Hello, Readers!

Every year there is that one special week at the beginning of Kindergarten when I get to do perhaps the most wonderful thing that a teacher can do.  I get to place a book in every child's hands and tell them, "You are a reader!"

Guided Reading is the heart of literacy instruction in my classroom and last was that special week where everyone got their turn to either begin or continue their journey as a reader!  #Ilovemyjob #KindergartenReads

As we continue to work and grow as readers at school, we will be learning lots of new reading strategies and behaviors to help us be successful with the books we read.  Here are a few of our beginning strategies that you can encourage and support when you are reading at home.

• Use your Eagle Eyes

Good readers are always using their eagle eyes to check out the pictures.  Understanding what we see in the illustrations will help us make sense of what we read and offer context and support as we begin to navigate new words and ideas. 

 

• Touch the Words

This is a simple, but invaluable, behavior for beginning readers (and even those that have been reading for a while).  First, tracking print reinforces concepts of print that are essential not only for successful reading, but successful writing as well.  Tracking when reading will help beginning readers segment words in sentences, write with a left to right progression, and understand the importance of spaces when writing sentences.  Tracking will also help draw the readers eye to the words they read.  Increased focus and attention to the words your child is reading will help them begin to commit new words to memory and increase reading fluency.

If you are looking for more ways to get your child reading at home, here are a few easy suggestions.

• Read the World Around You

You can read more than books.  Check out words on signs, cereal boxes, and billboards.  Use your Eagle Eyes to check out pictures and contexts to help you read words in the world around you.  Talk to your child about the letters they see in these words and the sounds they make.

 

• Read a Song/Read a Rhyme

Books that tell the stories found in familiar songs and rhymes give children everything they need to feel successful as a reader.  These books are familiar, follow specific patterns, and often have repetitive texts.  You can often find fun variations to familiar songs and nursery rhymes that keep the old and familiar new and exciting.  

 

Check back soon for more reading and writing updates, and be on the look out for more information about our Farm Unit!

Happy Reading!

Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM!

We have spent a fun-filled week up the coconut tree!

We have used Bill Martin, Jr.'s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to help us explore letters, letter sounds, and launch Read Alone and ABC Centers this week!

            
    
                                                 

We also used our Five Senses to learn more about real coconuts!  We got to look, feel, listen, smell, and even taste coconut.  Then, like all good scientists, we worked together to record our observations. 

 

With all of that scientific work out of the way, it was time for a little coconut play!

First we used blocks and popsicle sticks to build our own coconut trees to hold letters just like the one in the book.  #STEM #engineeringanddesign

 

Then it was on to coconut art!  #KindergartenCreative #Abstract #thisishowweroll

If you would like explore the coconut tree and ABCs with your kiddos at home, here are a few of our favorite classroom links!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Alphabet Song

Letters and Sounds

Our First Fun Friday!

Friday has come and gone, and it sure was fun!

Each week, students in our classroom will be working to earn some extra fun, extra special Fun Friday activities.  Students earn points when everyone is ready to listen and learn or ready to begin a new learning activity throughout the week.  If students are not ready, or need additional reminders, I earn points.  At the end of the day, if the class has more points than me, they earn their Fun Friday activity.  Here's Thursday's scoreboard.

The class had more points so they earned a chance to cut and bake some yummy cookies just like the kids in Gingerbread Man Loose in the School!  #workhardplayhard

 

I can't wait until our next Fun Friday! 

Second Day Success

It was a good day to have a good day in Kindergarten!

We spent a lot of time talking about what is expected of us at school.  We started our day by reading about some dinosaurs that went to school!  

We talked about the choices these dinosaurs were making at school and then we used our own dinosaurs to show behaviors that would  make us and friends feel happy and behaviors that would make us feel sad.

 

Later we read about one of my favorite characters--David!

            

                                                 

David is a bit of a wild child and makes some choices that are not appropriate for school, but in the end David is able to fix his mistakes and goes home happy.

We talked about how we will monitor our behavior in the classroom--what happens when we make mistakes and how we can fix them.  

Clips move up for consistently exhibiting expected behaviors and down for unexpected ones.  But don't worry!!  You can always move your clip back up if you fix your mistake--that's the most important part!

We also started earning horseshoes today!  

When we spot children making good/kind choices in the classroom we will give them a clip.  

During transition times students can trade their clips for horseshoes.  We will "cash in" our horseshoes on Fridays for special treats and prizes.  

I'm looking forward to more good choices tomorrow.  We earned a special treat tomorrow, so stay tuned to see how it goes! 

Rockin' in our School Shoes!

It was a great first day of Kindergarten!  

We learned about our new classroom, hung out with old friends, and made some new ones.  

 

Then we read about everyone's favorite cat--Pete!

Pete was rockin' his four new school shoes, so we took some time to talk about all the shoes we brought to school today.  We counted to find out that we had more boy shoes than girl shoes.  Then we counted ALL the shoes.  There were 44 shoes in Kindergarten today!  #KindergartenCounts #that'salotofschoolshoes 

We did some good Kindergarten thinking and working today, but we took some time for play too!

 

Over all --we really rocked our first day in Kindergarten!

And I can't wait to it all again tomorrow!