Reading Groups...

The children are doing a great job working with their reading.  I am impressed by their ability to blend words.  The children should still work on this concept to help build their fluency.  Our goal is to have children reading simply words like the way we, as adults, read them.  Simple words are CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant...dog, cup, mat, log, etc).

Welcome 2015...

This week we will be ending up the 2nd quarter.  I will be checking the students on their sight words, alphabet, and sounds.  I will be also checking students' addition, greater/less than, and number writing.

Even though we will be assessing we will also be learning about how animals change.  We will look at how animals are similar and different to their parents.  We will work on sequencing as our comprehension strategy.  In math, we will begin the next chapter in math...subtraction.  I am excited because we will work with "Pete the Cat" to help us with our subtraction.  I will do some updates later this week!

This Week...

I hope you all are doing well and had a great weekend.  We have a lot going on this week.  We have the next round of DIBELS this week.  We will be measuring how your child is doing with letter naming fluency, phoneme segmentation (this is where we find out if your child can hear all the sounds in the words like in cat, your child can hear the /c/ /a/ /t/), and nonsense words (basically we are checking your child's ability in reading sounds of letters).  I am confident your child will do well and we will use this information to determine what your child needs to work on and needs further instruction.  In math, we are continuing to work on addition and working toward fluency of number sentences.  Please take time to review the math sheets that are brought home throughout the week and take a couple minutes to talk to your child about it.  One great thing you can do is ask your child to explain to you what to do on this sheet!

In addition, this week we will say good bye to Ms. Fordyce on Thursday.  She will be graduating and earning her teaching license at the end of the month.  I have been impressed with her this semester and loved watching her work with your children.  She had some great lessons we planned together.  I know the children will miss her, but I have told her to come back and visit.  I am also trying to have her come back and be our guest teacher when and if I am out of the building.

I hope you have a great week.  It is hard to believe it is the second week of December!

This Week...

I hope you all had a great weekend!  I know my family did as we did a little traveling and we found a new puppy (standard poodle) to join our family in December.  She is the cutest little thing...I am sure the kids will hear a lot about Reese when she comes home...she is only 4 weeks right now.  I also cannot believe we are in the second week of November already.  We do have a lot of fun things happening this month for the children.  There will be more information coming home mid-week.

We are continuing to work on the letters and sounds of the alphabet.  In addition, we are working on blending sounds to read simple words.  Some of the words we are reading are make-believe.  This is so the children can have practice at reading.  We also then can decide if the word is a real word and make believe word.  The words are all 3 letters (consonant-vowel-consonant).  A word that may pop up would be roc and your child may think it is a real word because it sounds like rock.  We would tell them this is a real word because developmentally they are not ready for the -ck ending and we are working on reading not spelling at this time.

We are also beginning more writing and the children are working on writing the sounds they hear in words.  I am amazed by what the children can hear and how much they are loving to write.  I love when the children bring me in fun stories they have written at home.  I hope your child has been trying to write at home.  When encouraging your child to write, do not worry about spelling, but what they actually hear in the words.  Today we are working on book reports about what we thought about the book "A Bed for the Winter!"

In math we are beginning simple addition.  This week we will learn about the idea of putting things together and telling addition stories.  For example, a child has 2 pieces of candy and then she received 1 more.  Some children are having difficulty with number identification; therefore, please take a few minutes to practice identifying numbers to 10.  This will help when your child has to write addition number sentences.

Leaf Man...

We read "Leaf Man" this past week.  We took a nature walk and observed the area.  Then, we observed various leaves and then we created our own leaf man.  The children then shared their leaf man and described it to their classmates.

This Week...

This week we will be continuing to work on our sight words (I, am, little, then, a, to, have, is).  We
will be delving in to science with this new reading street unit and reading books about nature, flowers, and animals.  I think the children will love it!  We will be reading "Flowers" and learning about the parts of a plant.  We will also be learning the sound of a.  The children will also learn how to begin blending and reading real and make-believe words.  Some of the words we will learn are: mat, tam, at, sat, ats, tas.  In math, we will be working with numbers 7 and 8.  We are also working on decomposing numbers.  One great site you can go to play a game to help with decomposing numbers and working with 5 frames is: http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=3564

A Peek into this Week...

