I'll admit, reading is more of a passion for me, because it came easier to me. Math... well, that wasn't the case. In fact, it wasn't until I starting teaching when I realized that I LOVE MATH! It is incredible way to demonstrate not just your knowledge, but also your understanding in a myriad of ways.
Kindergarten math is the foundation of building math skills and reasoning that is needed for continual growth in future grades. It kind of puts the pressure on me (yikes!) to support students in understanding and loving math. It is important for them to know the foundations, because math is like a set of stairs: you need one to advance to the other. Even more to consider is the fact that each student is different in their abilities and understanding. There is no "one size fits all" way to teach math to 24 different students. Here is why I wanted to write this blog: to help you understand that you are already supporting your child in their math! So instead of saying how much I love math, here are some ways you and your children and love math (and become better at it), too!
There are so many ways to incorporate math into daily routines, but we all know how progressive and quick technology is in providing math resources that are helpful (and appropriate) for students! Here is a quick list of websites/apps to support math at home:
Apps for Math
While there is a lot here, don't get overwhelmed! These are simply a list of resources for you to look at and use to support math fluency and understanding. If there is something you have at home that works for your children, comment below and I will add it to the list! Thanks, Miss M. :)
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One of the main reasons I love teaching kindergarten is the chance to teach them how to read! And what better way to learn than be given multiple opportunities to read and write everyday! As an extension to my first post on launching the Daily 5 in my classroom, I want to talk about how I teach strategies in reading by using CAFE, which stands for: Comprehension Accuracy Fluency Expand Vocabulary Under each of the categories, there are specific strategies that I teach as mini-lessons to support the kids when they participate in Read to Self. These strategies are utilized and taught in upper grade levels when teachers are using the Daily 5 and CAFE. For kindergarten, though, it is a little different, because many children are still working to identify sounds in words needed to read books. For example, kids need to know and recognize letters and sounds in order to blend the beginning, middle and ending of a word. They also need to be able to manipulate sounds they hear and identify the beginning, middle and end so they can associate those sounds into words and written print. In fact, our first lesson was how to listen to a story with understanding--being able to use our auditory processing to listen and comprehend. In the image, there are all the strategies that we have learned so far. After the holiday break, I will begin "conferring" with students. I will be meeting 1:1 with each student individually to begin identifying which strategy we will work on together to set goals in becoming better readers. This method of instruction allows me to teach to the whole group of students in finding strategies that work for them when reading independently, while allowing me to individualize instruction to meet all the diverse needs of each child.
I have been using this reading structure ever since starting kindergarten 4 years ago, and it amazing to see the growth and progress that each child has gone through as readers. It is so fun to see! Please take a look at each of the strategies, and see if your child is using any of them at home when reading. I can tell that so many of you are reading daily at home, because many of the kids are continuing to get better and better each day! Reading is such an important skill to have, because we all use it on a day-to-day basis; it is a HUGE life skill! I love you and I are able to provide the foundations for their success in reading! -Miss M. Each day at the beginning of our ELA (English/Language Arts) block, we participate in a structure called Multi-Sensory Phonics. This approach to phonics instructions allows for all students to participate in instruction in modes that meet all sensory needs (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). Each day, we participate in a three-part drill, a routine that we are very used to doing! Part 1 The first part of the drill is reviewing the sounds that we have already learned. This involves me holding the cards as students say the sound together as a group, followed by the name of the letter. By practicing the sounds and letters each day, I have seen TREMENDOUS growth and improvement in the class' letter and sound recognition. Repetitive modeling and practice has supported the kids' improvements in mastering the kindergarten standard of knowing all letters and sounds in the alphabet! Here is an example of what the cards look like. Consonant letters are white, while the vowels are in pink for the kids to know that vowels are special when forming words. HerePart 2 The second part of the drill involves students practicing the writing of the sounds that they hear. In phonics and writing, much of what students write is based upon what they hear. This is normal, and absolutely encouraged! Spelling and rules of spelling will come later--what is most important is understanding the correlation between hearing sounds and encoding them onto paper. The kids are given a pencil box of sand (which is their favorite) and are waiting to listen to the sound I say. I only say a sound that we have learned in order to create errorless learning. After the sound is said (for example, /a/), students will write and say the letter and sound with the sand ( A says /a/). I watch and listen to see students. If some make a mistake, I follow up immediately with the correct letter and writing. We follow this up with 7-10 sounds. The example below shows how C and K both say the same sound. Part 3 The final part of our drill takes all knowledge of sounds and puts them together to form words. The sound cards are now put onto a blending board for students to see the CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) word. The pink cards always go in the middle to show that all words need a vowel in them. With blending right now, I model the word by saying the sounds in a long, stretched word, then follow up with saying the word. The words are in both real and nonsense format, allowing for students to really focus on the sounds rather than guessing at the word and incorrectly saying it. We practice by my modeling, their repeating and me switching cards to substitute sounds to make new words. The kids are doing a fantastic job of doing it on their own! The three part drill is a fantastic way of helping kids understand the relationship between letters and sounds in order to read and write. This is a fantastic intervention in supporting all kids where they are at in their reading while providing extra practice for mastery.
