Orange Party!

Today, after Choice Time and Afternoon Meeting, we worked on a short art project, and colored and read a pumpkin book (which should have come home in backpacks today) - encourage your child to read it to you. We spent a some time working with the 100s chart as well in math.

We then banished ourselves to the playground while the parents (and grandparents) set up for the Orange Party. It was a really fun time -- thank you, thank you, thank you, to all who helped -- planning, working at the party, and donating supplies.

Have a great weekend!

Today, after Choice Time and Afternoon Meeting, we had just enough time to squeeze in a little reading mini-lesson about word families (words that end in -ot, -in, or -op, for instance) and how just by adding a new letter to the beginning, it makes a whole new word. Hopefully some of these words will start to appear in their writing.

After that, we were off to the gym with Mr. Hill and a substitute (Ms. Dower). The kids went outside to play at the park. After gym, we hustled up to the Media Center to check out books.

Then, back down to our classroom, and on to Pumpkin Math - I brought in a pumpkin, and we made guesses about its circumference (the distance around the outside -- we tried to learn the big word today: we'll see if it sticks). The kids cut a piece of yarn to the length that they thought would fit right around the pumpkin. We then tried all of their guesses, and charted them on the wall. Ask your child all about it!

At the end of the day, we talked about the fact that even though it is Halloween (a fact that the kids won't let me forget...), we will not be wearing costumes in school. Don't forget to send your child to school tomorrow in their orange tie-dye shirt for our Orange Party!!

Today we had another busy day! After Choice Time and Afternoon Meeting, we did Writer's Workshop. Today, I taught a mini-lesson on using speech bubbles (like in the comics) to add characters' voices to the kids' stories. We read an very entertaining story that used nothing bu speech bubbles to tell the story -- There's a Bird on Your Head, by Mo Williems. Next time, we'll talk about adding the conversations to our writing. We wrote for about 20 minutes.

We then headed up to the Computer Lab for a half an hour, and then, back down to the classroom. We met a new High Hat friend in phonics -- Itchy Itch (the /i/ sound, obviously). We talked a bit about words that begin with that sound, and then had a a little bit of time to practice counting on the 100s chart -- forward and backward by 10s, and backward from 10 and 20.

Then, time to go home!!

Today after Choice Time and Afternoon Meeting, we had a little bit of time to read -- we read a
pumpkin book (since that's our theme for the week). We learned about how pumpkins grow, and how the plants develop thoughout the seasons.

Then we headed up to the music room for music class with Mr. Hofmann. When we returned, we had were able to work on some math -- making combinations of numbers that add up to 7. We are working hard on developing the number sense that will enable the kids to be even more successful in math - these activities, as I have mentioned before, form the basis for addition, subtraction, and the rest of arithmetic.

Today I also sent home the tie-dye shirts for the Orange Party on Friday. I think that they turned out pretty nicely -- let me know if there are any issues, and please send your child to school on Friday in their shirt!

This afternoon, after we had Choice Time and Afternoon Meeting, we had a little bit of time before we headed up to the Computer Lab again. We previewed the Ezra Jack Keats book for the day (Whistle for Willie) and then we looked again at our fish. We are working on making predictions and inferences about their behavior. The current question before us is how the fish know when there is food in the tank -- do they see it, smell it, feel it (via vibrations in the water), or hear it when it hits the surface. We're still working on that question.

We then went up to the Computer Lab, where we worked for 1/2 hour on reading and math (and how to log in...). After CCC Lab, we headed back down to our room, and worked on analyzing the plot and characters in Whistle for Willie -- ask your child all about it. They should know what "plot" means by this point (we say that it means "what the story is about"). After that process, we had a minute to read a pumpkin story (that's our theme for the week) -- we read a funny story called Too Many Pumpkins -- ask yourt child what Rebecca Estelle did with all of her pumpkins, and why she hated pumpkins in the first place!

After all of that, we packed up and went home!

Today was a busy, busy day in Room 145. After Choice Time, we were very lucky to have four moms in to help out with putting the rubber bands on our t-shirts for our Orange Party tie-dying. While some of the kids were working on that project, the rest were working on math -- we worked on making number combinations with unifix (liner) cubes that added up to 6. The page that we worked on should have come home with your child today.

After the adventure in tie-dying, we kept at our Author Study of Ezra Jack Keats. Today we analyzed Hi, Cat! looking at the plot and the characters. The kids are really getting good at making summaries of the action and thinking about the characters in the books -- this will really help them in their writing and the reading!

