We are excited to hear if your child is chatting about school at home, and to share our stories and thoughts with you as well!
Best,
A, C, S