Classroom Newsletter December 1, 2013

Language Arts

As we help students understand the different genres in literature, our primary focus in Kindergarten is to help children understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction.  As part of our understanding of fiction, Kindergarten focuses more specifically on the genre of “animal fantasy”.  The children understand that books within the genre of animal fantasy have animal characters that talk and act like people and have the same problems and feelings as people.  The children enjoy recognizing when they have chosen a book to read that is within the genre of “animal fantasy”.

The children are becoming more confident when sounding out words to write in their journals. As we read books aloud, we are noticing how authors organize the books they write.  They have a beginning, middle, and end that make sense.  Even though we are beginning writers, it is not too early to become aware of how good writers organize their work.  The children will sometimes write the beginning of their journal entry and then dictate other parts of their “story”.  In this way they can practice organizing their thoughts.

Sight Words Introduced - I, a, the, is, it, in, to, at, are, my, and for. 

Math

• We continue to work on the concept of more than, less than, and the same as.  We compared numbers by using counters and discussed how many more, how many less, as well as alternate ways to make different numbers the same by adding or taking away.
• Calendar Math continues to provide us with rich mathematical discussions each day.  In November we began an exploration of measurement by comparing the length of our feet.  In December we will compare and order objects by weight.

Science, Social Studies, and Health

We finished our study of the Senses.  We will now focus on Social Studies as we talk about different customs and winter holidays from around the world. 

The children enjoyed learning about the history of Thanksgiving, the importance of Squanto, and how life was different during the time of the Pilgrims compared with life today.  We enjoyed sharing our own Thanksgiving “feast” together.

Reminders

The cold weather is here.  Please help your children practice putting on their coats, getting sleeves right side out, zipping, snapping, and tying.  Thank you for your help.

Important Dates

Parent Teacher Conferences are coming in December.  The following are the early release dates:

          Thursday, Dec. 12^th – Early Release @ 12:00

          Friday, Dec. 13^th – Early Release @ 12:00

No Lunch will be served on these early release days.

Progress reports will be sent home on Dec. 9^th.

We Wish You A Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Classroom Newsletter November 8, 2013

Language Arts

The sight word, “are”, was introduced.  We are using a combination of the Fry Word list of sight words and the Fundations list of trick words for Kindergarten.  Technically a word that cannot be sounded out is referred to as a trick word.  At this time not all of our sight words are “trick” words.  However, it is important for children to develop automaticity in recognizing frequently used words in their reading and writing.  We have used the terminology “sight words” as well as “trick words” with the children.  All of these words are posted on the word wall in our classroom and children are provided with lists of these words at their tables during writing activities.  Our goal is for the children to be able to both recognize these words automatically in their reading as well as spell these words correctly when used in their daily writing.  We encourage children to go back and check their list if they have spelled the word incorrectly.  We would like to instill this habit early and put them on track for being accountable for the correct spelling of these words.  More words are added to this list each year and regular practice of recognizing and spelling these words is important in developing solid skills in reading and writing.  

Math

We finished Chapter 3, our unit on measurement.  The children compared items by size, length, and weight.  They practiced using the terminology, bigger than/smaller than, longer than/shorter than, heavier than/lighter than.

When we do end of chapter or unit assessments, we use the results from these assessments to direct our instruction.  For example, after our chapter 2 assessment, it became clear that some children needed a review of numbers that come “before” and “after”.  We reinforced this concept during calendar time activities and made sure the children understood that numbers that come before are less and numbers that come after are more.  We then did an activity where children rolled dice and recorded the number rolled and wrote the number that came after.  We will do the same activity for numbers that come before.

Science

We did a Mystery Box activity and had to use our sense of touch to guess which item we had in our hand.  We used descriptive words telling about the item we were touching.

Social Studies

We read a book about Veteran’s Day and talked about the importance of veterans and what they have done for us and our country.  The children have enjoyed sharing the names of important people in their lives who are veterans.  We attended a veteran’s day assembly on Thursday.

Health/Olweus

We continue to talk about how to be a good friend.  We talked about how it feels when a friend says “I won’t be your friend unless. . .” or “I’ll be your friend if . . .”  We role-played what we would say if someone said that to us.  We could say “I want to be your friend but I don’t want to do that.” “Good friends don’t say things like that.” “Maybe we can’t be friends right now.”

Important Dates

**Early Release** Wednesday, Nov. 27th @ 12:00
No Lunch will be served
**No School** Thursday, Nov. 28th and Friday, Nov. 29th

Parent Teacher Conferences are coming in December.  The following are the early release dates:
Thursday, Dec. 12th – Early Release @ 12:00
Friday, Dec. 13th – Early Release @ 12:00
No Lunch will be served on these early release days.
 Progress reports will be sent home on Dec. 9th.
Conference reminder slips will be sent home by the end of November.

