This year we started our new Math Series. It is from the same publishing company as our Reading series. I can tell you I absolutely love it! The lessons are definitely geared toward different types of learners. Some children learn best by handling and moving objects. Other children learn best by only listening to information - they do not need a visual or anything to touch. The best way to learn is using all senses or as many of them as you can. Our Math series allows me to do just that. We start out each lesson with Circle Time. This is when I introduce our concept for the day. Let me use today as an example. Today's concept was "less than". We began our activity with some counters - colored plastic circles and red bean shaped counters. Each child had ten of each. We used our "Kindergarten Math Words" like sort, groups, same, different and discovered our two groups had the same number. I then went around and took away two beans from each child. They could observe, touch, and count their objects and determine they were not the same number anymore. This is when I introduced our new math word "less than". We did several more examples engaging in conversation with each other using our math vocabulary. Next, we practiced our new skill on paper but we did it together using our vocabulary once again. This is when we get out our clipboards and sit on the floor in a rainbow shape while we work together on this paper. Next, I check for understanding as I hand out a second paper. This is our independent practice. We use our offices to help us stay focused. It is at this time, I can determine if a child needs a little extra practice on a particular skill. Finally, it is homework time as we go over and discuss our math homework paper that goes home each day. That is a day in the life of a Kindergareten Math lesson. My Kindergarten kiddos are such little troopers and are doing an excellent job becoming Math Maniacs!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
It's Zero the Hero Day!
The kindergarten classroom had a very special visitor today - it was Zero the Hero! Each day as a part of our opening exercises we count the days we have been in school. Today was our tenth day together. Since our day ended with a zero, Zero the Hero paid us a visit. He will continue to see us on each day that ends with zero. It is another great way to reinforce our counting skills. As an added bonus, Zero the Hero always brings us a treat that is in the shape of a zero. Today we enjoyed some very tasty Vanilla Wafers. Yummy! Hurry up day twenty!
Monday, August 29, 2011
New Bee-ginnings
WOW! Things have been a buzzin' in the Kindergarten classroom! The boys and girls have been busy little bees learning all about being in school. I must say I am really impressed and oh so proud of my Kindergarten kiddos!
For our first full week of school, we began working in our reading series. Our reading time is actually broken down into four separate learning times during our day. First, we have Shared Reading time. It is during this time I share all kinds of literature. We learn about different genres such as poetry, informational text, fantasy and reality. We learn about characters, settings, main ideas and sequencing. We also work on our comprehension skills. After PE we settle back down to ABC/Word Work time. This is where I teach phonics to the kiddos ( letters, sounds and blending to read words), we learn and practice our sight words, and practice our rhyming skills. Next, it is Work Buddies time. The boys and girls break down into pairs and go to their stations while I run reading groups. This gives me an excellent opportunity to work with kiddos in small groups on their phonics and reading skills. Whew! All of this takes place in the morning. The last section of our reading time happens in the afternoon. It is our grammar and writing segment. It is during this time we learn about how letters make words when we write and putting words together can make sentences. We learn about capitalization and punctuation. We learn that we need a great idea first before we can write. We also will learn how to organize our thoughts and write sentences. For our grammar time, we will discover nouns, verbs, adjectives and pronouns.
All I can say is that after one week successfully finished, the boys and girls in my Kindergarten class did an awesome job adjusting to our busy reading time! I couldn't ask for a better group of busy little bees! Oh what a busy little hive our Kindergarten room will be! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
For our first full week of school, we began working in our reading series. Our reading time is actually broken down into four separate learning times during our day. First, we have Shared Reading time. It is during this time I share all kinds of literature. We learn about different genres such as poetry, informational text, fantasy and reality. We learn about characters, settings, main ideas and sequencing. We also work on our comprehension skills. After PE we settle back down to ABC/Word Work time. This is where I teach phonics to the kiddos ( letters, sounds and blending to read words), we learn and practice our sight words, and practice our rhyming skills. Next, it is Work Buddies time. The boys and girls break down into pairs and go to their stations while I run reading groups. This gives me an excellent opportunity to work with kiddos in small groups on their phonics and reading skills. Whew! All of this takes place in the morning. The last section of our reading time happens in the afternoon. It is our grammar and writing segment. It is during this time we learn about how letters make words when we write and putting words together can make sentences. We learn about capitalization and punctuation. We learn that we need a great idea first before we can write. We also will learn how to organize our thoughts and write sentences. For our grammar time, we will discover nouns, verbs, adjectives and pronouns.
All I can say is that after one week successfully finished, the boys and girls in my Kindergarten class did an awesome job adjusting to our busy reading time! I couldn't ask for a better group of busy little bees! Oh what a busy little hive our Kindergarten room will be! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
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