Reading- In Reading, we just finished our unit on Apples. We discussed the importance of apples, the different kinds, the meaning of the word orchard and the life cycle of an apple. The students practiced asking and answering questions using the stories. We also discussed Johnny Appleseed on his birthday (September 26th). This week we are discussing Fire Safety since it is Fire Safety Awareness week. We are learning about firefighters and safe ways to handle a fire. We are reading several different stories and continuing to practice asking and answering questions. The students are working on identifying their sight words in texts and during centers. Our words this week are I, A, to, and, we and have. Please take time to review these words with your child and how they can be used in a sentence. They will be assessed on the words throughout the school year. Our first assessment for reading will take place the week of October 20th.
Discovery Phonics- We are reviewing our first letter group. The students have learned the uppercase, lowercase and sounds for the following letters: A, B, D, F, and G. They should be able to write and identify both the uppercase and lowercase. We are beginning to build words using these letters. The students have been introduced to slides. A slide is when we write to letters together and draw an arrow underneath to blend the sounds. The slides they have learned are ba, da, fa and ga. When pronouncing a slide, the sounds are not separate but blended together provide an easier way to read words when adding additional letters. Science- We have begun our first Science unit about trees. We have started discussed what a tree is to us. The students created a picture of a tree and shared with the class about their picture. We learned a new song to the tune of head, shoulders, knees and toes. The students practice the movements using the words leaves (hands open and waving in the air), branches (arms are straight and reaching towards the sky), trunk (hands on waist), roots (hands touching toes), buds (arms straight with fist), flowers/fruit (hands open while arms are straight), rain (moving fingers to look like rain) and sun (arms above head making a semi-circle). We recite this song each morning to help remember the parts of a tree. We also discussed that trees need soil to live in addition to sun and rain. We will be taking a tree walk this week to observe the parts of the trees and to adopt our class tree in which we will watch change through the school year and seasons. Social Studies- We have recently completed our first unit which focused on working with others, ways to make good choices and symbols. The students have taken their first assessment which will be sent home at the end of the marking period. Our next unit will focus on rules and our school. Math- In math, we are finishing our first unit which focused on counting, quantities and classifying/comparing. The students practiced counting objects in a counting jar and representing using a drawing that matched the objects and writing the number. We discussed that when we represent, our drawing should match the objects with the correct colors so we can recreate at any time without needing the objects again. The students began using Dreambox which is an online math program that can be utilized at home. The students have their own picture and password (most passwords are a ladybug unless the student set-up prior to me assigning the passwords). Please allow your student time to use the program at home. In our next Math unit, the students are continuing to count using a Counting Book, playing Grab and Count (they grab a handful of Unifex cubes and need to count the total number), and Roll and Record (they roll a dice and color in a box for each number they roll. This game is played with a partner). I will be sending home the next learning map in your child's folder. Math Intervention- The students are working with appropriate peers to practice number identification, 1:1 Correspondence and number sequencing. These skills are practiced using appropriate centers during the 30 minute time period. Reading Intervention- The students are practicing writing their letters (A, B, D, F and G), matching rhymes, identifying the number of syllables in words and working on an interactive journal focused on their letters or sight words. These activities are practiced using appropriate centers during the 30 minute time period. Writing- The students are continuing to practice writing their first and last names using correct letter sequence and formation. They are recognizing the importance of pictures when reading a text. The students are creating their own pictures and attempting to write a label or sentence to describe their pictures. We are also practicing labeling. We labeled the parts of an apple last week and will be labeling the parts of a fire truck and fire fighter this week. Please encourage your child to write using letter sounds that they are familiar with or completing letter strings (a sequence of letters). Lastly, beginning tomorrow, my students will be following a different rotation for specials. Please check your child's blue folder for the updated rotation. This week in Discovery Phonics, the students are reviewing the alphabet and learning how to write and say the sounds for the letters B, F and slide ba. The students practiced words that begin with both "B" and "F", practiced writing both the uppercase and lowercase letters on their practice pages and whiteboards. We will practiced saying the sound for each letter as we wrote the letter five times. The students are using tucker signs to help them remember the letter sounds. Our pictures are apple for a, bear for b and fish for f.
