Saturday, October 17, 2015

Week in Review--Fire Safety

Math:
This week was all about numbers 11-20! We practiced writing, counting and drawing objects with those numbers. At the end of the week, we used QR codes with a partner to reveal one of those numbers. After we recognized the number, we counted to that number by doing jumping jacks, touching our toes, side steps and more! We also learned how to use an app called DoodleBuddy to show the number!

We have a new choice at Math by Myself. This new choice has all the numbers 1-10 on a play-doh mat! We create circles of play-doh and place them in various objects, after we have the correct amount, we squish the play-doh down while counting to that number.




















































Reading:
This week in reading we focused on Text Features in books, middle sounds and vocabulary words. We learned that authors use various text features to make certain words and ideas stand out. They can use boxes around words, highlight words, make words BIG or small, use bubble letters, wiggly letters, labels, headings and more! As we read stories this week we looked for these features and discussed why the author decided to write the words that specific way!

During our accuracy mini-lessons the last few weeks we have focused on beginning and ending sounds. This week we continued to work on sounds, but focusing more on the middle sound(s) you hear in words. We wrote the middle sounds, stretched out words and repeated the middle sound and worked with partners on middle sounds!

During our morning work activity time this week we practiced with QR codes! Students first scanned a code on the board that linked to a video of me telling them their task for the morning. They then went around the room hunting for more QR codes. After they scanned the code, they read the name of a classmate and went to write that name down. The object was to hunt for their own name, all the while finding their friends! Once they found their name, they circled it on their paper and then continued hunting for more names!

Our vocabulary review lesson this week was so much fun! We reviewed the word "sprinkled". Each student sat by their iPad partner and took turns drawing a cupcake and adding sprinkles or a piece of pizza and sprinkling cheese on it. After the drawing, they wrote the word by stretching out the word and writing down the sounds they hear!































































































































Writing:
This week in writing we learned how adding the words "a, the" and even "to" help our sentences in our writing journals sound even better! We also began writing the beginning and ending sound we hear in unknown words that are not our sight words. Students learn that all sight words should be spelled correctly, but any other word is written with the sounds they hear in the word. Some students have moved on from writing just the beginning and ending sound and are writing all of the sound they hear in the word! I am beyond impressed at how these kindergarteners are moving right along during our writing workshop time!

Content:
Fire Safety week was a success! We had so much learning about fire safety both in our homes and at school! We learned all about what fire fighters do, how to keep our homes safe and what to do in case of an emergency! One of our favorites was the STOP DROP AND ROLL lesson! We practiced stopping, dropping and rolling the flames out and made a fun hat to remind us of those three important words! At the end of the week, we combined the shapes we have learned in math class to create a fire truck!




























Other:
Every Friday (if we have time and we really, really try to have time) we focus on PLAYING! We get out our play centers and work on sharing, using kind words, using our imagination and getting along with our friends! I absolutely LOVE this time of the week. Getting to see the kids be KIDS in their element just exploring and having fun makes me smile! I hope every Friday we have time in the afternoon to enjoy being KIDS!












PRACTICE AT HOME:
Have your child stretch out words and tell you the sounds he/she hears when stretching those sounds out. Focus on three sounds, the beginning, middle and end. Some words have a LOT of sounds you hear and even some blended sounds. If they hear more sounds than those three, that is fantastic! Point out objects around the house and stretch the words out together!
 

Next Week:
  • In reading we will learn the CAFE strategy "Sequencing".
  • In writing we will learn how to write a sentence with words other than "I".
  • In math we will focus on numbers in the teens!
  • Our theme next week is all about FALL!

Important Dates/Information:

  • 10/19-10/22 Parent/Teacher Conferences
  • 10/22- First Nine Week's Awards Program
  • 10/30-Grandparent's Day 10-11AM