Roll and Write

This week our learning goal for math is to read and write the numerals 1 to 8.  Some of the ways we practice this in the classroom is to use a dot cube and record that amount on a white board or roll a number cube (we have some with numbers up to 8) and then collect objects that equal that amount and record that amount on a white board.  For example, student rolls a 6, they find six objects and count them, 1,2,3,4,5,6 and write the 6 on a white board.  

A great way to help math skills at home is to have your child set the table, tell them how many forks, cups, or plates to get (or have them solve that part too by counting family members), make a collection of objects, use a dice to pick the number of objects you want them to count.  Many students are ready to use 2 dice and combine the numbers to collect objects as well.  

I can read like a teacher!

Our Goal this week in Reading Workshop has been to read like the teacher.  What does that look like?  What does that sound like? 

Here is a clip of a student reading a nonfiction book. Reading like a teacher means reading cover to cover, looking at every picture, thinking about what you already know on the topic and what the author might be teaching you in that picture.  You will hear me prompting when he is unsure of what he might see in this beautiful nonfiction book on Cheetahs.  You can guide your child through reading nonfiction books at home too by asking questions or drawing attention to details in a photograph.

Here is another student practicing a fiction book reading like a teacher.  Notice the student making gestures from the story, exact words from the story, reading the book page by page and using the picture to support her details.  This is the type of reading you can expect to see at home.  

Move-thon fun

A giant thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and participated in this awesome school event.  The students LOVED moving their bodies with their friends and chatting as they completed their laps.  A huge shot out to King Orchards for the fabulous snack they donated, the students gobbled those apples and pears right up. 

Warm up

Bunny hop fun

Everyone enjoyed the snack at the end!  A huge thank you to King Orchards

Fire Safety

This week the students have participated in a variety of activities around fire safety from fire drills to a visit from the Long Lake Township Fire Department.  Students learned the importance of having a plan in case of a fire, how to be safe during a fire, what fire fighters look like and sound like with their gear on, what equipment can be used to help people and how to stop, drop and roll.  Make sure you discuss your family's plan with your child and enjoy the pattern book, "Fire Fighter, Fire Fighter, What Do You See?" with your child.  This can be a shared reading opportunity, they could read to you or you could read to them.  As you read, point under each word.  As they read, they should be pointing under each word too.  You may need to help them with this as it is a very new skill for some.  Praise any attempt and have fun!

  

Evidence to support choice in reading...

Here is a great article about students having choice in their reading.  This is why we are so passionate about students participating in the Move-a-thon and our Donors Choose grants.  Our kids deserve new reading materials and the opportunities to get "hooked" as a reader.  What can you do?  Help your child raise any amount in donations for the Move-a-thon or consider donating to our Donors Choose grant.

Writers have a plan

Writers make a plan before writing.  This week the writers in our class practice the steps below as they write.  

1. Writers think about what they know

2. Writers touch and plan

3. Writers make a quick sketch on every page

4. Writers record sounds and write words/sentences on every page

5. Writers add details to their pictures (color) and words

Here a brave student shares his planning for today's writing and takes a risk by trying something new in front of his peers.    

Learning proper pencil strokes

Learning the tripod pencil grip and the proper stroke (top to bottom) while recording our counting from dot cubes. Students love these opportunities to use non traditional materials to practice these basic skills.  Try sand on a cookie sheet, rice in a cake pan or shaving cream on a table.  Have fun reinforcing  basic writing skills by trying one of these activities at home. 

Exploring math stories

Mathematicians enjoyed finding numbers in books, hypothesizing what they might be learning in each of the books and sharing those ideas with their peers. The conversation about math existing in stories and books was exciting and the students shocked themselves as they discovered math everywhere!

Reading fun

This week students are starting their ABC books.  These books are created using only the letters they currently know and they illustrate each page with a picture that has meaning to them and matches the sound that the letter makes.  These books can be read just with letter names or they can be read with letter sounds.  The students love creating their own books for their independent reading boxes.  

Everyone got their very own "reading finger" to help their eyes know where to look on the page and to help reinforce the one to one matching when reading.  

As if a sticker book wasn't enough fun... today we added a "reading finger" and the room erupted with excitement all over again.