We then went off to the gym for our Book Fair Preview. The kids had a chance to look at all of the books that will be for sale at the Burroughs Book Fair on Saturday. If you haven't been before, it's great fun. There are snacks for sale, great (and pretty inexpensive) books -- like the ones on the book orders that I send home for sale, and a chance to socialize with other Burroughs families. Several of the teachers have volunteered to read a book at the fair, and, if you happen to be there at 11:15, you can hear me read (probably no great treat for your child, though -- they hear me read to them every day!).

After the Book Fair, we came back to the room to read another Ezra Jack Keats book, Whistle for Willie, which we will study more in depth on Monday. We also practiced various ways to count on the 100s chart (by 5s and 10s), and looked for more patterns on the chart. We also had a chance to look more at the fish in our room, and saw their reactions to adding weeds to their habitats -- ask your child what the goldfish did and what the guppies did!

Before we went home, we finished Esio Trot, and we'll begin a new book on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Once again, sorry for the late post. A meeting after school, and then a baby shower for Mr. and Mrs. Wold (the other two kindergarten teachers).

Today after Choice Time and Afternoon Meeting, we had Paco's mom into class to read a couple of Paco's favorite stories (since Paco is our Star of the Week this week). She read Oh No, Not a Ghost, Owl Moon (an old favorite of mine), and What I Be. They were all super books - thanks for sharing them! We also got a chance to feed our fish -- we watched how the goldfish found the food and then all went crazy eating -- they were hungry!

Then it was time for us to go to gym with Mr. Hill and Mr. Peterson (actually, Mr. Peterson and a sub - Mr. Hill was out today). The kids went to Lynnhurst Park to play.

After gym, we came back to the room and worked on another book by Ezra Jack Keats (our author study for the week). Today we read Hi, Cat! again, and talked about the plot of the book. We are really working on our skills at summarizing and figuring out which details are important ones. Then we worked on math - we figured out different combinations of numbers to use to make six - the foundation of addition and subtraction. Look for the page that we worked on to come home tomorrow.

Just as a preview of coming attractions, tomorrow we will go as a class to preview the Book Fair, which will take place on Saturday in the school gym. Several of the teachers have volunteered to read a book at the fair, and, if you happen to be there at 11:15, you can hear me read (probably no great treat for your child, though -- they hear me read to them every day!).

Sorry, first of all for the late post -- a series of meetings at school, and then a series of 'meetings' once I got home. At any rate, here goes.

After Choice Time and Afternoon meeting, we got the fish that we met yesterday settled in their new mini-aquariums in the class. We have guppies and goldfish -- your child hopefully came home tying to think of good names for them. Tomorrow we will try to name them and figure out a way to tell them apart. Wish us luck!

After the fish adventure, we had Writer's Workshop. We worked once again on "stretching" words and using that new skill to add text to the stories.

Then, we finally had the long-awaited trip to the computer lab. In the lab, your child will be working on an individualized program of math and reading practice that is suited to his/her level. After we got log-on issues resolved, we worked for about 20 minutes. In the future, the plan will be to go back to the lab once or perhaps twice a week.

When we got back to the classroom, we read another book byt Ezra Jack Keats (our author of the week). We read Hi, Cat!, which is a really funny book. We will do an analysis of it tomorrow.

At the end of the day, we had a bit of time to look at the fish again (they seem to be adjusting quite nicely, thank you very much), play a quick math game, and practice counting by 10s and by 5s.

Today, after Choice Time and Afternoon Meeting, we had a few minutes before it was time to go to music class with Mr. Hofmann. We got to read the Ezra Jack Keats book for the day, Pet Show. Then, we headed up three flights of stairs for music.

When we got back to the room, we re-read the book, and then talked about the plot and the changes in the main character throughout the book, just as we did yesterday for Peter's Chair. We are compiling our analysis on a chart -- when you are in the classroom next, be sure to check it out!

We also found out what it is that is going into the mysterious tubs of water that have been in our classroom for a couple of days. Yesterday, we predicted what it would be, and today we saw that it will be some guppies and goldfish!!! They will be in our room for the next couple of weeks for us to observe and learn from. (Don't tell the morning class, though -- they won't know until tomorrow morning... )

At the end of the day, we were able to play a math game that used the 100s chart, and read a little bit more of Esio Trot.

Welcome back after the long weekend -- I hope that it was a good one for all.

After choice time today, we had our morning meeting. Paco got to read his Star of the Week poster (nice job, Paco!!), and we were able to read a short book before Writer's Workshop today. Our reading project for this week will be an author study this week of Ezra Jack Keats (books like The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, etc.). Today we read Peter's Chair, and talked about the "plot" and how the main character changed during the book. Stay tuned for updates on future books this week!

During Writer's Workshop, we learned about "stretching words" to sound them out, instead of the more staccato, sound by sound method (not buh-o-ah-t for boat, for instance). Ask your child if they can demonstrate it - they did a super job, and we got some of our best writing yet today.

