Newsletter February 2008 Kindergarden

SPECIAL THANKS

Thank you to our parents who chaperoned our trip to Puppetworks. Thank you to those who joined us for our writing celebration last month.

LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE LEARNING THIS MONTH

Reading Workshop – Readers recognize when books have patterns and use these patterns to read with fluency and comprehension. The children will be learning the following strategies:

1. How to recognize patterns in books

2. How to use the patterns to help figure out tricky words (print work)

3. How to use the pattern to help figure out what the book is about (comprehension)

4. How to use the pattern to help read with smooth voices (fluency)

Writing Workshop – The children will be learning that writers write to teach people how-to do something. They will be writing how-to books. The children will be learning to use the following strategies:

1. Writers use very specific language

2. Using words like ‘first,’ ‘then.’ ‘next,’ ‘afterwards,’ ‘before,’ ‘finally,’ and ‘last’

3. Continue to use what they know about letters, sounds and sight words to increase the number of words they write

4. Use words wall to edit high frequency words in their writing

Below is a list of sight words the children should be able to recognize:

The, I, to, a, is mom, cat, dad, my, go, me, like, on, in, am, we, it, and, up, at, see, he, can, she and you.

Math – The children will be taught the following concepts: introduce addition and subtraction symbols and terminology through number stories, introduce calculators, introduce attribute blocks, continue to explore 2 dimensional shapes and symmetry, reinforce and extend counting, numeral recognition and number writing skills and reinforce number sequencing and number comparison skills.

Social Studies – we will continue our discussion of families. Please send in a family photo. Family photos are due on January 31, 2008.

School is closed February 18^th – 22^nd.

TRIPS

February 6^th – Kingsborough Community College Theater. The cost is $6.00. You have already paid for this trip.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Please send your child to school with a healthy snack every day.

Folders should be brought to school daily as it is a means of communication between school and home.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU

First Friday is February 1^st. The children have been reading their Just Right Books. Come and listen to your child read to you.

On Friday, February 1^st, Mr. Siege (Mia and Jakob’s dad) will be visiting the Kindergarten classes for some storytelling fun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

K-102

Jared – February 2^nd

Lorissa – February 8^th

Ralph – February 14^th

K-106

Katina – February 24^th

Olivia – February 27^th

Making Books Sing

We have been working closely with teaching artist Kallie Macrides. We have been exploring the setting and characters in a text. The children have been using their bodies to act out the emotions of characters. We are deepening our understanding of friendship and the qualities of good friends.