Children are naturally curious about their world.  I will be using many hands-on activities in the teaching of science.  I will also be using visual aides in technology to review concepts taught.  Virginia Standards of Learning for Science may be viewed at the following web site:  http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Superintendent/Sols/sciencek.pdf

Month of September

Children will investigate and understand simple patterns in their daily lives.  These patterns include the weather, plants and animals, home and school routines.

Month of October

Today our science lesson was about living and non-living things.  We discovered that plants and animals are living things and water and rocks are non-living things.  We talked about different types of animals-mammals, birds and insects.  We discussed the characteristics of each type of animal.  Mammals have hair, four extremities, and give birth to their offspring.  Brids have feathers, wings, two feet, a beak and lay eggs.  Insects have six legs, two antenna and three body parts.  We wrapped up our discussion of animals.  We talked about the habitats of animals of the desert, woodland, and pond.  We talked about how animals change as they grow and how some look like their parents as they grow and how some go through metamorphisis as they change into adult animals. 

Month of November

Our unit of study this month centered around the five senses.  Children learned that humans have senses that allow them to seek, find, take in, and react or respond to information in order to learn about their surroundings.  The key concepts covered included: five senses and their corresponding sensing organs (taste-tongue, touch-skin, smell-nose, hearing-ears, and sight-eyes) and sensory descriptors (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, rough/smooth, hard/soft, cold, warm, hot,  loud/soft, high/low, bright/dull) can be used when responding to this information.

Month of December

Children will investigate and understand the difference between their basic needs and their wants.  They will also understand that money is used in exchange for their needs and wants.  Children will also learn about how living things change as they grow, and that they live and die, and offspring of living things are similiar but not identical to their parents and to one another.  Children will understand that these changes can be noted and measured.

Month of January

Children will study the season of winter and how people and animals react to this season.  They will also investigate and understand that water flows and has properties that can be observed and tested.  Key concepts include: water occurs in different states (solid, liquid, and gas); the natural flow of water is downhill; and some materials float in water, while others sink.

Month of February

Children will investigate and understand that shadows occur when light is blocked by an object, that shadows occur in nature when sunlight is blocked by an object and that shadows can be produced by blocking artificial light sources.

Children will also investigate and understand that magnets have an effect on some materials, make some things move without touching them, anf have useful applications.  Key concepts include: attraction/nonattraction, push/pull, attract/repel, and metal/nonmetal; and magnets have usefull applications (refrigerator magnet, can opener, magnetized screwdriver, and magnetic games). 

Month of March and April

Children will continue to discuss changes and how changes can be noted and measured.  This month will center around plants and insects.

Children will investigate and understand that materials can be reused, recycled and conserverd.  Key concepts include: materials and objects can be used over and over again, everyday materials can be recycled and water and energy conservation at home and in school helps preserve resources for future use.

Month of May

Children will put into practice skills taught this year in science.  They will observe nature while playing outside and on field trips to Steele’s Creek.  They will recycle, plant seeds, and watch insects change forms

History and Social Studies will be taught using Our World  and through reading non-fictional literature.  Skills to be taught may be viewed using the following web site: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Superintendent/Sols/historyk.pdf

Month of September

We began using our History book this month.  We talked about the American Flag and the Star Spangled Banner.  Children learned the flag has the nick name of “Red, White and Blue”.  We will also learn the other nickname which is “Old Glory”.  They learned the flag has 50 stars and 13 stripes.  We very briefly touched on why so many stars and what the stripes represent.

Month of September

This month we will be talking about the American Flag.  We will be concentrating on learning the Pledge of Allegiance.  We will celebrate two special days-Patricotic Day and Constitution Day.  These days are very important in the history of America.  We will also study ways to be a good citizen.

