Dear parents,
The children had lots of fun on their first fieldtrip to Greendale Acres. The children were very well-behaved and respectful! Thank you to everyone who attended and helped out.
In Math we are working on counting back from 5, printing numerals to 5, and understanding the concept of more and less.
This month, the children will continue to build their understanding of number. The focus will be on building our Math stamina and Numeral Sense (flexible thinking around quantity) which includes:
-counting rules ( correct sequence of number names, one to one correspondence, cardinality, stability (arrangement does not change quantity)
-making connections between number names/quantities/ symbols
-using base 5 as a referent when estimating a small amount
-subitizing to 6.
Patterns, describing similarities and differences and using the concept of opposites as a basis for sorting will be introduced in December.
In Language Arts, the children have been learning: phonics, left to right progression, understanding the difference between a letter and a word, and syllabication by studying the names of their classmates.
This month I will introduce some Phonemic Awareness activities like rhyming, elastic word stretching, syllables etc. Phonemic awareness is the foundation to reading. (I will send home a notice for further explanation.)
This month we will continue to learn about letters. We will focus on one letter a day until we reach the end of the alphabet and then repeat the sequence, from the beginning of the alphabet. Our first introduction to letters will focus on learning upper and lower case letters and introduce the common sound associated with each letter. Each day we will make a special lower-case letter to create a phonetic alphabet.
The second time we cycle through the alphabet we will focus more on learning the sound of the letter and introduce printing the letter correctly. Learning goals are flexible and will change each time we cycle through the alphabet in relation to the needs of the children. The goal, by the end of the year, is for your child to recognize and name upper-case and lower-case letters and begin to remember the sounds. Many kindergarten children are still developing fine motor control and therefore, printing all of the letters from memory is a grade one goal.
You can support your child’s learning by engaging your child in fun activities at home. A few ideas to get you started:
-make a collage of pictures that start with a chosen letter
- use magnetic letters and ask your child to find certain letters by providing them with only the sound that letter represent
- have a scavenger hunt! - ask them to find three things that start with c, two things that start with d and one thing that starts with the letter a (for example).
Keep it short, active and fun!
Looking Ahead
We are going to decorate ice-cream cone trees and gingerbread people in December. You may want to save some Halloween candy for this project. Halloween candy comes in the perfect sized packages and will also provide your child with a lot of variety. (Note: Because of allergies, your child will not be allowed to share candy- and will only use what he/she brings in for this project.)
I will let you know, in December, when to send the candy. J
Report cards
Formal report cards will be issued on December 14th.
A few Dates to keep in mind:
- no school on November 10th(professional day ) and 13th (Remembrance day)
- No school on November 24 (Professional Day)
Sincerely,
S. Johnston
The children had lots of fun on their first fieldtrip to Greendale Acres. The children were very well-behaved and respectful! Thank you to everyone who attended and helped out.
In Math we are working on counting back from 5, printing numerals to 5, and understanding the concept of more and less.
This month, the children will continue to build their understanding of number. The focus will be on building our Math stamina and Numeral Sense (flexible thinking around quantity) which includes:
-counting rules ( correct sequence of number names, one to one correspondence, cardinality, stability (arrangement does not change quantity)
-making connections between number names/quantities/ symbols
-using base 5 as a referent when estimating a small amount
-subitizing to 6.
Patterns, describing similarities and differences and using the concept of opposites as a basis for sorting will be introduced in December.
In Language Arts, the children have been learning: phonics, left to right progression, understanding the difference between a letter and a word, and syllabication by studying the names of their classmates.
This month I will introduce some Phonemic Awareness activities like rhyming, elastic word stretching, syllables etc. Phonemic awareness is the foundation to reading. (I will send home a notice for further explanation.)
This month we will continue to learn about letters. We will focus on one letter a day until we reach the end of the alphabet and then repeat the sequence, from the beginning of the alphabet. Our first introduction to letters will focus on learning upper and lower case letters and introduce the common sound associated with each letter. Each day we will make a special lower-case letter to create a phonetic alphabet.
The second time we cycle through the alphabet we will focus more on learning the sound of the letter and introduce printing the letter correctly. Learning goals are flexible and will change each time we cycle through the alphabet in relation to the needs of the children. The goal, by the end of the year, is for your child to recognize and name upper-case and lower-case letters and begin to remember the sounds. Many kindergarten children are still developing fine motor control and therefore, printing all of the letters from memory is a grade one goal.
You can support your child’s learning by engaging your child in fun activities at home. A few ideas to get you started:
-make a collage of pictures that start with a chosen letter
- use magnetic letters and ask your child to find certain letters by providing them with only the sound that letter represent
- have a scavenger hunt! - ask them to find three things that start with c, two things that start with d and one thing that starts with the letter a (for example).
Keep it short, active and fun!
Looking Ahead
We are going to decorate ice-cream cone trees and gingerbread people in December. You may want to save some Halloween candy for this project. Halloween candy comes in the perfect sized packages and will also provide your child with a lot of variety. (Note: Because of allergies, your child will not be allowed to share candy- and will only use what he/she brings in for this project.)
I will let you know, in December, when to send the candy. J
Report cards
Formal report cards will be issued on December 14th.
A few Dates to keep in mind:
- no school on November 10th(professional day ) and 13th (Remembrance day)
- No school on November 24 (Professional Day)
Sincerely,
S. Johnston