Dear Branch Families,
Another month has yet come and gone in the Branch classroom…and might we say how fast the new year is going! We sure wish we could slow down the time! But as we like to say in the Branch room, ‘Time flies when you’re having fun!’ Trust us; we are having fun! We explored and studied our teeth because February is National Children’s Dental Month. When we do this study, we receive plenty of feedback from the Branchers, which is always welcome and appreciated. We have many children discussing what foods are healthy vs unhealthy for their teeth, upcoming or past dental trips, what teeth they use as they eat their food, and brushing their teeth. We were delighted to hear that our Brancher’s have taken such a liking to their tooth knowledge and health!
We began the month exploring our teeth and learning about what they do, how to keep them healthy and why we brush them. In every monthly study, the Branchers expand not only their knowledge but also their vocabulary. This month, the Branchers learned that we have three types of teeth: Incisors, Canines, and Molars. We were rather impressed at how quickly they also picked up on this newfound vocabulary! We discovered that we have eight incisors, in the front of our mouth, four canines and eight molars in the back of our mouth. We asked what we use our teeth for, and our branchers gave out a big shout, “Eating!” They were spot on! We also discovered and discussed how each group of teeth has its very own jobs. Incisors are for biting down on food, canines are for ripping food, and our molars are for chewing the food.
After identifying the types of teeth, we focused on learning about what is inside our teeth. We discovered a hard white surface called the enamel on the outside of each tooth. The Enamel of the tooth is known as the armor of the tooth, as it is strong and protects the tooth. We have Dentin under the enamel, which protects the tooth by covering the pulp with its soft and squishy cushion. The Pulp is essential to the tooth since it holds the blood vessels and nerves that keep each tooth attached, healthy, alive, and thriving. But what can we do to keep our teeth healthy? By brushing and flossing our teeth. The Branchers learned that it is essential to brush our teeth, as it fights against plaque and harmful bacteria.
In each study, we strive to create fun hands-on and creative activities for the children. We love to brainstorm various activities and share each activity with our Branchers! This month, we decided to turn the ‘home station’ into our own ‘dental office’, which was proven to be a hit! We provided the children clipboards to take notes, phones to book appointments, toothbrushes and teeth props, and scrubs to look the part! We loved observing how detailed each Brancher was in their discussions and play. They took their work seriously!
One of our favorite activities during the month was our ‘egg-cellent’ science experiment. During this experiment, we asked each Brancher to ‘predict’ what would happen to our teeth if we ate and drank too many sugary products. To test their hypothesis, we used our imaginations to pretend that an egg was the enamel of our teeth. We then submerged one egg into sugary soda and one into drinking water. After a couple of days of soaking in each type of liquid, we were able to observe that the egg that had been in sugary soda had begun to change color…from a bright white to a dirty and dingy brown, meanwhile the egg in the drinking water remained the same bright white. (We also added a bonus egg submerged in Fruit Punch) We then concluded that if we drank too much soda or sugary drinks and didn’t brush our teeth properly, our teeth would become discolored and could quickly create cavities.
This month wouldn’t have been complete without artwork! Art activities are a great way for each Brancher to practice fine-motor skills, which can be tricky to master. Our art projects are oftentimes multi-step, detailed, and very student-oriented. Each part of every art project we do is done by the child, which can oftentimes be time consuming, but in the end, each art masterpiece product is worth the process! By each Brancher taking their time, we can ensure that each child is receiving one-on-one guidance so that we may promote their fine motor skills. We did just that throughout the month from drawing our monthly self-portrait, cutting and lacing teeth, cutting half hearts to create whole hearts for a garland, gluing together marshmallow smiles, and building a tooth diagram.
February brought us not only Groundhog’s Day (which we’re not convinced Phil was correct with his prediction) but Valentine’s Day too! We enjoyed being able to celebrate this fun holiday in the Branch classroom. We think it’s pretty fair to say that each Brancher felt the L-O-V-E! A big shout out to all of the Brancher families that went above and beyond to make this another successful holiday celebration in the books for our Branchers!
We are sad to see February go, but are eager to welcome March! Rainbows, Colors and Scribble Spots will be next on our list of discoveries, adventures and art. Let the fun begin!
-Ms. Heather & Ms. Gracen
