September 23, 2016
Dear Parents,
We will study the concept of living and nonliving things next week. We will also do an author study on Pat Hutchins, a writer of children’s books. The children will learn several characteristics of living things. These are: 1) Living things need food and water. 2) Living things change and grow. 3) Living things need air to breathe. 4) Living things move. 5) Living things make more things just like themselves. We will also learn how living things are either plants or animals. Some living things are no longer living, such as a twig or a dead bug. But at one time, they were living.
_____We will learn the letters Yy and Zz and the sounds they make. We will also learn how to write them correctly.
_____Take your child on a “Scavenger Hunt” walk and look for living and nonliving things. On the enclosed “Scavenger Hunt” paper, have your child draw three pictures of living things and three objects that are not living. Make sure that your child uses lots of color! That crayon box is full of different colors. If you want, you may have your child cut pictures of living and nonliving things out of magazines. Have your child use the sounds that he or she already knows and can hear to write the names of the pictures. If your child cannot hear the letter sounds at this time, he or she may dictate the words to you and you write them on the blank space under each picture. Have your child write his/her name on the paper and return it to school. Your child will need to be able to identify things as living or nonliving. I will ask your child: “Is a tree living?” Or “Is a car living?” And he/she will have to answer yes or no. You may want to practice this at home.
____MATH FOCUS:Your child will begin learning how he or she can identify objects that are alike or different. He or she should be able to sort common objects into categories, count the number of objects in each category, and sort the categories by count. Using the enclosed sorting page, you will need to help your child cut the ten picture cards apart. Ask your child to sort the pictures into 2 groups based on the characteristic at the top of each column. Encourage your child to discuss how he or she is classifying each picture. Use glue or tape to attach the pictures into the correct column. When the pictures have been sorted, have your child count the number of objects in each category and compare the two groups. (Which number is greater? Which number is fewer? Are any of the groups equal?)
____New word: Our new word for the week is “and.” Please let your child write this word on a soapy leg while bathing, in shaving cream, and with pencil and paper. Have him/her chant the word. (Your child can pretend to bounce a basketball while saying each letter and then say the word as he/she makes a “basket.”)
____ Handwriting: Please help your child practice tracing his/her name. The only letter that should be capitalized is the first one. Let your child trace the letters Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, and Xx on the enclosed sheet. After your child has traced the letter, have your child say the letter name. Please use a pencil. If your child is having trouble holding his/her pencil correctly, continue to wrap a cotton ball around it. Remind your child to always start writing at the top.
___New word: and
___Remember to review: I, like, the
____The book,I Like Ss is enclosed. Have your child read this book to you and place it with the other reading books that I have sent home. Let your child read the books frequently.
_____A fluency paper reviewing the words, letters, and the numbers that we have focused on is enclosed. Remember your child should be able to read these words, letters, and numbers quickly and easily. Please keep it with the other fluency paper I sent home last week. Review them frequently. Knowing the sight words will help your child read and comprehend better.
____Please continue to read to your child, to write the names of the books down, and to return this list to school. The number of books we have read as a class is growing! Please help your child to be part of this team effort! If you don’t do anything else on the VIP homework, please read to your child. It is the single most important thing you can do.
____ I read the following books to my child:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
____Please review: days of the week, months of the year, the five senses, letters (allcapital and lowercase except for Yy and Zz), letter sounds (all capital and lowercase except for Yy and Zz), beginning sounds of words, numbers to 10, counting to 30 by 1’s and 10’s, birthdays, addresses, telephone numbers, body parts, shapes, shape descriptions, and writing first names correctly.
Reminders
Staff Development: Students will not attend school on Monday, September 26th.
Book Fair-September 30th-October 6th
Picture proofs and money are due on October 4th.
Fundraiser: The Fundraising Packet and money must be turned in by Tuesday, September 27th.
Fall Festival: Save the date for our Fall festival on Thursday, October 20th.
If your child is eating breakfast in the classroom, please make sure he/she is here by 7:45.
Letter League-Please continue to work with your child on capital and lowercase letters so that he/she can help our class get a homerun. When your child gets to home base (knows all of the capital and lowercase letters and sounds, a homerun will be added to Team Carter/Belk. The kindergarten class with the most homeruns wins a Grand Slam party in October. PLEASE help our class by helping your child.
Field Trip-We will be going to Denver Downs Farm on October 25th. The cost is $7.50 for children and $10.00 for chaperones. Please see the enclosed note for more information!
Thank you for all that you do to make your child’s school experience the best that it can be!
Your Partner in Education,
Ginger Carter
Parent signature: Child’s name: