Welcome Back!

We've been busy since returning from the holiday break! Here is a glimpse of what we've been doing in the classroom since returning.

Number Corner



This month's calendar markers is a growing pattern, not a repeating pattern like we've seen in previous months. It's important for children to know that patterns can also grow in some predictable way. One Dot, Many Dots (our calendar pieces) is a simple growing pattern that adds 1 dot per day to a collection. The dots are put in groups of 5 to make them easier to count, especially when we are using bigger numbers. This is a great way for the children to learn how to count by
5's and about the counting on strategy! We have been and will continue to use and understand words one/many, none/some/all, more/less, most/least, equal to/more than/less than when describing the markers on a daily basis.

Our Month in School Chart has us looking at ten frame cards and exploring the concept of odd and even. Ask your child if they can tell you if 3, 4, and 5 are odd or even numbers and ask them how do they know.

Math

Another new work place, Count and Compare Butterflies, was introduced in math last week. To play Count and Compare Butterflies, children play with a partner using one gameboard and a set of butterfly ten-frame cards. Each child draws 1 card from the pile and counts the butterflies on their card. The children compare their cards and decide who has more and who has less. Then, they place their cards in the appropriate box; the "more" box or the "less" box. The spinner is then spun, which determines who gets to take both cards. For example, if it lands on "more", the person who had the card with more butterflies on it gets to take both cards. The skills the children are working on when playing this game include 1-to-1 correspondence, comparing sets, and adding and subtracting. This game will be sent home in your child's Friday folder this week as part of the Home Connections.

Another math work place was introduced this week. In Pattern Block Puzzles, there are 6 puzzles, and the challenge is to find 3 different ways to complete each one using pattern blocks. This activity is a great way for the children to see how they can combine shapes to make other shapes.



Writer's Workshop

The children came back from the holiday very excited to participate in writer's workshop. They have been working hard at writing books that include details in pictures and words on each page. This week they learned, more of a review, writers put spaces between their words by using a finger space (sometimes a 2 finger space) between words they write. We also looked at the difference between readable and unreadable writing.



Reader's Workshop

This week in reader's workshop, we are learning about reader's pointing under the words, not on them, not over them, but under them and the importance of making our pointer finger match the words as we read them on the page. After practicing reading books with our fingers, we then practiced reading with our eyes. Please remind your child to use these strategies when he/she is reading their books from their reading bags this weekend.

Fundations

This week we began Unit 2 in Fundations. The children practiced learning how to write the uppercase letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H and they also reviewed how to write the lowercase letters of these letters.