Winter weather is here!! If the temperature is warm enough, the kiddos go outside! If they would like to play in the snow, they are required to wear certain pieces of clothing: snow pants, boots, jackets, and mittens. Other recommended pieces include a hat and perhaps a scarf! Some parents choose to leave a set of outdoor winter weather at school so that the students do not have schlep the items to and from home! This is a great option if you do have extras laying around!
Kindergartners are taking a break from Math stations this week for a new unit entitled Bunk Beds! This unit begins with the story of a PJ party – a sleepover during which eight children play, moving up and down bunk beds, teasing and tricking the babysitter who imagines she is losing and then gaining children.
The unit introduces the arithmetic rack, or rekenrek, as a powerful model and tool, to help act out the story. The rekenrek is a calculating frame consisting of two rows of ten beads with two sets of five in each row. The five-structure of this apparatus supports the development of part-whole relations in early number sense. In this unit, the cherubs move the beads on the rekenrek to illustrate and develop an understanding that eight can be named in many ways, for example 7 + 1 = 5 + 3 = 4 + 4. The kiddos absolutely adored exploring with their very own individual (and smaller!) rekenreks. They did an extraordinary job showing the different combinations to eight and were able to explain adeptly that no matter what combination of numbers one used, it still equaled eight.
At the end of the week, the boys and girls of Room #7 made their very own bunk bed stories choosing a target number that was just right for them. They loved the creativity aspect of this project, obviously enjoying the mingling of Math and English Language Arts! We made another class book! Additionally, as their stories were read, we used the class-size rekenrek to model the changing arrangements. Next week, we will go back to station work, but stay tuned because this unit will continue!
Coming off last week’s awesome magnet presentation from The Children’s Museum, I introduced magnets to the class. We talked about three different kinds of magnets (doughnut, wand, and horseshoe). The class also learned two new Science words: repel and attract. The kiddos have loved exploring all that they can do with magnets and were constantly amazed with their “magical properties”. Next week, we will begin our Magnet Journals. The students will use illustrations to show what magnets look like when they repel as well as attract.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. Day approaches, Room #7 read a few books about this wonderful man who helped to change America over forty years ago. As we read about his life, the climate of America, and his renowned “I have a dream” speech, the students asked thoughtful, insightful questions. We discussed how the United States has changed for the better as well as how unfair it was back then for people of color. We were even lucky enough to hear his famous speech at the beginning of All School Meeting. With our Book Buddies, the kiddos wrote and illustrated what their dreams are. Their conversations were amazing to listen in on!
As the cherubs become more aware of the sounds in words, they learn to separate and identify the last sound they hear. This ability is the foundation for connecting sounds and letters beyond the first letter, knowledge that will help the children begin to solve words and also monitor and keep track of their reading as they read a whole story. They’re learning that
• You can hear the last sound in a word.
• You can say a word to hear the last sound.
To help your child fully understand that meaning of last sound as it relates to letters in words, here is a simple word game. The focus of the game is on matching last sounds in words.
• While you’re going about your daily activities with your child – driving, shopping, cooking – say a word and emphasize the ending sound.
• See if your child can think of other words that end the same. So you might say, beet; then you child would think of words that end the same: pot, hot, mat, sat, and so forth. Happy endings!!
Have a marvelous long weekend!