Here's your homework: Practice reading basic words with your child at home. Ask them to blend the word and say what the word is, and to say if it is a real or make-believe word. Comment below with what you notice when your child is reading! Here's a good list of words: cat, lad, cod, kim, hag, lag, mog, dod, hid. Happy Reading! :) ![]()
The beginning of the year is so much fun in kindergarten. We are excited about learning, establishing routines, and beginning the journey towards GRADUATION (it's sooner than you think)!
We only formally meet together twice a year for parent/teacher conferences, so I would like to use this blog as a way to inform you and keep transparency in what we do in the classroom! The first routine I want to introduce to you is our English/Language Art (ELA) structure called Daily 5. Daily 5 is a reading structure that allows for students to read and write everyday while fostering independence in each area. There are 5 elements in the Daily 5, and we try to hit each, but primarily focus on: Read to Self and Work on Writing. We have begun Read to Self and have been hard at work building stamina in our independent reading. With kindergarten, I am responsible for modeling and teaching students the procedures for the Daily 5 so they may continue in the upper grades they enter. 3 Ways to Read The first lesson I teach to the kids are the 3 ways we can read a book--because all students come in with varied background knowledge! I teach the 3 ways to read a book by showing a book that we all know, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." I model the first way to read a book by exaggerating a little... I look at the pictures and make up my own story! Once they realize that it is not how they know, I write the first way to read: Read the Pictures. I follow with reading the words as they are written and concluding with the final way--Retell the Story. We use all three elements to eliminate, "I don't know how to read!" because all reading starts with recognizing pictures and symbols. Think about the 3 ways when you're reading at home! I-PICK Good Fit Books Picking good fit books is a tool to use for all ages in reading! We want our children to be independent in their lifes, demonstrating the necessary skills to be successful later in life. Therefore, I teach a lesson on picking Good Fit books for read to self time. We follow by a rap, using the letters in I-PICK to help in always picking good fit books. Instead of saying it all, take a look at this video! ![]() Read to Self Once we have picked out our own books, we are read to launch Read to Self! This is my favorite thing to watch as children do this on their own! We have some simple rules for Read to Self:
Please continue to check this blog to see different things we are accomplishing at school! This also gives a good conversation to the "I don't know" response when you ask what they did at school. ;) ![]() In an effort to keep everyone informed and updated, one of my resolutions is to continue with my blog that I have been lacking with! The first post of the year will be dedicated to the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Expo that will occur on April 1st, 2017. Mr. Carlson, our Extended Curriculum Services (ECS) teacher came to our class on Friday to talk about the opportunities in entering a project in the STEAM Expo this year. I am very passionate about this event, because it allows for students to think, reason, research and present a project that is meaningful to them in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). I had two students compete in this event last year, and they loved every minute of it! Here is a picture of Addie, a 1st grader who entered a project on the life cycle of a butterfly last year. I am highly encouraging you and your child to consider thinking about a project to submit for this event. I, of course, am happy to help with any questions or ideas to support your child. Below is a link to the STEAM Expo Weebly page with more information. I will also post a link to a website that allows your child to take a survey that leads them to projects that are of interest to them. STEAM Expo info: http://gfpsweb.weebly.com/steam-expo.html Project Idea Starters: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas.shtml I am looking forward to supporting your child! Hello! If you are seeing this, then you have found where the magic occurs! Well, it occurs in the classroom, but this is where you will see the magic that happens!
