May!
Religion – This month in religion, we will continue to say the Hail Mary and Our Father prayers and say a decade of the rosary each day. The children attend weekly mass on Mondays at 11:00. We continue to read, discuss, and write about stories in the Bible. Throughout the month of May, the children will honor our Heavenly Mother. We will bring flowers to honor Mary in our classroom and the children will learn the beautiful song, “Immaculate Mary.” Additionally, this month, the children will compose a creative writing piece. Each child will write a letter to God describing what they believe Heaven in is like. Each child will end his/her letters with a question about something they have always wondered about. Some questions asked in the past included: “Is there a candy shop in Heaven? Do you have to make your bed? What games do you like to play in Heaven? How do you take care of all your pets?”
Math – In math, concluded Chapter 9 on time and will begin Chapter 10 which focuses on Money. Chapter 10 objectives include the following:
- Sort and graph pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters by attributes.
- Identify a penny as one cent; count and compare sets of pennies.
- Identify a nickel as five cents; relate five pennies to a nickel.
- Identify a dime as ten cents; relate ten pennies and two nickels to a dime.
- Identify a quarter; compare attributes of quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies.
- Solve a problem by acting it out (purchase items using coins and determine how much money is “left over.”)
Vocabulary from the chapter includes:
Sort – Put into groups that are alike in some way
Graph – Groups of sorted objects arranged in rows and columns to make them easier to compare
Penny – Brown coin worth one cent
Cent – The value of a penny; a small part of a dollar
Nickel – Silver coin that is worth five cents
Dime - A silver coin worth ten cents; the smallest coin
We also continue to learn our basic addition facts to 10! The children have learned several addition problem solving strategies such as: using a number line, using counters, drawing pictures, and Touch Math.
Currently, the children participate in interactive games, competitions, and activities to enhance their basic addition skills.
Every other day, the children complete untimed “mad minutes.” Each untimed mad minute activity contains 30 addition problems at different skills levels. Each child begins at the first level. When he/she receives a 30/30 on the first level, they move to the second level and so on. The children chart their individual progress for their mad minutes on a personal graph. Additionally, as a class, we track our progress on a large “Mount De Chantal” poster that hangs in our classroom. When each child has received a 30/30 on the first level, we place another “camp tent” on our mountain. We do not move ahead until each classmate is ready to proceed up the mountain. We are climbing to the peak together as a team!
Supplemental online math activities can be found on the following websites:
New! – Practice counting money using the following link
http://atlantis.coe.uh.edu/archive/math/math_lessons/mathles3/tutor.htm
New! – Printable Money Game
Directions: Simply print, cut the triangles and have your child match the triangles (coins to sum)
New! - Fruit Shoot Coins (Count the coins and shoot the correct fruit using the target)
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/Fruit_Shoot_coins.htm
New! - Compare amounts of money game
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/BPGreaterCoins.htm
New! - Review concepts of time to the hour by setting this clock to match the times
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/on_time_game1.htm
New! – Review Addition Concepts with this Bugabaloo Addition Game
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/bugabalooShoes.htm
New! – Matching Money Game
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/matching/memoryMath_coins_level1.htm
An excellent selection of online addition games can be found on the following link:
http://jmathpage.com/JIMSNumberaddsubtract.html
“Alien Munchtime” Addition Game - Help the alien lunch day serve the hungry little aliens at lunch time! Practice addition fact families 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
http://www.fun4thebrain.com/addition/alienmunchadd.html
“Can You Dig It?” Addition Game – Solve addition problems correctly in order to dig up dinosaur bones. Then, use the bones to construct your own dinosaur!
http://www.fun4thebrain.com/addition/dinodigadd.html
That’s a fact! – Select Addition - Kindergarten Addition Facts to 10
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/thats_a_fact/english_K_3.html
“Count to Ten” – Practice counting sets and matching sets to numerals
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/rubber_count_to_10/
“Adding Bricks” – Count bricks to explore addition problems
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/adding_bricks_k/
“Identify 11-30” - Count objects to identify numbers 11-30
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/identify11-30/
Printable Games Can be Accessed Using the Following Links:
Dice Addition!
Materials:
2 dice
Worksheet printed
Pencil
Directions for play:
Roll two dice
Add the numbers on the dice together to find the sum
Write the number sentence each time
Print the worksheet for this game by using the link below:
http://resources.mysparklebox.co.uk/6000-7000/sb6050.pdf
Addition Races!