We will be reading Dig, Dig, Digging this week.  The children will work on classifying and categorizing (sorting).  I think the children will love this book as it deals with construction and machines!  We will be working with learning the letter sound of Tt.  The children should know the sound of Mm when shown the letter card of m.  If children are excelling, we are working on all the letter sounds and blending of words.  If your child is having difficulty, we are working with letter names and the sound of m.

We will begin to work with numbers 6-10.  The children will work on building and modeling the those numbers.  In addition, we will learn how to read the number words for 6-10.  We will continue to practice greater and less than.  I assessed the children on Thursday and I noticed many children had a difficult time with less than.  Children will be bringing home their assessments tomorrow.

It is important to note the end of the quarter is Oct. 24 and the children should be able to name all their letters and know approximately 6 sounds.  In math, children should be able to count to 25 (100 by the end of the year) and write their numbers to 10 (20 by the end of the year).

Reading PALS...

This week we started our K-PALS reading program.  The children have a reading pal and they practice helping each other with letters and sounds.  This week we focused on learning how to be a good partner and taking turns.  The children did an awesome job working together!  I was quite impressed.

Group Time...

I was amazed by how well the children worked together to figure out missing words in a book.  I went out on a limb and let the children choose their own groups and begin working to figure out missing words.  The students had to read, comprehend, and problem solve to figure out the word.  The students then had to write the word.  I was amazed how well the children chose their groups and how they stayed on task the entire time.  I was ready for chaos, but it was such a great sight to listen and to watch them work!

Working Hard...

This is the end of the 3rd quarter...oh my!  I cannot believe we only have 9 weeks remaining.  The biggest area where many children need to continue to work is sight words.  I have completed all sight word assessments over the past week and will be sending those home with children at the end of the week.  I encourage you to take some time to practice these words.

We are continuing to practice reading simple words (3 letter words) and some children are working on reading words with blends (sl, fl, sm, dr, tr) and digraphs (ch, sh, wh, th).  I am impressed with how the children are doing with this skill.  In math, we are reviewing groups of ten, addition, and subtraction!

Let's Have Fun...

This week we will be continuing with our Reading Street program and reading The Lion and the Mouse.  We will be focusing on the main idea (or theme) of a story this week.  We will also continue to work on blending words.  The children are doing this extremely well and we are impressed with how well they are learning their sounds and words.  Our sight words will remain the same this week (they, of, you).  Please take some time to review all of the sight words nightly for about 5 minutes.  

This week in math we are continuing our work on subtraction.  I have seen improvement with this skill last week.  I did notice some confusion with addition and subtraction and a few children getting these two skills mixed up.  Please continue to work on this skill throughout the week.  We will be having our assessment next week.  Please remember math homework is due this week on Wednesday and Thursday.  Mrs. Franz and I both check to see if the children are turning in homework.  In addition, please make sure you allow your children to do the writing.  We want you to help your child with the learning; however, it is important for them to do the work.

We go to book fair this week on Wednesday and Thursday!  It should be a great time!

Have a great week!

December Fun...

This coming week we are going into Unit 3 of Reading Street and will be reading "Little Panda."  We will be working on two letters and their associated sounds: Nn and Bb.  The letter Bb is a short sound; therefore, please do not have your children add the "uh" sound.  In addition, we will have three new sight words: she, me, with.  We will also be continuing to work with our other sight words and using them in writing sentences.  Please encourage your child to be writing at home on their days off.  We love to see what your child does on their day off and they can bring their writing into class and share.  We are hoping to have at home journals beginning in the next couple weeks!

In math, we are continuing to to work with addition.  The children are being introduced to number sentences.  It is important when working on number sentences to show the equation like: 2 + 4 = 6 AND 6 = 2 + 4.  The children must be able to recognize these are the same.  This can be tricky for the children.  We are working on this every day and the homework packet should work on the skill too.  The children are allowed to use counters to help them figure out the answer; however, children must be fluent in their addition facts by the end of the year.  This means children should automatically know 2+3=5, 1+3=4, etc.

