Weekly Round-Up

It looks like winter has officially arrived!

We hope that everyone has stayed safe and warm this weekend! 

Last week was a busy one. We continued to explore hibernation. Our friends are really enjoying this inquiry! 

We did a number of different math centres this week. The boys and girls were especially interested in the math tool the rekenrek! 

Puzzles were also a big hit! If anyone has some old puzzles collecting dust... we are looking to build our classroom collection and would be happy to take them! 

We read the story “The Mitten” by Jan Brett and many of our centres were based around this story. The students particularly enjoyed making retell paper bags and writing about what could fit in their own mitten! We will continue with mitten activities next week too! 

Lots of sight word work and working with our letter of the week! Students were so excited to get back to PAT. 

This week the letter is Rr. The sight word is right. 

SK - Reading Program

This message is for SK families! 

Our year two students will begin an at home reading program today. A red duotang will be sent home every Tuesday and Thursday. At the back of the duotang you will find a page protector with a book inside. Inside the duotang is also some questions you can ask your child during reading time and a log for you to initial. Children benefit from repeated practice of reading texts. They should read the book a few times. For example: tonight’s book should be read today and tomorrow and returned for Thursday when they will receive a new book. 

Keep in mind that right now students are just learning to read. 

Some strategies to focus on:

~ track the print with their finger (“pointy pig”)

~ recognize sight words

~ use “eagle eye”  - look at the first letter of a tricky word and then the picture to help you solve

~ use “stretchy snake” - stretch the sounds in the word to solve it

We will highlight more strategies as the year goes on!

Above all - keep it light hearted and fun! Just as important as fluency and comprehension when learning to read is interest and enthusiasm. Right now we want to to create a life long love for reading! 

Weekly Round-Up

We had a very productive first week back! 

We spent a lot of the week reviewing rules and routines and practicing how to play, share and tidy up! 

We shared stories about the break and what our favourite presents were. We journaled by drawing pictures and writing words. 

The boys and girls have begun asking questions about what animals do during the winter months. This has sparked an inquiry on Hibernation! The children have been asking questions and together we research the answers to these questions using books, videos and websites! 

Many of our literacy and math centres have been hibernation themed! 

We have been busy turning the dramatic centre into a forest too. We are asking if students could bring in any forest stuffies (example: teddy bears, raccoons, birds, snakes, turtles, squirrels, mice etc) that they may have at home (and don’t mind keeping at school for a few weeks). We will label them with masking tape and keep them in the dramatic centre for imaginary play to support this inquiry! 

Bingo has been a favourite centre this week as has directed drawing! 

We have been learning about adding by using manipulatives to make addition sentences. Praticing at home with small toys like LEGO would be beneficial too! We have also been practicing to print numbers. We used q-tips and paint to support our fine motor skills too! 

We are going to get back into PAT again next week. The letter is Hh. The sight word is “have.”

SK students will begin a home reading program on Tuesday. More details to follow! 

Have a super Sunday!