There is much to capture during a week of kindergarten and some of it is best accomplished with photos rather than narrative or video. Read each caption to learn more about the photo and the point of me sharing it. As always, AMA (ask me anything)!
I am not making a video this week about centers, so you’ll see what happened with small group instruction and at the other centers here in the photo gallery instead.
Monday, January 10, my center - Read and Draw. I included my low group in Read and Draw for the first time this week and they did pretty well. Before sending this home, I will write “Please finish at home” at the top because this is something that parents can help their child with. I also plan on giving this group the exact same sheet next week because seeing it again will totally boost their confidence.
This Read and Draw is for my low-medium group. It was about right for them. Same thing—a note at the top will encourage them to finish it at home.
I made this Read and Draw for my medium-high group. The sentences were too long for them and they struggled with comprehension. I made a note to give them Read and Draw 3 next week.
Read and Draw 7 was for my highest group. As I post these, I can see that Read and Draw 4 (above) is almost as challenging as this one. No wonder that group struggled. This group did just fine with these sentences.
For those who finished before the time was up, I told them to turn their paper over and write their own sentences and draw a picture to go with them.
Monday, January 10 at Miss Lori’s center. She is reviewing letter formation with lowercase letters. We’ve been noticing that students are starting to forget the proper formation and the letter formation cues since we don’t work on them all the time now. She’ll start reviewing these once a week at her center.
Monday, January 10, independent center
Monday, January 10, floor center. Half the group is on the floor doing a floor puzzle; the other half writes high frequency words on the big rolling white board.
Tuesday, January 11. Every morning, Miss Lori does the lunch count. At the beginning of the year, the students say yes or no as to whether they want a school lunch. After a few weeks, they start to SPELL yes or no. Once they’re good at that and no longer challenged, then we start using the time to practice our heart words and other high frequency words. Today I wrote on the board that they should spell love if they wanted school lunch and of if they brought a lunch from home. We change the words every day now. They love this.
Tuesday, January 11. We spent the last two days learning the long a sound. I don’t expect my students to master all the different ways to spell the sound, but I do show them the main ones because I know some of them are curious and some will come across them in their reading and also try to use them in their writing.
Tuesday, January 11. I put the ways to spell the long a sound on display for those students who are interested/ready.
Tuesday, January 11. Today at my center we worked on phonological awareness training and word lists. Some of my students are getting into advanced phonemic awareness, which includes omissions and substitutions. I follow Kilpatrick’s and other researchers’ advice to show the students what they are doing (i.e., turn it in to a phonics activity) since it is rather challenging.
Tuesday, January 11. Now that I am introducing long vowels, I can use the proper terminology on this list. Before I was saying, “Try the other sound for the letter.” After I teach consonants and vowels, I’ll be able to be even more specific.
Tuesday, January 11 at Miss Lori’s center. This week we are learning about -ing and reading several books that include it, such as Martin Luther King, Jr ., Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed , Hands are Not for Hitting , My Toothbrush is Missing , The Story about Ping , and The Ugly Duckling .
Tuesday, January 11 at the independent center. Several of the students happen to be on the -ing word list, which was good timing for this week.
Tuesday, January 11. Notes I wrote to myself. I can’t always work with everyone on their phonological awareness or their word list as long as I’d like to. These remind me to try to work with them during our daily intervention time.
There is more! Look for Part 2!