It's Spring!!!

 



We are excited to welcome a new season!  Our class will be participating in a number of activities as we explore the new season.  Today, we planted seeds.  One container will be placed in the window - exposed to the sun, fresh air and regular watering.  The other container will be placed in a dark cupboard.  We will be observing our two plants for signs of change.  The students will also be going on spring walks around the school property to look for signs of spring, and completing their spring trees in art to document the four seasons.  We have been focusing on living things in science, as well as animal habitats.

A Blast from Winter

 

I neglected in my recent posts to include these photos from a very popular centre in our classroom.  During our Olympic unit in February, we created frozen hockey rinks and hockey players.  The hockey rinks were created on cookie sheets, and the players were Lego people frozen in ice cube trays.  We had so much fun playing like the Olympic atheletes!

 



Sparkle Words

 

 

We continue to focus on our popcorn words at school, but we have added sparkle words to our daily review.  We can find sparkle words in our morning message each day, in our storybooks, in our literacy centre materials, and around our classroom.  We shine as readers when we can read the sparkle words.  We created a sparkle word bulletin board to highlight the sparkle words we know how to read.  During our daily literacy centre time, students at read and write the room are recording popcorn and sparkle words to read to a teacher and a friend.  Way to go Kindergarten readers!!!

 

Patterns Patterns Everywhere

 

The wonderful mathematicians from room 132 have been exploring and learning about many math concepts this term.  We learned to see patterns all around us - in our classroom, in our school, on our clothes and everywhere in the world around us.  We created this bulletin board display by making patterns from link cubes, and also using bingo dabbers. 

Magnetic Letters and Cookie Sheets

 

 A wonderful way to practice making popcorn words!

 

Our Kindergarten students have enjoyed playing with the "Pop for Sight Words" game!  We are excited to be learing more and more popcorn words to help us improve our reading and writing.  The children have also enjoyed using our game show buzzers!  So much noise - so much fun!

Popcorn Word Practice

Our class has been learning and reviewing our popcorn words.  The popcorn words (high frequency sight words) are very important for beginning readers to learn.  Students need to be able to recognize sight words quickly and accurately as these words make up between 50-70% of the words we encounter in text.  Learning through play is an important part of FDK.  Here are some suggestions to help your child learn their popcorn words through fun and engaging play. 

 

1. Using a small tray, spread colourful craft sand and encourage your child to create the words by tracing in the sand.

 

2. Create the words using Wiki Stixs or Bendaroos - wax sticks that can be bent and shaped to make letters.

 

3. Write the words using three-dimensional glue on cardstock.

 

4. Create the words using play dough by rolling out the play dough and shaping into letters and words.

 

5. Place paper on top of plastic craft screens (for needle point).  Print the popcorn word on the paper using a crayon. The word will be bumpy once completed, and very tactile for your child to trace.

 

6. Use yarn and glue to write the words.

 

7. Pipecleaners can be shaped into the letters to spell the popcorn words.

 

8. Magnetic Letters on cookie sheets - allows words to be stretched apart and put back together.

 

9. Shaving Cream - spray onto cookie sheet - children using their finger to print the letters in the cream.