Jensen Kindergarten Review
Kindergarten Room November/December 2016
Dear Parent,
The children have all told me what they would like to learn this year at school and they have told me what they feel their job is at school.
During writing time the children practice finding words in the room to make sentences. As they do this they watch for capital and small letter placement, spaces, punctuation, movement from left to right and top to bottom. The children are also learning to sound out some words and sentences on their own.
In Math, we will continue recognition of numbers out of order to 30. We are learning 2D and 3D shapes. Some children continue to count to 100. The children make patterns and draw representations of them. As we watch weather and season changes…they are graphed. We’ve made a variety of graphs which include apple colors, birthdays, etc., and we will continue to explore and discuss graphs during the school year. We did pumpkin math as we explored the many interesting things about pumpkins. The children compare size from tallest to shortest and they will continue to group objects that are the same. Through sorting and classifying activities, the children learn to think analytically and to learn to express their thoughts clearly. Forming classes and dealing with relationships within the class and among different classes encourages the growth of clear and logical thinking, which is the basis of good mathematical reasoning. If you would like to reinforce sorting and classifying with your child at home, you might do any of the following activities:
1. Have your child help put away the dishes, his or her own clothes, tools in the garage, and the groceries. Discuss why various items are kept together. All the glasses go together on this shelf. All the spices go here. Your socks go in this drawer and your shirts hang up on this side of the closet. All the screwdrivers go together here. The nails go in this can and the screws in this other one. Help your child understand that people group things together so they are organized. This makes things easy to find. Play a game with your child, asking him or her questions such as... Why does this go here? (Because it’s a can of peaches and the cans go on this shelf.) Can this go here? (No, it’s a glass, so it goes up there, not with the pots and pans.) Encourage your child to verbalize why an object can or can’t go in a particular place.
2. Look through a catalogue. Turn to different sections and ask your child to tell you which room in the house the item would most likely be found in…towel (the bathroom), a clock (the bedroom, kitchen, etc.) couch (the living room), a lawn mower (the garage), etc.
3. While watching TV, make a list of the subjects of commercials. Have your child add to the list and predict together what the next subject will be. Are there more food commercials? More about cars? Drug items? Other TV shows? Any reinforcing you can do with your child on the concept of sorting and classifying is greatly appreciated! The children also continue to work on understanding the concepts: more, less, and same.
***Remember to check my website for other math ideas and math computer games for the family to do.
We will be doing many science inquiry lessons this year. One that we did last month was to explore colors and they predicted what would happen if the primary colors were mixed together. We also did an inquiry lesson about apples. The children each have a science journal that they will keep track of their experiments in.
During computer, the children will continue to learn various techniques to use on the keyboard as they learn to spell their full names. They are becoming familiar with: delete, space, capital letters, small letters, shift, and how to print on their own. They are finding the space bar, the return button, where the period and numbers are located, how to find websites, and how to turn the computer on and off.
In the next two months we will continue to discuss our words on Lists 1 and 2 or beyond to list 11 for some children. We learn new reading strategies throughout the school year. Ask your child what strategies they know. Some include: retell a story, practice new words…such as our word lists, read labels, and look at the pictures.
We will begin to learn the difference between needs and wants. We will be discussing diversity and how each one of us is unique. We will discuss similarities and differences. We will read books that show cause and effect. The children will continue to observe the seasonal changes and watch how one of the trees in our school yard changes over time. We will use our senses to explore various materials and their properties.
After first trimester conferences are complete, I know that a lot of information will have been discussed in a short period of time. If you think of anything later that you want to talk about, please give me a call or email.
THANKS …
…to all the patient parents at our coming up conferences. Everyone hates to hurry up, and then wait.
…to all the parents that have provided snacks for the class. It is greatly appreciated!
…to all the parents that provide that additional reading time and time working on skills with your child at home. We all strive to help our children be the best that they can be!
FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES
*Stand your family in order from shortest to tallest, then tallest to shortest. How many in your family? Who is the tallest? Who is the shortest? Are there any that are the same? If you would like to share with the class what your conclusions are, please do.
