Week 19- Jan Brett Author Study

This week we will be revisiting the stories The Hat, The Mitten, and The Three Snow Bears by Jan

Brett. With these three stories, we will be strengthening our retelling skills. We will also be reading

a new story by Jan Brett, The Gingerbread Baby. Along with all of these stories we will be working

on our comparing and contrasting skills.

In writing, we will be making a class book about our favorite Jan Brett story and really working on

our opinion writing skills.

Our Desert Habitat research project is just around the corner (we will be 

beginning next week). If you haven't already, please send in a small/regular 

shoe box (please no extra large/boot type) if you are able. If you have an extra 

you don't mind sending in, it is always appreciated as not everyone is able to 

send a shoe box in. We will also need sandpaper, green and blue felt, and rocks.

 

In math we will be wrapping up our unit focus on teen numbers. Developing 

the understanding of these numbers as "10 and some more" is foundational to 

strong number sense and can be a bit tricky (also some of the names are just 

weird so continued reinforcement can be very beneficial for our Kindergartners).

Our Math Night is this Tuesday and I really hope to see you there! 

Oasis Academy Math Night!

When: Tuesday, January 30th, 5:30 pm

Where: Cafeteria (then break out to grade level rooms)

Who: All parents and students of Oasis Academy

Why: To obtain at-home math activities for students and to support your child's love of math!! 

Take home sets of Mini Eraser Activities will be available for Kindergarten families.  Stop by our classroom to try out some activities and to pick up your child's own set to keep. In addition to the materials, I will be sharing directions and helpful tips, so please be prompt when we break out so you can hear the details. 

 

HOMEWORK
Reading:
10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the binder, sight words, and working on alphabet letter sound fluency.

Math:
Remember, math should be done for 10 minutes each night.

Monday- D.15 Count blocks - up to 20

Tuesday- Come to Math Night! If you are unable to attend, your child many review any skill you think may be beneficial.   

Wednesday- D.16 Count tens and ones - up to 20

Thursday- D.17 Write tens and ones - up to 20

Week 18- Polar Bears

This week we will be reading a nonfiction book about polar bears. We will also be reading another book by our focus author, Jan Brett-The Three Snow Bears. This is a version of the familiar 3 Bears story that is set in the Arctic. We will continue practicing making connections and comparisons between texts.

This week, our nonfiction writing expands to include more specific details as we gather and sort facts by subgroups. This is helping lay the foundation for understanding "main idea".

In math, we continue to explore numbers 10-20 with an emphasis on understanding these numbers as "10 and some more". 

We will have a special guest coming in on Monday to reinforce proper hand washing.

We are expanding our Habits of Discussion to include a focus on really building on what others are saying. Here are some sentence starters that you can model using and encourage your child to use:
* I agree...
* I disagree...
* That makes me think about...
* I wonder...
* Tell me more about...

We will soon be beginning our Desert Animal Research Project which involves the students making a diorama in addition to a written report. Each child will need a small/regular shoe box (please no extra large/boot type). If you have an extra you don't mind sending in, it is always appreciated as not everyone is able to send a shoe box in. We will also need sandpaper, green and blue felt, and rocks.

We have a special event coming up next week:

Oasis Academy Math Night!

When: Tuesday, January 30th, 5:30 pm

Where: Cafeteria (then break out to grade level rooms)

Who: All parents and students of Oasis Academy

Why: To obtain at-home math activities for students and to support your child's love of math!! 

Take home sets of Mini Eraser Activities will be available for Kindergarten families.  Stop by our classroom to try out some activities and to pick up your child's own set to keep. In addition to the materials, I will be sharing directions and helpful tips, so please be prompt when we break out so you can hear the details.

HOMEWORK
Reading:
10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the binder, sight words, and working on alphabet letter sound fluency.

Math:
Remember, math should be done for 10 minutes each night.

Monday- D.4 Show numbers on ten frames - up to 20

Tuesday- D.5 Represent numbers - up to 20
Wednesday- D.6 Count up - up to 20

Thursday- D.9 Number lines - up to 20

Week 17- Making the World a Better Place

This week, in honor of the esteemed Martin Luther King Jr, we will be focusing on ways that we can make the world around us an even better place.

We have several read alouds that will help us explore this social studies topic as we practice our important comprehension skills of predicting, making connections, picturing (identifying strong words), and retelling.

In writing, we will be thinking about ways we can improve our school, our homes, and our community.

