Week 29- Earth Care

This week, we explore a new science topic. We will be exploring different 

ways to help care for our planet. We have a parent volunteer coming in to 

lead us in some Earth Day activities on Monday! We also have an 

environmental scientist joining us later in the week.

We will be reading several books about taking care of nature as we continue 

to practice our comprehension skills. We will be focusing on new, interesting 

words this week. We will also begin to investigate how an author supports 

his point. We will be looking for what they want us to learn and think. We 

will then be figuring out how they use their words and illustrations to 

convince us.

This week, we start to explore a new writing focus: narratives. Not only

will we be writing our own narratives- we will also be exploring what 

makes a story great. What makes a book become a favorite? To help us 

explore this question, your child may bring in a book or two from home 

that they really enjoy. Please make sure your child’s/family’s name is 

clearly labeled so we can help ensure that it comes home with your child 

when we are done exploring. These are books that we will be sharing 

with each other, so if the book is super duper beloved (like a family 

heirloom) or is somehow worth a lot monetarily, it may not be one you 

want to send in for this project. These books may be needed by our class 

for an extended time, so please consider that when selecting books to share 

as well. Our main chunk of time this week to explore these books will be 

on Wednesday, but your child may bring them in earlier for extra 

exploration.

The other kindergarten teacher met with a local librarian last week and planned an
a project to help us explore narratives. She has been kind enough to invite our class to
join hers in this project.

A couple of parts of this project will be taking place at our local library 

which means participation in these aspects will be optional as parents 

will need to transport and supervise their children.

We will be having a special gathering at the library on Friday, April 20th 

at 10am. The children’s librarian will be sharing a favorite story or two. 

This visit will be an opportunity for the children to get (if they do not yet 

have one) and then use their very own library cards!

To do this, you must send in the appropriate paperwork to me no later than 

Thursday. (You can send in the appropriate paperwork in a 

sealed envelope if you wish.) Applications will be coming home in binders 

this week. You may also take your information directly to the library. Please 

note, it does take several days for the library to process applications.

From the library website:

Get a Card

• Library cards are issued to Nevada residents at no charge and to people 
  of all ages.
• Bring a Nevada picture ID or a military ID.
• Proof of address and out-of-state picture ID will limit you to 2 items at 
  a time.
• A contact, someone not at the same address as the applicant, is required.
• A parental signature is required for minor children.
• Temporary cards are issued to non-permanent patrons for a refundable 
  $5.00 fee.
• Library card application is available here. Fill it out, bring it to the 
  library, and get your card.

You can check out:

https://www.churchillcountylibrary.org/index.php/use/borrow-return-renew

for more details about checking out library materials.

We have tentatively scheduled a culminating event to allow your child to 

share what they have learned about quality stories with others at the 

library. This would be another optional part of our project as parents would 

need to provide transportation and supervision of their children at the event. 

Right now, we are planning for Friday, May 18th 4:30- 5:30 (the library 

closes at 6). The details of this event are subject to change, but I will keep 

you posted.

In math, we expand our work in creating combinations to include various 

sum amounts. Fluency is a big part of mastering this skill so multiple 

experiences with combining smaller amounts to make larger amounts 

while discussing the parts and the whole is super important.

Student binders are getting a bit thick. It may be a good idea to move some 
of the older poems and sight word lists to an "at home binder. This would 
keep them handy for review, but free up some space in their at school binder.
We've noticed that some of the student work folders are also getting a bit full,
If you could empty them out at your earliest convenience, it makes it easier 
for students to put in papers when asked to do so. Thank you!

HOMEWORK

Reading:

10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in 

the binder, and practicing sight words.

Try for a combination of paper familiar reads and trade book read alongs. 

Some notes to guide book discussions:

When reading together, remember to ask questions and share thoughts about the 

characters and what they are thinking, feeling, or doing. It is also a good idea to 

talk about the problem the character had (the uh-oh part of the story) and the  

solution-how it was fixed (the phew part of the story).  See if your child can tell you 

most of the important things that happened in the story.