Materials:
Game Board
Cards printed and cut (be sure to write answers on the back of each card for students to check their work)
Add your own game pieces
2- 4 players
Directions for play:
Determine which player will go first. Players take turns selecting a card and finding the sum. If correct, the player may move ahead one space. If incorrect, the player’s turn is over. Continue play until the game is won. The game is won when a player reaches his/her flag!
Print game board and cards by clicking on the link below:
Science and Social Studies- Our focus this month is on the growth and development of baby chicks! The children will learn all about the growth and development in chicks through videos, books, and hands-on learning as we hatch baby chicks in kindergarten! Currently, we have 24 eggs remaining safe and warm in our incubator. We expect to hear the beautiful “cheep, cheep” sound on May 14th!
Enjoy a cute video about the life cycle of a chick by using the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tof5b1Qs_OE
Reading – In reading this month, we will meet Ms. K and her “Kaboom Kick,” Mr. Y and his “Yodeling Yawn,” Mr. Q “Who Loves to Ask Questions,” and Mr. X who is “All Mixed Up!” Please continue to review sight words and practice reading/writing simple sentences at home! I am very impressed with each child’s progress in language arts this year! They are very motivated to learn and enjoy receiving their books for our take home book program each week. Please make sure to read these books with your children each night. This is so important!
On Tuesday, January 10, we began our new Take Home “Book Bag” Reading Program! Two new books will be sent home with your child in a special envelope in his/her red folder each week. These books are yours to borrow for the week. Please read them with your child each night, complete the activities, and return the books and completed activities in your child’s envelope on Friday. A copy of our parent letter explaining the details for our new take home reading program can be found below:
Dear Parents and Students,
This week, we will begin our “Book Bag” Reading Program! Two new books will go home with your child in his/her red folder each Tuesday. Books will be kept in a zip-lock bag.
Books sent home in our “Book Bag” Reading Program will provide you and your children with important tools to support and motivate emergent readers. Your children will be able to develop and practice a variety of critical reading strategies including:
- Predicting what will happen next in the story
- Understanding characters and their motivations
- Noticing language patterns and style of the text
- Figuring our unfamiliar words by using decoding skills to sound out words and context clues to confirm word meanings
- Returning to the text to confirm understanding
- Connecting the text to other stories and personal experiences
- Forming opinions about the books they read
Additionally, books sent home will include the following features:
- Consistent text placement on each page
- One to three lines of text per page
- Clear, high-support illustrations
- Patterned text structure
- Natural syntactic structures
- Repeated and recognizable high-frequency words
- Consistent print placement
- Simple, familiar, engaging story lines
Please have your child read his/her books to you each night throughout the week. Follow the “Tips for Using First Little Readers” before, during, and after reading. Also, refer to the assessment questions located in this packet in order to assess and monitor your child’s progress.
Each book will come home with a brief, supplemental activity every Tuesday in your child’s red folder. Activities will coincide with your child’s new books. Each activity should be completed and returned with the reading books on Friday. Activities are intended to ensure that students are reading for comprehension! Please sign the book log after reading the week’s book and completing the activities with your child.
The books are yours to borrow for the week, but must be returned on Friday. Your child will not receive new books until his/her original books have been returned.
Thank you and enjoy!
Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Teachers
Some fun language arts websites and activities can be found below:
New! – Fantastic Language Arts Games/Activities…this is an absolute MUST!
http://www.cookie.com/kids/games/viewallgames.html
New! – Online Storytime! (Enjoy stories read by authors through Barnes and Noble)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/storytime/index.asp
New! – Printable Sigh Word Bingo Game
Sight Word Matching!
http://www.starfall.com/n/matching/sight-words/load.htm
Printable Games Can Be Accessed Using the Following Links:
Boggle – Create Words!
Materials:
Printed boggle board worksheet
Printed boggle boards (choose only 1 to work with at any given time…there are 8 choices)
Pencil
Directions for Play:
Print boggle board worksheet using the first link below. Then, print the boggle boards from the second link. The student should select one boggle board to work with (there are 8 to choose from). Then, the student will copy the letters from the board he/she selected onto his/her worksheet. The student must then use the letters on the board to create as many 3 or more letter words as he/she can. Have fun!
