What's HOPpening in the Green Room?: September 2012

OK, so you've been working with your child at home, completing the homework online, and reading to them each night (and recording each book on their Family Reading Log, I hope!). Now you'd like to know what it is we do all day in school, huh?

Well, our morning starts off with a daily "name ticket". Each student practices writing their name on a slip of paper 2x5. We practice using one capital letter and the rest lowercase letters. Then we use these "tickets" to answer a daily graph. To date, the questions have been "Do you like {color}?", with a different color each day. The questions are always formatted so many of the students can already read them independently, and those who can read them help those who are still learning. Most days, we also discuss the graph (which choice received the most votes/fewest votes, how many people chose choice a, etc.)

After our name tickets are done, we meet on the "rocking chair rug" for a daily message. This is where we have been practicing our letter-of-the-day, modeled writing, and "sharing the pen" (I sometimes call students up to help me write one of our popcorn words). You might have heard your child talk about the "Fabulous Froggy" - the student who is the line leader and general classroom helper for the day. During the message is when we find out who will be the Fabulous Froggy for the day, as well.

After our daily message, we currently do some silent "reading". Now I know most (but not all!) of my students cannot read words yet. But guess what? We have learned that ALL students can read pictures! Every student in our class can look at a picture and make up a story to go along with the picture - this is the very beginning of reading! I have many books that have simple one-word labels attached to each picture, and the students' book baskets are currently filled with these books, as well as I Spy books and the guided readers that you have been reading together for homework. However, in kindergarten, we can't just sit down on the first day of school and read for 15 minutes - I'm sure you know that as well! We have to "build our stamina for reading" gradually. We started the year out by reading for a whole minute at a time, and we did this up to three times a day in the beginning. Each time we became comfortable with the reading time, we added a minute to our time, until we reached the point we are now - 12 minutes (but only once per day now)! Our goal is to get to 15 minutes or beyond. Once this happens, Mrs. K. will begin pulling small groups during this time for individualized reading instruction.

After our reading time, we have literacy stations for the rest of the morning. Literacy Stations involve working with a partner, and the weekly activities include the following: a choice of activities from a basket that is based on the students' reading level, a listening station (basically a book on tape that I have loaded onto an mp3 player), the computer (where we listen to and interact with our guided readers), the smartboard (an educational website or game), the school iPad and Mrs. K's iPad (phonics apps), and the "rainbow table" (small groups meet with Mrs K for phonics instruction). We usually complete three stations each day, and we get to visit each station at least twice each week.

Isaiah and Madyson complete a letter matching activity that was in their basket.

Jacob and Katherine use the LeapPads that were in their basket.

Abby, Christopher, and Jayden listen to books on mp3 players.

Kerrigan and Drew complete an activity on the computer.

Karlie and Christian work on the school iPad.

Landyn and Arielle work on Mrs. K's iPad.

DeAnna works on a puzzle that was in her basket.

Audrey completes an activity on the Smartboard.

Ayla listens to letter sounds in an activity that was in her basket.

At 11:15, we head down to the cafeteria for lunch, and we are dismissed to recess at 11:35. At 12:15, recess is over, and we come back together on the "smartboard rug" for our daily calendar time, where we review the date, days of the week, months of the year, counting practice, number concepts, and many other math objectives. Then we do our Math Stations, almost exactly like the Literacy Stations from the morning. In Math Stations, we again have a partner, and the activities include the following: a choice of activities that matches the student's current level, a listening station (a math-activity-on-tape that I have loaded onto an mp3 player), the computer (a math website), the smartboard (another math website or game), the school iPad and Mrs. K's iPad (math apps), and the "rainbow table" (small groups meet with Mrs. K for math instruction). Again, we usually complete three stations each day, and we get to visit each station at least twice each week. (Pictures to come!)

I do want to let you know, though, that the number of times each student meets with me in a small group setting depends on the child's level. Those needing the most help meet with me every day; those needing the least help meet with me twice per week; and those in the middle meet with me three to four times per week. The activities completed during small group meeting times (both in phonics and math) are also tailored to your child's needs. Generally, every group completes a different activity, so don't be alarmed if your child doesn't bring home the same activity his friend does. :-)

All of our "specials" are in the afternoons, and the days that we don't have a special are the days we focus on handwriting and art as well. Your child has a handwriting workbook that is kept at school, which is why you have not seen many papers come home. As you can tell, I am not a worksheet-type teacher. Most students think they are boring (as do I), and research proves that children of this age learn best by actually handling and manipulating objects and making connections. The abstract-ivity of worksheets will come soon enough, believe me! :-)

Back to the specials, we have Library on Tuesdays (including a storytime) and Thursdays (checkout only), and Music on Fridays.

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into our day at school! Please enjoy some photos of activities we did during our "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" week, and pics of the students taking the four online tests we are required to give at different times during the year.