In Poetry: Kids learned to read Jack and Jill and point to the correct words as they read. A paper book is coming home today. Please ask your child to read it to you! We've been identifying rhyming words. We have read the poem and the book everyday this week. Kids highlighted the sight word "and" in their poem and we glued it in their poetry notebook. They built the story with sentence strips and made retell poetry pieces. Ask you child to retell the poem using the retell pieces. Kids need to be able to retell a story by naming the characters, the setting, and tell the beginning, middle, and end. We reached 15 minutes of stamina in Daily 5: Read to Self and Work on Writing. Some kids are struggling. I've decided to let the group keep going until 15 minutes and letting those who play, talk, or are off task practice Daily 5 during the first 15 minutes of recess. I think doing so has curbed the unacceptable behaviors for many. We've discussed how to choose "good fit" books by trading shoes - that was fun. "Good fit" books are those that hold our interests, we can read some words, and we want to read over and over. Book bags are in full use now with 4-5 books children have chosen. We've introduced Work on Writing and the expectations such as: start right away, write in your brain, write the whole time, stay in your bubble space, clean up when the chime sounds. We discussed why it is important to read and write - because we are practicing to do both better, because we are getting smarter, because we want to learn. Kids have their pencil pouch ready with 5 pencils and their spiral notebook both in their book bag. When reading groups begin, kids will simply take their book bag to the spot they are working and have all of their materials ready. Next week we will add Read to Someone and practice whispering, sharing, staying on task, and how to help each other if needed. In math kids practiced counting items and recording the number in more than one way. Kids can draw counters, tally marks, the number, or color the correct number of boxes. Handwriting is difficult for this age. Numbers such as 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 are so mean. Please help your child practice these at home. Counting isn't catching them, but writing numbers. Next week we look at different ways to make a set of five objects using two different colored counters and using the words "before" and "after". Writing is going smoothly! Kids have a folder to keep their pages in. They are continuing their stories each day adding to the picture, adding color, adding letters for labeling, and adding words they spell or at least beginning letters. They have been taught how to carry on independently when they need something. If they need a pencil, they go to their school box or cubby basket. If they need help with a word, they leave a blank space. If they need to use the bathroom, they raise their pointer finger to signal me. I nod my head, and they go. Writing is focused on telling true stories beginning with the first part of the story. We've practiced "visualizing" what we want to draw and write. These stories are stuck in our brains, we just have to recall them. One page will not tell a story. We will continually work toward more than one page for a story and retell what we are writing by pointing to the pictures. Next week kids learn to stretch words to hear the sounds within them and to write down the letters that make those sounds. We will also label pictures to clarify and build stamina so kids keep going with stories. We are working toward writing books (3+ pages) with a beginning, middle, and end. Phonics is a review of the alphabet one letter a day. We read the alphabet daily, discuss how to use it, then play a rhyming game for a minute. Kids then echo the letter and it's sound, and we discuss the formation of them. We review the letters we have worked on up to the letter of that day. Kids then have a practice page for tracing. I emailed families Wednesday asking for a celebration picture to include in student leadership binders. I've thought of a few more examples: learning to ride a bike or swim, sliding down a fireman pole or crossing a jungle gym without falling or crying. Anything that your child is proud of accomplishing works. Send a picture you have had printed or print it yourself at home. These need to be sent in by September 8th. The kids were wild this afternoon. The PE teachers subbing for Coach Allen are praying for me - that's how sad eight kids' choices were. None of the games planned were successful so the kids walked laps instead. I hope this weekend clears all of the crazy and we can be successful next week. I feel that these kids have the potential to be the best Kindergarten class I've ever had. It takes making the right choice every time. Thank you for talking with your child about expectations, rewards, and consequences. What you do at home does carry over here! Have a super weekend and stay safe. Mrs.. Bailey Kindergarten is so hard! It is a long day with lots of listening, learning, and working with a little play here and there. And I'm the teacher!
