A Peek into Our Week

I am joining the linky party at The Clutter Free Classroom.  I have links to many of the ideas and activities below if you wave your cursor over the words they will magically appear!

It was our fourth week of school this week.  I had a sub on Wednesday for staff development (learning about the Common Core curriculum in math).  We are making great progress.  The kids are getting into the routine of coming in each morning, taking care of their folders, lunches, and backpacks, answering the question of the day, and settling in at a table.


This week they have been drawing a picture and writing what they can.  They have written words from around the room or friends' names.  Next week we will be starting our writing journals and learning about labeling (LOVE this poster).

In reading, we have been practicing Read to Self and Buddy Reading.  The kids find a quiet spot in the room, and sit the whole time.  Most of them are not really reading yet but they do have familiar picture books in their book boxes along with the books they have read in reading group to reread (this is so fabulous!  They reread for a few weeks and then I put them away and give them new ones each time they read with me.  These are their "just right" books.) The picture books are not usually their level but they use "reading the pictures" or "retelling a familiar book" for these.


 We have made the I charts for both Read to Self and Buddy Reading.  We go over them daily to try to build up our stamina.  They still need reminders to sit elbow to elbow and knee to knee.  They love using Rock, Paper, and Scissors to decide who reads first (I am still going over how to do this-one little girl kept matching her partner by waiting just a bit before choosing her rock, paper, or scissors!)  It works better to have a higher child paired with a lower child but I do let them choose for themselves.  We are still practicing whole group.  Next week, I plan to start Listening and Word Work and having about 5 working in each area.  I use the checklist method of keeping track of their choices.


In math, we have four centers set up.  I also let them choose where to work and record their choices on a checklist for math.  The four centers at the beginning of the week were all pattern centers: making patterns with bears, making patterns with unifix cubes, with playdoh, and the domino parking lot (love this idea and the kids did really well with it!)


The four centers we did at the end of the week (after I learned more about our new curriculum!) were more about numbers.  We did a number line hat using number stamps, roll a monster face, roll a shape mouse, and roll and write on white boards (a favorite every year!).  I am learning so much about my children and their strengths and needs!


We also wrote in our math journals a few days (I do not try to do this every day as it takes a long time to model, allow time to work, and time to share.).  One of the days we learned about making a set.  Another day we tried making a set and then making a set that had one more.  This seems so easy and they did well when they were with me but struggled when working on their own.  We will revisit this a few more times and then try making a set with one less.

We did some abc/name centers this week as well (in our spare time!).  The kids made their own name and a friend's name using letter tiles, they played Chicka Boom ABC bingo, attached uppercase letters on clothespins to lowercase letters on a rainbow (I made these about 17 years ago!), and used the Lakeshore letter stamps with pictures to match.


Of course, we sang and danced and painted and played and read books.  Kindergarten is always a busy, busy place!