Finally, we are planning the "Winter Celebration" for the children.  The celebration will be held on Wednesday the 19th and Friday the 21st at 1:45.  We are asking families not to send in items unless asked too.  This is important as we do have allergies in the classroom and we want to make sure we are able to include everyone and not to exclude them.  In addition, we do not want to be wasteful with our food.  We would hate to have 3 people send in cupcakes and not be able to use all of them.  We will be sending out more information in the coming week!  We appreciate your patience and your help as we plan a great celebration for the children.

Mixed-Up Sentence...

One great way to practice sight words and reading is to have a mixed up sentence.  In reading groups we have been reading various stories with our sight words and practicing identifying the words in the sentence.  Today, we took one of those sentences and cut-it apart.  The children then had to mix it up and put the sentence back together (like a puzzle).  We then made a few other sentences with the words.  Since most stories are predictable, real reading has to occur because the children have to be able to read each word.  The children have to read the word to put it in the right place.  Here is a video from today of a child working on a mixed-up sentence!

Week Number 2...

I hope all the children had a wonderful first week at WT Elementary and I hope they have shared something they have done at school with you at home. It was a fun and hectic week. We are working on learning procedures of the classroom and the school. The children are learning these procedures at different rates; however, I am positive the children will have them down in the next week or so. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know your children and have enjoyed working with them.

This coming week we will continue to practice procedures, but also dive into our literacy and math curriculum. We will be working on letter identification; specifically, the letters Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, and Ee. In addition, we will work on rhyming words and identifying the high-frequency words of "I" and "am". In math we will begin to work with numbers 1-5. We will also be working on writing our names with a capital letter at the beginning and then lowercase letters. Mrs. Franz and I will be sending home a homework letter on Monday/Tuesday explaining how homework will be completed this year. Please look for this in your child's folder. Please also check out our post on homework!

We do eat lunch late at school. Our lunch time is 12:30; therefore, the children have a long time between when they arrive at school to when they eat lunch. We do have a snack to help them make it to lunch. Mrs. Franz and I will be sending home a letter explaining more about snack time at school later this week. Please encourage your child to eat breakfast before coming to school or you may purchase breakfast at school.

I also want to take this moment to express my gratitude... your help and support with our new drop-off/pick-up procedures has been amazing. It is becoming smoother each day and this would not be possible without your help and your patience!! THANK YOU!!

Last week of 2011...

This will be our last week of school for 2011.  It is amazing how quickly the year has gone and how much the children have learned.  We will not be having Reading Street lessons this week; therefore there will not be a Family Ties or Reader this week.  We will be reviewing all learned letter sounds, decoding, letter names, and a few various other items this week.  I encourage you to still take time to read to your child and continue to work on letter sounds and simple 3 letter words.  This is important as we will be having our DIBELS assessment when we return from break.  In addition, the children will be bringing home a journal to be able to write in during their time off.  When we return we will be doing a lot more writing and journaling.  This is probably one of my favorite things to teach young children; I love writing.  I look forward to reading what the children did over their time away from school.  The children can return these to school on January 3rd or 4th.  I will read them and allow the children to read them to the class.  (Please note I do not expect words to be written correctly.  I encourage the children to segment the word and write the sounds they hear.  For example, if your child was trying to write "pick," I would expect to see the word "pik" or "pic."  If your child was trying to write "present," I would probably see "prznt" or "prezt")

In addition, I have completed the first round of math assessments.  Many children are having difficulty with counting to 50.  Many children are able to count to 39 and then skip to 50 or they make it to 49 and skip to 60.  The second quarter requires children to be able to count to 50.  The children have also been exposed to 4 3-D shapes, which they will be assessed on this coming week or when we return from break.  These shapes are: cube, sphere, cone, and cylinder.


I hope you all have a great holiday break!  I look forward to seeing everyone back at school on January 3rd for the B class and January 4th for the A class!  

November is Rolling In...

This coming week we will be doing a lot of learning.  In reading street we will continue our study on how animals and plants are unique.  We will be working on the sound of Ss.  Currently the children have learned the sounds m, t, a, and now s.  In addition to know the sounds in isolation, we have been working on putting these sounds together to make words.  Children should be able to blend (saying the sounds to form the word) and read the following words: mat, tam, sat, and sam.  When practicing blending with your child, have your child say the sounds slowly without stopping (mmmmmmaaaaaaat).  Furthermore, children should also be able to read the sight words: I, am, have, little, to, a, the, is.  In addition, please continue to practice letter identification with your child. Many children are doing extremely well with this skill and some need to continue to practice.  I will be sending home your child's October alphabet assessment on Wednesday and Thursday!

