Literacy Characters - Our Fall Centers

Here are a few pictures of our book characters dressed up for our Fall Literacy Parade Day and Centers.  It was a wonderful experience for the children to walk through the halls of the school cheered on by older students who remembered how much fun it was when they did the same thing not so long ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Literacy Pumpkin(s) for 2013 - A to Z Animals

 Our literacy pumpkins are on display in the main lobby. This year we chose the book "Animal ABC's" authored by the World Wildlife Fund. We chose the Jacksonville Zoo as the setting for this awesome entry. The children picked an animal from the book. Their homework for the week was to decorate a pumpkin to make it look like their animal. We have a panda, toucan, seal, newt, penguin, quail, zebra and miscellaneous other creatures. The students had a great time showing their animals to the class and seeing them altogether in the zoo. Thank you to our Room Moms - Mary for the zoo-tacular platform with all the extras and to Christa and Claire for all you have done to help with this creation. It is a show-stopper!!

Partner Reading

About twice a week the children enjoy sharing their books with a partner. During this partner reading time, they sit side by side with the book in the middle so that each child can see the book. The books in their book bins may include leveled books (A,B,C etc.), Dr. Seuss, an ABC book, star books (Caps for Sale, Harry the Dirty Dog, or a fairy tale), math trade books, and/or books we make in class. This is about 15 minutes out of our Reading block where children get to practice with a friend the strategies learned in the mini lessons. Each partner has a role of listener, reader and/or helper in decoding words. Partner reading is a great time to introduce a friend to a new book and share their thoughts about the books they read.

Visiting the Chicks

 Our Kindergarten students were invited to a Fifth Grade Science class to see and learn about the recently hatched chicks. The chicks will be in the incubator for a few weeks and then get moved to the chicken coop.

 The students had the opportunity to see the chicks up close and ask questions about them.

The chicks will be here for a few more weeks...staying warm under the light.

Our Itsy Bitsy Bulletin Board

  This is our first official bulletin board for this year that is located outside our classroom. Our "Itsy Bitsy Steps Thru Standards" showcases some of the work the children has been doing over the past few weeks.  This includes illustrating the story into three major parts, drawing rhyming words, an interactive art project for students to say the rhyme and move the spider up and down the waterspout, and interactive pieces of the rhyme for another type of retelling. This is by far our favorite class nursery rhyme.

Science - Observing

In Science, students have been learning about some of the tools scientist use such as hand lenses, scales and thermometers. In this experiment, our young scientists used an eye dropper and water to determine whether an item was absorbent or not absorbent. They used paper towels, a sponge, wax paper and a baggie. The items were then separated as "absorbent" or "not absorbent".  They were observing what happened after water was placed on the objects. Then these observations were logged in their Science Notebooks.

Mrs. Wishy Washy - Shared Reading

 One of our favorite classroom big books is called Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley. In this book, rhythm and repetition help the children easily read along after hearing the book a few times. The cow, pig and duck love to play in the mud, but Mrs. Wishy Washy wants her animals to be nice and clean. After she washes them, they wait until she goes back in the house and then they run back to play in the mud again. Students had the opportunity to retell this story and act it out during Reader's Workshop. "Oh lovely mud," they said.

Having fun with Mrs. Wishy Washy!

Spotting Sight Words and More...

This sentence strip chart borrows a few lines from one of our favorite books "Caps for Sale." Pointing to the words while reading this chart, students learn that each word is separated by a space, sight words (in, the, down, to, me), color words (red, green, blue, etc.) and more importantly rhyme and repetition. These types of interactive activities are all a part of our literacy block each morning and help build a strong foundation in reading.

Jump Start - Reading - Counted in the World Record

 Today our 39 students joined millions of other school children across the country and around the world to celebrate literacy by reading "Otis" by Loren Long.  The organization that sponsored this event  is called "Jumpstart's Read for the Record".  Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community Corps members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. They help children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten.

Otis is the story about a fun loving tractor that befriends a frightened calf. They become inseparable until the farmer buys a bigger and newer tractor and puts Otis out to pasture. Then one day, the calf got stuck in the mud and the new tractor could not get him out. Otis came along and saved the day.

We helped to make our reading count in this world record breaking event!

Hand Art for the Seasons

 

 With the hectic pace of Kindergarten and keeping up with the standards, we don't want to forget about basic skills such as tracing, cutting, and gluing. These cute art projects add so much to our classroom and the children just love seeing their artwork on the walls. This month we chose an owl. Children are labeling their work and of course adding their own special touches to their pieces. Don't they just make you smile?