*Tell your family what you have enjoyed most in kindergarten this year. Tell your family what you want to do in school when the new year comes.
*Holiday time is wonderful time for children. Not only is it filled with pleasure, but it is also a time of educational experiences. Your child both has fun and learns as you cook together, make decorations together, set the table together, read books together, and sing together.
Here is a game you can make and play together after the holidays are over. You need to save wrapping paper in order to play it. Making wrapping paper cards by cutting two squares from each kind of wrapping paper and pasting them on index cards or construction paper rectangles. Play “concentration” with the cards when they are dry. Take turns turning two cards over at a time. If the cards match, keep the pair. If they don’t, turn the cards back over. Play until all cards are matched. Your child can play the game during vacation with a friend. They can even sort and group the cards!
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH
What would you stuff a turkey with?
Peyton-ham
Carter-cheese
Jaden-gum
Kaden-gum
Lola-ice cream
Elvedina-ice
Tyler-dinosaurs
Juno-ham
Abby-a cat
Hannah-mac and cheese
Amel-meat
Elvis-butter
Owen-chicken
Liyanna-hamburger
Nick-gum
Ethan-chicken
Dorliene-sugar
O’Ryan-bacon
Madison-candy
Selma-marshmallows
Sydney-wood
Asharra-lettuce
Mireille-turkey
Cecil-chicken
I am special because…
Peyton-I like mom
Carter-I have diabetes
Jaden-I give hugs
Kaden-I play games
Lola-of mom
Elvedina-of mom
Tyler-I’m cool
Juno-I am a little brother
Abby-I’m pretty
Hannah-I play with mom and dad
Amel-I was born
Elvis-I’m a big brother
Owen-of being with mom and dad
Liyanna-of eating cake with mom and dad
Nick-I like gum
Ethan-I share
Dorliene-I have sparkles on my dress
O’Ryan of God
Madison-I look pretty
Selma-I am cute
Sydney-I have a family
Asharra-I eat a lot of food
Mireille-I can make ice cream
Cecil-I can color
If it doesn’t snow, how will you make a snowman?
Peyton-leaves
Carter-grass
Jaden-wait until it snows
Kaden-with grass
Lola-with buttons and pins
Elvedina-ice
Tyler-buttons, paper, and making balls
Juno-straw
Abby-string, buttons, and carrots
Hannah-grass
Amel-I would wait for snow
Elvis-we can’t
Owen-sand
Liyanna-fake snow
Nick-water and sand
Ethan-mashed potatoes
Dorliene-playdoh
O’Ryan-playdoh
Madison-wait until it snows
Selma-just wait
Sydney-cheese
Asharra-potatoes
Mireille-playdoh
Cecil-dirt
BIRTHDAYS
Lola……………………………11-11
O’Ryan……………………………11-16
Madison…………………………….11-17
Kaden……………………………12-8
Amel……………………………12-10
Liyanna……………………………12-23
*Nov. 10 or 15
Kindergarten conferences
*Nov. 23rd-27th No School
*Dec. 23rd-Jan. 2nd No School
The Little Boy and the Little Old Man
Said the little boy, “Sometimes I drop my spoon.”
Said the little old man, “I do that too.”
The little boy whispered, “I wet my pants.”
“I do that too”, laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, “I often cry.”
The old man nodded, “So do I.”
“But worst of all”, said the boy, “It seems grown-ups don’t pay attention to me”.
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
“I know what you mean”, said the little old man.
By Shel Silverstein
If you have time over the holiday breaks, or you are on long car trips, PARENTS CAN HELP TOO!!!
*Help your child write their name correctly using the HWT method. See my website for more information on the letter formation. Always start at the top.
*Practice number recognition and writing to 30 and practice counting to 100 or higher.
*Practice word list 1 -11. See my website for these lists.
*Tie shoes, know phone#, and address
*Keep a journal at home and write one sentence each night with your parents help. Sound out the words.
*Read and be read to. Retell the story, ask questions and answer them.
A
B C
D E F
G H I J
K M N O
P Q R S T U
V W X Y
Z
(NO L)
Mrs. Muehlenthaler-Holmes