Week of January 20

Learning to Read

This week students have been practicing their reading skills in preparation for our very first set of 'Home Reading Books' that will come home with students on Thursday!  

We have been focusing on some key sight words throughout the month which include "The, is,  I, see".  Students have had an opportunity to read these sight words in our morning messages as well as our companion book to "The Mitten" called, 'I See Winter Animals'.  This book came home with our students to help them transition and get excited for our Home Reading program!  

Please take time out to listen to them read.  Kindergartens have been practicing very hard to be good readers :)

Good readers do many things to help them be successful. For example, when reading they use their fingers to point and read each word carefully and when coming across a new word good readers match the first letter sound to the picture and try to make sense of the word!

Week of January 13

Winter Inquiry

Students have begun their winter study by reading the story of "The Mitten" by Jan Brett.  The story takes readers on a wintery adventure where we meet many different forest animals. This gave us an opportunity to discuss the differences amongst the animals.  For example, students noticed some animals were big, like the bear, other  however were quite small, like the mouse. After reading the mitten students were asked what they noticed in the end, many were quick to point out that they mittens had changed in size. 

Next students drew their favorite forest animal and labelled the different characteristic of each animal. 

Finally we wrapped up the week by breaking into small groups and practicing Math Talks using our very own mitten or gloves.  Students first shared whether they wore mittens or gloves to school, next sorting them into 2 groups, then counting and finally comparing the mitten with gloves using the language more, less or the same.  Many students did an awesome job sharing their thinking by explaining how they got their answers! 

Throughout the week students explored the mitten in various numeracy and literacy based centers for example students used puppets and story stones to retell the story.

Students creating patterns by hanging up colorful felt mittens. 

Friday Art-  Students looked at snowflakes and learned every snowflake is UNIQUE just like themselves. Then they counted the number of branches/ arms on each flake and noticed every flake has 6 branches/arms and that each arm has the same design or pattern making them symmetrical!  Finally students worked hard to create their very own snowflake with crayons and oil pastels!!