tooth boxes 12-21-17

Julia, one of our community members and a dentist, visited the classroom on Thursday morning before break. She had offered to talk with the children about teeth and losing teeth, providing a tooth box for each child to decorate. The Kindergarteners welcomed her with open arms, eager to sit next to her and tell her about every tooth they have lost or wiggled. Julia talked with the children about the 20 teeth in a mouth, explaining how we have ten on top and ten on the bottom - 10 and 10 is 20! Together, Julia and the children made the connection to 10 fingers and 10 toes as well as to the 20 Kindergarteners in our classroom.

I invited the children to move to the edge of the oval and we modeled decorating their tooth boxes. With some glue still a little wet on Thursday - and a few tiny stones in need of reattachment over break - the tooth boxes will go home once the children return. Each box is beautifully decorated with detail and care. This experience was a wonderful way to involve the knowledge and skill of a parent in our learning as well as an opportunity to further develop fine motor skills. Thank you, Julia, for your creative idea and volunteering your time, little boxes, and gentle support!

The children have been telling their own stories about losing teeth and visits from the tooth fairy. Some children have written notes to the tooth fairy and others have received notes! In my work with young children, there is always an excitement about losing teeth. The stories children have been telling are an opportunity to share and discuss, question and wonder. We must encourage children to tell these stories that are important to them, for language development and the art of story telling are an essential piece to any literacy curriculum. On the morning of Julia's visit, we read the book, I Lost My Tooth in Africa - using a read aloud to connect this experience to our learning about different countries, people, and cultural beliefs.

Following their work, the children went on a museum walk to admire and discuss the differences and similarities amongst the tooth boxes. Thursday morning was rich with conversation, creativity, and joy.