kodomo No Ie
1: Songs of the Month
2: Age Specific Behavior

Newsletter October 2016

Songs of the Month


Renge Class ...Onaka no Heru Uta (I’m Hungry Song)
Momo Class ...Debu Imo-chan, Chibi Imo-chan (Big Potato, Small Potato)
Sumire Class ...Donguri Koro Koro (Rolling Acorn Song)
Kiku Class ...Ki-Ki-Kinoko (Mushrooms)
Ume Class ...Nohara no Ongaku Kai (Music Concert in the Field)
Sakura Class ...Tomodachi San Ka (Friendship Song)

All Classes --- Tearai no Uta (Washing Hands Song)
* Lyrics, hand gestures and the English translation are below. The tunes is the same as "Moshi Moshi Kame yo" (Hello Turtle!). Please sing this song at home, too!

Onegai Onegai kamesan yo (Put two hands together and rub)
Ano sankaku no oyama made (Make triangle shaped mountain between the two hands, and scrub them)
Ookami san to kyoso da (Rub the back of the left hand with right hand)
Bike de bunbun ittoushou (Rub the wrist of the left hand with right hand, and then rub the wrist of the right hand with the left.)

English meaning:
Please, please, little turtle.
Up until that triangle mountain
It's a race with Mr. Wolf
By revving up a motorcycle, I will be the winner!

Age Specific Behavior


2-3 Year Old Children
Our classes with two and three year old children who just started KNI can be very challenging. They often come to the teachers to express their feeling.
"I want to play a lot, but I miss mommy."
"Mommy!"
" Mama!"
Teachers will respond to the kids in a way that empathizes with them.
" I know. You love your mommy, don't you?!"
" We wish your mommy was here with you, too."
" We understand how you feel. Let's call your mommy and see if she can come pick you up soon!"

After these conversations, children calm down and show smiles over time. Our classroom is still filled with both laughter and tears, but we feel that the children are slowly getting used to the class. We see this change at the beginning of school every year. It takes each child a different amount of time to adjust, but please rest assure that all children will eventually be able to play with their friends happily without their parents.

4 Year Old Children
Even though the differences may not be apparent at first glance, the 4four year olds who are still new to KNI act differently from the rest of the four year olds who have been in KNI longer and have moved up from the younger classes.
New students are a bit unsure of the environment, but the kids who have been graduated to the new classes are able to find and play whatever they want to do pretty quickly. It's inevitable that us teachers will pay more attention to the new students, and then the other students start calling our attention by acting up intentionally or by crying. But we know that they play a very important roles in these multi-age classes. We can't stop smiling whenever we see some wonderful moments, such as when they teach something to the new students or take care of them.

5 Year Old Children
These children are usually in Sakura class, the oldest class in KNI. The other classes have heard about "Sakura's big brothers and sisters" on many occasions, and look up to them. Sakura’s students have high expectations for the school year, but they tend to be tired in class, especially at the beginning, when they are still transitioning into kindergarten.
Some kids require time to shift their mind from kindergarten to the Sakura class. Once they are relaxed, they become energized and ready to go. They are fully aware that they are the oldest students in KNI, and tackle the school projects independently.
We are going to start special helper's activities soon. We hope that Sakura’s experiences will help the kids become more independent and expand their world.



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