"Up from the sea, the wild north wind is blowing

Under the sky's gray arch;

Smiling I watch the shaken elm boughs, knowing

It is the wind of March."

In Ancient Rome, March was called Martius, so named after the Roman God of war and was considered a lucky time to begin a war. March was originally the first month of the Roman calendar because the winter months of January and February were unsuited for warfare, the essence of any Italic state. Julius Caesar’s calendar reform in 45 BCE began the year on January 1. The tradition of starting the year in March continued in some countries for a long time. January 1 was only instituted as New Year's Day in France in 1564. Great Britain and her colonies continued to use March 25 until 1752, the same year they finally adopted the Gregorian calendar.

“Let’s Go Outside”

Children love to play outside! And teachers love outdoor time, too. It is a relaxing, stress-reducing, tension-relieving part of the day, and a time when much development and learning take place.

Physical development is evident outdoors as children learn about their bodies in space, practice important physical skills, and exercise and strengthen muscles. Children also learn social skills – cooperation, turn taking, being on a team. And children learn about the world around them: they observe changes in plants and the difference in the seasons; they watch living things such as worms, snails, crickets and ants; they learn about the earth by collecting rocks and leaves.

The outdoor environment is an extension of the classroom. We plan for this part of the day just as we do for the other parts of the daily routine.

The environment includes equipment that helps encourage learning. We often bring classroom equipment outside to enrich the outdoor environment. One day you might see children painting and another day you might notice children bathing their babies and taking them for a ride in a wagon. The time spent outside is a valuable part of our daily schedule.    

"I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze."
 

“Learning with Blocks”

Blocks are open-ended materials that stimulate young imaginations, provide choices for discovery and invention, and promote the development of problem-solving skills. One day a block may be an airplane. The next day that same block in the hands of the same child can be a sofa for the house he is building. Building with blocks helps develop young children’s eye-hand coordination, visual perception, and large and small motor skills. It builds self-confidence and provides opportunities for creativity and dramatic play. These things occur naturally when children play with blocks.

We also find that working with blocks often deepens children’s engagement with literature and literacy. A child may be inspired, say to construct the three bears’ bed and chairs, a pirate boat or an enchanted castle.

We sometimes take photographs of children’s block creations and invite the children to caption the photos. We also encourage children to make their own signs for their own creations. In these activities, children are exposed to print in meaningful ways. Inviting children to reconstruct buildings and other things they have seen on field trips to caption the photos.

We also encourage children to make their own signs for their own creations. In these activities, children are exposed to print in meaningful ways. Inviting children to reconstruct buildings and other things they have seen on field tripsis one way we encourage their thinking in relation to social studies. They work with the concepts behind maps and models and as they build block cities, farms and factories, they work out their own understanding of these complex sites and communities. Children also develop mathematical and scientific concepts, such as balance and gravity as they work with blocks. Blocks are engrossing and fun for young children, of course. They are also invaluable tools for promoting children’s development on many fronts.