Week Three Highlights

What a wonderful week!

Our story of the week was Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.  Our comprehension focus was retelling using pictures, identifying character and setting, and making connections to the characters or events in the story.  Please ask your child to retell the story of Chrysanthemum to you at home! We also created our first Reading Blueprint.  The kiddos and I shared the marker to identify the characters, setting, major events, and importance of the events in the story.  We cannot wait to show you our hard work at Open House.

We added a new word to our word wall this week! Our new word wall word is "can".  We chanted our words like a robot, swimmer, motorcyclist, Rocky, and many more.  Please ask your child to share with you their favorite way to chant our word wall words.  Also, please challenge your child to begin to identify and write our word wall words at home.

During reader's workshop this week we learned the parts of the book and the roles of the author and illustrator.  When reading with your child at home, please ask them to identify the front and back covers, title of the book, title page, author, and illustrator of the book.  During reading stations, we worked on building reading stamina, reading and writing our friends names, and letter identification.  We also began sharing what we read with our elbow partners.  Please ask your child to share with you the name of their elbow partner.  Take a peek at our kindergartners hard at work during reading stations.

In our writer's workshop we are building writing stamina.  We are up to thirteen minutes of writing stamina this week! Our kindergarten writers are working on creating stories with characters (with clothing!) and a setting.  We introduced the alphabet chart as a way to help us sound out the words to describe our drawings.  Take a peek at our kindergarten writers!

This week our math focus was all about shapes.  We discussed how shapes can be flat or solid, have sides and corners, be different sizes, can be turned in different directions, be put together to make new shapes, and how shapes are all around us.  Take a peek at our kindergartners hard at work during calendar book!  During math stations, we reviewed number writing, shape identification, and one to one correspondence.  We also introduced a new dice game, Bump!  Please ask your child what was their favorite math station this week.  

Friendly Reminders

• Despite the warm weather, the AC in our classroom can make it quite chilly.  If your child has said anything to you about being cold in the classroom, please feel free to send them to school with a sweatshirt or light jacket. 
• Please have your child bring or wear gym shoes on Mondays and Fridays.
• Please make sure your child returns their library book on Fridays.
• Curriculum Night/Open House is Thursday, September 24th from 6:30-8:30pm.  On Thursday, you will learn all about our kindergarten curriculum, upcoming events, and sign up for volunteer opportunities.  
• If you are interested, Scholastic Book Orders are due by September 25th.