Kindergarten Connection ~ October 6th

KINDERGARTEN CONNECTION ~ Mrs. Cota's Class

Literacy Highlights

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.  In addition, good readers ask, “Does it look right?”  “Does it sound right?”  Does it make sense?”  

We can read and write the sight-words:  I, am, go, to, see, we, will and to.  Encourage your children to practice writing these words in shaving cream on a cookie sheet and in their everyday writing experiences.    

We are busy authors and illustrators in kindergarten!  We are using mentor texts to teach us how books are organized as we work to write and illustrate our own teaching books.  Ask your children to share their writing topics with you and to explain their plans for adding more details/information to their books.  Encourage your children to write at home.  Kindergarten children love to create lists, write letters, label items, write words, practice forming letters, etc.  

Math Highlights

We are working hard at counting, comparing and ordering numbers.  Specifically, we are focusing on mastering numbers 1-10 and beginning to work on teen numbers 11-19.  We will spend a lot of time working to understand that numbers 11-19 are made up of a group of ten and some more (additional ones).  We are using tens frames, counting mats, and linking cubes to help us compose and decompose teen numbers.  For example, we are learning to represent 13 by filling a ten frame with 10 pennies and then placing three more pennies on a second ten frame.  This representation helps the children understand that the numeral 1 in 13 stands for one group of 10, and the numeral 3 in 13 stands for 3 more than 10 (10+3=13).  Ask your children to show you how to organize a collection of beans or pretzels into groups of ten and more.  

Science Highlights

Ask your children to explain the life cycle of an apple to you.  If you have an apple at home, ask your children to identify the skin, flesh, pulp and seeds. We are gearing up for a unit on the life cycle of a pumpkin followed by a big unit on force and motion.

Family Project Idea

Make green Oobleck! This NON-EDIBLE recipe is named after the strange material that falls from the sky in Dr. Seuss' book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It's a fun recipe to be used as a science experiment of sorts with young children.  Is it a solid?  Is it a liquid?  It's a liquid until pressure is applied. Squeeze it hard and it feels like you are holding a rock!  Release your hand gently and the material will flow around your fingers like water!  Have fun using different utensils to play - see what form it takes while using different cups, spoons, bowls, etc. 

Oobleck Ingredients:  Cornstarch and water 

Directions:  Mix 1 part water with 1.5 to 2 parts cornstarch. You may wish to start with one cup of water and one and a half cups of cornstarch, then work in more cornstarch if you want a more 'solid' oobleck. It will take about 3 minutes of mixing to get the perfect consistency oobleck.  Mix in a few drops of food coloring if you want colored oobleck. 

We can form letters the kindergarten way!
We can form the letters t, b, f, l, m, n, i, and u!

We can sequence number and talk about numbers that come just before and just after.

We can label the different parts of an apple.

We learned all about worker bees during our first Four Winds class.

These are our new math Workplace Stations.
Ask your children to teach what their math work looks like and what their math talk sounds like at the different stations.

We can match letters.

We are learning strategies that good readers use.

We got together with Ms. Rowntree's class to read this book and make our own ten apples on top pictures.

We can listen closely to hear different parts in words. 

We can collect and analyze data on a floor graph.

We learned how to read and write the word like and then  completed telling sentence to share what we like.

We can be brave and share our writing pieces in an author's circle.

We can count backwards from 10!

We can represent numerals on ten frames.
We can see amounts quickly using 10 frames.

WE LOVE KINDERGARTEN AT CCS!