Updates

Using our 5 amazing senses, it is evident that fall is in the air.  Can you believe it is October already?

Math:

In math we are learning many new things.  Math centers are fun and effective because we can practice skills learned during our whole group lesson.  One game we will learn is “Spot on” is a game 

that allows us to work on beginning addition and mental math. Partners use a 10s frame, a dice, a number line, and 10 counters. Partner one rolls the dice and places that many counters on the tens frame.  If the number rolled was 6, the students must roll a 4 to make exactly 10.  If the student rolls a 4, the student says “spot on!” and then gets a point.  If the student does not make an exact 10, his/her board gets cleared and it is partner two’s turn.

We will continue to practice getting to know our numbers from 1-20, discuss attributes of different shapes, count backwards to zero, and play oral counting games.

Language Arts:

In Language Arts, I have introduced our first four letter sounds from our Lively Letters Program.  The sounds are /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/.  We will review these sounds this week and move on the /f/ and /v/.  Here are some questions you can ask your kindergartener at home:

What do you do with your lips when you make /p/ sound?

What do you do with your lips when you make the /b/?

Who is is the character that makes the quiet tongue dancing sound?

(Answer: /t/ is the Quiet Tongue Dancer)

Who is the character that makes the noisy tongue dancing sound?

(Answer: /d/ is the Noisy Tongue Dancer)

What do you do with your head when you make the /f/ sound?

What words begin with the /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, and /f/?

In writing, we are beginning to use writing supplies independently.  We will continue to write very short stories using words and/or illustrations. 

Sight Word Placemats:

Mrs. McCarthy made blue sight words placemats for students to begin memorizing at home.  That doesn’t mean that I have taught or introduced the words to everyone yet.  I encourage you to keep this mat somewhere at home where your child will look at frequently.  Knowing sight words will help your kindergartner read.  You can play Bingo with it, “I Spy”, and “Slap”.  “Slap” is a game where you call out a word and your child tries to find it as quick as possible.  He or she slaps the word called with a finger, hand, or even a drinking straw for fun.

Handwriting:

In handwriting we are learning how to correctly form capital “F” and capital “D”.  Ask your kindergartener about big line down, frog jump, little line, little line.

Mentor Text:

The mentor text I am reading is Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert.  She is the author we are using for our Author Study.

In our social curriculum, we are learning about being respectful to our friends in school.  One area in particular that we are honing in on is how we behave during lessons, and how we show respect when teachers and classmates are speaking.

In science, we are recording daily temperatures and exploring our five senses.  Ask your kindergarten scholar about our sense walk outside.  We used our sense of sight and touch to observe our surroundings.  We also discussed texture words such as rough, smooth, bumpy, soft, and hard.

Concepts for the Car Ride:

(Concepts for the Car Ride is a section of my blog that gives you tips on what to practice with your kindergartener in the car, before bed, in the bath, or at the dinner table)

                    Rhyming words and Nursery Rhymes

       Words that begin with /t/,/d/, and /f/

       Counting from 0-20 (or higher without any errors)

               Counting backwards from 10-0 (or begin higher if your child can)

   Syllables in words (tell your kindergartner to chop the words)

FYI:

This is the first week of homework.  Please know that I will begin this new procedure by requiring that students complete 2 of the homework choices by Friday.  There are 6 homework choices on the menu.  When your child completes 2 out of the 6 activities, he/she can color in those squares, and return the menu and all work back to school on Friday (both completed and incomplete work).

You may also receive work that was not completed in school.  It doesn’t mean your child is in trouble or doesn’t finish his/her work all of the time.  Our day is so short and students work at very different rates.  I thought it would be helpful if some unfinished work went home with students to complete for practice.  Unless noted on the work, students do not need to return it.