The Earth is Our Home- Reinforcing the Theme at Home

Exploring the World at Tierra Encantada

Talking and learning about the world we live in expands children’s sense of wonder, curiosity and adventure. 

In all classrooms, we will be looking at (and reaching for!) the sky. There are lots of differences between the sky during the day and at night- the sun and the moon, clouds and stars. We will talk about changes from day to night, and of course, learn how to say it all in Spanish!

Infants will be looking up at the sky, down at the ground and all around! We will work on their movement, specifically reaching and grabbing items. Toddler classrooms will start by looking at their own houses and homes- what are common objects found in there?- and will later expand outward to learning about their neighborhood and the immediate world around them. Preschoolers will look at the solar system and space travel, and how other planets are different from the one we call home (this is often a favorite unit!). Our Pre-K classrooms will be introduced to the seven continents and five oceans by looking at globes and maps.

We will help kids understand different parts of the big wide world by breaking it down into smaller parts and categorizing things by size. What is the biggest thing we can see in the sky? What is the smallest? Figuring out the answers to these questions can help children further develop spatial awareness and object permanence.

Bringing the Theme Home

Something that goes hand in hand with talking about the earth is how to take care of it. We only have one, after all! This is an easy topic to discuss at home. Does your family recycle? If you don’t already, you could start! Other environmentally respectful ideas are to set a monthly goal to reduce your household waste, find household items that have reusable alternatives or to set up a carpool to Tierra Encantada! 

Looking to fill a too-cold day with indoor fun? Go around the world inside your house! Try international recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, draw and color the continents or pick one place and focus on what life is like there. With such a big topic at hand, there are lots of ways to integrate our current curriculum theme. 

As kids grow and change, so do the ways in which they understand the world around them. You can help foster that growth by bringing home our December theme, The Earth is Our Home.