THIS WEEK…
We welcomed one another back to school after our 4-day Memorial Day break! While it is hard to believe we have less than 1 month of kindergarten remaining, there is still much learning left! Students wasted no time finishing lessons related to our beautiful country and its many symbols. Students now have a comprehensive understanding of the importance of Memorial Day and also the many wonderful parts about being an American. Students have created crafts, writing pieces, and completed related math and literacy activities to deepen his/her understanding of our country. During phonics instruction, kindergarten teachers introduced students to the –ar word family and also the sound produced when the letters /ar/ appear together in a word. Students are taught that the /r/ is known as a “Bossy R” because it says its name while the letter /a/ makes almost no sound at all – for example, when stretching the sounds in the words garden or shark, both of which feature the /ar/ sound, the /r/ sound is more pronounced than the sound of the letter /a/. Students are excited to look for “Bossy R” words when reading. Understanding of this sound will significantly aid students when reading independently, boosting confidence and fluency. Each kindergarten teacher spent this short week focusing on the specific needs of her classroom in both mathematics and writing instruction. All classrooms continue to work on mechanics of writing: finger spacing, proper spelling of word wall words, capitalization and punctuation, and stretching the sounds of unknown words. The variety of writing exercises our students continue to work on will provide opportunities to strengthen skills in all of the aforementioned areas. As you work on writing homework or other fun assignments at home with your child, encourage the usage of each item mentioned above. Math instruction continues to reinforce addition and subtraction facts to 5. Students are using the SMARTBoard, manipulative items, and other strategies to become more fluent in this area. We concluded our week with a trip to see “The Ugly Duckling”. We truly enjoyed the show and students enjoyed making connections between the show and fairy tales we had just learned about.
ASK YOUR CHILD ABOUT…
Talking with your child about what happened at school this week is a great way to enhance their speaking and listening skills. It also helps maintain the connection between home and school! This week, ask him or her about:
- The book L is for Liberty
- The meaning of the words problem or resolution in a story
- This week’s Alphabet Countdown events
- Our field trip to see “The Ugly Duckling”
PLEASE PRACTICE AT HOME….
- Addition and subtraction facts to 5
- Identification of short & long sounds of all vowels
- Reading with fluency and accuracy
- Identification of all kindergarten signt words (see reverse side)
IMPORTANT NOTES…
- As a reminder: flip-flops are not considered appropriate school footwear. Sneakers are the best bet to keep your child safe during Recess and P.E. activities!
- We have introduced all sight words in our kindergarten curriculum! The remainder of our school year together will be spent reinforcing all sight vocabulary. Sight word practice should become a nightly activity at this point in kindergarten. Please work at home with your child to recognize all words listed on the reverse side of this newsletter. Additional reinforcement will help build your child’s word knowledge and independent reading abilities!
- Next week’s Alphabet Countdown schedule: Hat Day, Choose your own Idea Day, Jump Rope Day, Kazoo Day, and Lollipop Day! Monday, June 1st is Hat Day; please send your child to school with an appropriate hat to wear throughout the school day. Students do not need to bring any items from home for the remainder of the week. We send a special “thank you” to our generous PTA who has made so many special events possible. Please speak to your child about the importance of good behavior at school so s/he is able to participate in all events!