News - March April

Hello Parents

Doesn’t this rhyme ring in your mind?

“Ding dong bell

Pussy’s in the well

Who put her in?

Little Tommy Lyn.

Oh! what a naughty boy is he

To put the pussy in…

Who pulled her out?

Little Tommy Stout,

What a good boy is he

To pull the pussy out…

                                                                      

(Observation: children are delighted to hear that the pussy is out and is happy and dry)

(Author unknown)

The original version of this rhyme does not have the parts that are highlighted, but the latest ones do have these two important lines… This is the beauty of the nursery rhymes. A teacher could use the nursery rhymes to teach skills other than what is said in them.

The teacher has the liberty to use them to teach new ideas, new vocabulary, add new words, delete if desired  and make up new versions to suit the age and level of the learner.

The irony is that many favourite rhymes have hidden meanings. If you closely analyze them, you will find that they are full of sarcasm and political irony.  However, children love nursery rhymes for other reasons: the melody, the rhyming words, the characters found in them and sounds the children hear.

Nursery rhymes are musical melodies for infants, toddlers and young children. They make a foundation for imagination, reading and creative writing. Everyone grew up with a set of rhymes like Wee Willy Winckey, Hickory Dickory, Goosy Goosey Gander and lot more. Don’t they ring in your mind? Don’t they take you to your childhood?

 All these and many more have a deep influence on the life of children. These invoke different set of feelings and attitude in different personalities. While listening to these, children grow up and form their own beliefs and dreams based on their understanding. As adults we must encourage them to visualize the images without trying to block them with reality and real life situations. Imagination is the KEY to creative writing.
Also as a preschool educator, story book writer and curriculum developer, I make the nursery rhymes a tool to teach number, language, PSE, Basic Science, art & craft, shapes and colours, and of course music. I firmly believe that the repeat ion of words and patterns have a lot to make the young learner eager to read.

Here are some of the most significant advantages of nursery rhymes: By Jennie Gandhi

• Teaching rhymes helps children learn to communicate properly with the correct pronunciation and speech.
• These invoke children to express their feelings in a better way through different gestures and facial expressions.
• These help children love music and develop their senses to appreciate different forms of music.
• Rhythm is an important component of nursery rhymes that help a great deal in the development of memory and auditory skills.
• Soft words and soothing tune captivates toddler’s attention that helps expand their imaginations.
• These help to easily register every word and rhythm in the child’s unadulterated brain.
• Listening is an important skill that makes them smarter and understanding in the long run.
• Through the poems and verses children can paint imaginary pictures that help to activate awareness.
• Children have a better understanding of humor through these rhymes.
• Different rhymes have different concept that offer different opportunities to develop vocabulary based on the concepts.
• Also helps a great deal in developing children’s motor skills and co-ordination.
• These verses can be beautifully transformed to skill-developing games for better learning.
• These rhymes are an integral part of cultural heritage and hence are used to inculcate values and traditional beliefs within children.
• Last but not the least; it is the best source of entertainment for toddlers.

Thus Our Current Theme is “The Rhymes that Ring in Minds”              

Welcome: We are delighted to welcome Weihan to our play circle. It makes us very happy to see the playway family grow steadily and healthily, where the children have a first class experience through their early years.

Also we warmly welcome Ms Zeinab Nalir who joins us from mid February expanding our staff to six. She is a product of St Bridget’s Convent, Colombo. She has a Diploma in Preschool and Sub Primary Education from Ladies’ College, Department of Vocational Studies, Colombo. She is keen, caring and energetic.

March April Birthdays:  Many Happy Returns Everyone

02 March	Yeshara
15 March	Aunt Anagi
17 March	Evan
19 March	Yousuf
25 March	Kehathi
28 March	Weihan
06 April	Chithayu
14 April	Aunt Farina
22 April	Ishaq
29April	Amirkhan

We wish you the best of Luck! Hope all of you will have super Birthdays with loads of FUN and Surprises!!

Special notes for the parents…

• Please read all the notes that are sent to you regarding your child/ children and the playway.
• Please send pictures that start with the phonic sound “n”, “ h”, & “m” for the children who are under 4 years of age ( 1+ , 2+  &  3+) When you collect these pictures please make sure you get your child to help find them in magazines or news papers because it will be a learning experience to your young one.
• If your child is 4+ Please send pictures of three letter words such as cat, bat, mat or net, pet, vet. Please send as many as possible as the children have started to read three letter words and this activity will boost their “reading with meaning”.
• We hope to send home your child’s face towels every Friday afternoon to be laundered and brought back on Monday mornings. Please make sure you collect them and wash and iron and bring back on Monday mornings. Please make sure the names and loops are intact. If needed please replace the old towels with fresh ones.
• We need wet wipes and couple of extra diapers for all the infants & toddlers. Please make sure your child’s supply is labeled & handed over to the teacher in charge. 
• Please encourage your child to be independent and happy to walk, whenever possible and safe to do so. Do not post their name at the entrance to the playway or keep their bags for them. The main idea in these activities is to make them independent and autonomous learners.

Have a Merry March & Awesome April,

 Neelika Edirisinghe,

Director, the playway nursery