Because we are now in the month of October, we decided it was time to create our monthly self-portraits! The kids did a phenomenal job using the new medium, water-color resist. First, the kiddos used crayons to draw themselves. They paid special attention to all the details of their faces, making sure to use realistic colors. Then, they employed vivid water-color paints in which to wash their portraits. They were amazed to see that the water bubbled up and did not stick to the places where the crayon strokes were. As a result, our self-portrait wall is full of colorful renditions of your beautiful children!
On Thursday, the students learned about buddy lines. Buddy lines help the children when comparing the amount of different objects. For example, when looking at a graph, sometimes it’s difficult to tell which column has more in it. However, if one draws a line from one item to the next until one can no longer draw anymore, that person will be able to discern which has more or less, and how many more or less. To practice this skill, the students partnered up and worked with each other’s names. After lining up their names, they drew buddy lines from one letter to the other and then finally determined whose name had more letters and whose name had less. The cherubs had a blast during the activity and can’t wait to use buddy lines in their everyday lives!
Stations for the week:
- One More Bingo – This Bingo-esque game required students to roll a die and then figure out what one more was than the number on their die. For example, if a student rolled a 6, one more is 7!
- Finger Count Fun – At this station, students worked on number recognition in two different ways: recognizing how many fingers were held up and showing a specific number on their hands!
- Dot Bingo – At this station, students rolled a die to determine what number to focus on. Next, they put a marker on a representation of that number (e.g., picture of fingers, the numeral, the dots, OR what it looks like on a ten frame)! In this manner, the cherubs were able to notice that one can represent numbers in a variety of ways! First one with five in a row won!
- Great Dice Race – An oldie, but a goodie! This independent activity required students to roll dice and trace the number their dice had landed on. The students continued rolling and tracing until a particular number won!
- Build a Staircase – Using dot dice, the boys and girls of Room #7 took turns rolling a die. They then stacked cubes together to represent that number. Once the partners finished building their staircases (1-6), they took turns rolling the die to disassemble them!!
- Shape Puzzles - Using various paper puzzle pieces, the children counted how many Unifex cubes could fit on each. They then “labeled” each shape with the corresponding number! Great job practicing your counting skills, Kindergarteners!
We are investigating the idea of sentences. In class, the children are learning that sentences are made up of words that, when put together, make sense to the reader. The children are also learning that we say one word for each word we see in writing. Knowing this will help them as they read sentences in books and write their own sentences. We have been practicing this concept whole group, and the kiddos are beginning to get it! I am encouraging the boys and girls to really use their fingers to get practice with 1:1 correspondence; this definitely comes in handy with writing and reading!
As a Kindergartener, it is important to learn how to problem solve across many areas, including writing! In Room #7, the Kindergarten writers are learning that when writers have problems and don’t know what to do, they say, “I can solve this myself.” Then, writers come up with solutions to those problems and carry on, writing, writing, writing! That way, the writers don’t waste their precious time! Ask your child if he/she is the boss of his/her own writing!
The cherubs have also been looking at the specific shapes of the letters of the alphabet and connecting a name and sound to each. Together, we’ve been exploring the letters in each child’s name, noting how the letters are always in the same order for that name. Alphabet charts and manipulating letters in each other’s names are helping to cement this concept! By learning to read our abc charts in different ways, they receive more practice in recognizing letters and words that begin with those letters. During Word Work this week, the boys and girls read their alphabet charts in three different ways: the letters, the pictures, and the letters and the pictures. They paid special attention to point to each thing they read and to make sure they went in the correct alphabetical order! Great work, friends!
We are building stamina in Room #7! This week, the boys and girls challenged themselves to get up to 6 minutes of independent Read to Self Time. They are eager to fill up our Stamina chart and are using their strategies to do so. They are diligently working to remember that during our Reader’s Workshop time, they read the whole time quietly (in the 3 different ways – read the pictures, read the words, or read the story); they stay in one spot, and they think! It’s difficult work and they are so proud when they are successful! Ask them to show you how they read in class! Let’s keep it up, Kindergarteners! Next week, the kiddos will be able to pick their own spots in the room where they want to read so they will have even more choices and, thus, will be more accountable for their reading!
Some Miscellaneous Notes:
*Fieldtrip to Smolak Farm: October 16th.
*Please remember to send in Library books on Monday so that your child can pick out a new book! Thank you!
Thank you all for the generous classroom donations! They are much appreciated.!!!
Have a wonderful and restful long weekend, families!