Fundations: this week we learned the name, sound and correct letter formation for lowercase x and y. We only have TWO LETTERS IN THE ALPHABET LEFT TO LEARN! YAY!
Please use the verbal prompts below when helping your child form these letters:
x-slant down, slant back
y-slant down, slant baaaackkkk
Slant down letters can be tricky for some kiddos. If you notice this is tough for your child, I'd suggest some activities that support crossing the midline. There are SO MANY activities that work on this skill. Click here to see a few. Even just having them stand up (without a pencil) and making the "slant down" motion with their arm going across their body is good practice.
Shared Reading & Spelling: we read the Big Book Carlos and his teacher, which featured our new spelling word and. I am noticing more and more students trying to sound out unknown words when reading. They are using the letter and letter sound knowledge from Fundations and applying it when reading and writing! So exciting!
New spelling word of the week:
on
Writing Workshop: our main focus continues to be writing a story (sentence) by sounding out/stretching out our words. If they are writing about walking their dog, their story shouldn't just say "dog," but rather something such as "I took my dog on a walk." That may be spelled something like this "I tk mi dog on a wk." Check out a couple examples from some of our classmates. This is similar to what your child's writing should look like at this point in the year.
I put up my Christmas tree. It was fun.
I went sledding with my mom and dad.
Math: this week we started focusing on teen numbers and how they start with a 1, as I discussed with many of you at parent-teacher conferences. From now until winter break, we will begin math every day with this song below. It's a great one to help learn their teen numbers and fix the reversals.
Geography: we are learning about maps, the purpose of maps and components of a map: map key/legend and compass rose. We are discussing the positional words north, south, east and west.
To further expand our learning, we have been reading various versions of Little Red Riding Hood, comparing the versions similarities and differences and are making our own maps to help Little Red get to her grandmother's house.
Counselor: this week Mrs. Alls discussed thankfulness. The talked about how you may not be having a good day some days, but there are always things to be thankful for. She taught them how to trick your brain when feeling grumpy or in a bad mood by thinking of things you are thankful for in those moments. They also made cards for someone at school they were thankful for.
Holiday fun: Jack is back! One of Santa's helpers has been visiting my classroom since 2011. He loves seeing all the things the kindergarteners are learning and reporting the kind things he sees to his "boss" Santa Claus! The kids were excited to meet him this week and they all assured me they would be showing Jack only the BEST things to report to Santa! 😀
Friday craft & Reindeer cam: it's time to take the turkeys down and bring in the reindeer! Our room is feeling very festive. Speaking of reindeer, we found Santa's security camera at the North Pole and are able to watch his beautiful reindeer throughout the day! Sometimes we even get glimpses of Santa himself! So exciting! You can watch at home too. Check it out here. There are times that Santa will read a story, and most are times we aren't in school, so you can enjoy it at home with your family. Enjoy these magical moments with your little ones, they are only young once and it goes by so quickly. I try to bring as much magic and joy as I can into their lives during the school day. As they grow older, they may not remember when they learned certain letters or how to count, but they will remember these magical moments.
New friend: we are so excited to have a new friend in his class. His name is Aceston and we've enjoyed getting to know him the past few days.
Fun Friday Guest Reader: today we had a special visitor! Alex's grandma, or Grr as he calls her, came to read to our class. She read one of Alex's favorite Christmas books, Construction Site on Christmas Night and even brought us chocolate chip cookies! We all really enjoyed this time!
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