Print boggle board worksheet using the link below:
Print 8 boggle boards using the link below:
Word Roll - Fun game to print and play at home to support enhance sight word recognition
Materials needed to play include:
1 Game board sheet
2 dice (one for numbers and the other put sticker dots with the letters on them)
Different colored marker for each player
Directions to play with 2 players:
Roll the dice and read the word that corresponds with your roll. For example, if you roll 4/c, you must read the word: OUT. Once you correctly read the word, you can cross it off with your marker. Each player can use a different colored marker to see who wins the game with the most crossed off.
The game board can be printed from the following address:
Roll a Sight Word!
Materials needed to play include:
Game Board
Crayons or Markers
Dice
Directions to play:
Print Game Board from the following address
Next, roll the dice approximately 20 times. If you roll a 1, color a space under the word, “like.” Continue until you have rolled approximately 20 times. See which word you rolled the most, least, etc. J
Important!!!!
Letters to review and why they are special are listed below:
M – munching mouth
T – tall teeth
F – funny feet
H – horrible, happy hair
N – noisy nose
A – aaaachhoo sneeze
P – pointy patches
Z – zipping zippers
I – incredible inventions
S – super socks
D – delicious donuts
U – unusual umbrella
W – wonderful wink
O – optimistic optimist
R – rainbow ribbons
G – Gooey Gum
J – Jingle, Jingle Jacket and loves to collect Junk!
E – Exercise Energy
C – Colossal Cap
Y-Yodeling Yawn
K – Kaboom Kick
Q – Asks Questions
X – All Mixed Up!
It is also important to review the following sight words to enhance reading fluency and writing development. Sight words are listed below:
A
Am
Are
And
Brown
Blue
Black
By
Can
Do
Did
Go
Green
He
Her
I
In
It
Look
Like
Me
My
Made
Purple
Red
See
She
To
The
This
There
They
Them
Then
We
White
You
Yellow
Number Words:
Zero
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Some fun, multi-sensory activities to review sight words are listed below. It is beneficial to review at least 1-2 words each week. Complete 1 activity from the list below each day for the 2 words you have selected to review that week:
(Ideas found in Success With Sight Words: Multisensory Ways to Teach High-Frequency Words by Sara Throop.)
1. Use yarn or string to form your words
2. Read a story. See how many times you can find your word
3. Print your words 4-5 times with your fingers in flour, salt, or sugar
4. See how many times you can write your words in 1 minute
5. Write 3 or more sentences using each word.
6. Use coins to form your words
7. Use your favorite snack to form your words, then eat them!
8. Tape –record yourself saying and spelling your words
9. Print the words on someone’s back. Have the person guess your words
10. Use colored chalk to write your words on the sidewalk
11. Stamp your words using assorted stamps and colors
12. Form your words out of alphabet cereal
13. Use colored crayons or markers to copy your words in as many different color combinations as possible
14. Paint your words using watercolors or finger paint
15. Write 3 or 4 words that rhyme with your words
16. Use bread or cookie dough to form your words and then bake them
17. Use beans, pasta or rice to form your words and then glue them to construction paper or tagboard
A beneficial website to explore for helpful hints, background information, and strategies used to enhance and promote reading development can be found at: http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101/
Sight Word Twister! (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see a picture of this activity)
Idea from: http://www.spencer.k12.wi.us/elem/tomke/Pictures/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=27
Materials:
Twister Game
Index Cards
Marker
Tape
Directions for play:
Fill each circle on the mat with a sight word
Each color should contain the same word. For example, reds could be “the” and blues could be “there,” etc. Choose your own sight words! These can change each time you play!
Build Sight Words Using Index Cards and Clothes Pins!
(Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see a picture of this activity)
(Idea from ttp://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2011/11/while-backi-whipped-up-little-game-for.html)
Use large index cards or cardstock for this activity. Write one sight word on each card. Write the letters for each word on individual clothes pins. The kids make the words by matching the letters on the clothespins to the letters on the cards.
Important Dates:
May 1st – Field Day
May 4th – “Mini” Dash Day
May 9th/10th – 6th Grade Musical
May 14th – Grandparents Day
May 16th – May Crowning
May 21 – Candle Ceremony
May 25th, 28th – No School
Love, Ms. Moore