If you are reading a non-fiction book together, some of the things you can discuss include:

* facts that you learn

* things that surprised you

* things you are wondering about

* connections to other things you have read

* connections to things you have experienced   

Math:

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

IXL does offer several objectives that allow for practice with Addition up to 5 

(skill section I), however they use the math symbols + and =. These are not 

yet included as a focus in our math instruction. We are working on laying a 

strong foundation with the important part-part-whole concept so we emphasis 

the language of ___ and ___ make___ at first.

For homework this week, if you wish, you may try out the IXL I skills and 

simply connect the symbols to the language used in class. If this makes sense 

to your child and is not causing confusion or stress, this can be your child’s 

homework practice.

ALTERNATIVELY, you may continue to do the below type of math practice,

 preferably with an emphasis on solving math stories or addition based dice or 

card games. It is best to start with lower numbers/amounts and work up to 

larger amounts as your child builds confidence and fluency.

This is a great time to play math games with your child. You can use materials 

from Math Night, online or printable activities, or traditional board/card 

games that have a math component.

Revisit any skill from the Comparing (G) section. We will be reinforcing 

comparing smaller amounts for a couple of days, before moving into 

comparing the teen numbers. IXL does not have objectives for comparing 

items within 20, so this is where materials from Math Night or collections 

of items from around the house can come in handy.  If your child seems 

pretty solid with comparing within 10, move on to comparing groups of

real items up to 20. Using terms, such as “more”, “less”, “fewer”, 

“the same”, and “equal”. It is also great to practice “how many more/fewer”. 

For example if I have 12 crayons and 10 pencils, I could talk about how I 

have 2 more crayons or 2 fewer pencils. When making such comparisons, 

noting groups of 10 or how far away from a group of 10 is valuable too 

(I have 7 gummy bears- that’s just 3 away from a whole group of 10). When 

using real items you can physically group them into 10s. You can also 

physically line them up item to item to see how many more/fewer there are.

If it seems appropriate for your child, you may also spend some time revisiting 

any D section skill.

Week 28- Ocean Habitats Continued

This week, we will be continuing to practice our comprehension skills 
while reading more about the ocean. We will be reading three nonfiction texts

and a fiction text with a fish as the main character. We will also be revisiting 
including meaningful details in our illustrations as we use our illustrations 
to help us share information.

We begin a new math unit this week- Addition! This week we will be 

spending a lot of time on developing fluency with combinations to 5. 

We will, in fact, be spending a lot of time on addition (and subtraction) for 

the remainder of our year as these are skills that we strongly desire 

students to have fluency with.

We will be finishing up our research projects this week and presentations

will be THIS THURSDAY AT 1:30

Please plan on joining us at 1:30 on Thursday, April 12th.

Please enter through the front office and then come on down and join us. 

Some students will be presenting in the classroom, while some students will 

be set up in the hall right outside our classroom (in hopes of helping you to be 

able to focus in on the child you are listening to). Please plan to listen to your 

child’s presentation first and then visit a few other children’s presentations as 

well. They will present their information as many times as needed. When 

finished, your child will be able to leave with you, but please allow them to 

share their presentation with others before you go. You will need to sign your 

out at the office if you leave before 2:00. (There will be no after school session 

this day). Also, there will be a very easy feedback form for you to fill out as 

you listen to presentations. This allows me to share feedback with the students 

later in class and it also helps students understand the importance of presenting 

to an audience.

HOMEWORK

Reading:

10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in 

the binder, and practicing sight words.

Your child should ideally be spending time with familiar texts (such as the 

printed books they bring home), as they help reinforce sight words in context 

and using word solving strategies. However, these books are not real meaty 

when it comes to comprehension, so they should also be spending time with 

trade books (high quality children’s literature- like from the local library or 

bookstore). These books lend themselves better to conversations. When you 

read to them, you are also providing important modeling of a fluent reader 

and a pleasant reading experience.

Math:

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

IXL does offer several objectives that allow for practice with Addition up to 5 

(skill section I), however they use the math symbols + and =. These are 

not yet included as a focus in our math instruction. We are working on laying 

a strong foundation with the important part-part-whole concept so we 

emphasis the language of ___ and ___ make___ at first.

For homework this week, if you wish, you may try out the IXL I skills and 

simply connect the symbols to the language used in class. If this makes sense 

to your child and is not causing confusion or stress, this can be your child’s 

homework practice.

