December News
Dates to Remember
December 25, 2023-January 1, 2024 Holiday Recess
School-to-Home Connection
Sight Words:
Please review the kindergarten sight word list with your child. Grouping sight words is very helpful in helping them memorize the words. Some sample groupings are:
it, is, in
he, me, we, see
an, can, am, and
so, go, no
Reading Strategies:
Reading strategies we will be focusing on are:
Thinking Power-Based on the title and the picture on the book cover, think about what this book will be about.
Pointer Power- Put your reading finger under each word as you read.
Picture Power- Look for picture clues.
Sound Power- Look at the beginning letter in a word and get your mouth ready.
SNAP Word Power- Read the sight words.
Look through the unknown word and say the sounds of the letters. (Stronger Sound Power)
Pattern Power- Look for patterns that repeat on each page.
These are just a few reading strategies that we will be introducing to the students. We will continue to develop these through January and as the year progresses. Additional reading strategies will be introduced throughout the year.
Other Ways to Support Your Child's Learning
Ask your child to use an object to measure and compare different objects in your home between 1 and 10 inches. Which are the largest? smallest?
Talk about families and how your family is alike and different from other families.
Ask your child how it's possible to move an object without touching it.
Classroom Update
Language Arts
We continue to work on "snap" words and reading strategies. Your child will have a formal assessment on their sight word knowledge and reading level in the month of January.
Math
In Math, we are learning about measurement. We are measuring both the weight and length of objects and are using these measurements to make comparisons. We are also continuing to strengthen our number sense for the numbers 1-10 using ten-frames, manipulatives, dice games, card games, "bump" games and computer games.
Social Studies and Science
In our All About Us unit we are learning about our families, friends, and classmates.
During the winter, kindergarten students will study the "Moving and Grooving" unit in science. Students will explore the effects of different strengths and different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object. As an engineering task, students will design a device to knock down dominoes. They will also conduct a "construction" experiment changing the strength and direction of a "wrecking ball" so they can knock down a wall without knocking down nearby houses.