Welcome to a new year, whether this is your first experience in kindergarten or your last, I am so excited to be able to team together for the success of your child! A goal of mine this year is to find time to blog and let you know what happens in our classroom. I feel that communication is a key to a successful classroom, and for some, this is a great way to see what even when you are unable to come in and see. If you ever have any questions, comments, or would like to come in and volunteer, please let me know! I am a phone call or email away. I look forward to working with you this year! -Miss M. :) This week, we took our knowledge in making connections while reading and applied it to our schema (background knowledge). Schema is a difficult concept to model, so I was trying to find a way to explain it in a way that all the kids understood. THANK GOODNESS FOR PINTEREST!!! I found a wonderful analogy for teaching schema. I first told the kindergartners that our brains are very powerful tools. In fact, when we learn new things, our brain acts like a sticker and new things stick to our brains forever! I showed them a lint roller to show the literal sense of the analogy. I placed a couple of small papers around with schema that I have gained in my life (i.e., Bowling takes lots of practice and hard work, Louisiana gets really hot in the summer, etc). I told them that I have gained schema from all the places I've visited, the movies I've seen and the books that I've read. I was able to pick up the papers from the lint roller and show the kids how my brain is like the roller. All those things are "stuck" in my brain, because I learned them from my personal experiences! It was so much fun when each of the students got to write down their schema. We were able to celebrate and talk about all the learning we have done... even at 5 and 6 years old!!! After applying the schema that we have accumulated in personal lives, we took it further and applied to informational (nonfiction) text. I chose the book "Insects," as it is a great way for students to apply schema, and even misconceptions, to their knowledge on insects. While reading, I had the kids listen to their "inner voice," which is a fancy way of saying what we think when we are reading or listening to a text. I read over a part that talked about houseflies being able to taste with their feet. My natural response was, YUCK! I told students that I thought is was kind of gross, but it was also something that I did not know previously until I read it. I wrote on a sticky note my new learning and coded it with an "L" for learn. I also wrote YUCK!!! because that was my reaction to my new learning. After modeling, I gave each of the the kinders a whiteboard with sticky notes. They wrote their new learning, and at the end, they picked our their own sticky note and elaborated more. This week was so powerful! Not only have my students learned new information, but I have also learned how absorbent young minds are! I could not have gotten a better result from that simple analogy at the beginning of the week. I love my job!!!
Between teaching, working, and starting my master's program, I have SERIOUSLY been lacking in posting a blog from the past month. However, we have all been working hard in K2, and I am excited for you to see what has been occurring in our classroom! The kindergartners have been applying their knowledge of phonemes (sounds) to apply them to pictures and written text. One theme during learning centers were focused on spiders. We learned facts about spiders and wrote them down on paper. We created spiders using our hands as a medium to create spiders. We measured spider (paper... not real!), and even identified sounds that began with the /s/ sound! I love having learning centers, not only because of the fun ways to apply learning, but also because of the wonderful parent volunteers that come in to support your children! During our Daily 5 structure, I have been modeling how to think about a text before, during and after reading. Using a book titled, "The Art Lesson," I modeled how I listen to my "inner voice" when I read. When I had a thought, I would stop, think, and record my thinking on a yellow sticky note. By thinking about my experiences, I was able to demonstrate how I could understand the text more. The fun part was having the kids practice thinking about reading. I continued to read the book, while providing opportunities for them to think about their lives and experiences when listening. When something important stood out to them, the kids were encouraged to write their thinking on their own sticky note. As we got further into the story, I was able to listen in on the conversations that were going on during partner talk. Wow, I could not believe the amount of powerful discussions that were taking place in my kindergarten room! Kids were thinking of, reminded of, and explaining their thoughts in a way that helped them understand the story more! I loved hearing it! After the story was finished, we shared our thinking, and I set the purpose for Read to Self time by having them think about their lives in the stories they were reading independently. I LOVED seeing and hearing the thinking! During the next couple of weeks, we are going to continue focusing on thinking during reading. i have introduced the concept of making connections during reading, including text to self and text to text connections.
