Kid, you'll move mountains.
~Dr. Seuss
This week I will be sending out a sign-up genius for conferences. They are October 13 and 14, but I often use one of these days for professional development. I will try to provide conferences before and after school. If you volunteer, we can schedule a conference right after your volunteer time! I will work to be as flexible as possible to meet your scheduling needs, so if you don’t see a time on the sign-up that works for you, please let me know!
Next Monday, I am sending home a letter and log-in information for an online program called Reading Eggs and Math Seeds. The students will take a placement test and be ready to rock this amazing program. There are two components literacy and phonics and math. Please spend equal time on both. Working on the program weekly is homework. History has shown that students who consistently work on this program make great strides in kindergarten! Please make use of this program graciously funded by ZEF funds. (Have you donated yet? https:// www.cheddarup.com/tabs/zach-enrichment-fund-81994 ) In math, we are learning to write, represent, compare and decompose numbers 0-10. In literacy, we will continue to build a strong phonics foundation by learning to listen to sounds and words. We will begin writer's workshop this week allowing students to explore becoming "super writers." Super writers use problem solving to sound out tricky words, sentences and eventually stories. In core, we are exploring the fall season. Has your child been experiencing the “after school collapse?” Here’s an article with some tips to deal with the meltdowns. http://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/7-ways-to-help-your-child-handle-after-school-restraint-collapse?cid=sm_fbn_pt
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9/19/2016 0 Comments Yummy Apples!It's a little bit crazy that we've been in school over a month and it is still technically summer! I am looking forward to the start of fall and hopefully cooler weather next week. To celebrate the start of fall, we will talk about not only the season, but the delicious fruit that comes with it... APPLES! We will even make some applesauce to finish out the week. Remember that Friday is a teacher work day, so students stay home.
In math, we have been working on counting with 1:1 correspondence (counting objects one at a time). You can practice at home by counting toy cars, coins, crayons, etc. The trickiest part has bee representing a number (the whole) with two parts. For example, students are learning to show 5 using two different colors like 3 red circle and 2 yellow circles. Look for that work in the next Friday (Thursday this week) folder. Please also work on writing numbers always starting from the top. The students have also been working very hard on their fine motor skills. While we will continue working on that skill throughout the year, it will not be the primary focus. If your child struggles with handwritting, pencil grip, cutting paper, zippers, etc., please see this website for FUN activities to try at home: http://therapystreetforkids.com/fm-strength.html 9/11/2016 0 Comments Needs of Plants and AnimalsLast week, we explored our Kinder-gardens as we studied the needs of plants. This week we will continue the study of our needs as we mooo-ve on to the farm and animals! Core Knowledge stories like The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, and Chicken Little. These rich, classic tales add fun and creativity to our classroom!
On Monday, we will begin sending leveled readers home each night. We try to practice reading with each child during the school day, so be sure to send these books back to school every day. Because we are reading them every day, they may seem "too easy" or "memorized." That's ok! Let your child shine and feel confident about reading to you. A few important tips: - Your child should always hold the book. - Encourage your child to point to every word as he or she reads. This helps the child memorize sight words and move beyond memorization reading. - Have fun! Don't read when your child is tired or grumpy. You will both end up frustrated. - ONLY READ ONE BOOK EACH NIGHT. The books are short. It's ok to read and be done. However, you can also play games, like "I spy..." and look for letters, sight words, or something that begins with the sound.... - Ask questions: what was your favorite part? Pretend you are the author, what page could you add? How do you think this character feels? Why? I re-test the students' reading levels once a month. The books that go home are at a 95% independent level. We work at a more challenging instructional level in class. Kindergarten is about learning to love reading and school. Have fun and let me know if you have any questions! 9/2/2016 0 Comments Exploring our new math program This week, we are going to dive in and explore plants and their needs. We will be watching to see how the plants change in late summer to fall and again in the spring. What do you see changing in your yard and neighborhood? What are the parts of a plant and what do they need?
We will also begin to explore the bikes and striders. Thanks to the ZEF Enrichment Fund, we are able to provide opportunities for exercise, cross brain development and fun! There is compelling research linking physical activity to academic success. Thank you for your generosity and contributions. The books that came home this week in the white Dr. Seuss bag were from the library. You can keep library books for a week until the following “media” day. Leveled readers will start going home on September 12th. They come in a black and yellow bag. Those books will need to come home every day. Math papers were sent home this week from our new program. You will notice several blank pages. I believe in using hands on teaching with kindergarten students. We use our bodies and manipulatives to do math, so while the papers may seem “unfinished,” I assure you we are learning the material. It is not necessary for you to do the extra problems, but if you are looking for extra practice, feel free. You do not need to send it back to school. We are working on counting with 1:1 correspondence, correctly writing digits, and representing numbers in multiple ways. When the students master a skill, there are enrichment opportunities as an “I’m done” choice. We are working hard to utilize this new program in a way that provides students with opportunities to challenge all students. Have a wonderful holiday weekend! |
Specials ScheduleMonday: Media
Tuesday: Technology Wednesday: PE Thursday: Music Friday: Art Sight Wordsred, the, like, can, orange yellow, a, I, green, blue, purple, black, we, see, pink, white, gray
Important DatesDecember Archives
February 2020
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