This week’s Math stations were centered on figuring out one more than a given number AND one less than a given number – this is tricky work!
· Monster Squeeze – We’re using iPads in Room #7! A fan favorite, this independent game required students to guess a number. The computer then replied either: “My number is greater than that” OR “My number is less than that.” Children continued guessing numbers until the correct number had been determined or “squeezed” between the monster’s two long arms!
· Shrinking Number Monster – Another favorite, students rolled dice to determine how many “eyes” belonged on their monster work board. They then took away one eye, recounted them, and wrote the number that was one less! The cherubs are challenging themselves by using their teen numbers!
· Find a Match – In this Memory-esque game, students looked under a tub and counted all the cubes. They then tried to find the tub with the card with the matching number! The cherubs had a lot of fun with this game, and it was great counting and memory practice!
· Guess that Number – At this center, the children first lined up number cards from 1-20. Next, the kiddos closed their eyes, and I turned over various cards so that they could not see the numbers. When they opened their eyes, they used their knowledge of one more and one less to predict what the turned over cards were! Everyone did a magnificent job with this activity!
· Spin and Copy Teen Numbers – Using a spinner with all of our teen numbers represented in 10-frame form, the kiddos spun, then practiced writing that number on their board. They always had to remember: “Numbers in the teens start with a ONE!”
· Roll and Color Teen Numbers – At this station, the mathematicians of Room #7 rolled a giant die with the teen numbers 11-16 (represented in 10-frame form). Next, they found that specific number on their activity sheet and colored it in!
· Grab and Count – One More/One Less – A new tricky station! At this center, the boys and girls grabbed a handful of a specific material (we used noodles, counters, beads, and buttons). Next, they counted their material and wrote that number down. Finally, their last two steps were to figure out what one less number was and one more number was from the first number they counted! Not only did the cherubs practice their counting and writing skills but also had to concentrate on what the numbers were before and after! This can be difficult work! Way to go, Kindergartners!
The children are learning to solve new words by making connections with words they already know. They’re exploring how words sound, how words look, and what words mean, plus they are beginning to categorize words. In class, we’ve been connecting names to other words. For example, the children are noticing that Sara and sun start the same. You can do this at home too! Have your child look for a small object or picture of something that begins the same way as your child’s name (e.g., magazines, books, TV program, etc).
We’ve also been practicing saying words slowly and listening very carefully to hear each one of the sounds inside the word. For example, when we say dog very slowly, we can hear three sounds, d-o-g. In class, we’ve been saying words slowly, and the children are listening for the beginning, middle, and ending sounds of words. They’re learning that they can write the letters for the sounds they hear.
At home, try playing “Listen for the Sounds” while driving or in the grocery store. For example:
1. Give your child a clue about a word, such as “I’m thinking of a fruit that is yellow.”
2. Your child guesses the word and tells what letter it starts with, such as “Banana. It starts with b.”
As you all know, the writers in Room #7 are working hard to create stories with a beginning, middle, and end. There is SO much to remember when writing (e.g., thinking of a complete thought, letter/sound association, circle words, labeling, matching your picture to the words, to name just a few!), and the kiddos are doing really well with this difficult and sometimes tricky work. This week, the boys and girls learned about taking the time to check to see if they can read their own writing! It’s important to stop every once in a while to see if they can point, touch, and say the words they’ve written. If they forget a space, if the letters are “smushed” together, or if they don’t write enough letters for a particular word - all of this can make reading their work even harder! So, as a class, the writers decided to work to make sure they are using Spacemen to help them separate the words and to really focus on stretching the words out and writing down the sounds they hear! It was super neat to hear the kiddos read their work back to themselves to make certain they could read their own writing! If they couldn’t, they knew they had some revising to do!
Thank you to all the parents who helped with the Fall Craft on Friday! The kids had a blast creating their one-of-a kind, gorgeous fall trees. Ask your cherubs how they m
We learned about a new Unthinkable on Friday: Glassman! Check out the Social Skills tab to learn what Glassman does when he invades your brain and what YOU can do to defeat him!
Enjoy the weekend!