Classroom Newsletter November 1, 2013

Language Arts

Writers’ Workshop – The word “at” was introduced.  We now know I, a, the, is, it, in, to, and at.  The children always have ideas about what they would like to write about in their journals.  Thank you for talking about possible writing topics with them at home.  Children at this age are at very different stages in their writing development.  Some children are more comfortable labeling their detailed pictures, while others are at ease with writing complete sentences.  Our goal is for the children to become independent writers.  I have already seen growth in their ability to hear sounds in words and look forward to seeing them gain confidence in their ability to write independently.

Guided Reading – We reviewed the sight words listed above.  We read a book focusing on the word “at”.  The children reviewed books in their Browsing Bags.  Thank you for sending word rings back on Mondays.

Daily 5 -   The children are able to sustain “Read to Self” time for 10 – 15 minutes.   They have also been introduced to “Read to Someone” time and are building stamina during this type of reading as well.  Many of the expectations for “Read to Someone” time are the same as those for “Read to Self” time.   The children work quietly.  They get started right away.  They stay in one spot and read the whole time.  The children sit side by side and both of them have their eyes on the book.  They may choose to take turns reading the same book or they may choose to each read a different book to their partner.  This allows me to meet with small groups and individuals to read books at students’ individual reading levels or to provide additional support as needed.

Literacy Centers - We read Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington and did activities based on this book.  Several of the activities involved being able to sequence events in the correct order.  This is an important skill in both reading and writing.

Math

We have been ordering and comparing objects by size and length.  Children put objects in order from smallest to biggest and shortest to longest.  Next week we will work on comparing objects by weight and putting things in order from lightest to heaviest.  These introductory measurement activities also help children understand sequence and patterns.

Science

We talked about our sense of hearing.  We went on a listening walk and focused on sounds we heard in our classroom and around our school.

Technology

The children were introduced to the school iPads with Mrs. Klipfel, our technology curriculum specialist.  We look forward to using the iPads in our classroom throughout the year.  Please check Mrs. Klipfel’s blog on the school web page for age appropriate apps to be used at home.  Go to Specialists, then Digital Learning, and then Mrs. Klipfel's blog.  Then go to Student Resources and check the apps in the K portal.  The Kindergarten team will be posting additional apps on our classroom blogs in the near future.

Halloween Party

Many thanks to Mrs. Anvari, Mrs. Nelson, and Mrs. Rudnyai for organizing our Halloween party.  The children enjoyed doing the crafts and eating the delicious Halloween treats.  Thank you to all of you who contributed to making our party so much fun.  We are glad you could watch our parade and join us in our classroom.

Classroom Newsletter Oct. 25, 2013

Language Arts

Writers’ Workshop – The word “to” was introduced.  We now know I, a, the, is, it, in, and to.  The children continue to work on stretching out words to see how many sounds they can hear.  We also did a fun writing activity after reading Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley.  We created our own monster and then wrote about one thing we wanted people to notice.  We are learning that good writers “paint a picture” in the reader’s mind by using descriptive words.

Guided Reading – We reviewed the sight words listed above.  Word rings will come home on Tuesdays.  Thank you for practicing sight word recognition with your child at home.  Please continue to send these word rings back to school by the following Monday so that I may add new words.  A new book is introduced each week which focuses on the sight words introduced.  The children practice reading to themselves and to a partner.  We talk about how repeated practice improves fluency.  Each week the children choose one book to bring home which they have been practicing at school and would like to share with you.  Paper copies of books brought home may be kept at home, so that children can build a collection of “just right” books both at home and at school.

Fundations – On a daily basis, we drill the letter sounds introduced – t, b, f, m, n, a, c, i, u, o, g.  We practice hearing these sounds at the beginning of words, generating words of our own as well.  We work on recognizing these letters in different fonts, so that we will always recognize them in our reading.  We also review previously learned letters through sorting activities and letter fluency practice sheets.  I find these sheets very helpful and encourage you to review letter recognition and sound recognition at home.  We “sky write” and use mini- whiteboards to practice these letters, learning where the letters start and which letters begin in a similar fashion (ie. a, c, o, g, and d are plane line round letters).  We look at sentence writing, reinforcing where we use capital letters and periods.  Every week the children hear a story about “Echo the Owl”.  We work on our comprehension skills as we retell the beginning, middle, and end of the story, recalling characters, setting, problem, and solution.

Phonemic Awareness – We continued work on sorting words having one, two, or three syllables.  We did a special syllable activity with Halloween words.  

