Super Reader Celebration

Today we celebrated our Super Readers.  Everyone practiced using their reading super powers on one favorite book from our reading groups.  Then we had a ceremony where all of our Super Readers received a cape.  From there the Super Readers flew(safely) down to first grade, where they shared their books with a first grader, who then shared a book with them.  Our super readers flew back to class where they all enjoyed some cake and flavored water.  It was another favorite day.
Remember, our Super Reader powers are:
Look at the pictures.
Say the first and last sound.
Do a slow drag under the words, saying the sounds you know

.
Point to each word.
Use SNAP words.
Try what makes sense.
Try what sounds right.
Re-read.

Here are some pictures of our Super Readers.

Writing Numbers

We took some time to review number formation today.  The kids each took a chalkboard and wrote the answers to questions like, "What number comes after 5?" and "How many times did I just clap?"  The kids even wrote how old I was!

We also continued to practice coaching each other as we practice reading books we enjoy.  The kids partnered up and encouraged each other to run their fingers under words and say the sounds of the letters they see.  They found gentle ways to tell a friend the word he just read might not be the right one.

The class has started writing "How To" stories.  The students jumped into writing teaching stories of "How To" come to reading group, brush your teeth, make cookies, and (the scariest one) drive a car. This is a new genre of writing and the children are very excited to be writing teaching books.

Wacky Wednesday with Farm Abby

Today the kids had a special treat.  Farm Abby came to visit us and talk about what farmers do in the winter.  She read us a book about how a farmer works throughout the seasons with crops, and then she helped us play a game.  Farm Abby showed us 15 bags of seeds.  We made observations of the seeds using attributes like color, shape and size.  Then the kids took turns guessing what each seed would turn into when planted.  Some seeds were easy to guess, like pumpkins, corn and peas.  Other seeds, like beets and kale, were a bit more challenging.  It was nice to think about spring planting on yet another cold day.

Wacky Wednesday: Creating

Today's Wacky Wednesday led to children using straws and connectors to create a symmetrical 3-D house frame, an airplane and an umbrella.  Some of the children made up their own game boards, and others learned how to program calculators to count by fives.  The children made torn paper trees and added some snow and animals.  They also had a chance to play an I-Spy Bingo game and Chutes and Ladders.  The class also had an opportunity to share with their peers what they had done during Wacky Wednesday.  Now other children are excited to try what their friends did today.  

Calculators

We introduced calculators today.  The class had an opportunity to learn how to turn on a calculator, clear the screen and input numbers.  We talked about how calculators can be useful.  Then we worked on using ten to make teen numbers.  Some of us used number models to make numbers like 14 (10+4) while others made the teen numbers with a tower of ten and then ones.

The kindergarten is also practicing using all our reading Super Powers.  Ask your child which super power is most helpful to him or her.

January 17, 2014

Dear Families, 

Kindergarten has been working on becoming Super Readers by using special super hero powers. When your child reads his or her books from his/her book bag please help him/her remember to use the following super powers:

1.     Look at the picture. 

2. Point to each word. 

3. Use SNAP words (sight words) 

4. Run your finger under the word and say the sounds slowly.

 5. Reread from the beginning to where you are stuck.

Our schedule has changed a little. We now take the first hour after lunch and run 3 twenty-minute stations. One station is our math lesson, the next is our science lesson, and the last station is choice time. Mrs. Burgess and Ms. Roper alternate who teaches math and science each week so each teacher can see every child through all the content areas.

Remember, we have no school Monday, January 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Day. Have a great weekend.

Your Partners in Learning, 

Mrs. Burgess and Ms. Roper

Bird Feeders

Today was Wacky Wednesday.  The class had a great time making snow pictures, snow garlands, and Mrs. Wishy Washy headbands to help them act out the story of Mrs. Wishy Washy.  They played at the bean table, made towers out of foam blocks, and enjoyed the housekeeping area.  

After lunch the kids paired up with the fourth graders to make bird feeders.  They made a plan, gathered materials, adapted their plans and then hung their bird feeders in the courtyard.  They will continue to check their bird feeders to see which ones seem to be favored by our feathered friends.  It was an active and wonderful day.

