THANK YOU!
I want to express my appreciation for your generosity over the past few weeks with the 100th day, Valentine’s Day, everyday snacks, and various other supplies. Your supplies and treats have helped to make this time of year special.
Science
We have been finished our unit on Wood and Paper! It was so much fun to see the children explore the properties of wood and paper and to make connections between the two items and items we use in our everyday lives. Throughout the remainder of the year, we will be working on various constructions using wood and paper such as paper mache, paper weaving, and wood stacking. Next up, we will be exploring force and motion with Push, Pull, Go!
Social Studies
We spent a lot of time focusing on the presidents and the role of presidents in the United States. Your children have taken a strong interest in this area-namely the lives of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Ask them about it!
More recently, we have begun a unit on Economics. So far we have discussed Wants vs. Needs, Goods and Services, Human Resources, and Scarcity. We use familiar songs and picture books to help make connections. It is such an interesting unit that children can really relate to. I love introducing young children to this study!
More recently, we have begun a unit on Economics. So far we have discussed Wants vs. Needs, Goods and Services, Human Resources, and Scarcity. We use familiar songs and picture books to help make connections. It is such an interesting unit that children can really relate to. I love introducing young children to this study!
Mathematics
We have been playing games such as Toss the Chips, One More, One Fewer, and Double Compare, which all practice readiness skills for addition, number sentences, and fact families.
Our number talks have been a great way to enhance understanding of the composition of numbers, as we talk about what numbers look like in different forms, how we make them, and ways to use them.
At home, ask your child ways to make numbers and to tell you stories about making numbers. For example: 6. Six looks like two rows of three dots on a dice, it’s five tally marks and one more, it’s three and three more or 2 and 6 more, and if I had 1 gum ball and my sister had 5 gum balls, we have six gum balls.
We have recently moved on to a deeper study on shapes. At this point in the unit, students should be identify the basic 2D shapes: square, rectangle, circle, triangle, oval, and hexagon, as well as their attributes. We talk a lot about how changing the position of these shapes does not actually change the shape. This week we will talk more about 3D shapes: sphere, cylinder, cube, and cone. Students must be able to identify these shapes for their report card.
Our number talks have been a great way to enhance understanding of the composition of numbers, as we talk about what numbers look like in different forms, how we make them, and ways to use them.
At home, ask your child ways to make numbers and to tell you stories about making numbers. For example: 6. Six looks like two rows of three dots on a dice, it’s five tally marks and one more, it’s three and three more or 2 and 6 more, and if I had 1 gum ball and my sister had 5 gum balls, we have six gum balls.
We have recently moved on to a deeper study on shapes. At this point in the unit, students should be identify the basic 2D shapes: square, rectangle, circle, triangle, oval, and hexagon, as well as their attributes. We talk a lot about how changing the position of these shapes does not actually change the shape. This week we will talk more about 3D shapes: sphere, cylinder, cube, and cone. Students must be able to identify these shapes for their report card.
ELA
Thank you for all of your work with our weekly sight word practice. It’s amazing how many sight words the class is reading right how! The ability to read sight words (or Power Words) at flash speed is essential to building reading fluency and comprehension. Please spend a few minutes each night working on these words.
Students word blending skills are also soaring, and their sponge-like minds have been soaking up concepts briefly mentioned in mini lessons. So many of them are ready to practice basic books! You may find that books are sent home with your child in the near future. It’s very important that these books are cared for and returned, as they are important tools for others in the class and for future classes.
While reading, ask your child questions to ensure they are comprehending the stories. Is it fiction or non-fiction? Who are the characters? Who is the main character? What is the setting/conflict/resolution? How do the pictures help you understand the story? What connections can you make? Practice with these skills will be beneficial to their reading success in the remainder of Kindergarten as well as in their future schooling.
In terms of units of study, we are completing our unit My Shadows. In this unit, students have explored how shadows are made and what is needed to make a shadow. We need 1. light, 2. something to block the light, and 3. a place for the shadow to land. We have explored how shadows move and change according to the position of the light source and the distance the blocking object is from the light source. It has been a lot of fun! (And walking outside has taken quite a bit longer as our curiosity has gotten the best of us!) ;P
Students word blending skills are also soaring, and their sponge-like minds have been soaking up concepts briefly mentioned in mini lessons. So many of them are ready to practice basic books! You may find that books are sent home with your child in the near future. It’s very important that these books are cared for and returned, as they are important tools for others in the class and for future classes.
While reading, ask your child questions to ensure they are comprehending the stories. Is it fiction or non-fiction? Who are the characters? Who is the main character? What is the setting/conflict/resolution? How do the pictures help you understand the story? What connections can you make? Practice with these skills will be beneficial to their reading success in the remainder of Kindergarten as well as in their future schooling.
In terms of units of study, we are completing our unit My Shadows. In this unit, students have explored how shadows are made and what is needed to make a shadow. We need 1. light, 2. something to block the light, and 3. a place for the shadow to land. We have explored how shadows move and change according to the position of the light source and the distance the blocking object is from the light source. It has been a lot of fun! (And walking outside has taken quite a bit longer as our curiosity has gotten the best of us!) ;P
Good Readers
Some of the skills we have been practicing while reading are:
*Re-reading
*Asking/Clarifying questions
*Making connections with their lives and other texts
*Predicting
*Visualizing
*Summarizing
*Recognizing story elements
*characters/main character
*setting
*plot
*problem/conflict
*solution
*fact/fiction
*main idea
*Recognizing book elements
*title
*page numbers
*spine
*author
*illustrator
*Re-reading
*Asking/Clarifying questions
*Making connections with their lives and other texts
*Predicting
*Visualizing
*Summarizing
*Recognizing story elements
*characters/main character
*setting
*plot
*problem/conflict
*solution
*fact/fiction
*main idea
*Recognizing book elements
*title
*page numbers
*spine
*author
*illustrator
Encourage Star Writing
*Work from top to bottom and left to right.
*Start sentences with a capital letter.
*Use punctuation marks to end sentences.
*Use the word walls to spell.
*Use finger spaces in between words.
*Start sentences with a capital letter.
*Use punctuation marks to end sentences.
*Use the word walls to spell.
*Use finger spaces in between words.
Common Core
The standards we are working on in class are as follows:
ELA
Common Core
KRL 1- With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
KRL 3- With prompting and support, identifying characters, settings, and major events in a story.
KRL 7 -With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts.)
KRL 9- With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
KRI 1 – With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
KRI 3 – With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
KRI9 – With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic.
MATHEMATICS
Common Core
Geometry
Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres.)
The standards we are working on in class are as follows:
ELA
Common Core
KRL 1- With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
KRL 3- With prompting and support, identifying characters, settings, and major events in a story.
KRL 7 -With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts.)
KRL 9- With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
KRI 1 – With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
KRI 3 – With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
KRI9 – With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic.
MATHEMATICS
Common Core
Geometry
Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres.)
RSS Feed
