Studying the letter G

We use Saxon Phonics and this week we're learning all about Gg. We'll begin by using Dr. Jean's songs "Who let the Letters Out" and "Lettercise" and use our alphabet strips to point to the letters. We'll discuss it's sound, whether it is a consonant or vowel, things that begin with the /g/ sound, and how to write it. We'll use WBT to practice our class rules and use the teach-okay method. This week we will blend our first word: log. We've been blending as I model or have the students model, but by the end of this week, everyone should be able to read log and hog. One center that we'll continue each week is using paint dotters to make the letter. I found it at Tot School. The students love this center! We'll read Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Mr. Grumpy's Outing, My G Sound Book, and  Giggle, Giggle, Quack. I found a great (Mr. Gumpy's Outing) emergent reader at www.makinglearning fun.com! I've printed it and I'll have it cut, stapled, and ready for their hands tomorrow morning!!!

In math, we'll review sorting and work on positional words. We'll also work on numbers, counting,  graphing, identifying coins, months of the year, days of the week, and five frames on our calendar wall. We'll continue working on color words and incorporate graphing by using gummy bears to graph. One center we'll use is the Magnetic Pattern Blocks Alpahabet  G sheet. Another center we will use this week:
Goldilocks Sorting Activity
I got this sorting idea from making learning fun and modified it because I don't have purple bears. Students will use a sheet to record their findings and share with the group. Recording has been especially difficult this year, but we'll get it eventually.

Name Sorting Activity

We're continuing to work on our names. There are a few students who need practice, so, I combined it with a sorting activity. We can all use sorting practice too!

I see this activity other places, so it's nothing new.

This is the site where I located the letters: Webbing Into Literacy. I pulled up the CCBB lesson and the letters are on the last page. Then I typed up the headings: letters in my name and letters not in my name.

name sort 1

This is the finished project: 

Sight Words, Sight Word Queen, and Clap-outs!

We are working extremely hard on learning sight words!!!! Our first list was the color word list. This week I assessed my class on the list and 6 of them know all 11 of the color words!!! they will get to run in the first clap-out of the year. I'm so excited. Keep up the great effort!!!

Our big class news is that one of the students is a Sight Word Queen!!!! She is very pleased and will receive a sight word queen crown and get to run in our school's clap-out. At her desk, she will have a Sight Word Queen chair pocket for the day. I'll present her with an award and treat for her accomplishments!

Our clap-outs allow the students to run through the school's hallways while everyone claps and cheers them on! Students really look forward to this!! Students can run in the clap-outs for mastering each sight word list, getting a VIP for doing something great, or great bus behavior.

Below are the checklist (color words in an earlier post) and Red 1 words that we learn first. I use the snap word cards from child-1st to introduce and practice in class. They get a partner and use the flashcards to practice after I've assessed each student. It is differentiated based on sight word knowledge. I'll soon post where I keep the words so that students get to use them daily!

Sightword Checklist Color-number




Red 1
I run these on card stock and laminate them. Then, I punch holes in the top left corner and put a ring through them. I write the list name on the back and it corresponds to the label on a peg board where it belongs. The students learn where each set belongs and they are in control!!

News

This is our third week of school and we're rolling right along! Below is our class newsletter. Don't forget to clean out the agendas and sign them daily!
August 19, 2011

Also, we have begun to track print. Some students already have some background knowledge about tracking and students will use different books to practice reading skills. Below is one of the early readers I created to practice tracking print and using the pictures to help figure out unknown words. We are working on so many skills like letters, words, and sentences, that it's difficult to list everything we are learning! The other books are coming from reading a to z. When I cannot find exactly what I want, I just make it!

Second Week of School

This week, we'll be focusing on the letter Ll and it's sound. We'll write it using tablet paper and discuss it at the beginning of words. We're also working on reviewing shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond/rhombus, oval/ellipse and we'll touch on the pentagon and hexagon). The students will keep learning the color words and writing their names. Please practice writing names at home by only capitalizing the first letter of your child's name. I will begin assessing students on their personal information (name, address, and phone number).

During centers tomorrow the students will use this graph to practice shapes. My previous students enjoyed doing these graphing games! (I have no idea what's up with the words at the bottom!) They loved using the clear spinners to play this! A Kissing Hand graph went home last Friday that was very similar to this shape game.
Shape Spin and Graph


You have a new homework calendar coming home tomorrow. Please let me know if there's anything that needs to be explained. Also, we need volunteers to send in the Oo and Gg snack this month. Please let me know if you would like to help out.


Aug2011 hw

Friday Thoughts

Today is the first Friday of the year and it has been a good first week. The students have gotten to know each other and even remember each other's names! They are precious! We've read many books, practiced rules and routines, discussed our first science word (nocturnal), enjoyed centers, learned/reviewed shapes, and many more things! I am beginning to assess the students on knowledge of letters. After, I will assess the students who seem ready, on sight words. Please keep practicing the color words and move on to the next list if he/she has mastered the color words. Don't forget to review/learn your personal information, for example, name, address (including zip code), and phone number.

Have a fantastic weekend and I'll see everyone Monday:)

*We won a gift certificate from Pre-K pages on Facebook. I've used the gift certificate to buy alphabet books, a school CD, and tracing font to use in class.

