Author Celebration!

These young authors are ready to share their stories today. They carefully selected their favorite story to revise and worked on making their stories the best they could for several days. We will begin a new writing unit in January titled How-To Books:  Writing to Teach Others.

Measuring and Counting

We finished the pattern unit and started Unit 4: Measuring and Counting. The children used nonstandard units to measure different lengths of objects. They practiced measuring their shoes with cubes and compared sizes. They measured different lengths of paper strips with sticks and ordered them by size. They are learning how to measure carefully and accurately. They are recording their measurements with pictures, numbers, and/or words.

UID Winter Lights Concert and Craft Fair

Due to the snow storm last week, we have rescheduled the concert and craft fair for Wednesday, December 17th at 1:00.  We hope you can join us!

Be sure to check out the snowy bulletin board in the front hallway. The kindergarten friends made snow globes and created a snowman mosaic using different materials. We hope the snow comes back!

What Are You Thankful For?

The kindergarten friends made turkeys this week. They traced their feet to make the bodies and traced their hands to make the feathers. We read a story about the first Thanksgiving and shared different things we are thankful for in our lives. Here are some of the things they are thankful for:  My house, my family, my little blanket, my little brother, my dolls, my cousin, myself, my baby sister, my Mimi and Papa, cocoa and food.

Math Menu

We have math menu 3-4 times during the week so I can meet with students in small groups to work on just what they need to improve skills.  Students rotate through different work stations when they are not meeting with the teacher.  The stations change each week to keep the work exciting and fresh. At this point in the year the stations include: playing games to review/practice skills, forming letters in sand or using play dough, counting using Try A Tile cards, and doing math games on the computer.

Observation Walk

Our class finished the Five Senses unit last week. They went on an observation walk and recorded what they noticed happening inside and outside the building by using their senses. They also went on an observation walk this week to go along with our new math unit: Patterns and Function. They shared different patterns they observed and recorded their ideas.  They will be working on creating and extending patterns over the next few weeks. 

Four Winds

We had our first Four Winds lesson on Monday. The Four Winds Nature Program relies on volunteers to provide monthly lessons in classrooms. Volunteers attend a training each month to learn information related to the topic.  Volunteers plan indoor and outdoor activities to lead the workshop in the classroom. The children love the hands-on activities connected to nature and science!  

This month's topic was Sunlight and Shadows. The children learned different reasons why the sun is important. They learned about day/night and the seasons. They investigated which materials let light shine through and which ones block light. They also set up simple experiments. They put ice cube cups in the shade and in the light and predicted which cups would melt faster. They also put thermometers in the shade and sun to see what would happen. 

Four Winds is a wonderful program and the children love the monthly lessons. Rebecca volunteered to be a Four Winds leader for our classroom. Thank you Rebecca!  We are still looking for one more helper.  Jessica offered to help with the October lesson and we greatly appreciate her help!  Please let me know if you are interested and available to help with a lesson this year.  

Sharing Narratives

The kindergartners finished writing their first story this week! They celebrated their accomplishment by sharing their work with the first and second graders. Mrs. Byers' friends listened and asked questions while they read their stories.

Jammin' Minutes

We can still get exercise on rainy days by doing a Jammin' Minute! There are many different ones to choose from on Youtube.  Today we did Jammin' Minute 2. Kindergarten friends enjoy these 1-2 minute exercise videos. We move our bodies which helps us get ready to focus for the next activity.  Try one at home!

Bringing Our Writing to Life

The kindergartners are making their characters talk in their stories! They started using speech bubbles in their work to make their characters come to life. This is one of the many ways they are adding more details to their stories!

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Math Time

The children learned the game, Build It this week. They used a ten-frame to develop a visual image of quantities up to 10. The children turned over a number card (between 0-10) and built it using counters on the ten-frame.

The children also worked on their Counting Books. The books have numbers 0-12. The children are taking their time to draw pictures to represent that number on each page.

Kindergarten Curriculum Summary

The Kindergarten year begins with many opportunities for children to discover the joy of reading in an environment that fosters a wonder about words and writing. During the first trimester students become familiar with the structure, routines and expectations of the literacy program that includes interactive read alouds, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, shared writing, guided writing, independent writing, and participating in collaborative discussions. Numerous literacy experiences involve speaking and listening, spurring children on to reading and writing.

A main focus in Kindergarten is counting, which is the basis for understanding the number system and for almost all the number work in the primary grades. Students hear and use the counting sequence in a variety of contexts. They have many opportunities to connect the number names with the written numbers and with the quantities they represent. As students count sets of objects and make equal sets they begin to see the importance of counting each object once and only once, and of having a system for keeping track of what has been counted and what still remains to be counted. Students engage in repeated practice with counting and develop visual images for quantities to 10.

A rich kindergarten science program supports the development of certain attitudes and dispositions that are important in all areas oflearning. These include curiosity, seeing oneself as a “scientist,” respect for living things, willingness to take risks, perseverance, and a willingness to collaborate. As a result of science experiences in units on Geology, the Senses, Organisms, Sorting & Properties, and Weather students develop their abilities to raise questions, use tools to extend their observations, and engage in simple investigations.

The social curriculum helps build a learning community within the classroom and the school. The Responsive Classroom Approach promotes social and academic goals for all learners. Kindergarten Social Studies units include All About Me, Our Caring School, and the Family. Basic concepts are revisited throughout the year, allowing for personal development over time.

Reading in Kindergarten

Learning to read is an important part of the kindergarten program. Each day the children practice reading in different ways.  They work on shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading. If you came in the room during reading time, you would see kids: 

reading poems together,

learning sight words, 

reading books and magazines together,

 matching uppercase and lowercase letters,

reading just right books,

and practicing letter sorts.

Digital Tools

The children are enjoying using the Brighlink Board in our classroom. We are using it to read stories, play games, and show work. The children learned how to play the "Counting Fish" game on the board. Then they had a turn to play the game on the computers.  You can find the game on the website:  www.abcya.com   We will use a variety of digital tools this year including iPads and digital cameras too!

Story Walk

The Deborah Rawson Library posted a story walk to go along with the book, School Days by B.G. Hennessy, illustrated by Tracey Campbell Pearson.  The story starts at the library and winds around the field. The last page of the story ends near BRMS.  Our class did the story walk on Wednesday. The children enjoyed looking at the pictures, hearing the story, and spotting the bunny on many pages. This story walk will be up for a little while so be sure to check it out!

What do we do in kindergarten?

 We read

We write

We sing

We count

We paint

We play 

We have fun!