A peek at our week

A look at our learning this week...

Fundations: we learned the letter name, letter sound and correct letter formation for lowercase n & m.  

Please use the following verbal prompts when practicing at home:

n-down, up, over 

m-down, up and over, up and over

We also started working on rhyming.  Rhyming is an important Kindergarten skill, but often difficult for the little ones.  At home you can help by reading rhyming books and talk about the words that rhyme, verbally generate rhyming words, read or listen to nursery rhymes, etc.  

Shared Reading: this week we read the poem "I Am Me."  Ask your child to recite it for you.  It's a short, but silly one!  It is also a rhyming poem, which ties in nicely to Fundations.  We continue to work on print awareness by pointing to the words when we read and making sure our eyes are looking at the word we are pointing to.

Daily 5: we continued to go to one Daily 5 Workstation each day this week.  We focused on whisper voices during this time, staying in our workstation spot and being problem solvers (trying something on their own or asking a friend for help before asking the teacher.)  It is important to be problem-solvers because once I start pulling reading groups in a few weeks, they won't be able to interrupt the group for help (unless of course it's an emergency).  

Ask your child what Daily 5 workstation they went to this week from the following choices: classroom library, books on CD, writing, letter match with clothespins, Friends writing book, name writing with dry erase markers, Starfall on computers, shape letters, pocketchart.

Math: this week we learned about JiJi and ST Math.  You can learn more about ST Math here  Every Tuesday is our ST Math day.  Instead of our hour of regular math the students will be on ipads or computers working on ST Math.  They did great on their first try!

Check the Friday Folder for the math worksheets to help at home with our other math learning!

Writing Workshop: now that we have spent a couple of weeks learning how to draw people using shapes (not out of sticks) we are learning how to label our pictures with "words."  It is waayyyy too soon to worry about correct spelling.  We are just learning to "say the word slowly and write the sounds we hear."  Since we haven't even learned all of our letters and letter sounds what they write may not even be close to how the word is really spelled but that's ok!  Please don't worry about this.  When your child tries (even if you cringe at how off it is) just praise them for trying and ask them to tell you what they wrote. If we are always correcting their spelling or telling them it's wrong, they will be too afraid to take chances in their writing.  Right now the only sounds I'm holding them accountable for are the ones we have learned at Fundations: t, b, f, n, m.  Accountability for other letter sounds will grow as we learn them each week.  

Labeling their teacher

Labeling a picture

Friday Craft: learning how to use glue bottles "just a dot, not a lot!"

Shakespeare's Fundraiser kick-off: meeting Flash the Timberwolf for the first time at our Shakespeare's Fundraiser kick-off.  They were so excited!! 

Yoga: we did a few Cosmic Kids Yoga videos this week as Brain Breaks to get ready for the K-2 Family Yoga night on September 19th!  Check your Friday Folder to sign up! 

Morning Greeters: we have a new job!  The "teacher helper" of the day is our morning greeter.  We are learning to greet people by name and offer a hug, high five, handshake or fist bump.  Such a great, positive way to start our morning!  
Before they leave each day they also give me a hug, high five, handshake or fist bump.