Weekly Update

 A look at our learning...

Fundations: we learned the correct name, sound and letter formation for lowercase r and e this week. 

Please use the following verbal prompts (and make sure your child is saying these verbal prompts as well) when practicing at home:

r-down, up, curve

e-across, over, around, open

Some have asked for guidance on how to properly make the letter sounds.  I appreciate you wanting to reinforce their learning at home!  Check our class Facebook page for a video we made this week that models the correct sounds.  It is easier to post on there, than within this blog.

In your child's Friday Folder is their mid-unit Fundations check.  This assessed their lowercase letter identification knowledge, letter sound knowledge and if they are forming their letters correctly when writing.  Please review your child's and work on any areas they struggled with.  They should know everything on the assessment by the end of 1st trimester. 

Shared Reading and Spelling: this week we read the Big Book Look at Me.  We worked on pointing to words when we read, monitoring on known words (being able to locate and read spelling words quickly that are in text, even if we don't know all the words in the text) and discussing what we read.  We learned how to do "buddy reading" with familiar texts.  One person is the "teacher" and the other is the "reader."  Then they switch.  This allows all students the chance to read the familiar text and work on the concepts mentioned above. In the pictures below your child is participating in buddy reading. 

Next week's spelling word:

the

Daily 5: we are now going to two Daily 5 workstations every day!  During this time students work on reinforcing literacy and math skills at various stations with a partner, while I am working independently or with a small group of children at my "teacher table."  

Ask your child what Daily 5 workstations they went to this week.  You can show them the picture below to help guide conversation. 

Math: we focused on sorting and classifying objects, counting backwards from 10 and learned about circles. Mrs. Fitch, our media specialist, joined us for math one day and taught us to use a cool 3D pen (3Doodler) to create shapes!  

At the end of 1st trimester, your child should be able to do the following:

*Count by 1's to at least 30

*Recognize numbers 0-10

*Write numbers 0-10 in order 

*Identify square, rectangle, triangle and circle

Can your child do these things? If not, they are great things to practice at home.

Science: we visited our 3rd grade buddies in Ms. Cohen's class to see the baby chicks they hatched and are taking care of!  This tied in nicely to our living and non-living science unit.  We look forward to doing things with Ms. Cohen's class at least once a month.  Every classroom at Beulah Ralph has a buddy classroom they are partnered with for the school year. 

Friday Craft: we made Candy Corn Bandits!  Watch out!  These sneaky guys like to steal your Halloween candy!  The kids loved these guys!

Pumpkin decorating: it was so fun seeing all of the creative pumpkins that families decorated to display in the media center this week and next!  We had one family from our class participate.  Missed out this year?  No worries, Mrs. Fitch, Mrs. Canepa and Mrs. Groner do this every year!

Monica Naylor Visit: Monica Naylor, Beulah Ralph's daughter, visited with Kindergarten today.  This is a yearly tradition, just for Kindergarten.  She tells us all about her mom (our school's namesake) as an adult and a child.  We learned a silly story about how Beulah liked to play school with her chickens when she was little. Ask your child to tell you all about it.  We are blessed to attend a school named after such a special person. 

School Store: after a break due to Covid, the BEU school store is back in action!  We learned about it today and checked out some of the goodies we can shop for!  Check your child's Friday Folder for more information.

Fun with friends