It's Fun to Read!

www.starfall.com

This is an amazing website for young children, there is something for all skill levels. There are 4 different levels starting with children who are learning to recognize the letters and sounds of the alphabet. The second level has simple pattern stories to help children with beginning reading skills. Level 3 offers different types of texts for children to explore, and Level 4 is for children who can read independently. There is something for everyone on this website.

JOLLY PHONICS- Learning Letter Sounds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djz82FBYiug



This is a collection of songs from the book Jolly Songs. There is also a CD which contains all the songs. The songs teach letter recognition, and letter sounds, and links them to an action to help children remember letter-sound associations. Although the letter Qq is missing, it is a fun and engaging way to learn letter sounds! Enjoy!

Tissue Boxes

Dear Parents,

I have another request to make of you. Our supply of tissue boxes is running low in class. If you have a new tissue box you can donate to us, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

PLEASE DONATE CLEAN, EMPTY BOXES

DEAR PARENTS
WE NEED CLEAN, EMPTY BOXES OF ALL DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES FOR OUR CONSTRUCTION CENTRE 



HEALTHY SNACKS

Dear parents,

Thank you for providing healthy snacks for your children. We encourage you not to send cookies, cakes, chips, and other "treat" foods to school. No NUTELLA,  or any products containing nuts. Thank you!

                  FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND WATER are wonderful snacks. 

Designs with pattern blocks

Students have been using the pattern blocks to build and create this week.

 

 

A castle

Water Play: BUBBLES

I have noticed for the past two days that my students are noticing bubbles while playing at the water centre. I asked, "Where did the bubbles come from?" "How do we make bubbles?" The girls below believe that the rigorous movement of their hands in the water "when they shake the water" the bubbles comes.

The girls are pushing the water in one direction to form bubbles. They were asked to push the water in the opposite direction to see if they produced the same results.

Water slips through your hands but the bubbles stick

This student collected the bubbles in the container and "poured" it back and forth.

Creating a Picture Dictionary (PM CLASS)

Many students in the class often ask me how to spell words while they are writing. I am tying to encourage them to use the resources in the room to help them spell common words. We also have picture dictionaries in the classroom but we thought it was more meaningful to create a dictionary based on things the students wanted to know how to spell (e.g., their names, activities and objects in the classroom). The students decorated an old scrapbook and I wrote the alphabet inside. The students took pictures of things in the classroom they wanted to include in the dictionary and they are being encouraged to think of more things to include. Below is a look inside our class picture dictionary.

The outside of our dictionaries

 We had so many pictures and words for the letter Ss, we ran out of room!!

 

the Ww page...some of our pages need more words!

**The AM class will begin taking pictures soon.

Activities to promote Fine Motor Development

Asking your child to start writing before they are ready may deter them from wanting to write.  Children need good control of their hand muscles before they can begin the process of writing.  To help develop strong fine motor skills try these following activites.


This is a short article which explains why fine motor skills are important:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-importance-of-developing-your-child-s-fine-motor-skills



This link provides activities to help develop your child's fine motor skills:
http://www.mpf.org/fine%20motor%20activities.pdf

Constructing a Road

Three students worked cooperatively together and used blocks to build a road for the trucks. They needed the road because "trucks drive on the road!"

Reading Buddies (AM Class)

Every Day 2, our morning Kindergarten class has reading buddies with a Grade 2 class. Each Kindergarten student is  paired with a Grade 2 student, who reads simple stories to our Kindergarten children. We usually begin our Reading Buddy session with a story or interactive activity. Today we talked about patterns and used the students to create a tall, short pattern.

 

The students then separated into their reading buddy pairings. The grade 2 students encourage the Kindergarten students to follow the story with their finger, and use pictures to talk about the story. The Grade 2 teacher and I walk around and talk to the different groups about what they are learning.

 

Knowledge Building Circle

One of my students drew this picture about how we discussed growing pumpkins in class in a knowledge building circle
(please see the link on Natural Curiosity to understand the purpose of knowledge building circles)

ROOTS OF EMPATHY (AM CLASS)

Our morning class was selected to participate in the Roots of Empathy (ROE). Last month I sent letters and a permission form home regarding this program. Thank you for filling out the forms and sending it back.  Our baby came to visit early in November, and we love him so much!

Today Ms. O'Brien, our ROE instructor came to begin the second theme of the program about crying. We learnt that babies cry for many reasons. Babies are upset when they are having problems NOT because they are bad. The students discussed the reasons why babies cry.

Ms. O'Brien read a funny story about crying! Ask your children to retell it to you.

