Monday, October 17, 2011

It's beginning to feel a lot like fall...



To celebrate the season, the "B" students created their very own ghosts. The "A" group will do this on their next Friday session.

In class,we are emphasizing identifying the beginning sounds in a word. We are continuing to practice reading and writing upper and lower case letters. We are also practicing reading and writing the numbers 1-10. All students must be able to write their full first name by the end of the quarter, so we are practicing this skill each morning for bell work.

Thanks again to all the parents who sent in snacks for our class! The students are really enjoying them each afternoon.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Patterns and Letters and Names, oh my!

Hello all!

It has been another great week in kindergarten. We have been working on patterns in math. This is such a fun skill to practice at home. I recommend taking most any kids' cereal (Froot Loops, Lucky Charms) and using them to make patterns (by color or shape of those yummy marshmallows). When they have finished practicing patterns...instant snack time! Leggos, crayons, and building blocks are also great for pattern practice.

The students have met all of the letters from A-Z now. We are focusing on naming the letters, writing the letters, and practicing their sounds. Next week, the students will bring home a letter practice book for their homework. This will be theirs to keep so that you can practice whenever you have time. By the end of the third quarter, students are expected to be able to read, write, and identify the sounds of all 26 letters. These skills would be excellent to practice on their "off days."

We are also practicing writing our first names in class. The students will be asked to do this without looking at a model at the end of October. Please keep in mind, the students need to use a capital letter at the start of their name and lowercase letters for the rest. We have been discussing this a great deal. As I tell the students, their names are special becuase they are special! That is why their names begin with a capital letter.

Enjoy this beautiful weather!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Welcome October!

I cannot believe how quickly September has passed. Our first month of school has been incredibly busy! I am so proud of all of the students for learning our routines so quickly. They have gotten many compliments from other teachers in the building for their exceptional behavior. Great job boys and girls!

This month we have rapidly moved through a lot of academic skills. In math, the students have matched, sorted, subitized (determined "how many" without counting),and counted objects. In reading, we have learned the letters a-s. The students have learned the following sight words: I, am, the, little. We have studied the concepts of "character," "setting," and "sequencing."

September has been a wonderful month and I cannot wait to see what awaits us in October!