Happy New Year!
It was great to see all of the students again, and I LOVED hearing about all of their winter break adventures! Take a peek below to see what we have been learning!
Literacy
Prior to winter break, we completed a gingerbread unit that helped reinforce the concepts we have been learning during our literacy time. We compared several versions of the Gingerbread Man and then compared the different story elements including: the main characters, the setting, the main events, as well as the repeated refrain in each book. The class also loved predicting the main character's fate at the ending of each story!
This week we began Module 4 in our new literacy program, which focuses on being fit and healthy. Through the stories we read in this unit, students will work to answer our essential question, "How can I be my healthiest me?"
During our phonics and writing instruction time, students will learn the follow skills and high frequency words. Continued practice with the items in your child's blue book bag will be very be very helpful as students continue to gain independence with these skills.
Math
Prior to winter break, we finished our math unit on comparing numbers and began Unit 5, which focuses on flat and solid shapes. Students are learning to name and identify flat and solid shapes based on their specific attributes. We have also worked to identify shapes in real life and have used flat shapes to make new shapes. Students have experimented building with solid shapes as well. We have learned about positional words including: above, below, behind, in front of, next to and beside. Students will also learn more about sequencing and using shapes to create patterns.
Social Studies
In our current social studies unit, students will be learning to compare the past to the present. Throughout this unit, students will engage in tasks and activities that will help us answer the following questions:
- Who am I?
- What is a family?
- How is our life different than long ago?
Social Emotional Learning
Mrs. Elsey, one of our school social workers, has also been coming to visit our kindergarten classes to talk about big problems vs. little problems. In our first lesson, students learned that big problems are problems we cannot solve on our own (i.e.--we are bleeding, we feel really sick, someone else hurts us, etc.) Students learned that they to ask an adult for help with these big problems.
Students also learned that little problems are problems that we have everyday (i.e.--lose a game, can't find a pencil, someone else is running in the hall, etc.) We learned that students can work together to solve these problems on their own. In our next lesson, Mrs. Elsey will help students learn some strategies they can use to solve problems at our everyday problems.
Looking forward to a great week!
Thanks for reading!
