What's new this month?

    Please read throughout this page as new items are continually added for each month.

        Book Share:    (October)

            This month each child is scheduled a day for his/her Book Share.  On that day, the child will bring in a favorite book from home or the library.  He/she will sit in our reading chair, have a picture taken with the book and then continue with the Book Share.

            The child will share 3 things:
                                                         The title of the book
                                                         Why he/she likes the book (it's funny, it rhymes, etc.)
                                                         The child's favorite page

            This provides an opportunity for your child to become comfortable speaking in front of a group. It also provides an opportunity for me to see what types of books are read in the home, and it gives suggestions for book selection when we go to the library each Friday.   

            At this time of the year, your child is not reading the book to the class.  As we progress throughout the kindergarten year, your child will have Book Shares in which reading the book is expected.  Your will know way in advance when this will be happening.                                                  

      Workshop:       (October)      

          This month we began our first rotation through Workshop.  Workshop is a series of 5 or 6 activities that each child must complete as a "job" in a small group setting.  For more specific information about Workshop, please follow the link at the right. 

     Take-Home Reading Program:     (October)

           We have begun our Take-Home Reading program.  Each child has a book that is carried in a plastic ziploc bag.  Your child is to read the book with you at home and then to one or two other people.  He/she should read this book several times.  When your child is comfortable with the book, it should be returned to school.  Your child will then read it to me or another adult.  A new book will be given.

            This is a program that is for children in kindergarten, first and second grades.  Our books begin on a very basic level.  Your child will progress throughout numerous levels and book series this year.  Our goal is to get books into children's hands.  Research shows that the more children read and are read to, the better readers they will be.

            As you read and listen to your child, as questions.  Where will you begin reading on this page?  How many words are on this page?  What is this letter?  What do you think will happen next?  Do you hear any rhyming words?  These are the types of questions your child will be asked at school when the book is returned.

    Reading Moms:     (October)

          To accompany this Take-Home Reading program and make it successful, moms will be needed each morning to listen to children read their books and assign new ones.  Please let me know if this is something you would like to do.

     Daily News:    (January)

         We have begun writing a Daily News sentence in our personal journals this month.  Each morning a news item is written by each child.  Children sound out and write each word of the news item.  Conventional spelling is then written by an adult for comparison. Personalized attention to writing in order to teach writing skills, i.e.,  capitalization, punctuation, vowel sounds, spacing etc. is given.  Feel free to read your child's journal when you're in the classroom.

         (March) 

     We have added new expectations this month in the journals for Daily News writing.  The children must now write 2 sentences in the journal.  One day a week, each table group uses the computer to complete the Daily News.  For the month of March, we are inserting a picture and writing about it.

     
      Daily Computer Usage:    (February and March)

         To complement our Daily News writing, the computers will be used.  In accordance with the technology goals for the kindergarten year, children will be involved in the start up, log in procedure, text writing, inserting a picture printing and shut down.  Written work will be added to the personal journal.

    Technology Day:     (March, April)

        Each Thursday in the month of March, we will go to the Library for a lab situation with the computers.  Here we will practice, not only the technology skills required in the kindergarten year, but other skills necessary for success with reading, math and language arts. A parent is scheduled to help during this time.

      Spring Book Shares:     (March,April, May)

           For both March Book Shares will be whatever "Book in a Bag" your child has at home the night prior to the scheduled Book Share.  On your child's scheduled day, he/she will:

           Read the title
               Read the book
                                                    Read any words in the back cover

          As with the previous Book Shares, this is to be an enjoyable activity for your child.  It is not meant to be stressful in any way. 

          For the months of April and May, your child may bring a book from home to read instead of the Take-Home Reader in the bag. The book must be short, please, no Dr. Seuss.  These books are too long for a Book Share. If your child wants to read the Book in the Bag, or an easy reader that I have, that is fine, too.  Let me know if you need a book.

Journals:    / Math (April)

     For the month of April, we will be using our journal as a Math Journal.  Instead of writing sentences, we will be solving a math problem.  You have heard about Thinking Questions all year, now you will see them in your child's journal.  Each page has a question that has been xeroxed onto it.  We will read the question each morning, and your child will solve the problem independently.