We had a wonderful week together in the youngest friends room!
In reading this week we learned our last two letters and zoo friends: y and z. Ask your child to show you Yancy yak and Zeke zebra! They are doing a fabulous job remembering the motions of the zoo friends along with the names and sounds of the letters.
In writing this week we continued to practice using the tools around us when writing, like our zoo friends banner, word wall, and other print in the classroom. Students are working on taking their time when writing and coming back to finish writing another day if they need more time. Our authors have grown so much already, it is so fun to see them improve every week!
In math this week we continued to tell math stories. Students were given their own opportunity to share a math story from his/her own life. We practice telling addition and subtraction stories as a group. We also worked on the numbers 6 and 7. We practiced writing these numbers and drawing groups of 6 and 7. We also worked on math equations using pennies. Students practiced showing numbers 1-10 with pennies and we practiced different math equations as a group with addition, subtraction, and equal signs. This week we really focused on writing the numbers 1-10 in order. This was great for number recognition and penmanship as well.
In social studies this week students finished their classroom maps in partners. I loved watching them work collaboratively with their partner! They did a wonderful job mapping out our classroom in pairs. Not only did they work well together, they accurately showed a map of our classroom that identified all areas! We also talked about different environmental characteristics between home and school. Students helped me create a chart of items you would see at school and at home. They did a great job!
Notes/reminders:
-Please pack a snack for your child for our 10 a.m. snack time
-Please send an extra change of clothes to school with your child. They may keep this in their backpack or locker at all times.
-Please send any lunch money or notes in your child's blue folder. Please do not use the JRL bags for this as it may get misplaced or lost
-If your child brings home a JRL book with no words, that is okay! This is an important age where we are learning to read with pictures as well as words. Students may do a "picture walk" and tell their own story with the pictures. This is a great tool to use when learning to read.
Have a great week!
Ms. Monica
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Week of October 15-19
What a wonderful week we had this week with the youngest friends! We are working on being great leaders and I am so proud of our group.
In reading this week our youngest friends reviewed all of their zoo friends and learned two new letters: w and x. We will continue to learn and review our letters and sounds all year. They are doing a great job connecting their zoo friends with reading and writing!
We also introduced a new sight word this week: is. I am so proud of the kids as I see them point out their sight words on any print they see.
Centers have been going very well! This week students met with me for small group reading, focused on words that started with the /a/ sound, practiced penmanship of the letter c and had letter races as they traced four different letters. Each day students rotate to a different center that focuses on a specific skill for 15-20 minutes. Way to go readers!
In writing this week we continued to focus on using tools around the room to help us with our writing, like out zoo friends banner and our word wall. Students did a great job referring to these tools when they needed them. We worked on adding details to our writing and our pictures. I am so proud of our writers, it is amazing to see the growth in their writing progress each week.
In math this week we had our very first math test! Students did a phenomenal job with this. We began talking about groups of the numbers 6-10. We told math stories with these numbers and practiced adding and subtracting in our math stories. The kiddos had so much fun telling math stories that they took from their real life experiences!
We also reviewed shapes and specifically talked about triangles. We practiced drawing shapes and tracing them. This was great practice for fine motor skills as well!
At the end of the week students worked in partners with pennies and practiced adding and subtracting them. They practiced counting out the money to make different amounts. They did a great job!
In social studies this week we began our Geography Unit. We talked about the differences between a picture of a place and a map of a place. We talked about the difference between a picture of the Earth and a globe. Students loved looking at the globe and discussing ways to use it. They also looked at a map of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and talked about how we would use it and other maps.
We also talked about positional words and used them to identify different locations in the classroom. We read a book that used these positional words and then practiced using the words we had learned about, including up, down, under, beneath, around, on top, over, etc.
At the end of the weeks students toured the classroom and identified different regions and their functions. Together, we created a classroom map that included everything in our room. The kids really loved this! They took great leadership and loved creating the classroom map. We talked about how someone might be able to use the map if they were entering our room for the first time. They were so excited about it!
Reminders/Notes:
-Please pack a snack for your child to eat during our 10 a.m. snack time
-Please send an extra change of clothes to school for your child. They may keep them in their locker or backpack
Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Ms. Monica
In reading this week our youngest friends reviewed all of their zoo friends and learned two new letters: w and x. We will continue to learn and review our letters and sounds all year. They are doing a great job connecting their zoo friends with reading and writing!
We also introduced a new sight word this week: is. I am so proud of the kids as I see them point out their sight words on any print they see.
Centers have been going very well! This week students met with me for small group reading, focused on words that started with the /a/ sound, practiced penmanship of the letter c and had letter races as they traced four different letters. Each day students rotate to a different center that focuses on a specific skill for 15-20 minutes. Way to go readers!
In writing this week we continued to focus on using tools around the room to help us with our writing, like out zoo friends banner and our word wall. Students did a great job referring to these tools when they needed them. We worked on adding details to our writing and our pictures. I am so proud of our writers, it is amazing to see the growth in their writing progress each week.
