Writer's Workshop - All About Books

All About Books

March 7 - April 8

• The purpose of this unit is to help our students see that they are experts about Topics and that they can share their knowledge with other through writing.
• The students will create all about books that teach the reader about a topic that they are experts in.
• As the students write they will continue to learn about spacing.
• The students will continue to use sight words in their writing.
• They will continue to use their letter/sound knowledge to spell unknown words.
• The students will reread their writing and use elaboration.

March Word Study

 Word Study

March

For the month March we will be continuing to tap out CVC words as well as teaching digraphs.  
Digraphs are 2 letters that make 1 sound (sh, ch, wh, th and ck).  The digraphs get one tap using 1 finger.  For example, in the word …….

ship:

                           sh = 1 finger with 1 tap

                                    i    = 1 finger with 1 tap

                           p  = 1 finger with 1 tap

then scoop thumb across all the fingers that were tapped

We will work on getting students to notice where digraphs are located in a word (beginning or end in the word).  Children will also learn that the digraph “wh” is only used at the beginning of a word and the digraph “ck” is only used at the end of a word.  

We will mark the digraphs by underlining them.

Example:      chop                  fish               sock                 whip

****At home you could:

-go on hunts around the house/neighborhood (street signs, store signs, etc.) or in books they read that have digraphs and notice where the digraphs are located in the word. 

-practice tapping out the words that show up in their homework worksheets as review

-continue to notice if they “tap out” the words when they are tricky for them (recommend when they don’t)

Important Days in February

Important Dates in February

Monday, Feb. 1:  Box Tops Contest Begins!

Thursday, Feb. 4:  Parent Workshop on Healthy Eating 8:30- 9:30

Friday, Feb. 5:  Father-Daughter Valentine's Day Dance 6:00- 8:30 PM

Monday, Feb. 8:  SCHOOL CLOSED in observance of Chinese New Year

Wednesday, Feb. 10:  Parent Workshop on Healthy Eating 8:30-9:30

Thursday, Feb. 11:  Kindergarten Graduation Photos

Friday, Feb. 12:  Latch key and After-School Programs cancelled

Monday Feb. 15- Friday Feb. 19- SCHOOL CLOSED FOR MID-WINTER RECESS

Monday, Feb. 22-  Enrichment Club Cycle II Begins

Wednesday, Feb. 24- **Kindergarten Parent Math Workshop** 8:10 AM

Thursday, Feb. 25- Parent Workshop for Healthy Eating 8:30-9:30

Friday, Feb. 26- Parents as Learning Partners
**Kindergarten 100th Day of School Celebration!**

February Word Study

February Word Study

For the month of February we will be continuing to tap out CVC words.  Students will continue to blend and read three-sound short vowel words.  These words are called CVC words.  Students will now have the opportunity to tap to read and tap to write CVC words in a word study notebook. (example: map, sat, lip, wet, hop, cup, Tim).   This will give them the opportunity to spell these words in all lowercase or use a capital for a name.  This will improve and help with their handwriting mechanics during writing time.

As a review, here is an example of how tapping out might look :

                  bat            b-thumb taps the pointer finger

                                     a-thumb taps the middle finger

                                     t-thumb taps the ring finger

**then sweep thumb across all the fingers that were tapped, blend the sounds back together, say the word aloud and write it.

Students will also be given a simple sentence to write.  A sentence will consist of word wall words and a CVC word.

For example: He can sit.  OR  Ben is in the bed.

This will help with spacing between words, writing word wall words and tapping to write CVC words.  Also, making sure they begin the sentence with a capital and end with a period.

At home you can help by:

. 

-practice tapping out the words that show up in their homework worksheets as review

-continue to notice if they “tap out” the words when they are tricky for them (recommend when they don’t)

-practice word wall words on the ring card

Here is a list of words we will be working on in class:

January/February Reader's Workshop

The purpose of this reading unit is to expose our kindergarteners to a different type of reading.  They will learn the purpose of reading non-fiction texts to gain information about a topic.

The big goals within in this unit include:

·     To understand the purpose of non-fiction reading

·     To apply reading strategies to non-fiction reading

·     To study a topic and accumulate knowledge on that topic

Ways you can help at home:

·     Have your child read daily for at least 15 minutes

·     Review the word wall words daily

·     Have your child retell their non-fiction book by either saying what the whole book was about, saying what they learned, or telling something interesting they read.

·     When your child gets stuck on a word, remind them to look at the pictures, look at the beginning and the end of the word and think aboutwhat would make sense. 

New word wall words for January and February:

We

With

Want

Then

They

She

Was

There

On

Look

This

Put

Some

January / February Math Workshop

In the month of January/February, Kindergarten teachers and students will begin Module 3 of the Engage NY Math Curriculum. Having observed, analyzed, and classified objects by shape into predetermined categories in Module 2, students now compare and analyze length, weight, capacity, and, finally, numbers in Module 3. 

Here are some terms, phrases, and strategies used in this Module:

·      Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group.

·      Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

·      Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.

·      Directly compare two objects to see which object has “more of” or “less of” the attribute and describe the difference (e.g. directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter than the other child).

·      Identify measurable attributes of objects, such as length and weight.  Describe them using correct vocabulary (e.g., small, big, short, tall, empty, full, heavy, and light).

Here are some new vocabulary words that will be introduced during this unit:

 

·      Enough/not enough (comparative term)

·      Heavier than/lighter than (weight comparison)

·      More than/fewer than (discrete quantity comparison)

·      More than/less than (volume, area, and number comparisons)

·      Taller than/shorter than (height comparison)

·      The same as (comparative term)

·      Weight (heaviness measurement)

How you can help at home:

·      Have students use a variety of items as a means to measure other household items and ask them to compare (i.e. height, length, weight) of the items (e.g. the spoon is heavier than the cotton ball; the pencil is lighter than the book; the pencil is taller than the crayon; the ruler is longer than the crayon)

·     Continue reviewing skills learned from Module 2 regarding positional concepts (e.g. above, below, next to, in front of, behind) and attributes of 2D (flat, straight lines, curved lines, closed, missing a piece) and 3D shapes (rolls, # of faces, curved sides, stacks, etc)!

·      Continue reviewing counting The Math Way and other number concepts.

Check out the links below for additional practice on skills learned during Module 3:

http://www.oakdale.k12.ca.us/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1411810354289

http://www.oakdale.k12.ca.us/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1411810358377

Writing Workshop January/February

      
The children continue to build on their story language by talking during weekend news and are starting to become storytellers. Students are getting their thoughts down on paper through pictures, labels, and letters and now words.

             In this unit children will learn how to write about about a particular moment --- one that matters most. Through a combination of drawing and writing, the emphasis will now be about a single event, telling about that event in order and providing a reaction to it.

            Please help your child create and think about small moment stories. Visit places and do as many things with your child, which will then help them when writing.

            The emphasis in this unit will be on writing complete sentences that match the pictures students draw, writing known words and hearing and recording sounds in sequence , and using proper spacing between words.

     The unit will end with a celebration of student growth!!!!