In math, we are continue to work on counting and comparing numbers.  Children will work on counting a specific set of objects and identifying the corresponding numbers.  I will also be asking various questions to the children to work on comparing and ordering.  We have been working a lot on this skill to develop a solid foundation of number sense.  Research shows this foundation will make it easier when we begin to add and subtract in the spring.

Since November is upon us I will be sending home a new homework calendar.  Please keep this safe as it has all of our sight words and math activities to complete at home during the month.  In addition, please continue to complete the Family Ties sheet as this corresponds to what we are doing in the classroom.  I am seeing a lot of progress from the children who are completing these quick activities at home.  It is important to continue this practice since children are at school only 2 or 3 days a week.

Popcorn Words...

Part of our Reading Street program is to work on our sight words.  We call them our "Popcorn Words" because you have to know them right away or in a "pop."  The children love thinking of them as popcorn words and it gets them excited about learning new words.  Sight words are words you are unable to sound out and are irregular; therefore, the children have to know them by sight.  Today one of our parents sent in popcorn for a snack.  As an added bonus she wrote our words on the bag.  The children love grabbing a bag and seeing which words were listed. The children then showed each other their bags and all the kids were reading various words.  Thank you Caleb and Caleb's family for providing this wonderful snack!

We have learned the following words:
I
am
the
a
to
little
is
have

Sentence Reading...

You may have noticed in the decodable stories sent home on Mondays they are repetitive.  These are known as predictable sentences.  This basically means the sentences are the same except for one or two words.  Sometimes children learn to memorize these stories; therefore, they have difficulty when the words are in a different place.  One way to increase word knowledge and understanding is by writing the sentence on a strip of paper.  Once you write the sentence give it to your child and have them read it aloud.  Once they read the sentence, your child should cut the sentence up.  Finally have your child try to put the sentence back together.  You can also make up another sentence using the words and have them recreate another sentence.  You can also try to "trick" your child by placing a word, which does not fit and have them try to figure out the word which needs to be thrown away.  Here is a clip of one reading group completing this activity in the classroom:

Our Learning This Week...

This week we will continue to work on letter identification and letter sounds. We will work on the letter Tt and the sound /t/. When working with your child be cautious not to add an /u/ sound at the end. For example, the beginning sound of top would be /t/ not /tuh/. This is important when children learn to blend words together. We will also be continuing to work on our sight words of a and to. We will also be working on the sight word of the. This particular word seems to confuse some of the children. One thing you can do at home is play memory with the sight words by writing the words on index cards and have your child try to match them. In addition, when they find the match they would need to say the word. One of the most valuable things you can be doing with your child right now is simply reading to them. I would recommend taking your child to the library and having them choose some books and throughout the day or evening sit down and read with them. This promotes vocabulary development, fluent reading, comprehension, and word identification.

In writing we are working on writing the sight words and letters. Almost all the children can write their name with a capital letter and lowercase letters; therefore, we are ready to move forward with writing words and sentences. This will take place whole group and during our small group time.

Finally, we will continue to work with counting sets of objects and focusing on counting a set without counting. This simply is when you roll a dice, you know exactly what number is shown without counting the dots. We are working with numbers 1-5. We have simply made cards with dots on them and we show the children and they must tell the amount on the card. This is quite fun because we have turned it into various games in the classroom and the children are really working hard in learning this. We are working on this skill because when we begin to add the children have a great number sense and how numbers work.

The end of the quarter is approaching; therefore, if you have not paid your school fees please do so. If you cannot pay the $50 now, you can pay it quarterly in the amount of $12.50. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call or email! Have a great week!

Fun Times in Kindergarten...

On Friday we are able to experience art, music, or physical education.  We experience this type of learning for about an hour while children are assessed one-on-one.  This allows for everyone to be engaged in a learning environment while we gather great information to continue making instructional decisions.  The assessments the children are checked on are a review of skills taught over the past two weeks (this is because children are only at school on Friday every other Friday).  In the pictures above we worked on cooperating and working together as a team in the gym!