Math 

• We have been working on reading and writing the numerals 1 – 9, using 1-1 correspondence to build and count out the correct number of objects to match the numerals.
• We worked on pairing sets of objects with other sets of the same quantity.
• We worked on the concept of more than, less than, and the same as.  Using counters, we showed a target number and then changed the quantity to be one more, one less, or the same as.
• Calendar Math continues to provide us with rich mathematical   discussions each day.  We are learning to recognize numeral dot patterns on dominoes 0 – 9.   We added to a collection of objects in the Daily Depositor each day which helped us learn about place value and develop an understanding of ones and tens.  Graphing has also been introduced.  We continue to practice days of the week, date on the calendar, and numberline activities.

Science and Health

• We began talking about our five senses.  This week we focused on exploring our sense of sight.  Children mixed colors using food coloring and water as well as playdoh.  They explored prisms, kaleidoscopes, and color paddles.
• We discussed how our senses help us learn.

 Literacy Centers

• We did several Halloween activities.  The children made a Halloween color word book.  They worked on a Halloween syllable graph.  We made a class book of what we would be on Halloween.  The children dictated their sentence to me and then had to cut out each word, scramble their sentence and put it back in the correct order on their paper.  They are learning to use sight words they know as well as beginning sounds to help them as they learn to read.

THANK YOU

Many thanks to Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Rudynai and Mrs. Smith for joining us on our field trip last week.  We had fun learning about our community!

Halloween Party

Our Halloween parade and party will be on the afternoon of Thursday, October 31st.  On this day, please send in your child’s costume in a bag with his or her name on it.  No weapons of any sort are permitted with your child’s costume.  The Halloween parade will begin at 2:00 in the front of the school.  Following the parade, we will return to the classroom for our party.  Families are welcome to join us in our classroom after the parade.

Class Pictures

I have pictures to begin posting on our classroom blog but am waiting for the complete set of permission slips.  I will send home extra copies next week.

October 11, 2013

Language Arts

• Writers’ Workshop – The children have written about favorite memories of the Topsfield Fair and other fun fall activities.  Journal entries each week will be about something true – a memory, a place, an activity, an object, a favorite anything.  We discuss the different ideas authors choose to write about as we read books in our classroom.

• Guided Reading – We reviewed the sight words, “I”, “a”, “the”, “it”, “is” and introduced the word “in”.  Thank you for sending back the word rings by Monday so we have them ready for our Guided Reading time on Tuesday.  The children have four of the paper copy books in their “Good Fit” book bags which they practice reading during our Daily Five Reading time.  Now that we have enough books to work with and more are regularly introduced, I have been asking the children to pick one book each week that they feel they have practiced enough and would like to bring home.  This book can be kept in a collection of books at home for their continued practice.

• The children are very excited about a new aspect of our reading program.  I have been implementing components from The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser into our classroom routine.  The Daily Five provides a structure for teaching reading which fosters literacy independence in the early grades.   We first talked about how to select a “good fit” book.  The children each have a special bag in which to keep these books.  A “good fit” book is one chosen by the child because of interest or a specific purpose.  The child should be able to comprehend what is happening in the book even if they are primarily “reading” the pictures or retelling a story which they have heard before.  At least three of the books in their bags must be books in which the child can read most of the words so they can practice fluency.  After working on book selection, we moved on to establishing a routine for “Read to Self” time.  During this time, the children take their book bags to a spot by themselves, they get started reading right away, they read quietly the whole time, and they stay in their spot.  We discussed the importance of building up stamina and being able to read independently for longer periods of time.  During this time, the children know that my job is to read with children.  Because the rest of the class is working quietly and independently, I will be free to work with small reading groups and individual children.  The next aspect of the program is called “Read to Someone”.  There are specific goals beyond what we have previously done with partner reading.  I will be introducing “Read to Someone” soon and will share more details later.  I am very proud of how well the children are doing with this new program and am excited by the possibilities it opens up for our daily reading time.

• Fundations – We have been working on the letters Tt, Bb, Ff, Mm, Nn, Ii, Uu, Cc and Oo.  Each day the children work on identifying these letters and sounds and on forming the letters through a variety of different activities.  We have been learning how to identify how many words there are in a sentence, how to begin and end a sentence, and how to change a word(s) in a sentence.

Math

• We continue to work on important skills during our calendar time.  Several activities help to develop an understanding of tens and ones.  The children continue to enjoy the "challenge" questions we ask each day.
• We have been working with the numbers 1 - 10 and doing activities using vocabulary such as "more than, less than, greater than, fewer than".  Children are often asked to explain their mathematical thinking.  They are beginning to realize that there is more than one way to solve a problem and enjoy sharing new ideas.
As always we continue to practice numeral writing.

