Kindergarten January News

Grant Elementary

Mrs. Conran and Mrs. Caya

January Reading Goal:  Reads 35+ Kindergarten Sight Words (see list in folder)

January Math Goal: 

Compares numbers using greater than/less than

Reading

There are two main component of reading instruction:  comprehension and decoding.  

Comprehension means that your child understands what he/she read himself and stories that are read aloud to him/her.  At this time, your Kindergartner should be able to answer questions about stories like:

·      Who was in the story? 

·      Where did the story happen? 

·      What was the main idea of the text (non-fiction)? 

·      Retell the story (beginning, middle, end in order). 

·      How did the characters feeling about…?

Decoding means that your child has some strategies to use when reading a new grade level text.  Some strategies your child should be using are:

·      Get your mouth ready for the first letter (of a new word).

·      Look at the picture for help figuring out a new word.

·      Notice sight words.

·      Point under each word and say one word for each written word.

Writing

What is Writing Workshop?  Each day, students participate in a focus lesson.  During this lesson, teachers model a specific writing skill or strategy.  After the focus lesson, students have time to write.  They are all writing their own stories and books, so everyone is at different places in the writing process.  After writing, we take time to share and celebrate our writing.  THe best way to support your Kindergarten author is to write frequently together at home.  Model how to sound out (stretch) words and record the sounds you hear.  Help your child put stories in order, so they make sense.  Work on conventions like capital letters, spaces between words and punctuation at the end of sentences.

Math

Students will compare and analyze length, weight, capacity, and finally, numbers.  Students are using language such as longer than, shorter than, as long as; heavier than, lighter than, as heavy as; and more than, less than, the same as.  “8 is more than 5.”  “5 is less than 8.”  “5 is the same as 5.”  “2 and 3 is also the same as 5.”

These Math Standards are addressed in this unit:

Compare numbers.

K.CC.6     Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.  (Include groups with up to 10 objects.)

K.CC.7     Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Describe and compare measurable attributes.

K.MD.1    Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight.  Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.

K.MD.2    Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/“less of” the attribute, and describe the difference.  For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.

Science and Social Studies (Investigations)

We are learning about snow and winter during the first two weeks of January.  We will explore how snow forms and what conditions are necessary for snow to form.  Later in the month, we will begin our studies of Balance and Motion.  Here are some questions we will address:

What regulates weather and climate? • How can we organize weather data collected to look for changes and patterns? • How do the seasons affect living things (trees) in the community?

January Kindergarten Dates to Know

Jan 4 Library – Mrs, Caya Boys should bring one box of quart or sandwich size zip-lock bags. Practice rhyming words.	5 Review all sight words this week.  Your child should know about 30 sight words at this time.  Check the list in your folder.	6 Library – Mrs. Conran Guided Reading Books Sent Home Girls should bring 1 container of Clorox wipes.	7 Return GR book! This week, we are working on the short vowel /i/ and –it words:  bit, hit, fit, sit, kit	8 Investigations:  Snow and Winter Weather Practice rhyming words.
11 Library – Mrs, Caya New sight words: all, have, no, she, off, look	12 All students should bring a new box of 24 Crayola crayons to replenish their supply. Practice rhyming words.	13 Guided Reading Books Sent Home Library – Mrs. Conran Practice naming shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, sphere, cylinder, cone, cube.	14 Return GR book! Practice rhyming words.	15 Investigations:  Snow Fun Practice naming shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, sphere, cylinder, cone, cube.
18 No School Martin Luther King Jr. Day	19 New sight words: down, out	20 Guided Reading Books Sent Home Library – Mrs. Conran	21 Return GR book! End of 2nd Quarter	22 No School
25 Library – Mrs, Caya This week, we are working on the short vowel /i/ and –ig words:  big, dig, fig, pig, rig, wig	26 Be sure to dress for the weather each day! Practice naming shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, sphere, cylinder, cone, cube.	27 Library – Mrs. Conran Guided Reading Books Sent Home	28 Return GR book!	29 Investigations:  Balance and Motion