Behavior Plan and Classroom Newsletter

Here is our first newsletter. When it comes home today, there will be a copy of our Specials schedule attached. We are group A and have visited music and art so far. Please be sure to allow your child to wear tennis shoes on the days we have P.E.

August 11, 2011



We've begun to use our behavior stop light in class. Students have already learned what it means and how it works. Below is a plan that explains it. Please sign it, have your child sign it, and return it tomorrow.

Classroom Management 2010

First Day!

I am so excited! Today is the first day of school and we are doing many things! It may seem very silly, but we practice the routines until they KNOW them! We will read The Kissing Hand,  Chrysanthemum,and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I have made kissing hand cookies for each student and the office staff! We will do the calendar and introduce the Lucky Duck for the day and tour the school. After the tour, we'll play on the playground. We'll also learn about RED; how to spell it and finding items that are red. If we get all of that done, we're set for tomorrow!

Emergent Reader

It's always a struggle to find just what I'm looking for in an emergent reader or rebus sentences. So, I've taken to creating them myself. It's also taken me hours to figure out how to keep the images from font that I have showing in the document. There is no tutorial that I could easily find on a google search. So, my techy Mr. Hogan lead me to something he uses for work and it's name says it all: cutie pdf!!! Here is a downloadable book that we'll use at the end of this first week or next Monday. Just print, fold in half, and staple the edges together. Hopefully very simple!
1st Week Color Book PDF

Lucky Duck

Each begins with a new Lucky Duck. The Lucky Duck is the VIP of the day! He or she is in charge of every job. The student will help with the calendar, holds the door, and gets to carry the caddy (our supplies). The Lucky Duck also gets to pick the music for our brain breaks and is the line leader.

Having the jobs held by one person each day really helps me. The years that I've had several helpers, were the most confusing times I've had. Just having one special person each day, makes their day even better, too!

Parent Survey

If any parents didn't get a chance to take the school system's parent survey last night, please click Parent Survey and take it. I really enjoyed meeting everyone last night and am very excited about school!

On Monday, I will be in the gym until 7:43 and will walk the students to our room. If you would still like to bring supplies by the room today, I will be there until 3:00. Your child will bring home many things on Monday. The main intem will be a WOLF notebook(well organized learning folder). It houses our money pouch, agenda (for communication), homework, and papers to sign and return. We'll have curriculum night soon, where we'll discuss our standards everything else about Kindergarten!

Have a wonderful weekend!!! I'll see you Monday!!!

Happy Open House day!

Today is our Open House day. It's from 3p.m.-7p.m. I'll leave for school much earlier than that. I have to redo our outside display. We had a ittle mishap right before I left yesterday. It seems that the air conditioning duct had a leak which pooled up on a ceiling tile. I didn't notice it until it began ruining our decorations. When it broke, it was similar to a dam bursting and water went everywhere. So I'll just fix it before you arrive :) At 5:00 maintenance arrived and I'm sure that when I return this morning, everything will have been magically fixed back to it's prior glory!!! Look for the red Super Learner's Cafe'! I am located 6 doors down the first main hallway when you turn left at the office. I look forward to meeting you!!!

Really Good Stuff

I was really excited about the really good stuff that I was getting (on sale) from ReallyGoodStuff.com!!!! I was...until my item was shipped only to have the label ripped off and sent back to reallygoodstuff.com. Well, when I called after tracking it DAILY, they let me know that they would immediately send me replacements. TEN DAYS LATER, I received an email saying that my account has been credited the amount and the item discontinued. Immense disappointment set in only to be replaced with my thinking, WAIT, they sent my shipment back! It's MINE and I want it! One email and two phone calls later...no results. I was at boycott level!! What happened next really NEVER happens to me! Someone higher than the customer service representative called me saying my returned items have been located and will be sent to me for FREE!!!! WOW was all I could say (borrowed from the book we'll read called Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse)! Our class is getting 2 sets of these:

These will be used when the students become Sight Word Kings and Queens. Students who earn those titles will have mastered the first 220 Dolch sight words. I am looking forward to seeing these being used in our room!!!!!

Cute sign for classroom

I think I do my best work when I can't sleep. Here's what I produced last night when I couldn't sleep! The idea came from Babbling Abby and I am happy with the results!!!
Today's also my first day officially back to school!

Sight Words

I seem to have sight words on my brain. I use a variety of methods to help students learn sight words, but playing games and using different modalities seem to work the best.  We begin the year with color words. Here is the downloadable set that we use to practice. I have 5 sets placed on rings and students use these in pairs or groups of 3 to practice. I first model how to practice sight words, then allow 2 students to model and explain, then allow the students to practice. One student is the teacher while the partner/group will be the learner(s). My WBT Oh Switch helps to keep this activity directed until this routine is mastered by all.
Color Words flash cards

The other flash cards I use come from Child-1st and gives students a multi-sensory approach to learning sight words. I use these "snap word" cards to introduce all of my sight words! I have a couple of sets because I wrote a grant for them. I punch a hole in the upper corner and use a ring  to sort by list. These are awesome and I couldn't live without them!