Kindergarten Homework

We have had a few homework projects since the beginning of school. This is one the students love to do. Children were tasked with finding items at home that begin with the first letter of his/her name. Each child was invited to share these items with the class thereby reinforcing the first letter and beginning sound. Here we have "B" sharing her collection of "b" sounds with a book, bubbles, bear, and Buzz Lightyear. Bravo!!

Reader's Workshop: Book Bins and Star Books

Reader's Workshop is the time when students are given the time to "read" the books in their book bins. Each child has a book bin which includes a "Star Book" (Three Billy Goats, Caps for Sale,  or Where the Wild Things Are, etc.) that they have heard several times. They are now able to retell the story by looking at the pictures. The bin also includes an ABC book, a Dr. Seuss book and several Level A books which are simple sight word/picture books. Next wee, children will be bringing home a book from their book bin each night as part of their homework. They will love sharing these books with their family and reinforcing the reading skills and strategies they learned in school.

We Have "Caps for Sale"!

"Caps for sale...50 cents a cap." This is another one of our "Star Books" that we reread to the children a few times so that they will be able to retell the story using pictures and vocabulary from the book. Here we have our peddler. He has on his own checked cap and then all of the other colored caps for sale. In the story, the monkeys "borrow' the peddler's caps while he takes a nap against a tree. The caps are returned after the monkeys behaving as the peddler throws his own checked cap on the ground in frustration. Children are learning story sequencing, using story language, and vocabulary such as refreshed, disturb, and imitate  when retelling these adventures. Every student is lucky enough to have a copy of a "Star Book" in his/her book bin and it is delightful to hear them "reading" the books daily.

 He feels refreshed after his nap.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff- A Retelling

Being able to retell a story is one of the key ingredients in learning how to read. The children have heard us read The Three Billy Goats Gruff several times during the past few weeks. So much so that they are able to retell it themselves by using handmade stick puppets when doing their own retelling. They share with a friend and decide who is going to be what character and then act out the folktale. Soon they will get their own copy of the book and "read" by using the pictures in the book to help them along. These beginning steps in reading help the child by using one of the first strategies in reading, "Look at the picture." 

What is Kindergarten About? - The First Two Weeks - Random Pictures -

                                        ABC Puzzles                                           Drawing

                                                    Building with Legos                                                  

                                                                                      

                                                      Working on ABC puzzles together

 

                                                                   Pattern Block Creations
Kindergarten is all about learning, growing, and sharing. We like to have some time set aside every day for the children to have some "down" time. During this self-directed learning time, they have the opportunity to work on puzzles, build with Legos, use Play-doh, draw,  read, or go on the computer. They decide where they want to go and what they want to do. This is very important in the life of a Kindergarten student. They learn to share, take turns, converse with one another and make new friends. This is one of the things that makes Kindergarten so special.
                                                         More from our Animal Visit

Humpty Dumpty - Rhymes and More

Having props that go with the books add so much to the children's enjoyment.

The rhyme and repetition of a nursery rhyme contain some of the basic skills needed in learning how to read. For instance, students are learning phonemic awareness when they can point out the words that rhyme at the end of each line. They increase their memory skills in recalling the rhyme and sharing it at home. When we chant these rhymes in class, we point to the words on a chart (shared reading), ask questions about the story, talk about the characters, dance to the song and then have the students work on an art project about the subject. All of these poems will be put into their own Nursery Rhyme book for them to practice "reading" and chanting the rhymes. Our favorite is Humpty Dumpty and you can see why!!

 

 

Class Promise

 Every new year we come together as a class and decide what we think will help our class be a nice and safe place to learn, work and make friends. As we gave the class the opportunity to work with a partner to come up with some ideas, we decided on the above list. For instance, one idea was "to pick up our friends when they fall" and "not to hit anyone." Those ideas were morphed into "We will be kind to our friends." and "We will use our hands for helping."  Then we added two ideas, "We will raise our hand to speak." and "We will be first time listeners." Next the children drew in their faces, added a safari hat and some hair and they were glued along side our promise. We will chant our Class Promise every morning to remind ourselves about the importance of being a good student and friend in the class room.