It is hard to be good all the time. We are so busy with many bodies doing their own thing. Thank you all for taking the time to talk with your child each day about their school work and expected behaviors. Five kids stayed on green or above every day this week: Liam, Lilly, Amiya, Taylor, and Laelle. It can be done, but it takes an internal drive plus our support. Clear expectations and firm consequences that matter make success possible. Ask your child about the book .Interrupting Chicken. We have fun reading about little red chicken who could not stop interrupting her bedtime stories. This week we worked toward preparing kids for reading groups. Daily 5 is our reading group time. Kids are building stamina to Read to Self for 15 minutes without interrupting or becoming off task. They mastered five minutes this week which was our goal. They will have book bags with 4 to 6 books in it to use at this time. We discussed three ways to read a book - most kids informed me that they can't read, of course. Kids were taught how to read the pictures, tell a familiar story, and to read like a researcher looking for things they know in books. They know letters, punctuation, characters, and little words. We used Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to practice. Next week we will continue increasing the time until we reach 15 minutes. We will also add Work on Writing which is a time for kids to write about whatever they want to. Pictures are fine, but words have to be included. The words won't be spelled correctly, but this is how they start making sense of letters being combined to make words. The following week we add Listen to Reading which is using A-Z Readers or Starfall on the Ipads. They love this! Attending to their task for 15 minutes allows time for me to work with kids on letters, sounds, and sight words. I will begin reading groups in October when kids are ready. Silence and independence are the two key concepts I am teaching at Daily 5. Breaking stamina hurts everyone's learning. In writing kids worked toward telling a true story on paper. These pages were sent home today. They learned that pictures tell stories, but we can also add beginning letter labels for the pictures. Soon kids will be writing more sounds they hear in words. This is an area we are building stamina as well. We learned "When we are done, we have just begun!" Kids can always add to he pictures, add more story, add words, and add color. There is no reason to just sit and look around, play, or bother neighbors. We determined that we read and write to learn how to do both, to know and use our letters, to practice so we become better readers and writers. Math pages are completed together for the most part. Kids practiced counting and writing numbers up to four. Writing 2 and 3 are really hard. A little one-on-one help at home can make the difference. Next week we work with numbers 5-10. I teach how to write the numbers, but 5 and 8 will be hard. The kids work on their page as I teach. Thursday 12 kids went to study hall with incomplete work because they weren't following directions. Friday only 5 kids went! I think they are falling into routine :) Math homework does not have to be returned, but you can send it back if you want to. Kids worked on perfecting name writing and spelling all week. They have to write their names around five times a day, so it needs to come quickly. We compared names to find similarities, put kids' names on the word wall for writing friends' names, counted letters in names, and added letters in names to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom trees. These are hanging in our hallway. Our theme next week is Nursery Rhymes. We will begin looking at formation and sounds of letters beginning with A and using one letter a day. We are using the Alphabet chart daily to strengthen recall of letters and sounds for smooth reading and writing. After running through the alphabet once, we will repeat the alphabet and make letter charts for each letter. This is where kids really get practice stretching words to hear individual sounds. Get your child outside for running and fresh air. This new experience called Kindergarten is wonderful but tiring. Have a beautiful weekend. Hugs, Mrs. Bailey If your child is a car rider at any time, please do not get out of your car to help your child. Teachers/staff will help kids get into the vehicle and buckled. This will help the car line mover faster. We may be changing up where the car kids go to help as well.
The books I sent home in the backpack last Friday are for your child to keep. A friend retired and gave them away. I grabbed them for the kids! Book-It is the reading homework I talked about. It begins in September. I will send home information and a sheet to record books read. Feel free to check my website at any time for answers to questions you may have. Answers are not always there, but sometimes they are. Thank you and bless you for the help you provide at home. WHO BROUGHT ME ROSES LAST WEEK? I was so busy on Kindergarten Kick-off night that I forgot to ask. They are blooming and gorgeous. Thank you so much.
Ryan's aunt and mom made special visors for viewing the eclipse and came to help kids. Laelle's mom also came to help. It was fun to see the effects. I think the craziness in the universe made today a bit more difficult than last week. Listening during lessons instead of visiting or playing and not interrupting are the overall difficulties. We will pull it together! Our day is long and full of learning all day. It's tough for kids who haven't been in preschool. We have made many charts together concerning expectations, how to be a good listener, and how to be proactive in making wise choices everyday. These charts are hanging in our classrooms for review and reminders. I will be marking folders daily according to behavior now that students know what is expected. Green is for students who listen all day, follow directions (sometimes with reminders), are respectful of others, and do their best. Yellow will be for those who need more than a couple of reminders about listening, following directions, and trying their best. I hope to avoid orange because this color is for those who make sad choices most of the day and need consistent reminders of our expectations. Often kids who don't care about the expectations see orange fill their calendar. Red is reserved for physical intentions such as hitting, kicking, spitting, shoving, etc. My mother, Mamaw Niece, started