In math, we really dive into Numbers 10-19. We have been laying the foundation for really having a strong number sense of these numbers. Getting kindergartners to understand that these numbers represent amounts that are "10 and some more" is HUGE. We are also working on being able to build combinations of numbers to 5 (ex: 1 and 4, 2 and 3, 5 and 0) and combinations of numbers to 10 (ex: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 5 and 5). Being able to easily make groups of 5 and 10 helps students to be able to understand and manipulate amounts later on. This is a really important math unit! We are working towards being able to use these skills with ease and fluency.

On Thursday, we will experience a hands on lesson about perseverance.


I would also like to thank you for reinforcing the use of Habits of Discussion and Formats Matters at home. These are important academic habits that are so beneficial for our young students to learn. When they practice skills in more than one setting, it makes them so much more likely to "stick" and to become part of the way they think and communicate with others. 

HOMEWORK
Reading:
10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the binder, sight words, and working on alphabet letter sound fluency.

Math:
Remember, math should be done for 10 minutes each night.
Tuesday- D.1 Count to 20
Wednesday- D.2 Count dots - 0 to 20
Thursday- D.3 Count on ten frames - up to 20

Week 16- Jan Brett (The Mitten and The Hat)

Happy New Year, families! I hope you had a pleasant holiday season. Breaks are nice, but I am excited to see my Kinders!

This week we begin an author study of Jan Brett. We will begin by reading The Mitten.  This is another personal favorite.  It is a wonderful book for practicing sequencing/retelling. It is also a fabulous book for exploring strong word choice and shades of meaning. We use these skills when deciding how we want to describe something to another person. We want to use words that create clear pictures in people's minds. We have another animal friend to help us practice this skill- PicturingPeacock. We will also be comparing The Mitten to another of Jan Brett's books, The Hat.

We will also focus on reading nonfiction texts in order to gain information.  We will learn how to reword facts that our author gives in order not to "steal their words".  Our writing focus will be on gathering facts and recording them in our own words to make an informative report on foxes.   

In math, we will continue and wrap up our unit on measurement. One tricky thing that can pop up while we are comparing things by weight is that larger does not always mean heavier (it often does, but not always). Students may bring in an item from home on Thursday to use in our final lesson for this unit. This object should easily fit in their backpack. IT SHOULD NOT BE AN ITEM OF EITHER SENTIMENTAL OR MONETARY VALUE. Unfortunate things can happen and I can not take responsibility for each item's safety. Any student that does not bring an item will still be able to complete the activity with a school item- it just won't quite be as much fun.

Some upcoming dates to remember-
No school on January 15th for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  
No school on February 19th for President's Day.

I hope that your Winter Break has left you enthusiastic about the rest of our year!

HOMEWORK

Reading:
10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the binder, sight words, and working on alphabet sounds and letter names.

Math:
Remember, math should be done for 10 minutes. 

 
Making comparisons with real life items is an engaging and valuable way to practice these skills. Your child (along with family members) can gather items together to compare. When making these comparisons it is also valuable to encourage your child to use what we have been practicing in class with our Habits of Discussion and Format Matters. This means that they should:
* Look at the person they are speaking to.
* Use their partner's name.
* Use complete sentences.
* Use specific vocabulary.
* Ask questions of their partner.
For example: "Mom, my stuffed animal is heavier than your book." and "Dad, which is longer the straw or the pencil?"

If you email me by Wednesday night to let me know your child has been using these traits to compare real life objects at home, I will move them up on our behavior chart. (One move total this week, although they can practice this skill each night.)

Monday- S.3 Light and heavy

Tuesday- S.4 Holds more or less

Wednesday-S.5 Compare size, weight, and capacity 
               Have your child pack their item for making math comparisons. Please remember, the item should not be of sentimental or monetary value. 

Week 15-Gingerbread Men

I am so excited for this special week in Kindergarten!  The kids can hardly wait for Christmas to arrive.  We will continue to read, write, and to do math each day but we will do so with a special hum of happiness! 

Our theme this week is Gingerbread Men. It is an enjoyable and rich way to practice comparing and contrasting stories.  We will be finding similarities and differences between stories in regards to characters, settings, and events. We will also continue to practice retelling the important parts of fiction stories.  You can help with this skill by asking about the stories that they hear and read at school and with you at home.

In phonemic awareness, we are continuing to work on hearing different sound chunks in words. We want to be able to break them apart and put them back together.