We had an all-school drill today where we practiced what we would be in the case of someone suspicious in the school - we call it a "Code Red" drill, so the kids may come home talking about that. We lock the door, turn off the lights, and wait quietly in a corner of the room until Mr. Cadotte (the principal) announces that it is all clear.

We also met a new friend of Mr. High Hat's from our phonics program -- Buzzy Bee. Buzzy, predictably enough, makes the b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b sound. We brainstormed words that began with that sound.

At the end of the day, we got to play a number game on the 100s chart in which I turned some of the numbers around (they are on little cards on a pocket chart) and the kids had to figure out which ones were turned around -- it goes right with the 100s chart work that the kids are doing on their weekly homework.

Picture Day!

That pretty much sums up our day today -- we had a bit of choice time to begin, and then we had to get organized for pictures. After we took our class and individual photos, we had our afternoon meeting. We once again had a short Writer's Workshop -- today we learned about what writers do when they are 'stuck' in the middle of a story and don't know how to write or draw the thing that comes next.

Finally, we went outside to choose our "class tree." We picked a nice one, I think -- we'll go back to it, throughout the year, and write about and draw it in the different seasons to see how it changes. (We put a sign on it, so if you are ever out back behind the school, you can see which one we picked.)

By the time we were done outside, it was time for us to get all packed up for the end of the day. We were liucky tpo have a bit more time to read Esio Trot, and then be on our ways home (or to Spanish class, for many of us.

Enjoy the long weekend!!

Today we had choice time to begin, as always. After we had our afternoon meeting, we had only a few minutes to briefly work on counting by 10s, and a bit more time to set up the phonics/reading lesson for later in the day.

We had music class today (all the way up on the 3rd floor -- quite an adventure) with Mr. Hofmann - apart from singing, they played an interesting game -- ask them all about it!

After music class, we had a phonics/reading lesson, in which we made another "magic book" -- see if your child can tell you how to fold it (here's a link to a webpage that shows how: http://www.makingbooks.com/hotdog.shtml). It's still pretty confusing to many of them. In the books, which the kids took home today, we glued words that began with our focus letter, /p/. The kids had to choose the words that began with the /p/ sound from a page that had many words on it, then cut and glue the words on their books. If they had time, I also asked them to write the word that they made on the same page in their books.

Finally, we got packed up for home, and read a little bit more of Esio Trot- it's getting to the main part of the story, and the kids are getting into it.

Monday, October 13, 2008

We began another fun (but short) week in Room 145 today.

After choice time, we had our afternooon meeting as usual. After our meeting, we read a short math book (Ten Black Dots, by Donald Crews) to set up our math time. Then we spent some time learning about the number 5 - and the combinations of numbers that add up to five. The kids put together 2 colors of linker cubes to make the number 5. This skill is an important one, as it leads not only to a better understanding of how numbers work, but also it directly corresponds to addition skills.

After math, we had Writer's Workshop. Today I taught a mini-lesson about what writer's do when they don't feel like they have a new story to tell -- they look back at old stories that they have written, and either re-work or add to them, or get a fresh idea from a previous story. Then, once again, we WROTE. The kids are really doing a nice job getting their ideas onto paper.

We also met a new friend of Mr. High Hat's today - Penny Put. the story and the sequencing cards are in your child's backpack today. Finally, we did some more work on counting by 10s, and played a fun game with the number chart. I turn several of the numbers around so that the card is blank, and then the kids have to figure out which number needs to be 'fixed'. At the end of the day, we finished up with a couple of pages from Esio Trot.

October 10, 2008

Welcome to the trial kindergarten blog. Feel free to leave comments, if you like. I'm going to try to post snippets of what we have done each day, in an attempt to give you some leverage as you ask "So, what did you do in school today?" (Especially if you have a kid like mine, who always says, "um, nothing much..." I can't promise that it will be workable, but I wanted to give it a try.

So, here goes:

Today we had choice time, as always - the pizza parlor is still up, and so is the painting easel, the writing center, and the art table. We had afternoon meeting. After meeting, we drew the October version of our self-portraits (we'll do one each month throughout the school year, and then compare them at the end). After our art project, we did Writer's Workshop, and learned about how some writers make the pictures before the words, and others make the words first. Then, we WROTE for about 20 minutes. After all of our hard work writing, we went outside for a bit of recess (can you believe the afternoon weather?). We got to be outside at the same time as Mr Wold's class!!! When we came back in, we had a short math time -- we practiced counting by tens, and talked about what counting by tens means using the number chart. After that, we had just enough time to get all of our things packed up and read a little bit more of Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (our end-of-the-day book) before we went home or to Minneapolis Kids.

Have a great weekend!!