In math this week we had our very first math test! Students did a phenomenal job with this. We began talking about groups of the numbers 6-10. We told math stories with these numbers and practiced adding and subtracting in our math stories. The kiddos had so much fun telling math stories that they took from their real life experiences!
We also reviewed shapes and specifically talked about triangles. We practiced drawing shapes and tracing them. This was great practice for fine motor skills as well!
At the end of the week students worked in partners with pennies and practiced adding and subtracting them. They practiced counting out the money to make different amounts. They did a great job!
In social studies this week we began our Geography Unit. We talked about the differences between a picture of a place and a map of a place. We talked about the difference between a picture of the Earth and a globe. Students loved looking at the globe and discussing ways to use it. They also looked at a map of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and talked about how we would use it and other maps.
We also talked about positional words and used them to identify different locations in the classroom. We read a book that used these positional words and then practiced using the words we had learned about, including up, down, under, beneath, around, on top, over, etc.
At the end of the weeks students toured the classroom and identified different regions and their functions. Together, we created a classroom map that included everything in our room. The kids really loved this! They took great leadership and loved creating the classroom map. We talked about how someone might be able to use the map if they were entering our room for the first time. They were so excited about it!
Reminders/Notes:
-Please pack a snack for your child to eat during our 10 a.m. snack time
-Please send an extra change of clothes to school for your child. They may keep them in their locker or backpack
Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Ms. Monica
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Week of October 8-12
The youngest friends had a beautiful week of learning this week! We are so excited to see Ms. Heather on Monday and are so thankful that she is okay. Thank you for all of your kind support through this time.
In reading this week we learned about two new zoo friends: U and V. Ask your child to show you who Umber Umbrellabird is or Vincent Vampire Bat. The zoo friends are really helping our readers to learn their letters and sounds.
We learned one new sight word this week: my. We added it to our new sight word dance and voted on a motion to out with the word. The kids really love the dance and it gets them moving while they learn their new words! Ask your child to show you the motion for the following words: I, the, a, and, me, to, go, like, my. A few weeks ago we began doing small group guided reading groups. It is so fun to see the kiddos reading and recognizing their new sight words.
This week in writing we practiced spelling our very best. Students learn that even though they may not know how to spell everything, they do know enough letters and sounds to spell the words they want to use as best as they can. They did a wonderful job this week! It was a beautiful week of growth for our youngest friends. It is so fun watching and listening as they practice the writing techniques they have learned. They really are doing their personal best! We have a "can do" attitude in our room!
In math this week we continued to practice writing our numbers, making groups of numbers, graphing and shapes. Students practiced differentiating between shapes that have no straight sides and shapes that have four sides. We talked about where we may see shapes like these in real life. They did a great job! We finished our first math unit this week and students will have their first math test this week. So proud!
This week in Social Studies we concluded our History Unit. Earlier in the week we talked about how we share different life experiences. As a class we talked about different experiences we have had and compared them. We also talked about how we have different experiences and thoughts when we are experiencing the same thing, like our field trip to Art Prize. We shared what each of our groups did at Art Prize and our favorite pieces of artwork. Students each made a quilt square out of paper of their favorite part of that day. We are excited to make our quilt displaying our love of Art Prize!
We also talked about decisions and consequences that characters might come across in some of the stories we have read. We read a Curious George book and talked about the choices George was making in the story because he would get curious. We discussed how George could make better choices and avoid consequences if he would stop and think about what he was about to do. The kiddos then wrote about a time when they made a good choice and how they made that choice. What a great learning experience!
In Mosaic last week we finished our unit on the UK. What a fun tea party, thank you Ms. Jacque and parents who volunteered!
Have a great week!
Ms. Monica
In reading this week we learned about two new zoo friends: U and V. Ask your child to show you who Umber Umbrellabird is or Vincent Vampire Bat. The zoo friends are really helping our readers to learn their letters and sounds.
We learned one new sight word this week: my. We added it to our new sight word dance and voted on a motion to out with the word. The kids really love the dance and it gets them moving while they learn their new words! Ask your child to show you the motion for the following words: I, the, a, and, me, to, go, like, my. A few weeks ago we began doing small group guided reading groups. It is so fun to see the kiddos reading and recognizing their new sight words.
This week in writing we practiced spelling our very best. Students learn that even though they may not know how to spell everything, they do know enough letters and sounds to spell the words they want to use as best as they can. They did a wonderful job this week! It was a beautiful week of growth for our youngest friends. It is so fun watching and listening as they practice the writing techniques they have learned. They really are doing their personal best! We have a "can do" attitude in our room!
In math this week we continued to practice writing our numbers, making groups of numbers, graphing and shapes. Students practiced differentiating between shapes that have no straight sides and shapes that have four sides. We talked about where we may see shapes like these in real life. They did a great job! We finished our first math unit this week and students will have their first math test this week. So proud!
This week in Social Studies we concluded our History Unit. Earlier in the week we talked about how we share different life experiences. As a class we talked about different experiences we have had and compared them. We also talked about how we have different experiences and thoughts when we are experiencing the same thing, like our field trip to Art Prize. We shared what each of our groups did at Art Prize and our favorite pieces of artwork. Students each made a quilt square out of paper of their favorite part of that day. We are excited to make our quilt displaying our love of Art Prize!
