Newsletter 9/13/19

In Reading Workshop this week, we learned how to read privately, and with a partner.  When we read with a partner, we sit hip to hip and hold one book in the middle.  We take turns sharing our books.  While sharing we can "see-saw" read and/or share "WOW! Moments".  Everyone is doing a great job as a partner.  We'll be working on partnering skills all year. 

We read The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Caps for Sale in a whole group, many times this week.  Ask your child to tell you about those stories.

In Writing Workshop, we learned a saying that will stay with us through elementary school: "When I'm done, I've just begun!".  What can we do if we think we're done writing?  We can add to the picture, add the the words, or start a new piece.  Everyone is in a different place in the process, and that's ok!  Writers are the bosses of their own pieces, and we don't all complete pieces at the same time.  We're learning the routine. 

In math, we worked with numerals 0-5.  We met Zero the Hero who holds a space, so all the other numbers can stay in their place!  We matched numbers, counted objects and worked a bit on numeral formation.

In our social studies lessons, we learned our Listening Rules:  eyes watching, ears listening, voice quiet, body still.  The students also generated a list of classroom rules that we all decided we would try to follow.  We also practiced a fire drill.

In our handwriting lessons, we used our wooden pieces to build alphabet letters.

We became scientists this week and observed and recorded the tree outside our window from our "Observation Station".  We'll be observing it periodically all year, noting how it may stay the same, or change. 

Matching amounts in math lessons

Reading Workshop:  Partners side by side with the book in the middle

Building letters with wooden pieces

Newsletter 9/6/19

Hello and welcome to our newsletter!  This weekly note will help you know what we've been up to in KH.

In Reading Workshop this week, we learned that WE ARE READERS!  If we look, and think carefully about words around us, we can read many things!  Sometimes, we can even learn from them.  We looked at nonfiction ("read about the world") books and learned new information, just by looking at the pictures.  We are also listening to emergent story books.  This week we studied The Carrot Seed and began Three Billy Goats Gruff.  Ask your child about these class favorites!

In Writing Workshop, we learned about "Kindergarten Spelling".  We don't need to spell correctly, we just need to try our best.  We wrote about our hopes for the school year, and we began our first piece of writing!

In our math lessons, we focused on numerals one and two.  We counted groups, read and wrote numerals.  We also learned where our math workbook is kept and how to find the page we're working on.

In our phonics lessons, we learned the letter stories for letters, Tt, Bb and Ff.  We also wrote a sentences and counted words in each sentence.  We noticed that sentences begin with a capital and end with a period.

We met Mat Man in our handwriting lessons!  He is made up of big lines, little lines, big curves and little curves.  Everyone finished the week able to draw Mat Man.  Now, when we draw people, we don't need to make stick figures.

In our social studies lessons, we read a book called What If Everybody Did That?  It was a story about communities with no rules/guidelines.  It was very funny.  We also made goals for the year and wrote about them.

News and Notes:

• 9/25 is Picture Day at Ox Ridge!