September, 2015 Highlights from
Mrs.Auerbach’s Kindergarten Class
Photo: Kindergartners celebrate Johnny Appleseed’s birthday with apple tasting.
MATH: This month we have focused on understanding the concept of same and not – the –same (otherwise known as “different”) as it applies to everyday objects, pictures , shapes, and numbers. We also concentrated on accurately counting up to 5 objects, as well as reading and writing the numerals up to 5. Our fingers and toes have come in handy for quickly identifying what a quantity of five looks like. Our first chapter assessment is behind us and we now launch into higher numbers. Everyday provides opportunity to become familiar with math tools such as the calendar and the number line. Creating and interpreting graphs has been another engaging experience as we have graphed our age, birthday month and favorite apple type.
LANGUAGE ARTS: We are reciting a lot of poetry in order to listen for rhyme. Our phonics focus has been revisiting the alphabet to recognize both lower case and capital letters. We daily use an ABC Big Book to identify words that begin with each letter. We also do chants with motions to accompany each letter of the alphabet. The high frequency sight words that have been introduced are: I , like , the, and . Point them out when you see them in books or in the environment. Everyone has received his/her own Handwriting Without Tears workbook and we have started instruction of how to correctly form capital letters. Ask your child about “jump frog” letters. Our literacy centers have also gotten underway. We are learning to rotate through four fun tasks a week in small groups. One of the groups meets with Mrs. Auerbach while the others work independently on projects like alphabetizing puzzles, reading the pictures or words in books with stuffed buddies, “building” letters with wooden puzzle pieces. These centers will change weekly. The children are doing beautifully at cooperating together and following directions as they develop some independence.
SCIENCE: Our study of the seasons has begun. Mrs. Auerbach has modeled the cause of the seasons : the earth orbiting around the sun ( heavenly bodies on sticks), tilting toward the sun causing Summer, and tilting away causing Winter. We have enjoyed watching Brain Pop Jr. , an educational website that provides mini movies on many topics including the seasons. We will continue to explore Fall/Autumn and the signs of change of the season. The hallway has a display of our artwork depicting the leaves turning and falling.
OTHER: We celebrated Johnny Appleseed’s birthday by taste testing a variety of apples and graphing our favorites (see hall display)and reading a biography/Tall Tale about his life. We liked discovering the “Tall Tales” that were told about him! Our weekly visits to the library have begun ! Please enjoy these self selectedbooks with your child.
We are off to a GREAT start!!! Reporting live… Mrs. Auerbach