Science and Health

• We continued working on our observation skills as we went on a leaf walk and then drew detailed pictures of the leaves we collected.
• We have been discussing the 4 rules in our Olweus bullying prevention program.  We will not bully others.  We will help students who are being bullied.  We will include students who are left out.  If we see someone being bullied we will tell an adult at home and an adult at school.

Literacy Centers

• In preparation for our field trip, we did several different activities exploring the community of Topsfield.
• Thank you in advance for helping the children to complete the family activity about a favorite place in their community.

Looking Ahead

Our Halloween parade and party will be on the afternoon of Thursday, October 31st.  On this day, please send in your child’s costume in a bag with his or her name on it.  No weapons of any sort are permitted with your child’s costume.  The Halloween parade will begin at 2:00 in the front of the school.  Following the parade, we will return to the classroom for our party.  Room mothers may be contacting you regarding items needed.

Newsletter September 27, 2013

September 27, 2013

Language Arts

·     Writer’s Workshop – In response to reading Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, the children wrote about a special memory.  After a lesson which modeled how to listen for the beginning sound in a word and to label a picture, they were asked to write at least one letter sound independently which described their picture.  The rest of their writing was dictated.  This week we wrote in our journals about another special memory.  The children know that journal entries must be true.  Again, the children wrote at least one beginning letter sound to go with their picture.  The rest of the entry was dictated. 

·     Guided Reading – The words “I”, “a”, and “the” have been introduced.  Word rings will start coming home next week.  Please practice these words at home and return the word rings to school on Monday so that I may add more words to send home with the children on Tuesday.  Next week the children will start bringing home a paper copy of a book we have been working on in school.  Each highly predictable book focuses on a sight word that has been introduced.  Please encourage your child to point to each word as they read to you.  You can also ask your child to point to different words on each page.  Please keep these books in a special place at home so that your child can continue to practice their reading. 

·     Fundations – We have been working on the letters Tt, Ff, and Bb.  The children sorted objects beginning with B, T, and F.  They practiced writing the letters as well.  This week we worked on Mm and Nn.  Please continue to refer to your Home Support Packet regarding important information about how you can help your child at home.  To help children practice fluency, we used a letter fluency practice sheet.  The children pointed to each letter and said its name, continuing in a left to right direction.  We practiced until we could say the letters accurately and quickly.  As a variation, some of the children practiced pointing to each letter and saying the letter sound.  You may continue to practice this activity at home.  Fluency while reading is an important skill which we will be working on all year long.

Math

·     We have been working on important math skills during our Calendar Math time each day – days of the week, months of the year, counting, number recognition, vocabulary, and problem-solving.

·     We have been working on the numbers 1 – 5, recognition and number formation.  Vocabulary and routines for our new math program are being introduced and established.

Science and Health

· We are learning how to use our observation skills like a scientist.  We have been recording things we have observed, making sure to include important details. 

· We reviewed the importance of the buddy system.

· The children were introduced to Olweus, our bullying prevention program.  After a discussion of what the term bullying means, the children were introduced to the first rule of bullying, “We will not bully others.”  Students understand that bullying is being mean or hurtful on purpose, it happens over and over again, and it involves an imbalance of power.  We will have weekly class meetings to discuss the four rules of bullying prevention and will have many opportunities to discuss and role-play what to do to prevent bullying and what to do if ever in a situation where bullying is involved.

  

Literacy Centers

·     We illustrated an apple poem in which we needed to recognize several color words. 

·     We did a fine motor activity using a push pin to outline a picture of an apple.

·     We worked on our cutting skills as well as our understanding of story sequence as we illustrated a short poem about what happens when we eat an apple.

Volunteers

Many thanks to all who have volunteered to help in our classroom.  In case you did not sign up to volunteer but think you might want to consider helping at some point this year, here are the volunteer times:

Monday – Writer’s Workshop 9:45 – 10:30

Friday – Literacy Centers 9:45 – 10:30

             

Please do not feel you need to commit to every week.  Let me know your availability, and I will fit you into a schedule.  If you would like to volunteer to help at some point this year but can’t make any of these times, please let me know and we can work something out.  If you plan on volunteering in our classroom at any point this year, even as a chaperone, please go to the office to complete a CORI form.  This process does not take a long time.  Just bring a license with you when you come.

I am working on a volunteer schedule for October and will send it home this week.  Volunteers will start the week of October 7^th.  Going forward, if people know in advance which dates will work best for them each month please let me know.  Also, it would be helpful for all volunteers to have a listing of phone numbers and e-mail addresses in the event you would like to switch your volunteer time.  Please let me know if I can include your information on a master list of volunteers.

We are off to a great start!  I look forward to working with you this year.

Welcome to Kindergarten