Gabriela and Laina were in good spirits today. They were very happy to see me and asked if they could sing a few songs we had learned earlier. We reviewed these, repeating beginning word sounds, and both girls were able to recall the lyrics well- laughing at the last words that they tried to rhyme but did not make sense. We then used dice to play a number correspondence game that they enjoyed, and they asked to play it over and over again. As it was an exercise that strengthened their auditory and visual recall skills, we repeated the exercise a few times, and both girls were able to attain, if not exceed, grade level expectations regarding recall and comprehensive abilities. Gabriela and Laina were happy to show off the beautiful matching dresses that they wore for picture day, and this allowed for a good segue into an exercise involving the comparison of sets. Finally, Laina and Gabriela shared that they were excited about going to Butterfly World tomorrow, and Gabriella asked me to sit next to her so that "Laina won't hit me" - as she is prone to do, according to Gabriela. The girls showed me the hands-on model they made in class earlier, which showcased the pupa stage. We discussed how the pupa stage is one of the coolest stages of a butterfly’s life for, as soon as a caterpillar is done growing, they form themselves into a pupa, which is also known as a chrysalis. We then reviewed that within the chrysalis, the old body parts of the caterpillar undergo a remarkable transformation - or change - called ‘metamorphosis,’ to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge. I further explained that the many parts of a caterpillar have all been changed by the time the pupa is finished, and that it is now ready for the final stage of a butterfly’s life cycle. The girls understood that, although from the outside of the pupa, it looks as if the caterpillar may just be resting, the inside is where all of the action occurs, and they understood that inside of the pupa, the caterpillar is quickly changing. Gabriela and Laina both shared that they're looking forward to seeing many colorful and varied butterflies during tomorrow's class trip and that they are looking forward to sharing their experiences with other classmates.