How many letters are in your name?

We worked on handwriting and awareness of letters in our name today. Here is the chart we generated as a group. 

It's BLUE day!

The blueberries were delicious💙

Constructing the code and a funny😳

Constructing the code of language is no easy task. Today we worked with personal name puzzles. The range of print knowledge is varied among the children to say the least. Some already understand word parts and some do not know letter names. Watching them reconstruct the simple puzzles was difficult for some of them. Letters had to be flipped and turned as well as finding the correct order before gluing them down on their workspace. The interesting part was listening to them "explain" their puzzle to a friend. Now to end this entry with a funny!  This morning they came in excited and chatty. They were telling me all sorts of things about their snack, family and other things that had happened that morning. One little girl raised her hand and said, "oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you - my little brother is having trouble pooping"!  OKAY. that was a little too much information......  

I Am sentences!

Here is our predictable chart using newly learned sight words: I and am. The children enjoy reading it!

Gingerbread Man

This afternoon, we ate gingerbread men, listened to the story and created our own original character. The kids LOVED the story and chimed in every time I read, "Run, run, as fast as you can"!  They used googly eyes, foam shapes, ric rac and crayons to create their own gingerbread man character. I love open-ended opportunities for kids. They ALWAYS surprise you. I will post a pic tomorrow of their art. ;)

Listening and Thinking

I am pleasantly surprised with this years students. They listen. They think before making a comment. My thoughts go back to when my Julie and Knox were little. When families genuinely listen to children, there is no urgency from them to be heard. It takes patience and love but these parents have done it right. It us going to be a good year!

What is the first letter in your name?

Name Art

Class Promise

A sneak peek at our class promise :)

Red Day in Kindergarten!

Color days actually mean a lot more than you think. The vocabulary for today was rich:  juicy strawberries, ruby hair color, twisted Twizzlers, the crest of a Cardinal, a roaring fire truck... Just a few "red" things that were discussed. Here we are all decked out in RED. 

So you can know better...

The kids and I were working on formulating our class promise. Young children never cease to amaze me!  I always let them generate the language for the promise so they will "own" it. We talked about the obvious things - kindness, helpfulness, cheerfulness, respect. Then I asked them, "why do you come to school each day?" And there were the typical responses - mom is working, you HAVE to, etc.  Then, one little girl raised her hand and she exclaimed, "so you can KNOW better"!  I loved the sheer honesty and enthusiasm in her response. Coming to school really is about learning to "know better" each day. In kindergarten, we learn about reading, writing, math, etc. But we also learn to "know better" about respect for others, differences in others and how to just plain get along with others. Today was a good day in kindergarten. :)

Great day!

Today we continue to settle in. The children are very conscientious about following directions. They remember routines well. We sang several math songs, read Matthew ABC, completed our class promise and played a "get to know you" game. We read some rhyming stories and the children supplied the ending word to each stanza. This is most definitely a bright group of kids. I love their enthusiasm. 

First Week

Week #1 is complete!  I'm so excited to work with this fantastic bunch of learners. Today was the first day that all of the children attended. Next week should be a little calmer. This week was full of smiles, new shoes and bright eyes!  Let's learn :)