Finding Food in the Winter

 Today we learned about another reading Super Power:  slide your finger under the word and say the sounds you know slowly.  It is amazing to hear these kids use the sounds they know as they problem solve words.
KR took their first section of the NWEA assessment this morning.  KB will take their first NWEA assessment tomorrow at 8:10.

During our theme time the class continued to answer the question of how plants and animals help each other survive in the winter.  They all had a chance to go find their "buried nuts" hidden throughout the room.  We used our first and last initials to identify each bag, a great opportunity to start thinking about initials.  As the kids enjoyed their "nuts" they listened to a book detailing how deer and rabbits must eat twigs and bark when the snow is too deep to find seeds and leaves.  They all had a chance to pretend to be deer and pull the bark from twigs.  Everyone agreed they would rather gather and store nuts instead of eat twigs and bark all winter.

Pattern Block Templates and Gathering Plants

 On Friday we learned how to use pattern block templates.  The kids had fun making designs and recording patterns.  They practiced identifying shapes as they told us about their patterns.

We have been working to develop our reading "Super Powers" since returning to school.  We have practiced the following Super Powers:  look at the pictures, point to each word, read SNAP words (the sight words we have been working on).  The children are excited to point out any words they can read. They are finding SNAP words inside bigger words, like finding "an" in "animal."

This week we are focussing our science theme around the question, "How do plants and animals help each other in the winter?"  Today the children listened to part of the story Animals in the Winter.
We read about how squirrels gather acorns all fall and bury them.  Then in the winter the squirrels eat the acorns.  The acorns not eaten could grow into trees.  The class talked about the connection between plants and animals based on the squirrel example.  Then we pretended to be squirrels gathering "nuts" or sunflower seeds, since I couldn't find acorns under the snow.  The children used their pincher grasp (thumb and index finger) to fill their "hole" (ziplock bag).  Tomorrow the little squirrels will search for the holes filled with "acorns."

 

Top-It

Today we learned how to play "Top-It."  You might remember this game as "War."  The kids each had a pile of cards and flipped the top card.  Whoever had the highest (greatest) number kept both cards.  You can easily play this game at home with a deck of cards.  It's a  quick game and very effective in teaching number comparisons. 

We also worked with our January sight words today.  If you did not get your copy of the January sight words, they are:  at, am, my, go and he.  We practiced our words with a snowball fight.  The words were all written on pieces of paper, crumpled up, and thrown into the middle of the meeting area.  Kids picked a "snowball" and read the word inside.  It was a fun game that can easily be played at home with scrap paper and a playful spirit.

Please remember to send your child to school with a large Hannaford bag to hold snow gear.  Their backpacks are just too small to hold all the gear.  NWEA testing starts next week.  The kids will be taking this online assessment to monitor their growth from the fall. This information helps us determine where kids are performing well, and where we need to provide more support.  Have a great night, and challenge your kiddo to a game of "Top-It."

Wacky Wednesday

This morning the kids came in and were delighted to use the number line from yesterday.  They also made costumes from the story Mrs. Wishy Washy.  The kids traced circles to make snowmen and made animals from play-do.  They enjoyed playing with snow brought into the classroom, and were surprised to see that the snow melted during the day.

Then we enjoyed reading a story called Over and Under the Snow.  The kids made a collage of animals that are seen over and under the snow in the winter.  They used the book to decide how to make the animals and where to place the animals.  They found animals in other books to get a better idea of how to make their animals. We came back from lunch and wrote about the animals we saw in the book, and then if the animal was over or under the snow.

Number Line Math

This was our first full day of kindergarten in 2014.  The kids adapted well to a brand new schedule.  We have three different math groups now, a readers workshop, and three different reading groups.  In our math groups, everyone tried using a number line to figure out addition and subtraction number sentences.  They were excited to figure out how many steps it takes to get from one number to another. They realized that as we go up the number line we are adding; and as we go down the number line we are subtracting.  It is going to be a great new year.