Year 3 begins in China! Joyelect Kindergarten now has a new second location as Joyelect Daycare. I continue my journey here as the Canadian Principal at both locations.

Stay in touch with me through Facebook or email me at Kamshomecare@gmail.com.

Hello Everyone!

It's been 1 year since I began teaching in Shenzhen, China. I have learned a lot about Chinese culture and how schools here teach English to young children. Shenzhen is a beautiful  tropical city that I love living in and I'm continuously exploring this side of the world. I have decided to continue my journey in China as an Academic Director of the School and look forward to many more years. The families from Kams Home Care are always in my heart and I thank you for all the support this year. 


With lots of love, 
Kamilla 
August 21st, 2018

Wish all the families and children a very Merry Christmas and a special holiday full of love, laughter and happiness!  I am always available to keep in touch and share photos through KamsHomeCare@gmail.com. Stay warm, cozy and healthy this winter season. 

Love, Kamilla :) 

Friday July 21st, 2017 is the last day at Kamilla's Home Daycare.
Thank you and Goodbye for now! 
I will be teaching in Shenzhen, China...STAY IN TOUCH!  

Kams Home Daycare will be closing end of July 2017.  It has truly been an amazing 2 years at my Home Daycare. My passion for early education has lead me to a very exciting opportunity to teach in Shenzhen, China. My husband and I will be moving for a minimum of 1 year where I can advance my career and we simply can’t wait to live in this new beautiful city of opportunity!

Thank you for the on-going support and for always trusting my Home Daycare.
Every child and family will be missed! 

* I plan to start a new BLOG. I will update my website with the new link once it is ready.  
​
Have an amazing summer, Stay in Touch!
Thank you for choosing me as your Child Care Provider!

Kamilla
Registered Early Childhood Educator 

The children loved smelling and tasting a variety of herbs including spearmint, oregano, rosemary and parsley. A great natural sensory experience.

​Each child took home a special butterfly flower pot.
Happy Mothers Day!

​Click on each photo to view.

Lincoln Logs or Timber Logs  ( 100% real wood) are a classic building toy. Lincoln Log Toys were very popular in the nineteen forties, and they were one of the first toys to be advertised on television in the nineteen fifties.

The older preschoolers have been busy building with Timber Logs! Timber Log toys helps further hands-on learning and promotes learning through play. It also encourages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills.

What will they build next?  Click on each photo to view. 

Click on each photo to view 

The story Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr, is an entertaining alphabet picture book. The book begins with the letter A telling the letter B and B telling the letter C to meet "at the top of the coconut tree." The letters, in alphabetical order, begin to climb the tree until all the letters fall off. The children get so excited each time to watch the coconut tree and letters fall!

As You Read
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has a lively musical rhythm. As you read, emphasize the beat and rhythm of the words. 
·Invite children to join in when you read the repeating lines “Chicka chicka boom boom” and “Skit skat skoodle doot. Flip flop flee.”
· Point to each letter as you read its name. Move your finger up the tree when you read the phrases “up the coconut tree” or “to the top of the coconut tree.”

After You Read
Talk about the book with children. Ask questions such as,
· Why do you think the letters of the alphabet run up the coconut tree?
· What happens when all the letters of the alphabet get to the top of the tree? (They fall down!) Why do you think they fall down?
· Let’s count the letters in the alphabet. (Count aloud as you point to each letter.) 
​
English Language Learners: Name and act out some of the actions in the story. Have children repeat the letter and action words after you.

This month there were many indoor rainy days. We have been observing the changes in the weather daily through the window.  Some days we were able to put on our rain boots and splash in the puddles.  Kids love getting messy, especially in the muddy puddles! ​

The children enjoyed a rain science experiment. They used squeeze tubes (Fine motor skill) to create rain drops in the clouds (shaving cream).  It was fun to observe. ​

Here are a few activity ideas for Rainy Indoor Days:

• Play with different sized cardboard boxes. Let the children pretend the boxes are airplanes, cars or castles!
• Get messy! Make scented playdough or set up a water table
• Have fun with music, let the children shake their sillies out!
• Create a puppet show and retell a favourite storybook.
• Whine down with Yoga to classic musical 

The Daycare was full of LOVE birds!
We enjoyed making heart shape bird feeders using seeds, gelatin and honey. 