For writing, we will be writing letters to Santa.

In math, our measurement unit continues with a focus on length, height, and weight. We have a great variety of books and hands on activities to help us explore comparing these.

As we count down the days to Christmas break, I hope that you are able to take some time to relax and enjoy your child's joy this season.

HOMEWORK

Reading:
10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the binder, sight words, and working on alphabet sounds and letter names.

Math:
Remember, math should be done for 10 minutes. 

This week your child can explore any of the following objectives in whatever amount/order seems most appropriate for them.

1. S.1 Long and short
2. S.2 Tall and short
3. S.3 Light and heavy
4. G.3 Fewer and more - compare by counting
5. G.5 Fewer, more, and same 

Thursday - Have a great Christmas Break!  

I came across a site that looked pretty engaging from the sample I was able to try out. The website says that parents can sign up for free (There is also a paid version available). If your child is whipping through the IXL assignments, you may want to have them try out this site for additional practice with important foundational skills.

https://www.splashmath.com/math-skills/kindergarten?gclid=CPi9-Ye5mNICFVG1wAodNz8IVQ

Over break:
Having your child read, play a sight word game, practice any IXL skill, and/or write a bit whenever you can fit it in or they seem interested is a great way to keep the many things we have been working on sharp in their growing minds. (No pressure!)

Thank you for sharing your child with me!

Week 14- Reindeer

This week our theme will be reindeer.  Often, children's only exposure to reindeer will have been Santa's flying reindeer.  To be able to engage in an informational study of reindeer without lessening the magic of Christmas, I will differentiate between most reindeer and Santa's special reindeer. During this nonfiction study, we will introduce many nonfiction text features such as maps, diagrams, and headings.  

We will also be reading a funny story called The Great Reindeer Rebellion. While still practicing our previous comprehension focuses, we will also be comparing texts more formally.

Your child will be bringing home a Retell Bracelet that they can use during their homework time to practice this oh-so-important skill!

We will be exploring onset and rimes for phonemic awareness.

We are continuing to work on writing informational booklets to share facts. Our kinders did a fantastic job with this new genre of writing last week!

We will be wrapping up one math unit this week and then jumping in to a new one- measurement! This unit totally builds on and strengthens our comparing skills.

Students will continue to learn about Forces and Motion with our next STEM Challenge- Race Car Ramps!


Thank you for the fabulous turn out for conferences. I appreciate you taking the time to attend!

HOMEWORK

Reading:
10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the binder, sight words, and working on alphabet sounds and letter names.

Math:
Remember, math should be done for 10 minutes. 

 

Monday- G.3 Fewer and more - compare by counting (or a review of a previous skill) 

Tuesday- G.5 Fewer, more, and same(or a review of a previous skill) 

Wednesday- S.1 Long and short  
Thursday- S.1 Long and short (or a review of a previous skill)

Week 13- Pigs

This week we will be learning about pigs from a nonfiction text. We will use facts from this text to write a piece of informational writing. There are countless skills that go in to be a strong reader- one that can be difficult is "using text evidence". We want readers to make connections and inferences based off of their own experiences, but we also need them to be able to refer to knowledge gained through others. 

We will also be reading an adaptation of the Three Little Pigs by Mark Teague. In this version, the problem and solution of the story are delightfully different than the traditional tale. We will be really taking note of how the problem and solution of a story often fit together, not unlike puzzle pieces.

We will continue to learn about some more Secret Stories- Sneaky y and oo.

We begin our next science unit on forces and motion this week, by exploring our use of pushes and pulls.

Our math unit continues to compare numbers and amounts, with a special note on figuring out "how many more".

The students will have a STEM challenge on Thursday to build a sturdy house that can withstand the huffing and puffing of the wolf. 

A shout out of gratitude to the lovely parents who were able to send materials in for our upcoming Christmas stations! 
We could still use:
* shaving cream
* spangles and sequins
* volunteers for the stations 

I am looking forward to conferences this Friday. It is so nice to get a chance to sit down and meet with each you!

HOMEWORK

Reading:
10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the binder, sight words, and working on alphabet sounds and letter names.

Math:
Remember, math should be done for 10 minutes. 

 

Monday- G.5 Fewer, more, and same

Tuesday- G.6 Compare two numbers - up to 10

Wednesday-G.7 Compare three numbers - up to 10

Thursday- C.16 Count up and down - with numbers