Exploring Numbers up to 6

Students explored numbers to 6 using "junk boxes."  They collected up to six objects, traded plates with their partner and shared their findings.  If they agreed, they high five and if they disagreed, they said prove it and each counted the objects to see if they could come to an agreement.  

Students explored numbers to 6 using their hands as counters and a dice.  We used a dice to roll a number and create that number on our hands.  Partners checked with each other to see if they agreed or if they needed to try again.  The students loved this game and it helped solidify recognize the number patterns on the dice.  

Choice time with the listening center

Listening to stories is a favorite way to spend choice time in the classroom.  Ask you child about the weekly story.  What is the story called?  What was your favorite part and why?  What did that story make you think of?

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Students created their own coconut tree from Chicka Chicka Boom Boom  that they will decorate with the letters in their names.  They loved retelling the story as they painted their pictures.  This artwork will decorate our hallway until Parent Teacher conferences when you can take them home to enjoy.  

Sharing our sticker books

Kindergarten friends shared their sticker books with theri book buddies.  Matching one to one, like we do in these sticker books is 1 of the 4 skills we look for in emergent readers to show they are ready to read.  

1. Going left to right across the page

2. Matching 1:1 words as they read

3. Locating known words in text

4. Locating unknown words in text using the known words (if the sentence was I like the red balloon.  The child may know all words but balloon but may be able to solve it because of the picture of the red balloon on the page).

Numbers 1 and 2 are our focus right now for the students which is why we are creating sticker books, using out pointer finger and practicing reading across the pages, pointing under each sticker and saying the word that matches.  

For the students that are reading words, we are encouraging them to continue to do so and to explore other ways to read books.  Exploring the 3 ways to read allows students to choose high interest books and glean the information they can by thinking about what they might learn from the pictures, using their prior knowledge.  Stay tuned for tips to help your child in reading at any level!

Save the date: November 4th 6pm.  

Westwoods will be having a family fun night at Incredible Mo's.  This night will raise money to support literacy in our school.  What will the money be used for?  Items such as the workbooks for the Core Knowledge Phonics program that your child uses every day and NewsELA which the upper grades use for both reading and writing workshops with current events.

More details will be released next week!

Sticker books

Students are practicing one to one correspondence to help get their eyes read to read words and sounds.  Readers and non-readers both enjoyed this activity.  Everyone will have one started by tomorrow afternoon.  

Writing Partners

Writing partners can be used in a variety of ways:  students can share what they worked on for the day, to get feedback on their topics, to push their thinking in the writing process or to educate someone about something new.  Today was the first day of sharing our work with another student and I bet you will hear rave reviews.  Writers focus on developing writing pieces they are proud of and this gives them an opportunity to share their pride with a peer and holds them accountable, as well, for their job during writing workshop.

Reading Examples

Partner reading has been a great addition to our classroom.  Students love to share their reading with a partner, as well as, share the task of reading the book.  Here is a video of two students sharing the story of Froggy Gets Dressed, a classroom favorite.   

Gestures and story book language are heavily emphasized in early reading development.  Books are chosen that offer the student the opportunity to both gesture and use story book language in a retell.  Here is a video of two students having fun retelling Caps for Sale. 

Nonfiction and informational books are also a large part of emergent reading.  What can a reader look at in a picture and learn from it?  Stay tuned for a video example in the up coming days.  

What can you do to support reading development in your child?  Practice reading a variety of ways.  Tonight read a book by looking at the pictures and connecting them with a story (this works best with a story your child doesn't already know, library books are a great opportunity each week for that), retell an old favorite using the pictures as supports for that rich story book language. If you share the task this is a great way to plant the language for them (If you used the Jack and the Bean Stock, maybe the Fee-fi-fo-fum is the part you say and then say, let's say it together).  

Another great addition to any reading time would be to ask your child their favorite part and why.  If they are not able to give you a part, model this for them, "I liked when Froggy's face got red when he realized he forgot his underwear."  

Phonics fun

This child is showing a side view of his pencil grip.

The ideal grip would be a tripod with the pointer on the top of the pencil,

thumb on the side and middle finger supporting the opposite side.  Here 

students practice hand grip and proper letter formation, always starting at the top.

No matter the utensil, students are practicing proper hand grip when writing.