Saturday, November 22, 2014

Kindergarten Connection ~ November 21



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I am so thankful to be a teacher at CCS and work with your children everyday!

Flynn Theater Field Trip
We were a great audience at the performance of Kevin Henkes Lilly and the Plastic Purple Purse. Later that day we wrote about our favorite scene from the play and googled Kevin Henkes to watch him draw a sketch of his famous character Lily.
 Four Winds Earth Science
A guest scientist visited with a time machine to teach us how trees decompose over time. 

We look a close look at rotting logs and discovered evidence of life such as insects and chew marks.

Math Highlights
This is our updated Work Place Menu. Ask your child to explain the different stations to you. What is this station called? What is your work at this station? 

We had so much fun playing tally bingo! 
Children hunting for teen numbers and writing numerals up to 30  or 50.
Literacy Highlights
Guided Reading Group

We are learning strategies good readers use. We know that good readers sometimes use their pointer finger to track words (match) as they read print from left to right. Good readers look at the pictures. Good readers get their lips ready and look closely at the beginning letter/sound of new words. Good readers stretch words out and they put sounds together. Good readers look for chunks or parts of words they know to read tricky words. Good readers read punctuation and pay attention to bold print. Good readers ask, “Does it look right?” “Does it sound right?” Does it make sense?” Finally, good readers practice reading!
Buddy Reading with Informational Text
Read To Self Time 
Morning Message
This message helped us make sense of punctuation, notice compound words and/or little words hiding in big words, build complete sentences, and represent combinations for 5.
We read several versions of The Little Old Lady Who swallowed a Pie and discussed their language patterns and similarities and differences.
 Look at Mrs. Brady helping a student trace her old lady for a literacy project.




The final product. Wow, look at all the food The Little Old Lady ate!
Electronic Book Making

We learned how to use an app called Storykit. We made two class books about out  things we like and our favorite story topics. Click here to see one of our electronic books. 

Writer's Workshop
We are learning how to write true stories. 
 
Look at these hard working authors and illustrators.



Fifth Grade Visitors

Fifth grade students read their turkey tales to us in small groups. Their stories were incredible and made us look forward to writing at CCS!



We learned three Thanksgiving/turkey songs/skits. Oh what fun we had pretending to run away from the cook that wanted to cook us for Thanksgiving.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Kindergarten Connection ~ November 7th

HAPPY NOVEMBER!

Last Week's Halloween Festivities
We read Ed Emberley's interactive book GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER!  
This book inspired us to make our own big green monster illustrations. The children loved this activity and really got into character as little monsters. Check out the scary monster faces below. Boo!



















We saw Pumpkin Man His Friend Pumpkin Woman!
Kindergarten Together Time
We mixed our class up with Ms. Rowntree's Class to make Halloween Crafts
Making Halloween Pattern Crowns
Making Spider Webs
Reading Halloween Books
Making Giant Paper Candy Corn
Halloween Coloring
Ordering Numbers on Monster Feet
Literacy Highlights
The children are actively reinforcing new skills and concepts through motor-memory methods and kinesthetic procedures. Skywriting, tracing, tapping and finger-blending solidify learning within the brain. 

We can name all 26 letters of the alphabet and match them with their corresponding sounds!  Ask your child to chant the letters/sounds for you.  Remind your child to show you the motions that go with each letter/sound. 

Letter Name–Keyword–Letter Sound
Aa-apple-/a/
Bb-bat-/bat/
Cc-cat-/c/
Dd-dog-/d/
Ee-Ed-/e/
Ff-fun-/f/
Gg-game-/g/
Hh-hat-/h/
Ii-itch-/i/
Jj-jug-/j/
Kk-kite-/k/
Ll-lamp-/l/
Mm-man-/m/
Nn-nut-/n/
Oo-octopus-/o/
Pp-pan-/p/
Qu-queen-/qu/
Rr-rat-/r/
Ss-snake-/s/
Tt-top-/t/
Uu-up-/u/
Vv-van-/v/
Ww-wind-/w/
Xx-fox-/x/
Yy-yellow-/y/
Zz-zebra-/z/ 

Now that we have mastered the names and sounds of all 26 letters, we will learn how to blend individual sounds into words by saying words slowly to hear and record sounds. Next month we will learn how to use our fingers to isolate (tap) individual letter sounds and then blend letter sounds together to read and spell words. 

We are writing up a storm in kindergarten! We are studying various authors and illustrators work to learn how writers create engaging and informative books. This week we learned the power of word choice, full illustrations and diagramming. Encourage your child to write a book at home. Maybe you and your child can co-author a book. Happy writing! 

We can read the word can! Knowing this word in a snap is very helpful with our reading and writing work.




We can form the last letters of the alphabet the kindergarten way!
We are working to build our reading stamina! We read quietly for seven straight minutes!


We are learning how to read and write high frequency words in a snap.


We can say words slowly and record first sounds with letters.
We can work on our phonics skills using LEXIA.
Gobble, Gobble! We learned our first Thanksgiving/Turkey poem.
Mrs. Brady visited the classroom to read us two different Halloween books about witches. The children learned a little bit about our democratic government by voting for their favorite book.

Math Highlights
We are teen number experts in kindergarten! We can represent teen numbers as a group of ten and some more with ten frames, tally sticks, scattered objects and our math hands. We are learning how to represent the part-part-whole relationship of addition with objects and written equations. The children are working hard at justifying their math thinking as they work with partners and share in front of the class. We continue to practice naming numbers, ordering numbers, and counting forwards and backwards. 

We can tally to organize objects into groups of five and count quickly.
We are leaning about flat and solid shapes.
 Ask your children to explain to you how the shapes are the same and different.
Go on a shape hunt in your home. How many shapes can you find?
  
We Read Ellen Stoll Walsh's book Mouse Shapes and made our own shape books.

We can show teen numbers as a group of ten and some more.


HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!