On Wednesday, October 23rd, TOYBOX had the opportunity to attend the 2024 Wellness Fair in Austin, Manitoba! Six stations were set up for families to learn more about their child’s learning as they prepare for kindergarten. They met with various specialists and members of the TOYBOX team. The TOYBOX team conducted literacy and numeracy based stations throughout the day, as well as introducing caregivers to our website and learning strategies using our playing cards.
Literacy room:
The TOYBOX literacy room at the fair focused on gauging children’s letter knowledge. Children were asked to pick individual uppercase letters from our ‘magic bag’ and tell us what the letter they drew was and what it sounds like. Some children were also asked to list words they knew that started with the letter they picked from the bag. It was a great way for the TOYBOX team and the parents to understand where the children were in their learning process before heading into preschool and kindergarten next year! Once the bag was empty, children could choose a sticker to put on their ‘passport’ for the day to show completion of the literacy activity.
It was very special to see parents so interested in furthering their child’s knowledge once they could grasp their child’s abilities through our activities! Some parents even asked for the alphabet magnets so they could take them home and practice on their fridges with their children. It felt like we were getting a glimpse into meaningful play within the families’ homes! [Callie]
Numeracy room:
Within the TOYBOX numeracy room, we tested the children’s number skills. We started by telling a story of a farmer and his bears and asking children to give the farmer bears that needed to be fed. Then, we moved on to a number game where children were asked to identify numbers up to 20! Throughout these questions, children were laughing and having fun giving the farmer bears to feed and naming the numbers as fast as they could. Once they were finished, they got to choose a sticker to place on their passport!
As someone training to be a teacher, I found it interesting to watch how kids worked on a task while their parents watched. Over the course of the day, I found myself becoming more comfortable with the repertoire. Among many other things, I learned and saw within the school. After speaking to one of my professors about the event, they mentioned how it is a relatively uncommon idea to talk about math instead of reading stories at bedtime. It is high time for a change. That’s what we at TOYBOX are working towards. Austin Elementary School demonstrated how rich a learning experience can be when students are supported by whole teams of caring, experienced professionals. demonstrated how rich a learning experience can be when students are supported by whole teams of caring, experienced professionals. [Lyn]
New team member
As this was my first time at an event with TOYBOX, I began the day by greeting the families of future kindergarteners at the registration booth. Families received a gift bag of TOYBOX resources, including a passport, and were off to the stations! After all families were registered, I had the wonderful opportunity to watch the different assessments and practice in a real-life setting. [Camryn]
It was amazing to see how engaged the children were in their learning! Overall, the day was a success! Thank you to all of the families who attended and Austin for hosting us!
Writers: Camryn, Callie and Lyn
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