ALTERNATIVELY, you may continue to do the below type of math 

practice, preferably with an emphasis on solving math stories or addition 

based dice or card games. It is best to start with lower numbers/amounts and 

work up to larger amounts as your child builds confidence and fluency.

This is a great time to play math games with your child. You can use materials 

from Math Night, online or printable activities, or traditional board/card 

games that have a math component.

Revisit any skill from the Comparing (G) section. We will be reinforcing 

comparing smaller amounts for a couple of days, before moving into 

comparing the teen numbers. IXL does not have objectives for comparing 

items within 20, so this is where materials from Math Night or collections 

of items from around the house can come in handy.  If your child seems 

pretty solid with comparing within 10, move on to comparing groups of 

real items up to 20. Using terms, such as “more”, “less”, “fewer”, 

“the same”, and “equal”. It is also great to practice “how many more/fewer”. 

For example if I have 12 crayons and 10 pencils, I could talk about how I 

have 2 more crayons or 2 fewer pencils. When making such comparisons, 

noting groups of 10 or how far away from a group of 10 is valuable too 

(I have 7 gummy bears- that’s just 3 away from a whole group of 10). 

When using real items you can physically group them into 10s. You can 

also physically line them up item to item to see how many more/fewer 

there are.

If it seems appropriate for your child, you may also spend some time 

revisiting any D section skill.

Week 27- Hermit Crabs

This week, we focus in on hermit crabs with a nonfiction text and two stories 

with main characters that are hermit crabs (including an Eric Carle book). 

At the end of the week, we take a look at coral reefs. These books will 

provide us with opportunities to strengthen our questioning skills along with 

our retelling and comparing and contrasting skills.

Last week, we learned about when strong readers ask questions- before, 

during, and after reading- as well as some types of questions we ask- about 

the meaning of a word, clarifying (to make sure we understand), and to get 

more information (these are often sparked by an interesting detail which 

motivates us to know more). We also discussed various words that are often 

used to start questions (who, what, where, when, why, how, etc). Actually 

phrasing a question (and not sharing a comment- also important, but a separate 

skill) can be tricky for Kindergartners.

In math this week, we continue comparing amounts with a focus on “how 

many more/fewer”. The concept of “how many fewer” tends to be trickier than 

more, so additional practice and conversations centered on this are time well 

spent. We also spend some more time reviewing “one more” and “one less” as 

these are skills will desire students to have fluency with.

This week, we will be adding in some pictures of our animal's diet to our dioramas

as well as writing about some fun facts we've learned about our animals.

We have our Little Red Hen performance today, Monday at 1:30. The play should be

over at about 1:50 and you can take your kiddos home with you after.

HOMEWORK

Reading:

10 minutes each night. Reading can include reading stories, the poems in the 

binder, and practicing sight words.

Your child should ideally be spending time with familiar texts (such as 

the printed books they bring home), as they help reinforce sight words 

in context and using word solving strategies. However, these books are not 

real meaty when it comes to comprehension, so they should also be spending 

time with trade books (high quality children’s literature- like from the local 

library or bookstore). These books lend themselves better to conversations. 

When you read to them, you are also providing important modeling of a 

fluent reader and a pleasant reading experience.

Math:

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

This is a great time to play math games with your child. You can use 

materials from Math Night, online or printable activities, or traditional 

board/card games that have a math component.

Revisit any skill from the Comparing (G) section. We will be reinforcing 

comparing smaller amounts for a couple of days, before moving into

 comparing the teen numbers. IXL does not have objectives for comparing 

items within 20, so this is where materials from Math Night or collections 

of items from around the house can come in handy.  If your child seems 

pretty solid with comparing within 10, move on to comparing groups of 

real items up to 20. Using terms, such as “more”, “less”, “fewer”, 

“the same”, and “equal”. It is also great to practice “how many more/fewer”. 

For example if I have 12 crayons and 10 pencils, I could talk about how I 

have 2 more crayons or 2 fewer pencils. When making such comparisons, 

noting groups of 10 or how far away from a group of 10 is valuable too (I 

have 7 gummy bears- that’s just 3 away from a whole group of 10). When 

using real items you can physically group them into 10s. You can also 

physically line them up item to item to see how many more/fewer there are.

If it seems appropriate for your child, you may also spend some time 

revisiting any D section skill.