In Reading, we are continuing to work on identifying parts of a book (title, front cover, back cover, title page, author and illustrator). We are working on identifying question words and asking questions as a whole group and with a partner. We read books about apples, both fiction and non-fiction. In Writing, we are working on understanding how a picture can tell a story. At this point in the school year, the students are working on writing both their first and last names. They are developing the ability to put their thoughts on paper using pictures. The students are using simple pictures to add a minimum of five colors and five details. In Math, we are working on position words and counting quantities. The students have been working on identify the parts of a calendar (days of the week, months, numbers and special days) using the Smart Board, using a ten frame, tally marks and cubes to count the number of days in school, counting the number of students in our classroom. We have been working with a variety of manipulatives (buttons, colored tiles, connecting cubes, attribute blocks, pattern blocks, dice, 3-D shapes). The students have explored the different materials in Math Workshop. The students counted the number of apples in the Counting Jar, played Button Match-Up (finding a button that has the same attribute- size, shape, color, or # of holes- as their partner), Attribute/Pattern Block Match-Up (finding a attribute/pattern block that has the same attribute- size, shape, color, # of sides- as their partner) and are practicing writing our numbers. In Social Studies, we learned discussed the American Symbols. The students recognized the importance of the flag through discussed the number of stars, colors and number of stripes. We discussed the White House. The students learned that the President lives in the White House which is located in Washington, D.C. They learned about the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA, the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Monument and the Bald Eagle. We will be finishing our current Social Studies unit next week and will be taking our first assessment. We will be beginning our first Science unit next week that focuses on trees. This week in Discovery Phonics, the students are reviewing the alphabet and learning how to write and say the sounds for the letters A and B. We discussed that there are 26 letters in the alphabet and 5 of the letters are known as vowels. The students will practice using words that begin with both "A" and "B", practice writing both the uppercase and lowercase letters on their practice pages and whiteboards. We will practice saying the sound for each letter as we wrote the letter five times.
In Reading, we worked on identify the front cover, back cover and title pages of books. We also discussed the jobs of the author and illustrator. The students worked on identifying question words and asking questions as a whole group and with a partner. We read A My Name is Alice, Alphabet Rescue, We The People and Eating Fruits and Vegetables A-Z. We worked on identifying rhyming words and words with the same ending sounds. The students recited a counting and rhyming poem. They then recreated the poem using their picture cards. In Writing, we are working on understanding how a picture can tell a story. At this point in the school year, the students are working on writing both their first and last names. They are developing the ability to put their thoughts on paper using pictures. The students are using simple pictures to add a minimum of five colors and five details. In Math, we are working on counting. The students have been working on identify the parts of a calendar (days of the week, months, numbers and special days) using the Smart Board, using a ten frame, tally marks and cubes to count the number of days in school, counting the number of students in our classroom. We have been working with a variety of manipulatives (buttons, colored tiles, connecting cubes, attribute blocks, pattern blocks, dice, 3-D shapes). The students have explored the different materials in Math Workshop. We are currently working on the Counting Jar in which a selected number of objects are placed in a jar and the students count the objects and create another group that has the same number. We are practicing writing our numbers. In Social Studies, we learned about rules, signs and began discussing symbols. On Wednesday, we discussed the meaning of the Constitution to celebrate Constitution Day. We will continue working on symbols. I am excited to continue this school year with a class of amazing Kindergarteners and committed parents/guardians. Tonight's open house was very successful and I hope informative for my parents/guardians. I enjoyed to opportunity to interact with everyone and provide a clear insight of the school year. Class Dojo is an amazing way to provide feedback to the students, parents/guardians and myself. The students enjoy earning the points and are excited to exceed the previous day's number. I will be sending home information regarding access to the daily reports for your child. Additionally, I will be sending home information regarding ABCMouse.com. This website provides your child the opportunity to practice their classroom knowledge and skills at home. This website is completely free to access using the access code that will be emailed to the email address provided on the letter. I will continue to send home information regarding home-school connections throughout the school year. I would like to thank everyone who attended tonight and am looking forward to a fantastic year. Please feel free to email me or call me with any questions at [email protected] or 302-832-6300x3014.
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