We also talked about decisions and consequences that characters might come across in some of the stories we have read. We read a Curious George book and talked about the choices George was making in the story because he would get curious. We discussed how George could make better choices and avoid consequences if he would stop and think about what he was about to do. The kiddos then wrote about a time when they made a good choice and how they made that choice. What a great learning experience!
In Mosaic last week we finished our unit on the UK. What a fun tea party, thank you Ms. Jacque and parents who volunteered!
Have a great week!
Ms. Monica
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Week of October 1-5
What a great week with the youngest friends! We had a blast at Art Prize as we explored all of the different pieces of art in Grand Rapids. The youngest friends did a great job representing Innocademy on their first field trip!
In reading this week we added the letters s and t to our new group of zoo friends. We review our letters every day. Ask your child to show you who Sammy Snake is or Timothy Tiger! We also learned a new song this week: "Benjamin Bunny." Ask your child if they can remember the words to their new letter b song. We focused on words that start with the letter b and where we hear the /b/ sound. We also practiced penmanship of the letter b. Ask your child to show you how to write the letter b!
We learned two new sight words this week: like and go. To practice all of our sight words we did our new "Sight Word Dance." We put a motion with each of our sight words to help us remember them. They loved our sight word dance! Ask your child if they can tell you the motion for the following sight words: I, the, a, and, me, to, go, like.
In writing this week we practiced really taking our time. We practiced using our pictures to help us form our ideas and words. I am so proud of the kids! We practicing stretching out our words to hear the sounds that make up a word. We continually practice our "can do" attitude as we keep writing and do our personal best. I can see their handwriting progress as we continue our daily writing workshop. Great job authors!
This week in math we talked about the following shapes: rectangle, square, circle. We talked about where we see these shapes in our daily lives. We also talked about how they are different and how we use shapes in math. The youngest friends even learned these shapes in Spanish with Ms. Mel! Ask your child if they can remember what these shapes are in Spanish!
We also reviewed graphing this week. Students worked in partners as they graphed different numbers 1-10. We talked about comparing numbers in a graph and introduced vocabulary of "more" and "less." We used real-life examples when graphing to help students connect the meaning of graphs to their every day life.
We continue to practice counting and creating scenes of numbers 1-10. Students are learning to differentiate between different groups of numbers. Along with our scenes we practiced penmanship of the numbers 1, 2, and 3. Ask your child to recite the number rhymes they use when writing these numbers.
In reading this week we added the letters s and t to our new group of zoo friends. We review our letters every day. Ask your child to show you who Sammy Snake is or Timothy Tiger! We also learned a new song this week: "Benjamin Bunny." Ask your child if they can remember the words to their new letter b song. We focused on words that start with the letter b and where we hear the /b/ sound. We also practiced penmanship of the letter b. Ask your child to show you how to write the letter b!
We learned two new sight words this week: like and go. To practice all of our sight words we did our new "Sight Word Dance." We put a motion with each of our sight words to help us remember them. They loved our sight word dance! Ask your child if they can tell you the motion for the following sight words: I, the, a, and, me, to, go, like.
In writing this week we practiced really taking our time. We practiced using our pictures to help us form our ideas and words. I am so proud of the kids! We practicing stretching out our words to hear the sounds that make up a word. We continually practice our "can do" attitude as we keep writing and do our personal best. I can see their handwriting progress as we continue our daily writing workshop. Great job authors!
This week in math we talked about the following shapes: rectangle, square, circle. We talked about where we see these shapes in our daily lives. We also talked about how they are different and how we use shapes in math. The youngest friends even learned these shapes in Spanish with Ms. Mel! Ask your child if they can remember what these shapes are in Spanish!
We also reviewed graphing this week. Students worked in partners as they graphed different numbers 1-10. We talked about comparing numbers in a graph and introduced vocabulary of "more" and "less." We used real-life examples when graphing to help students connect the meaning of graphs to their every day life.
We continue to practice counting and creating scenes of numbers 1-10. Students are learning to differentiate between different groups of numbers. Along with our scenes we practiced penmanship of the numbers 1, 2, and 3. Ask your child to recite the number rhymes they use when writing these numbers.
This week in Social Studies we focused on birth order and different generations. We talked about the differences between youngest and oldest. We talked about our different families and who was born first and last. The kids had a blast making their very own family tree! We talked about how our parents were born first and our families are formed later on. Students labeled their family trees with correct birth order from oldest to youngest. They did a great job! We will finish our History unit this week and begin Geography next week.
Reminders/Notes:
-Please use the blue folders to send any forms, lunch info or money
-Please make sure your child has a snack in their backpack for our 10 a.m. daily snack
Reminders/Notes:
-Please use the blue folders to send any forms, lunch info or money
-Please make sure your child has a snack in their backpack for our 10 a.m. daily snack
Have a great week!
Ms. Monica
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