Kindergarten

During the Kindergarten year in library media class, students will be working towards achieving English Language Arts standards as outlined by the Common Core State Standards for:

Speaking and Listening as found here: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/K/

Reading: Literature as found here: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/K/

Reading: Informational Text as found here: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/K/

We achieve some of these goals through reading stories together as a class. Students will use technology to create and share information that they have learned in addition to crayon and paper. Throughout the school year, we will learn how to research information and share information. They will also learn vocabulary related to books and reading (title, author, fiction, non-fiction, spine labels, call numbers, setting, characters, beginning, middle, end).

Fall of 2019!

Kindergarten students are again participated in an author study of Kevin Henkes. Students are learning what authors and illustrators are. It has been nice sharing the Henkes mouse books because they often relate to common themes involving growing up, going to school, friendship, bullying, families. It has been especially nice to teach new vocabulary words through these books. The kids have done a nice job noticing things in the illustrations and how with Kevin Henkes author, sometimes the illustrations tell the story itself.

Together, we are reading Owen, Chrysanthemum, Sheila Rae the Brave, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Lilly's Big Day and Kitten's First Full Moon (Caldecott Winner). We also watched Kevin Henkes describe how he writes and illustrates his books as well as is inspiration for Lilly! Visit www.kevinhenkes.com for more information!

In addition to learning vocabulary, students had the opportunity to be creative and to think about how the stories related to them through a variety of coloring page activities. Kindergarten students had to count the letters in their names, think of what they wish they could have brought to school with them (like Owen's blanket), complete a step by step following directions page about Lilly's Big Day. Coloring is developmentally appropriate and important for students of this age and stage. It helps them to develop their fine motor skills and use their creativity. (Plus, it seems to be an enjoyable, relaxing activity for many students!)

When we wrap up this author study, Kindergarten students will learn about the phases of the moon following hearing Kitten's First Full Moon. We compared this book to The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons and watched a NASA phases of the moon video clip. They are learning the differences between Fiction and Non-Fiction.

In October, the Kindergarten took a few weeks off from studying Kevin Henkes to read Halloween and fall themed books. New vocabulary was discussed as well as story sequencing. Students interacted with the book, The Little Old Lady Who was Not Afraid of Anything, they collectively helped to tell the story by "clomping, wiggling, shaking, clapping, and calling "boo". Then we used a SMARTboard activity for students to remember the sequencing as well as re-building a scarecrow or recalling what items were or were not in the story. Students heard Spookley the Square Pumpkin and were asked to draw pictures of the beginning, middle and end of the book. Students had the opportunity to draw and color creative pumpkins to match the last scene of the book! Kindergarten students also heard Room on the Broom and had the similar task of sequencing. They were asked to remember and draw pictures of each animal that joined the witch's broom in the correct order.

Students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 began an inquiry project in late November. They were read the books, Owl Babies and White Owl, Barn Owl. They were then asked to collaborate with partners to come up with "I wonder" statements about owls. The students had many great "I wonders".

As a class, we researched owls using PebbleGo to see if we could find answers to our wonders about owls. Because some of the students had questions that were more than what PebbleGo could answer, they watched portion of these two videos.

In this lesson, students were paired up. Each student was given a stuffed animal (called their mascot) to research using PebbleGo on the I-pad. They were asked to remember two to three facts about their animal (one fact for each team member). Using the I-pad app, ChatterPix, students took a picture of their stuffed animal and then recorded their voices saying the fact that they learned.

Chester Elementary Library Media Center

Mrs. Stephanie Carvin, Library Media Specialist

860-526-5797

scarvin@reg4.k12.ct.us