This past week, we also learned the importance of Veteran's Day. As we are finishing our projects, I will be posting a description as well as pictures to show our new learning. Have a great week! It is amazing to have a month of school under our belts! We have been working hard learning rules, expectations and procedures in school, and we have also been learning math and reading! We started the beginning of the year with math games. We spent our time counting, building and analyzing the numbers that we have made. We played the game, "Roll a Tower." The kids rolled a dot die and built the number that they rolled. Kids continued to build until all of the rows were filled up. It was fun to watch the kids notice that each time a number got bigger, so did the tower! At least once each month, I will be posting a blog with pictures of things that have been happening in the classroom. For the past few weeks, we have been participating in a reading structure called, "The Daily 5." In kindergarten, I have modified the structure to call it, "The Daily 3," where we will be participating in Read to Self, Work on Writing, and Word Work every day in the classroom during our English Language Arts time. So far, we have been doing Read to Self. This is an independent time where students find a comfortable spot around the room to read. They can read the pictures, read the words, or retell a familiar story. We chart and graph our reading stamina, and we have successfully gotten up to 10 minutes of stamina! During this time, I pull kids aside to conference with them. It is a great way to individualize instruction and goals, and I can't wait to start more! Each day before we start Read to Self, I do a quick mini-lesson on a strategy that we use to help become better readers. This is called, CAFE (which stands for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expand Vocabulary). The strategies that I teach are from the Montana Common Core Standards, and I place them on a sticky note in the appropriate category in our "menu." Each time a strategy is taught, we work on it as a group, and then the kids are able to implement that strategy during their Read to Self time. It is so great to get back as a group and hear how they have used the strategy on their own!!! We post each strategy and continue to review for the kids to see when they are reading. Once we are reading more, we will post more reading strategies to help us become comprehending, fluent and accurate readers! Here are couple more things that we have been working on this past month. We made coconut trees from our hands, and counted the letters in our name. We have also written to show our opinion on our favorite kind of apple, and created an art piece inspired by the artist, Jackson Pollock! We have also created leaves to celebrate the beginning of fall! I will end this post with an awesome poster that we made after learning about our US Constitution. On September 17th, we read a book titled, "We the Kids." We discussed what a constitution is and what it means to us as citizens. After, we decided to create our own constitution, or promise, of what we are going to be like in K2. All of these are student created, and reflect on the behaviors that we wish to show in our class and school. Enjoy the pictures, and I can't wait to show you more of what happens this year in our classroom!
With summer coming upon us, it's easy to get into the habit of not following up on our reading and math skills during the long break. Here are a few tips to beat the "Summer Slide," and to keep your child ahead of the game going into 1st Grade in August!
Here are a few tips to keep your children reading in the summer months!
Here are a couple reading programs that are also offered!
While math is an area where it is mostly remembered, I would suggest going over addition and subtraction facts to keep fluency. You can always find shapes in the world to help identify flat and solid shapes as well! Here a a couple of other ideas:
There are a ton of great ways to prevent that Summer Slide with your kids. Please do not hesitate to ask me for tips, ideas, or activities! I will do my best to find what your child needs be successful! |
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January 2018
AuthorI sing, dance, and laugh my way through life! I love to teach, but my desire is to always learn more. I am truly blessed with the life I have! Categories |