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 in 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!
Last Friday, the students learned about buddy lines in Math. Buddy lines help the children to compare 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!
Math stations for the week:
- 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!
- Grow and Shrink on Ten Frames – In a small group, a teacher asked the students to show a certain number on our ten frame manipulatives. Next, the teacher told the students to either add (grow) or subtract (shrink) to a new number. The students then discussed how many they had to add or take away to obtain that number, and they pointed out the different configurations that made the same number.
- Great Monster Race - This is an independent activity with a Halloween twist! Here, students had to roll dice and trace the number their dice had landed on. The students continued rolling and tracing until a particular spooky image won (e.g., a ghost, a haunted house, a witch, etc.)!
- Mini 10 frame book – Each mathematician used bingo dobbers to represent a specific number within a ten frame (numbers 1-10). Next, they practiced reading their books. They were super successful because of their circle word knowledge AND numeral recognition. Way to go, Kindergartners!
- Build a Staircase – A fan favorite! Working independently, the boys and girls of Room #7 took turns rolling a die. They then stacked cubes together to represent that number. Once they finished building their staircases (1-6), they rolled the die to disassemble them!! As a challenge, the boys and girls used number dice. In this manner, they practiced their number recognition.
- Number Puzzles – an oldie but a goodie! The kiddos concentrated on putting together a variety of puzzles. On the bottom of each puzzle were the numbers 1-10. This station had the students working both to recognize those numerals and put them in consecutive order! The pictures also helped them to check their sequencing!
During Reader’s Workshop, the readers of Room #7 have been reading up a storm. They are learning how to approximate the language in our old favorite storybooks (e.g., The Carrot Seed, Billy Goats Gruff, Mrs. Wishy-Washy, etc.) and even use the exact words to bring their characters to life! They are working hard to make sure the words they read match the page they are reading as well as remembering to say more and more of the story. You can help with this work by allowing them to read and reread their old favorites with you at home! In this manner, your children will fall head over heels in love with their books by reading them over and over! Your child may not actually be able to read his/her books like you do, but we still call what they do reading. They will use what they remember and the pictures to read words to you. They will probably not look very much at the actual words in the book. Don’t worry about being a teacher here. Encourage the ‘reading’ of many words per page. Laugh at the funny parts. Ask questions when you have them for real. In the end, follow your child’s lead. And, don’t worry! We will be working toward really reading all year in Room #7! I want you to know, though, that the work I am asking you to help with right now is the beginning of actual reading and will set down a strong foundation upon which to build. Have fun!!
Enjoy the weekend, everyone!