testing the kids today on letters and sounds they know. She is a licensed teacher for dyslexic children, so I trust her judgement about the results and how she records them. She has helped me with this testing for years. Kids will be bringing Chicka Chicka Boom Boom trees home this week with the letters they can name stamped. This is for you to use for practicing letters not known. I will send a sheet later with sounds your child knows. Also being sent home tomorrow are half sheets with directions for Kids A-Z. This is an online program to aid in teaching reading. Every child has a password so no one can get into their account. Please work through this program with your child because there is not a check for if the child is following the reading as they are supposed to. Kids have to listen to the story, then read the story themselves in the first few levels. As the level gets harder, there are quizzes. There is a cheat, and kids will find it. That isn't going to help reading. Use the program whenever you choose. I will be teaching the program on the Ipads in a few weeks so they will be using it here as well. Last week we worked toward teamwork and building our little community inside the classroom. Kids learned about how to simply be in school. They listened to me, but they also contributed their ideas. This week we are beginning our Daily Five lessons beginning with Read to Self. They will be learning what this means, how to choose books, where to sit, and building stamina. Silence is a must during this 15 minute time because this is when I will be teaching reading groups. Next week we will worked on Work on Writing added to Read to Self. In math we are beginning Topic 1 which is counting objects correctly. We are writing numbers up to 10. Any practice at home will help those struggling tremendously. I help, but there is only one of me. Kids decorated their writing folders and will begin writing stories tomorrow using pictures and maybe even words! During enrichment we are focusing on students' names: writing, reading, beginning letters, name puzzles, and counting letters in names. Those who already spell and write their names can be practicing writing as neatly as possible. Last names are available for them to practice as well. Be sure folders are returned daily, and please share what I've written or marked with your child. It's good for kids to see the green, or hear about your expectations when there is a note or different color marked. Thank you for all you do! Wow! Kindergarten Kick-Off is a blur. I apologize for the paperwork you were asked to complete. It is too much, but necessary. So much information was given quickly. Thank you for hanging in there with me. Below is very basic information that will be most important to you at this time.
School Supply List for Willard South Kindergarten Volunteer Form - Complete this form if you are available to help with classroom parties or special events in our building. The form can be completed online and submitted or ask me for a printed copy. *Teachers are expected to be in classrooms by 8:10. Often we are running errands up until that time or not in the building yet. Do not bring kids before 8:15. Kids should be supervised at all times. *Students who ride the bus are released at 8:15. Kids who need to eat breakfast exit the bus first. Be sure your child knows if they are to eat at school. Those who do not need to eat will come to the classroom. There will be plenty of adults and older students in the hallways to guide kids. Be sure your child knows my name or Kindergarten. Helpers can usually figure out they are in Kindergarten if they can't supply either. grade. Don't worry - your child will make it to class. *Students who are being dropped off may be let out at the front doors. They go to the cafeteria first if they need to eat breakfast here. Again, there are people in the hallways to help. *If dropping of your child before 8:15, they will need to wait in the hallway by the office until the bell rings at 8:15. *If walking your child to class, please do not enter the classroom. I will take care of everything. This will be routine very quickly if we start it off right. If bringing supplies, have your child hang their backpack on their cubby hook or set them down on the reading table (my desk). Supplies are not my focus on the first day. If eating breakfast here, take your child to the cafeteria first or they will miss out. *Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting next week we will have Community Time (all students) in the cafeteria. Teachers are to leave classrooms with students at 8:20. If your child is coming in after 8:20, tell them to meet us in the cafeteria. Kids who are already in the cafeteria eating breakfast will simply wait for me and join our class. I will be explaining all of this to the kids, but for a few weeks please remind them that the classroom door will be locked so they need to head straight to the cafeteria. Your child is NOT late if coming in after 8:20. *8:40 is when school begins. Kids are tardy if arriving to class/community time after 8:40. *Dismissal: 3:30 Tuesday through Friday, 3:10 on Mondays only. If picking your child up, please wait in the car line. A tag will be provided for your visor so staff can read it and have your child ready at one of the cones. We want this to be as smooth and quick as possible. Staff will be guiding all car kids to the gym at the same time to avoid crowded hallways. If you come into the building at dismissal, your child will already be with car kids. *Tiger Tales - Kindergarten and 1st grade kids will be sent directly to our learning area to check in. *Bus kids will be walked to the bus area by their teachers. ALL OF MY STUDENTS HAVE A PAPER NECKLACE WITH THEIR DISMISSAL PROCEDURE ON IT! Please return the necklace daily until we are sure your child knows where to go without help. *XS t-shirts are available! Those of you that marked XS or XS and Small are getting XS:) *Eclipse information: The glasses have not been delivered yet. We are only getting 400 pair so we may go out in two shifts. We are aware that looking at the moon/sun without glasses is very dangerous. We will take every precaution necessary to protect the kids! I have no doubt I am forgetting something. Please ask any questions. I know you want to be sure your child is safe and ready for success. [email protected] |
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May 2019
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