The Gift of Stories!

This week, we started a new bend in our We Are Readers unit. Until now, we have been reading Learn-About-the-World books (nonfiction). This week, I gave each child a present during Reading Workshop and explained how exciting it was to discover the gift of Storytelling!

They were SO excited about their books. We talked about how wonderful it is that these presents are for all of us to enjoy in our classroom. Next week, you will begin to see some of these wonderful storytelling books coming home. Make sure to celebrate your child's enthusiasm and excitement!

We have also begun learning some math games. Math games are great for children to practice mathematical concepts and strategies, and when used in the classroom, they are a fantastic tool to allow time for teacher differentiation. While children are engaged in a math game, I am able to work with students one-on-one or in a small group to teach new concepts or reteach concepts that need further review. The kids love playing their new math games. Make sure to ask your child about Compare and Dice Race!

One more exciting addition to our classroom in the past week or so have been our classroom Leadership Jobs! The kids helped brainstorm 'jobs' for our classroom. Each week, we will switch jobs so the children have many opportunities to assume each leadership job throughout the year. Everyone in our classroom has had a chance so far to take on a leadership job. Make sure to ask your child about his/her first job!

Learning Centers

If you ask your child what his or her favorite time of day in kindergarten is, it's likely he or she will say Learning Centers! Learning through play is so important, and the children are also building social skills and learning to get along with one another.



We are continuing our work during Reading Workshop to empower these young readers! We have been learning how to read with a partner. It is amazing to see and hear them reading with each other. They have learned that reading IS reading the pictures of a book, so they all feel confident. They are so excited about their own learning and reading.


We also had a class safety walk this week with our School Resource Officer, Officer Kaatman. We talked about four things to do during an emergency at school: 1 - Stay quiet. 2 - Listen. 3 - Look. 4 - Stay with your group. Make sure to ask your child about ways we stay safe at school.

We are readers! 😁

We started a new adventure in reading workshop this week...our class discovered we are all readers! We talked about how readers don't just see the world, they read the world. Readers read the world all around them by doing two things: looking and thinking.



We went on a walk around the school and spent time looking and thinking about all the letters and words we saw. It was so fun to watch their confidence and excitement really shine through. They were amazed that they were able to read signs, pictures, labels, posters and more all around them. Dr. Cicotte even joined us as we read the halls since he was impressed as he walked by us and heard all the reading we were doing.



We also spent time reading all around our classroom with partners. We talked about how we could continue reading the world around us on our way home from school (reading our neighborhood sign, reading a stop sign, reading a McDonald's, Target, or Schnucks sign), and all the things we can read in our homes - things that aren't even books! Make sure to spend some time reading (looking & thinking) the world around you with your child and celebrate even their approximations of words as true reading.

















We can read "learn about the world" books!

We Are All Alike, We Are All Different

This week, we read two books to learn about ourselves and our classmates:


After we read, We Are All Alike We Are All Different, by the Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergarteners (the kids thought this was amazing!), our class talked about ways we are all alike as kindergarten kids and ways we are all different. The kids had so many great ideas!

We also talked about how we all look different and we all have different skin colors. The book, The Colors of Us, by Karen Katz, compares different skin tones to foods and discusses how we are all a shade of brown that is just the right shade for us. The book has wonderful imagery, and the kids loved it. They were very interested in comparing their skin tones and describing what their own shades looked like.



Mr. Ryan, one of our counselors, came to talk to our class this week and explain his job at school. The kids loved meeting him and his Mr. Potato Head.



One of the highlights of our week was getting to meet our third grade buddies! Throughout the year, we will meet with our third grade buddies at least once a month, if not more. The kids LOVE having a big kid buddy! The third graders interviewed their new kindergarten buddy to learn more about them, and the kindergarteners also got a chance to ask their third grader some questions about him/her. Make sure to ask your child about his/her buddy!