Monkey Business

Today we read two stories, one was nonfiction titled Gorillas and Their Infants, and the other one was fiction titled Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann.  The children loved the story Goodnight Gorilla.  Unaware that a gorilla has stolen his keys, a zookeeper wishes all the animals good-night and sets off for home. A troupe of newly freed beasts follow the sleepy keeper back to his house and into his bed. When the keeper's wife wakes to wish her husband good-night, many good-night wishes come back to her from out of the dark!

Our centers today were all about monkey business.  At my center the children used their kindergarten cutting to cut out the body parts of a monkey.  They then used their fine motor skills to assemble their parts with brands.  With Miss Sue the children played alligator bingo.  They reached into the alligators mouth and pulled out a card.  They identified the object on the card and the letter that made its beginning sound.  They then colored in the letter on their recording sheet.

Today we sang the song, "Five Little Monkeys."

 

Five little monkeys, swinging in a tree

Teasing Mr. Crocodile, ‘Can’t catch me, can’t catch me!’

Along came Mr. Crocodile quiet as can be

And snapped one monkey out of that tree.

Four little monkeys swinging in a tree...

At Mrs. Severson's center the children chose a monkey or a crocodile to color, cut out, and tape on a popsicle stick.  We will use them as puppets to retell the rhyme.