The other option is to post the below picture -- that might be a little too scary at this time... :)

Settling Into Kindergarten - Rituals and Routines

We have just completed the third day in school and it is amazing to see the transformation that is taking place. Students already know how to put their folders in the bin, set up their cubbie (lunch outside their backpack), and settle into their morning work which has been beginning number practice. There has been a lot of lessons with our rituals and routine including how to come to the floor,  how to tuck chairs in and how to give out and collect papers. There has been an art project where the children made giraffes. This included lessons on how to hold the scissors, how to place the cap on the glue stick, and where to put project when it is completed. We have been upstairs to visit some of the animal displays so we even added a lesson on how to walk up and down the stairs (on one side of the staircase) and how to hold on to the railing. Children are constantly learning the whole day (even if they don't realize it). All of these lessons will make our kindergarten a fun and safe place to be, 

First Day of K - What a Great Day!

The first day of Kindergarten and the start of a new school year kicked off today with all of the children meeting in the dining room and saying one last "good bye" to their parents. After entering the classroom,  backpacks were unloaded and the students started getting acquainted with each other. Lessons such as how to use the bathroom, how to line up and how to come to the floor were given. We discussed lunch behavior and playground rules. However, the highlight of the day was the visit to see the wild animals. Experts in the field explained the various North American animals and the children were permitted to pet them (using two fingers) so their fur would not be disturbed. It was a wonderful experience for our students and one they really enjoyed. We wonder what the rest of the week will bring...

 Wild Animal Tour -- First Day 2013 on PhotoPeach

Preparing for a Wild Adventure in Kindergarten

The Mall-ard's will be officially open for business on Monday. Our sign is out and welcomes our "Wild Things" for an adventurous year "Walking on the Wild Side" (our school theme). We had a wonderful Kindergarten Orientation on Friday where we had a few minutes meeting the children and having them look over their new classroom. Parents were given an overview of what to do for the first day drop off and where to pick up their child after school along with other important information. A weekly newsletter, daily communication folder, and this blog will ensure parents feel a part of our classroom community.  

The pencils are sharpened, the crayons are ready, and the books can't wait to be opened...just waiting for our "Wild Things."  :)

Getting Ready for Kindergarten 2013-2014

 The Mall-ard's  have been busy getting ready for our new Kindergarten students who will be starting their first day of school next Monday, August 19th. Last year our school theme was a "Recipe for Success" and our classroom was "The Mall-ard Diner" . This year the school theme is "Taking a Walk on the Wild Side" and our class is "Where the Wild Things Are." We can't wait to see all of our new students on Monday. Meantime, enjoy the video prepared by Principal Phillips to welcome all students back to school.

Last Day of First Grade 2013

 We were surprised by two visitors from the the town of Mozzarella on the last day of school. One was Vincent Van Dough and the other was Leonardo Da Munchi. They had a problem. Vincent's pizza has delicious dough and Leonardo's has superior sauce. After some arguing, they came to the conclusion that joining forces would made for an excellent pizza all around. Lourdes and Randy Smith did an awesome job keeping the children entertained with the book, "The Great Pizza Contest" by Riley Roam.

 Listening and watching "The Great Pizza Contest."

 Students would join in the fun -- if they liked "sauce" better or "dough."

Vincent was trying to persuade the children to like dough better than sauce.

All of the students had a special treat waiting after the skit -- pizza bagel bites.  What a wonderful way to end their first grade year. Thank you Lourdes and Randy for closing the "Mall-ard" diner so memorably!!

Preparing for Second Grade

 As summer is fast approaching, we would like to offer some helpful hints about the next grade level. One of which is a list of summer preparation games and activities that one of our seasoned second grade teachers (Mrs. McLeod) prepared. You will find Reading, Skills, Writing, Math and Science activities. We strongly suggest that you utilize this site so that your child's learning will continue during this "down" time. It will pay off and the transition into second grade will be much easier. Remember to bring books on trips. A Magic Tree House adventure will help pass the time while waiting for a plane. Make sure there are books in the car and the beach bag. Please do not make "getting out your book" a punishment. Show by example and get your book out or read together ("You read one page and I'll read the next.") Happy Summer!!
http://ccesummer.wikispaces.com/New+Second+Graders

Our Year in Pictures - Group Photos 2012-2013

 As the Mall-ard Diner is getting ready to close its doors for the summer, we look with fondness over the past year and all of the great learning and experiences our students had...just remember...once a Mall-ard....always a Mall-ard...
Group Photos - First Grade 2012-2013 on PhotoPeach

Random Pictures First Grade 2012-2013 on PhotoPeach