September 11th was Patriotic Day at Stonewall.  We wore the colors of our flag to school today, and during grouptime we discussed the events of Sept. 11, 2001.  Not many of the children seemed to know why today was such an important day in the history of America.  We watched a video of the terrioristsattack on the World Trade Center in New York which seemed to interest the children greatly.  I am sure you heard all about how many people died and how the planes crashed into the towers.  I told the children where I was when the towers were hit and how we watched with our kindergarten class the events of that day.  It is hard for me to realize it has been seven years.  I also told them this event took place before they were ever born but they would study it later in their history classes in middle school and high school.l

Constitution Day is September 18.  Dr. Brittle will be making announcements about our Constituttion during the morning announcements.  Our class will be reading books on the making of the Constitution.

Month of October

This month we have talked about a community helper the fireman. and the explorer Christopher Columbus.  The children enjoyed their trip to the fire station on Eulcid Avenue.  They got to climb up in the fire truck and learn about the equipment used to fight a fire.  Their favorite part of the trip was seeing the ladder being lowered from the top of the fire truck.  The children learned that Christopher Columbus discovered the land that is now America in 1492. 

Month of November

This month children will study the Native Americans Pocahontas and Squanto.  These Native Americans were very instrumental to the settlers in the Jamestown Colony and to the Pilgrims in Massachusetts.  Children will also learn about the National holiday Thanksgiving.

Month of December

Children will learn about basic needs and wants.  They will also learn that money is used to buy their basic needs and wants.

Month of January

The children will learn about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the contributions he made to America.  They will also learn about other famous Americans who helped Dr. King in his quest for equality.  They will study Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges.  The children will begin preforming random acts of kindness on Dr. King’s birthday (January 15th) and try to preform 100 random acts of kindness before Valentine’s Day on February 14th.  One of the acts of kindness they will work toward is providing food for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Month of February

Children will learn about Black History and some of the famous black American like Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington,  and John Henry,  Children will also learn why President’s Day is celebrated in Feburary.  They will study Abraham Lincoln and George Washington during this month.

Month of March

Children will be studying maps and globes, their community and helpers within their community.  They will learn about the following community helpers: police, fireman, baker, construction workers, teacher, and the doctor.

Months of April and May

Children will be reviewing all areas of History and Social Studies.

Children will be using two math programs this year-Scott Foresman and Saxon Math.  These programs will be used together to teach the children skills in: sorting, graphing, shapes, money, time, estimation, calendar, problem-solving, addition and subtraction.  Virginia Standards of Learning may be view at the following web site: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Superintendent/Sols/mathk.pdf

Month of September

Your child will begin his/her math program this month.  Children will be exploring the math materials we will use this year to teach the concepts in math.  Your child will be bringing home one page of math to complete each night.  Please have your child complete the front of the page, and the handwriting on the back of the page.  Please note the directions at the bottom of the handwriting page to help your child begin to form his/her numbers correctly.  This homework should be brought back to school on the following day.  Thank you for helping your child complete his/her homework each night this past week.  I hope you will continue this habit with your child.  Please have your child practice writing his/her numbers each night.  Your child will be working with: shapes-circle, rectangle; creating a real graph; using positional words-over, under, on top of, behind, in back of, in front of, beside; counting to 10 using 1-1 correspondence; creating and covering pattern block designs; and sorting by color.

Month of October

Math skills for these past few weeks have included working with numbers 0-10 and putting these numbers in order; counting forward 0-10 and backward from 10-0; creating AB patterns; shapes-triangle and square; introduction of a penny and counting pennies to 10 cents. 

Month of November

Math skills for this month will be: counting pennies, adding and subtracting pennies, learning the parts of a clock and telling time to the hour, identifying ordinal position to fourth, showing time to the hour on a clock.

Month of December, 2008

This month the children have explored the following skills:geoboards and copying designs on geoboards, placing objects on a real graph, ordinal position to fourth place, sorting and identifying the sorting rule, estimation, identifying a dime, and creating a real graph.

Month of January

Skills this month include: identifying a penny, identifying shapes and sorting shapes according to shape, size, color, copying and extending AB and ABB patterns, exploring geoboards, using pictographs to create a graph, identifying ordinal position, using pennies to pay for items from a pretend store and using 1 to 1 correspondence.

