Race To Trace

We opened a new game today to practice number formation and subitizing. Partners take turns rolling dice, reading the quantity and tracing the corresponding number. The first player to trace all their numbers wins!

Recess

Fundations

"Fundations" is a researched-based phonics program that includes both phonics instruction and assessment. It provides thorough practice in learning to read and write. Fundations   . . . .

•  provides specific, common-core aligned learning objectives
• naturally builds on student prior knowledge
• provides lessons that are accessible to all students because concepts are practiced in many different ways
• challenges different levels through differentiation

We have begun to explore the Fundations writing grid, paying special attention to where letters start and end. Pencil grip has also been a strong focus. Here are our visual cues!

Where Do Readers Read?

Our learning intention today was understanding that reading can happen anywhere! This was our brainstorm of places we like to read, and the book was our mentor text to spark further discussions!

Match It

Match it is a fun game where one partner puts blocks on their side of the mat and says "match it" to their partner. Their partner will then match the number and shape. It is a cooperative, fast-paced game with the opportunity to practice one-to-one correspondence, comparing and the concepts of same and different.

Reading Detectives

We became reading detectives today as we practiced reading letters and words in books, on posters, signs, name tags, cubbies and all over the room.

Knuffle Bunny

Look who joined us for read aloud today!!!! Knuffle Bunny himself!!!! We each had a turn holding him while we read the book together.

Readers Read The World

Today we learned by doing, that a reader is someone who is always on the lookout for something to read. Readers look, think, and READ! We proved it by first reading each others names at circle, and then by walking through the school reading environmental print. Once back in the classroom we looked for print there and discovered there is a ton to read around us all day!

Morning Message

We start our days with morning meeting. This is a time to build community through greetings, fun activities and morning message. It is also a time to build early academic skills. In the message pictured here we practiced concepts about print (reading left to right, top to bottom, matching voice to print and the concept of words vs letters), calendar concepts (the date) as well as phonological awareness (rhyming). At the end of morning meeting I draw a name to decide who gets to take the message home to continue the learning!

Classroom Agreements

We have been talking a lot as a class about the new Folsom Expectations. We dug a little deeper this week and talked about what they mean for us, in our classroom and throughout the school. We came up with a lot of examples of what is expected. It was a long list, so we worked together to tweak them, reword them and rewrite them into our classroom agreements.

First Day!!!!

Wow! What a great first day of kindergarten!!!! We learned a freeze game that helps with hearing directions, learned about "whole-body listening," opened our brand new pencil boxes, played octopus tag, and read some great books. The first was Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes and the other was Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten by Ashley Wolf. This is going to be a great year!!!

Kindergarten Orientation

At our orientation we had the chance to explore some of the components of our day including lunch, the bus, and all of our UA's. Ms. Kauffeld lead us in a fun freeze song and in PE Mr. Riggs gave us the chance to move our bodies with a melting game. After that we toured the school in a scavenger hunt.