The children enjoyed baking a heart shape cake and making playdough for sensory play. We LOVE dancing with pink ribbons together as a group. And of course we LOVE to play, learn and laugh :) 

 
The Napping House  by Audrey Wood is a wonderful storybook for bedtime/naptime that sends children off to bed with laughter and sweet dreams. This cute story is about a boy, his granny and their pets sleeping and being woken up by a disturbing flea. The repetition in text allows young readers to follow the simple sequence of events on every page.   From beginning to end the illustrations extend and enhance the mood of this silly cute story.

At Daycare, we are reading and listening to this book on CD before Sleep Time every day. Most children attend daycare for a minimum of 6 hours; therefore it is a requirement to have a minimum 1 hour Rest Time. If children do not sleep, they are offered a basket of books with a star night light. 

At 18 months, it is a requirement for a child to transistion from an Infant Playpen to a Preschool Bed/Cot. 

The Daycare becomes “The Napping House” daily from approximately 12:15- 2:00pm. Shhhhhhh children are sleeping....

​Children are always fascinated by dinosaurs! Since Dinosaurs are not make-believe, it’s even more appealing for a young child!

• The children took home a Clothespin Stegosaurus with their name on it. Using a pincer grip to take off the clothespins is a fine motor skill.
• The children investigated the water freezing into ice. It was fun to get the dinosaurs out.
• We danced to the “Dino Stomp” Song for developing gross motor skills.
• Children loved the sensory sand bin with dinosaurs and rocks.  We counted the rocks!
• Children expressed creativity in helping to paint a big volcano ( team work skills) and were introduced to new vocabulary ( magma, lava, explode )
• We made our own dinosaur fossils and bones. Some children wrote the instructions and ingredients for this activity. ( Kindergarten level)
• Children used dinosaur playdough cutters.
• Many dinosaur books were added to the bookshelf for the children.  

​Dramatic Play and Development 
This week, I added a new wooden kitchen playset. So much fun :) 

Dramatic play enhances child development in four major areas.

Social/Emotional – When children come together in a dramatic play experience, they have to negotiate roles or themes, take turns, solve problems and develop skills they need to cooperate with their peers. When children engage in pretend play it increases their understanding of the world they live in.  Dramatic centers should also reflect the children’s cultures. (Example: Multicultural cooking books and utensils)

Physical – Dramatic play helps children develop both gross and fine motor skills . When children tidy up, they practice eye-hand coordination and visual organization.  Children use their large and small muscles to put on costumes and manipulate props.

Cognitive – When children are involved in make-believe play, they make use of pictures they have created in their minds to recreate past experiences, which is a form of abstract thinking. Setting a table for a meal, counting out money as a cashier, dialing a telephone, and setting the clock promotes the use of math skills.
​
Language – Dramatic play promotes the use of speaking and listening skills. Children are also introduced to new vocabulary by labelling kitchen accessories or variety of foods.  Oral language development leads to early literacy and writing skills. ( Example: Children pretend to write a grocery list to go shopping) 

5 Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree!
Teasing Mr.Crocodile..." You Cant Catch me!"
Along came Mr. Crocodile, as quiet as can be and….SNAP!

Songs and Rhymes with motions help children practice fine-motor coordination. Doing the finger motions of a song like "Five Little Monkeys sitting in a Tree or Jumping on a Bed" helps children practice their hand and finger control -- a skill necessary for writing and handling small objects. Dancing to music also helps children perfect their control of their arms and legs. 

Singing songs is a powerful way for young children to practice language. When children sing, they practice pronouncing words and putting together sentences.How many people first learned the alphabet by singing the ABC song? Our brains remember language better when it is set to music.

