Reading Letters

In these pictures we are practicing reading letters around the classroom. During this lesson we read the book "The Letters Are Lost" by L. Ernst and then went on a hunt for letters around the classroom with magnifying glasses following these steps:

1) First we pick up a type of reading material (books, charts, posters,etc)

2) Then we look for a letter

3) Last we point to the letter and say what it is 

This was so empowering for students when we did it in early September. They really began to see themselves as readers!

This learning experience supports common core standard RF.K.1

Reading: Foundational Skills

Print Concepts

1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.

1. Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.
2. Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.
3. Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
4. Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Pick For Your Neighbor

Last week we walked to Hackett's Orchard with the seventh and eighth graders to participate in our very first community service project. We picked apples and donated them rough the "pick for your neighbor" program. It was so much fun and we learned a lot about giving. 

Cooperative Spider Web

Dramatic Play Center Is Open!

Learning About Our Invisible Buckets

We read this fantastic book today . . . .here is the description from Amazon . . . 

Through the story of a little boy named Felix, this charming book explains to children how being kind not only helps others, it helps them, too. As he goes about his day, Felix interacts with different people — his sister Anna, his grandfather, other family and friends. Some people are happy, but others are grumpy or sad. Using the metaphor of a bucket and dipper, Felix’ grandfather explains why the happy people make Felix feel good, while the others leave him feeling bad — and how Felix himself is affecting others, whether he means to or not. This beautifully illustrated adaptation takes the original book’s powerful message — that the way we relate to others has a profound effect on every aspect of our lives — and tailors it to a child’s unique needs and level of understanding.

Ask your child to tell you all about it!

Kinetic Sand

Geoboard Shapes

We opened a new math workplace today, it is called "Geoboard Shapes." To play this game students follow the following steps:

1. Choose a shape card

2. Think about what you notice about the shape

3. Make the shape with rubber bands on your Geoboard

4. Check to see if they match

5. Copy the shape on Geoboard paper

This activity helps us learn and apply the following mathematical skills:

1. Recognizing and naming shapes

2. Understanding how some of the common shapes are formed