Sight Word Search

This week we began talking about sight words - words reader and writers see and use a lot!  This morning we used "magic" (highlighter) tape to find "is" and "the" in our Morning Message.  We practiced writing uppercase A and students noticed we only have 2 uppercase letters left!    Mrs. Guilmette visited for Guidance and talked more about how to not be a bystander if you see someone being bullied.

Students finished their Alphabet illustrations and we worked together to put the illustrations in ABC order.  I read the book When it Starts to Snow and learned more about where animals go when it starts to snow in this fun rhyming book.

This afternoon we finished up talking about one more and introduced two new stations - one more bingo and a cube tower building game where students had to make towers that were one less and one more than the number rolled on a dice.  Tomorrow we will talk more about one less as this continues to be a tricky topic.

Happy Monday

I cannot believe that December is already here.  This morning we highlighted the sight word the in our Morning Message and used the sights words  I go to the to make a sentence: I go to the park.  We discussed how a sentence is made up of words that have spaces in between and end with a period.  Kindergarten is excited to try out writing sentences and are encouraged that "if you can say it, you can spell it!"

Today we continued talking about what animals do as the weather gets colder.  I read the book Not a Buzz to be Found: Insects in Winter  by Linda Glaser.  Students made lots of connections to the woods and we will be doing some searching under logs for insects keeping warm as winter approaches.

In Math we continue to discuss the number that is one more.  We listened to and played along to the one more number song.

Clay Faces in the Woods!

It was a fun and creative Thursday in the woods!  I brought out some clay this morning and Kindergarten had fun using it to make faces on the trees with found objects.  There were lots of amazing creations!

After the woods fourth grade teacher, Mr. Palmer, visited as our Mystery Reader and told us an oral story.  It was a great treat and a great preview into Folktales which we will read in the spring. 

In Math this afternoon we looked at a number "staircase" and practiced using the language of "one more" and "one less." 

Happy Wednesday!

This morning we practiced writing uppercase G using the language "big curve, little line, little line."  We also had a mystery reader who read The Ninjabread Man.  We will be reading more gingerbread books in a few weeks so this was a great introduction.  To end Reader's Workshop I read Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming and we discussed what changes we have noticed outside.  Students said they noticed that it is cold, very windy, snowy and that animals are starting to go into their homes.  I explained that animals adapt, migrate or hibernate during the cold months and over the next few weeks we will be reading more about animals in winter.

We also watched some silly videos from http://pigeonpresents.com/ and chose a video to share with the school at Friday's Community Meeting along with our work.

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow...

It was a BUSY Tuesday.  Mrs. Guilmette visited for Guidance this morning and continued her curriculum on preventing bullying.  Students practiced role playing what to say if they observe someone bullying by using the language "Stop that's bullying!" and reporting it to a trusted adult.

This morning I read the book The Jacket I Wear in the Snow a rebus book which means it follows a familiar, repetitive pattern and students are able to join in as words are replaced by picture icons.  This afternoon it was P.E. and a fire drill at the end of P.E. Kindergarten did an excellent job leaving the building safely and quietly despite the cold!

Welcome Back!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving break!  It was a chilly and snowy Monday at school.  This morning we practiced writing uppercase O and Q and then welcomed in 3 Mystery Readers!  After that it was time for Literacy Stations.  We read our (silly) poem of the week:

Animal Crackers 

Today I ate a lion, 

and then a tall giraffe,

but when I ate an elephant 

it really made me laugh. 

Now if you think it is funny, 

that I ate such a meal, 

they are animal crackers that I ate, 

and none of them were real.

and introduced some new stations: matching rhyming words for ABC station, drawing a picture that matches a letter of the alphabet to create our own Alphabet Chart for word work and a new games station today it was a game where students used a fishing pole to go "fishing" for letters of the alphabet!

During Math we practiced counting on with coloring in 6 beans and discussing how many more there are and also students played two new math games during stations.  One of my personal favorites is bump.  Students play "Bump" with a partner. Each child takes 10 unifix cubes of one color. His/her partner should have a different color. The first child rolls 2 dice and puts a cube on that number. If another player’s marker is on that number BUMP it off. If your marker is on that number, link the cubes together and it freezes that spot. The winner is the player that uses all of his/her markers first!

Thursday in the Woods!

It was a fun morning in the woods!  Mrs. Slack read the book Thanksgiving Treat by Catherine Stock about a child and grandpa who find chestnuts to roast on Thanksgiving.  While we won't be roasting any chestnuts we find in the woods, it was a great connection to the woods and Thanksgiving.

Earlier in the week we got a delivery of small chalkboards and Kindergarten has enjoyed writing letters with chalk and tracing over with small sponges.  This afternoon our grade 5 buddies visited and we watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.