Literacy
We wrapped up our reading workshop comparison of gingerbread stories, and during writing workshop, we worked on a couple of pieces about gingerbread. We wrote about what would happen if a gingerbread man jumped out of our ovens, and later wrote about who or what we would run from if we were gingerbread men. I love seeing each child's creativity shine through in their writing ideas. The book Gingerbread Baby lent itself nicely to a summarizing activity where we completed a flip book, identifying the characters, setting, problem, and solution. This was a nice way to conclude our gingerbread study and review the overarching theme of identifying and comparing those story elements across all of the gingerbread stories.
Jolly Phonics is now complete. We have introduced all of the sounds, and will begin applying those sounds to decode words during guided reading groups. When we return from break, I will begin assessing all students to determine their appropriate reading level, and once all of those assessments are complete, guided reading groups will begin! This is when I will meet with small groups of students to do word work, read a short book together to focus on decoding and comprehension skills, and discuss the book as a group. A letter will be coming home to explain guided reading groups a bit more on the first day I meet with each group.
Math
During math, we've been focusing on the idea of same and different. We read the story, The Ugly Duckling, and identified similarities and differences. We also used math manipulatives to practice demonstrating the concept of one more, or one less. Finally, we worked on comparing sets of items and identifying which set had fewer items, and then how many fewer objects there were. This is a concept that is often tricky to grasp, but it was impressive to see these kindergarten mathematicians think through the problems using their manipulatives.
All About Me Week
We loved learning more about Elan last week! We learned that he loves superheroes, and Captain America is his favorite one. We also learned that he loves skateboarding! He shared with us a couple of things that are special to him, including a slingshot he made himself, and a figure in disguise that goes with a dinosaur toy he got for Christmas. We enjoyed having Elan's mom join us to read the story, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.
Coding
Our kindergarten computer programmers had a fantastic time using the Kodable app to develop their coding skills. I was so impressed with their problem solving approaches and teamwork when they encountered an issue.
Cardboard Challenge
Another special activity we spent time on over the past two weeks was the Cardboard Challenge! We worked in groups to design gingerbread houses out of cardboard. Our first step was to identify what features a gingerbread person might need in a gingerbread house. Next, we worked together to come up with our design on paper to accommodate our gingerbread person's needs. Finally, we moved on to construction! We had 5th grade buddies join us to assist with all of the cutting and taping, and our designs came to life! I was thrilled to see our kindergarten friends giving each person in their group a voice, and including ideas from each person in their designs. We learned important lessons in teamwork and compromise during the building and decorating phase.
Once our gingerbread houses were complete, we carefully transported them to the gym where we held a celebration amongst grade levels. We were able to share our creations with our older peers, and walk around the gym to see all of their cardboard creations! It was such an exciting experience, and the kindergarteners were so proud to show off their hard work.
The PTA, Mrs. Sessler, and Mrs. Beane put on a fabulous Winter Wonderland experience for the students to enjoy on the last day before Winter Break! They made cards for patients at Northwest Community Hospital, and enjoyed playing bingo. They were cozy in their pajamas the whole time, as the excitement for Winter Break was building!
I sincerely hope that everyone has a fantastic break with their families! This is such a sweet group of kindergarteners, and I feel so lucky to spend my days with them! They have already grown and learned so much, and I am eager to see them continue to progress in 2018. I also want to thank you for the sweet cards and gifts for the holidays, you are all to kind! Thank you for sharing your most precious gifts with me- I absolutely love working with them. See you in January!
No comments:
Post a Comment