Mrs. Rosa’s & Mrs. Siek’s Kindergarten Class

We have had a successful start to the New Year, and the little ones were excited to get back to school to see all their friends (and teachers, of course!).

Our January/February Learning Program:

As the weather is getting colder, we would like to remind parents that outdoor play will continue to be a part of our everyday program, and that students need to come to school dressed with jackets, snow pants, boots, hats, scarves, and mittens/gloves if they would like to play outside in the snow. 

Students are also reminded to bring back their indoor shoes that were brought home over the holidays to ensure our learning carpet remains dry and that students are not at risk of slipping on a wet floor.

Mathematics:

We are finishing up our Data Management graphing activities and are now introducing Ordinal Numbers and Measurement.  We will continue to review counting and written numbers, one-to-one correspondence, shapes, and patterning.

As our 100^th day of school approaches on Monday, February 13^th, 2012, the students are getting very excited as they have waited in anticipation of this milestone for a long time (since Tuesday, September 6^th, 2011 to be exact!).  In the near future, you will receive further information regarding activities that students can engage in at home in preparation for this special day. 

According to the curriculum expectations, Junior and Senior Kindergarten students are expected to be able to count and represent numbers up to 10, but we over and above this expect that our Seniors will count to 20 effortlessly before they go into Grade 1, and what an even bigger accomplishment it will be when we can all count to 100 by ones and tens!  Very exciting indeed!

Language Arts:

Reading:

We are continuing to review letter sound recognition, and during Shared Reading we identify rhyming words and sound blends.

Writing: 

Students have been and working on journal writing and convey personal messages reflective of their pictures and paintings both orally and in writing to their teachers.

Students are also in Guided Reading and Writing groups reflective of their emergent interests and stage of academic development.

Oral Language:

Our free play centres for the next two months will be specifically reflective of how students communicate orally in the real world.  For example, we will be turning our House Centre into a restaurant that also does deliveries, our Arts Centre into a museum where students display and interpret their artwork for their classmates, our Language Arts Centre into a weather broadcasting station, and our Music/Listening Centre will be turned into “Kinder Stardom” where our energetic performers will be able to show off their singing talent! 

Students have been learning about effective behaviours and body language for communicating with their peers, with the intent that they will eventually develop the skills necessary to have conversations about posters and books, and be able to ultimately explain their own thought processes and learning accomplishments!

Media Literacy:

Students will be identifying target audiences in advertisements, as well as analyzing and creating posters.

Science:

Young children have so many questions which is why they are excellent Scientists!  Our students get so excited when observing a science experiment, that by the end of it we have to investigate how to get the little one out from under the pile of human bodies because they all topple over each other trying to get a closer view!  Our winter experiments will have a specific focus on snow and ice.  Brrr!

How can we help our children at home?

Four and five year old children are most receptive to learning when they don’t even realize they are learning!  This is inherently what the new play-based Full-Day Early Learning – Kindergarten Program is all about.  Check out the Ontario Curriculum document if you have not already done so:

Here’s the link: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindergarten.html

So what can you do?

Math:

Ordinal Numbers: 

See who can get dressed the fastest to go out for a family outing by counting the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th person ready. 

Have your child recall who was the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th one awake in the morning, and teach them that they shouldn’t always be the 1^st one up because Mommy and Daddy would like a chance to win that race once and awhile!

Measurement:

Have your child measure their height by standing up straight against the wall and marking their height with a pencil line.  Then, see how tall they are using a measuring tape, their hands, toy blocks, books, spoons or anything else creative that they may find around the house.  Do they always come up with the same amount of objects no matter what they use to measure?  Why is that so? 

When Daddy is so exhausted he falls asleep in the middle of the floor, ask your child to start at his feet and see how many of their feet it takes to get up to the top of Daddy’s head.  And hey – why not try to see if they can count up to 100 snores without waking him up!

Language Arts:

Reading: 

Involve your child in your daily practise of reading the newspaper by asking them to point to the title of the article, a letter, a word, a space, and a period.  Ask them what they think a specific story is about by asking them what they see happening in the picture.

Writing: 

Have your child practise writing their name (using a capital letter at the beginning and lowercase letters for the rest of their name) in the bubbles during bath time, in the dough you are kneading for pizza, or in the snow (if it ever comes!).

Oral Language:

Ensure you always make time to sit down for a family meal.  Take turns as family members and talking about your day and listening to one another speak, as well as asking questions for clarification or to find out a little bit more about the ones you care so much about.  If your little one “claims” that they “did not do anything” in Kindergarten that day, be sure to continue the conversation with their teacher the next day as they will have a different story to tell!

Media Literacy:

Point out different billboards and posters in the neighbourhood when you are out and about. 

Have your child pick out the exciting new toy that you absolutely have to buy for them by searching in the latest toy magazine!

Science: 

When walking to and from school each day, examine the world around you.  What is the weather like?  What do you see, hear, smell, taste (only snow falling from the sky please!), and feel?  Are the animals that do not go into hibernation running around and digging beneath the snow for some dead grass to eat?  Has Mr. and Mrs. Groundhog popped their heads out of their underground tunnels yet?

Until next time…

Yearning to be a fly on the wall and see how your child interacts and learns at school while you miss them dearly each and every day?  Check out our classroom photos posted in the classroom when you drop off your little sweetheart in the morning.