Enjoy this fun song and rhyme with your Little Monkey together at home! Repetition is Key, children love singing and acting out this rhyme over and over! We have also listened to different tempos and tunes of The 5 Little Monkeys on a CD Player. 

 
What better way to jump into fall than by learning about leaves? We are observing our Japanese Maple Tree daily in the backyard to see how many leaves are left! A great math- counting activity! 
 
We sang and read the book: “We're Going on a Leaf Hunt “ By Steve Metzger. We talked about the different colors and types of leaves. During our nature walk to park, the children began collecting leaves. As they stomped and raked the leaves, they noticed a crunching sound! Leaves are wonderful for young children to explore with all their senses! We had fun through many leaf activities, crafts, games and songs.

This weekend go for a leaf hunt with your child, before the season changes!  

Fall is a wonderful season to explore with sensory play! During Thanksgiving, the children enjoyed a harvest sensory bin with corn, apples, pumpkins, wheat, and pinecones.

• Children explored their senses while practicing pouring and measuring, counting and patterning. 
• Outside, the sandbox became a “pumpkin patch” for pretend play.
• We read many books about the life cycle of a pumpkin. We are waiting for the seeds to sprout! 
• We sang “ 5 Little Pumpkins” by " Super Simple Songs" daily to learn about emotions/Feelings (Sad, Sleepy, Happy, Silly or Scary Face). We are practicing to count to 5! 
• We painted a big apple tree when we learned about apples. We had fun pretending to go apple picking!
• Through magnifying glasses, we took a close look at the different corn colours to build on vocabulary. 
• Children watched a chipmunk eat the corn through the window. Nature is everywhere! Enjoy the photos! 

Sharing stories, talking and singing  helps your baby’s development. Doing this every day helps your baby get familiar with sounds, words, language and, eventually, the value and joy of books.
 
Reading books with your child is important because:

• Helps create a special bond between parents and children. Set aside a special time each day, such as bath time, bedtime, or after meals.
• Provides fun and enjoyment for children and adults. Take advantage of "waiting" times to share books — on trips, in the car, at the doctor’s office, in line at the grocery store.
• Introduces children to art through the illustrations
• Introduces children to a wide variety of experiences
• Promotes later communication skills, builds vocabulary and enhances memory, listening and attention skills.
• Helps prepare children for learning to read. Children enjoy books that have good rhymes, rhythm and repetition.
• Reading aloud sets the stage for school readiness. 

 Book of the Week 1 : Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins

Rosie's Walk is a wonderful book for learning about prepositions. In this book, Rosie goes across, around, over, past, though, and under. At daycare, we created a story map to sequence events in the book with our puppets.


Book of the Week 2: Good Night , Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
This is one of my favourite books to read over and over with the children! With almost no text, there is so many ways to tell this story and build on oral language.  We love acting out this story in the dark with flashlights, keys, and zoo animal toys.

At home, families can enjoy this storybook on video. Visit www.YouTube.com and search Good Night Gorilla (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBrK58hi8KA )

Going to Kindergarten is a life-changing event not only for the child, but also for parents.  
As a previous Educator for the School Board Kindergarten program, here are my tips for getting your child prepared for Kindergarten:

• BOOKS! Read books with your child every day.
  
  
• Count objects daily for number practice. Focus 1- 10.
  
  
• Sing ABC Daily! Practice letter and sound recognition, especially the letters in your child’s name.
  
  
• Develop strong fine motor skills – practice cutting with scissors or holding a pencil.
  
  
• Practice  self-help skills – zipping coat  and washroom bodily care
  
  
• Make healthy food choices for school lunches.  Children need to be able to Independently open lunch containers and water bottles.
  
  
• Have conversations about social skills – nice manners, sharing, expressing their feelings and self-regulation techniques.

• Encourage and teach your child to be responsible for their own belongings and to follow/respect direction.
  
  
• Support, praise and celebrate your child’s independence their 1st week of kindergarten! It’s a big deal for their self confidence and self esteem! 
  
  

 
For more information about the Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum, please visit :
​edu.gov.on.ca/kindergarten