A Review of Our Week

We had another busy week of learning and fun in kindergarten!  Here is a little review of what we did last week in the classroom. 

Writer's Workshop

The children have begun writing books, just like famous authors!  They are learning how to make their writing go from being little to being big.  The children had to think of a teaching topic and then they practiced telling their book to a partner by talking about what they might write on each page.  This procedure was very helpful to the children as there was no hesitation to what to do when they got to their tables. 

The children also learned how to ask "where", "how" and "why" questions that would help writers discover what they can add to their writing.  This was a great intro to how to revise a book. 

On Wednesday, the children helped me stretch out my words to write even more sounds (more than just the beginning sound) for one of my writing pieces.  They learned how the alphabet chart can help them write their words.  I'll be sending how a alphabet chart in your child's Friday folder this week so that your child has their very own alphabet chart that they can use when they are writing at home.  I'm also positive some children will even use the alphabet chart when playing "school" at home! 

On Thursday we reviewed what we have learned so far about writers:

- think of something they know and can teach others about

- picture their topic in their head to remember the details

- add details to your pictures and your words

- use the alphabet chart

-stretch out words and write letters for the sounds they heard

Ask your child what they have learned about being a writer.

Reader's Workshop

This week we focused on learning how to choose a good fit book by looking at the cover and by looking inside the book.  The children were able to choose 4 books for their book boxes.  These books will be books they "read" for the week before exchanging them for new books the following week.  Also in their book boxes, are sight word books that focus on the sight words I and we that they can read along with their Very Hungry Caterpillar book that they created in September. 

Math

The last session in Unit 1 focused on creating patterns.  The first 2 lessons had the children creating patterns using sounds and movement.  On Monday, the children invented a sound and a motion for each character in the book The Little Red Hen.  After some guidance, the children first created a simple ABAB pattern, then an ABCABC pattern.  On Tuesday, the children copied, extended, and created a variety of patterns with their hands, feet, and other body parts.  We also identified each pattern with a letter sequence, such as ABAB or ABBABB.  Ask your child to show you a ABC pattern using their body. 

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the lessons focused on the children creating patterns, first with themselves, and then with Unifix cubes.  The children created a girl, girl, boy boy, girl, girl, boy, boy pattern.  The children had to share with me how they knew what would come next and if there were other patterns they could create.  Then, the children had to recreate the girl, girl, boy, boy pattern using Unifix cubes. 

A new math station was introduced on Friday which has the children copying and extending a pattern, which is displayed on a card, with Unifix cubes.  They also have to record their patterns with crayons on a recording sheet.  This is a great activity that allows for the children to justify how they know when something is a pattern and when something is not a pattern.  When your child brings their recording sheet home, ask them the following question: "How do you know these are patterns?".