Month of February

Skills taught this month include: identifying missing numeral from a set of numbers, counting by 10’s, identifying a dime and counting dimes to 50 cents, comparing sets and numbers through 6 using dot cubes, weighing objects using nonstandard units of measure, ordering objects by weight, identifying numbers 10-20 and ordering numbers 0-20, identifying a 1-cup measuring cup and following a recipe, identifying full, half full, and empty containers and identifying a quart container.

Monrh of March

Skills taught this month include: covering a design in more than one way, identifying ordinal position to fith place, identifying a dime and paying for items up to $1.00, creating a pictograph, comparing lengths using nonstandard units of measure, ordering four objects by length, sorting by color, shape and size, using a geoboard to copy lines and shapes, making ABC patterns, working addition and subtraction stories using teddy bears and identifying a nickel and counting by fives.

Children will be using Saxon Phonics to learn basic phonemic principles.  A typical lesson consists of: alphabet review, phonemic review, letter/sound review, letter tile activities, and a worksheet.  Children will also have new learnings which will include: sight words, guided text readers, rules used in decoding words, and basic phonics principles. Virginia Standards of Learning for  English may be view at the following web site: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Superintendent/Sols/2002/EnglishK.pdf

Month of September 2008

Your child began phonics instruction today.  This week he/she will be learning the letter and sound of the letter Ll.  Please review your child’s papers each night when you look at his/her folder.  Your child will have some handwriting homework on Monday and Tuesday nights in phonics.  He/she should complete the homework and return it to school the following day.

Thank you for helping your child with his/her handwriting homework in phonics.  I am so proud of each child for taking their time and working so hard on the letters L l and O o.  Please continue to have your child practice these letters as they learn new letters.  Be sure to stress the correct letter formation when they write their letters.  New letters for the next two weeks will be the letters H h and T t.  Key words for all the letters studied are: lion-l; octopus-o; hat-h and tent-t.  New learning for the last two weeks include: the number of letters in the alphapet, the two kinds of letters that make up the alphabet (vowel and consonants); same/different words and sounds; rhyming words; definition of a sentence and counting the number of words in sentences, and compound words and knowing the two words which make up the compound word.  Children will begin using letter tiles on Monday  and Wednesday to help them practice manipulating the sounds of the letters learned.

Month of October 2008

Your child will be bringing home another word list on Monday, November 3, 2008.  Please have your child read these words often to you.  Your child will be bringing home their first little reader titled, “Hot, Hot, Hot”.  This little reader needs to be read several times a week.  Reading produces more fluent readers. 

Your child has now learned the following letters and letter sounds- Ll, Oo, Gg, Hh, Tt, Pp, Aa, and Nn.  Have your child give you words that begin with any of these letters.  Have your child give you words that rhyme with the following words:  log, got, top, tan, and nap.  Rhyming words have been on the last two word lists. 

Month of December 2008

Since my last post, children have learned the following letters and sounds: Mm, Ii, Ss, Ff, and Rr.  They have read two little readers and will begin working on their third reader: Frog Ran.  They have continued to work on rhyming words, consonant blends /sp/, /fl/, /gl/ /spl/, words beginning with a specific sound, compound words, and alphabet recognition.  They have learned two phonics rules: a vowel followed by a consonant is coded with a breve and says its short sound, and twin consonants in a word only say the first sound so you cross out the last consonant in the word.

Month of January 2009

This month has been plagued with cold weather, school delays and report card checking.  We have only studied the letters Kk and Bb.  We have also reviewed rhyming words, syllables, and blending and unblending sounds.    Hopefully, we can get back on schedule soon and get down to learning all we need to know before going to first grade. 

Month of February 2009

This month has seen its share of cold and snow.  Because we have missed so many days, we have not been able to cover as many letters of the alphabet as we normally do.  We have studied the letters Bb and Uu and will study the letter Zz the last week of February.  We continue to review the alphabet, work with beginning, middle and ending sounds, review syllables and spell words will our letter tiles.  I am amazed by the progress the children are making in sounding out words and using the skills they have learned to decode words.  As you can tell by the word list I send home on Monday’s, the children are reading five letter words.  Please remember to go over these words frequently with your child.

