...and what a great week it was!!!

It was a week of getting used to a new school, new friends, and a new routine. In one week, students experienced their first assembly, fire drill, and flag raising. They also learned the little things that make a day run smoother such as, walking in line, unpacking backpacks, and how to properly put the cap back on a marker. All of these experiences help children learn and grow and become a valuable member of our classroom community.
Our shared reading book today was "The Birthday Cake" by Joy Cowley. It was a simple book that introduced color words. After reading the book several times, the student's attention was brought to the sentence strip chart where each line of the book was written out. Then they completed their own copy of the book by coloring in the various cake colors that matched the words. "A red cake; a yellow cake; a blue cake..." This is a great way for students to see how the words correspond with the picture.
Another book we visited today was "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom." This is always a classroom favorite. A lot of children were familiar with this book and love hearing it over and over. We completed an art activity to go with the book by making a palm tree and using letter stickers that spelled their names going up the tree. This was especially insightful because I had the opportunity to make an informal assessment of noticing if the students knew how to spell their names on an individual basis.
Other activities of the day included two new literacy stations - the stamp center and Play-doh - were students can build fine and gross motor skills creating letters with the clay.
In the afternoon, we revisited Caps for Sale. The students chimed in with,"Fifty cents a cap!" Developmental centers included "dress up", Magna Doodles, and cubes. They also had their first fun Friday treat which was very welcome after coming in from recess.
Our first week is now officially over -- learning, growing, meeting new friends, learning new routines, and having fun ... and what a great week it was!!!