We learnt two new songs to sing to our baby when he visits next week:

 

Ms. O'Brien discussed how to comfort a crying baby gently.

 

 

 

Our BABY is visiting next Thursday, and we are excited to see him!!

 

Promoting Writing Development at Home

Dear parents,

This is a great article which provides some fun ways to encourage writing at home and the different types of writing tools children can use! Happy Writing!!

http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-files/promotingliteracy.pdf

The following website also provides useful parent tips.

http://teacher-teacher.webs.com/apps/blog/show/next?from_id=5095682

Learning Letter Sounds through Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyKdUpJQBTY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPVbJ-IaHIw&feature=relmfu (with pictures)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BELlZKpi1Zs&feature=relmfu

http://www.starfall.com/n/level-k/song-abcs/load.htm?f (click on the ABC sign to play the song)

Dolch Word List - Kindergarten

Please click on the link below for the complete list of sight words for Kindergarten. Sight words are common words seen in various texts. This link gives parents ideas about how to teach sight words in interactive and fun ways. It is NOT an expectation that children learn all these words by the end of Kindergarten. Learning to read should be an enjoyable process for young children. In Kindergarten we encourage you to read daily with your child!!

http://www.kidzone.ws/dolch/kindergarten.htm

Stages of Writing Development

Stages of Writing Development

These stages represent a way of looking at writing development in children. All stages overlap and children progress and reach writing stages at many different ages. The development of early writing skills is another aspect of your child's emergent literacy development. Regardless of which stage your child is at, writing development can be enhanced through being encouraged to write on a regular basis. Children should never be discouraged from exploring writing by the means they are able to do, whether it be scribbling, letter strings, invented spelling, or conventional spelling. http://www2.sedubois.k12.in.us/~jblackgrove/stages_of_writing.htm

Stage	Example
Preliterate: Drawing uses drawing to stand for writing believes that drawings / writing is communication of a purposeful message read their drawings as if there were writing on them
Preliterate: Scribbling scribbles but intends it as writing scribbling resembles writing holds and uses pencil like an adult
Early Emergent: Letter-like forms shapes in writing actually resemble letters shapes are not actually letters look like poorly formed letters, but are unique creations
Emergent: Random-letters or letter strings uses letter sequences perhaps learned from his/her name may write the same letters in many ways long strings of letters in random order
Transitional: Writing via invented spelling creates own spelling when conventional spelling is not known one letter may represent an entire syllable words may overlay may not use proper spacing as writing matures, more words are spelled conventionally as writing matures, perhaps only one or two letters invented or omitted
Fluency: Conventional spelling usually resembles adult writing

How do I help my child learn to read?

 Every child is different and learns to read at their own pace. In Kindergarten many of our students are "pre-readers", parent involvement at this stage is critical. Please use the Borrow-A-Book and Library books to read with your child everyday!

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/earlyreading/index.html


The following is a document published by the Ministry of Education which advises parents on how to help their child learn to read. This is for Kindergarten to grade 6.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideLit.pdf

Natural Curiosity

I am a firm believer in Inquiry based learning. The Institute of Child Studies published a document called Natural Curiosity. Below, I have attached a link to a portion of this document.
http://www.naturalcuriosity.ca/pdf/BranchISection.pdf

Our Pumpkin Inquiry

Students have had several opportunities to investigate pumpkins over the course of a few weeks. We opened the pumpkins and the students discovered that there was pulp and seeds inside. The students scooped out the seeds and pulp and sorted them into separate containers. They also sketched the inside of our pumpkin in their Inquiry lab book.

 

 

I asked the students what they would like to do with our pumpkins and seeds, and they came up with

some great ideas!

 

1. Students wanted to plant the pumpkin seeds in the garden and water it. They are hoping the seeds will grow pumpkins. We will be watching our seeds over several months to see what happens. We have also read many books about growing pumpkins.

2. Some students suggested planting a whole pumpkin. They believe the pumpkin will get smaller when buried in the ground. This is a great springboard to discuss decomposition with the students.

Shared Writing

The link belows explains the process of shared writing, which is one way I model writing to our young learners.
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading-and-language-arts/skill-builder/48883.html

Below is a picture of a message the children helped to write:

SONGS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs_rpZ86OOo&feature=related
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71hqRT9U0wg
If you're happy and you know it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jom_Au2Cs7Q
The More We Get Together

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCjJyiqpAuU&feature=related
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhODBFQ2-bQ&feature=relmfu
5 Little Monkeys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdDypyS_5zE&feature=relmfu
Ten in the Bed