Children will have center activities four days a week and free play one day a week.  Centers used in the classroom consist of: writing, art, math, letter of the week, games, listening, home living and blocks.  All children will visit each center during a two week period.  Centers with directed learning activities include: writing, math, art, letter of the week and listening.  Visit this post for new activities every two weeks.

Month of September: Orientation to Kindergarten and Johnny Appleseed

Writing-TLW practice the correct way to hold pencil/crayon and write his/her name by rainbow writing and make a “Scribble” picture;  TLW listen to a flannel board story of Johnny Appleseed and color, cut and sequence his story.

Art-TLW practice using glue and learning the glue rule-”Not a lot, just a dot” to make a bracelet and a torn paper collage;  TLW make an apple windsock and make an apple tree using fingerprints for apples.

Math-TLW make a “Welcome to Our Class” book and complete fine motor assessment; TLW listen to the story of the “Star” in the apple and make an Apple Sandwich using apple slices and peanut butter.  Following the sandwich the students will cut, and sequence a story of how they made the apple sandwich to bring home.

Games-TLW usually have free choice of games in this center.  There will be times throughout the year that there will be teacher directed activities in this center. 

Letter of the Week-TLW complete activities for a letter studied in Saxon Phonics.  These letters will follow the phonics papers brought home each week.  Completed activites will come home the day of or the day after your child goes to this center.

Listening-TLW listen to stories related to the different themes of the month.

Month of October Center Activities:  Fire Prevention, Columbus Day, Fall, PALS testing, and Report card assessment

Writing-TLW listen to Pumpkin, Pumpkin and color, cut and sequence the growth of a pumpkin. 

Art-TLW make a pumpkin man by cutting, folding and glueing.

Math-TLW learn finger play Five Little Pumpkins and color, cut and glue pumpkins to fence.   TLW make a pumpkin puppet to use while singing Jack-0-Lantern, Jack-0-Lantern.

Month of November: Native Americans and Thanksgiving

Writing-TLW make a “Thankful” leaf.  TLW write Indian symbols on clothing to complete a Native American child.

Art-TLW make a turkey by glueing wings and feathers to a body.

Math-TLW make an Indian headband and earn feathers by giving information: full name, birthday, age, address, parent’s name, phone number and tying shoes.

Month of December: Christmas Around the World

Writing-TLW write a letter to Santa Clause and draw pictures of toys wanted for Christmas.

Art-TLW make Santa Clause and paing a green pepper wreath

Math-TLW make a Christmas tree using handprints and fingerpaint ornaments on the tree.

Month of January:Report Card Assessment, Winter, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Writing-TLW use descriptive words to describe winter and illustrate their work.

Art-TLW make a snowman using sponge painting techniques.

Math-TLW understand the properties of water.

Month of February: Groundhog’s Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and Dental Health

Writing-TLW use inventive spelling to write their parents a Valentine’s Day card.  TLW use inventive spelling to write an experience story about loosing their first tooth.

Art-TLW make a Valentine man and a Valentine flower pot.  TLW create a symmetrical painting and easel paint.

Math-TLW understand shadows and magnets.

Month of March: St.Patrick’s Day, Spring, Easter, Plants or Insects

Writing-TLW write an experience story about meeting a Leprechaun. TLW write a poem about bunnies.

Art-TLW make Leprechauns, Big Bunnies, and illustrate a seed story.

Math-TLW wirte numbers 0-10, count Easter eggs, and sow seeds.

Month of April and May: Plants or Insects, Earth Day, Spring, Report Card Assessment

Writing-TLW write experience stories about trees, insects and spring.

Art-TLW illustrate sequence of plant growth, make butterflies, and easel paint.

Math-TLW discuss life cycle of plants and insects. TLW explore probability using two sided counters, four-color spinners and tally marks.