Happy Friday!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom snacks-- a fun way to end a fun week!

Here's to another week of joyful learning in kindergarten!

Three Ways to Read a Book

In just 10 days of kindergarten, the boys and girls have become readers! On the first day, they all told me no, they could not read. Then, I explained a little known fact-- there are 3 ways to read a book! Yes, reading words is the way most of us think about reading. And, of course brand-new kindergartners are not experts at reading words yet. But, that is only one way to read. (At this point, they became very quiet and all eyes were glued on me. They are so eager!) Another way is to look closely and read the pictures. (Smiles on every face. They can do this!) The third way is to have someone read a book so many times that you can retell what's happening on every page. At that they were full of confidence and ready to take their book, maybe find a partner or stuffed animal, and start reading. A new bunch of children are official members of the club now-- they are readers, and they know it!

Snapshots of Our First Days in K....

A poem titled "Nothing" went home this week. Here's some of the "nothing" that has been happening in kindergarten....

Name writing practice...

Play dough with a new friend...

...and building strong hands and fingers!

Block Center...

Pretend Center...

 

Reading Den...

and writing.

Sharing...

Cutting and gluing...

Finding letters and building words!

Looking forward to the next week of joyful learning with your child!

Dear Parents...

In exactly one week, you are sending your child to kindergarten! I want you to know a few things about that important 1st day, and about me.

- I am nervous on the first day of school, too. We all know what a milestone it is, don't we? I want your child to always remember this as a wonderful day, and will do my best to make that happen.

- I don’t take your trust for granted. You are placing your little one into my care and keeping. I have an enormous responsibility to earn and maintain that trust.

- The success of your child's year depends on the strength of our partnership. I will do everything I can to keep you informed about what is happening at school. You will have my email and phone number. I want you to contact me when you have questions or concerns.

- I appreciate parents that advocate for their child. When problems or issues come up, we can come up with better plans by working on them together.

- I want your child to continue to grow as a confident, curious, creative learner. 

- Your child comes to school with lots to teach and tell others about. We are all teachers and learners together.

- We will have fun!

- I want to learn as much about your child as quickly as I can. Academics are important, but your child needs to know first that I know and care about them. I want to learn the names of family members and pets, favorite toys, and even whether they like their pancakes best with syrup or peanut butter. The first days of kindergarten are about building friendships with classmates and with me. 

- There will be occasions when I ask you to practice skills with your child at home. These times should take less than 5 minutes and be something you enjoy doing together. The purpose will be to give you an idea of what your child is learning and whether more practice is needed. And, it will be another chance for you to express your pleasure in their effort and growth. Most days, though, I suggest two things: play outside (because play is a child’s work) and read to (or with) your child every day. I'll be telling you more about that soon.

- I don't teach school. I teach children. I love my job.

Enjoy these final days of summer. I hope you are anticipating a joyful first day of school next week. So am I!