Second Week

Here we are already! We finished the second week! Already, the students have made HUGE progress, especially in learning the routine and behavior of kindergarten!

This last week in Phonics we worked on the letter o and started the g. Because we now have learned the l, o, and g we have been practicing blending the sounds to make the word, "log." If you have your child blend sounds to make a word, a good way for them to learn this skill is to have them sing the sounds, not leaving any spaces between the sounds, and then to say the word.

On Thursday we will begin learning the letter h. This will allow us to learn the word "hog." I usually also teach the word "on" so we can read and write "Hog on the log."

We have been working on the sight word "the" and will start learning "to" so we will be able to read the sentence "The hog is on the log."

This week and the weeks to come we will practice rhyming words. Rhyming words are difficult for a lot of children. This is a great thing to practice at home. Start with a short word and see how many rhyming words you and your child can think up. (cat, bat, hat, fat...) Sometimes children will think up nonsense words (zat, dat...). I always tell them, "Yes, that does rhyme but it isn't a real word, it is a nonsense word." It is really exciting if they can think up rhyming words that start with a blend (flat, slat, splat). If the ending of these words are spelled the same then they are also called "word families." We will be working on word families all through the year.

We are also practicing the first sounds in words. Use some of the sounds to the letters we've learned and see how many words you and your child can think of starting with that sound. In our ERI reading we have been doing the m sound (mud, man, mouse, money....)and in a few days we will also be practicing the p sound (pig, pan, pot...). These are letters your child should also know the names of, sounds for, and how to write correctly. (To write always start at the top and go down.)

The last two weeks we learned the vocabulary words: comforting, fleet, glimmer, expression, and lively. We do not have a lot of time in class to master these words but they will be repeated in first and second grades. It also helps if you practice these at home with your child. This week we will be working on drenched, gorgeous, vain, linger, peculiar. At sometime during the week we will brainstorm ideas for some of the words. Several years ago I had a student say, "My mom is vain." so I stopped asking for ideas on that word! :-)

In math we have been sorting items and learning how things are the same, exactly the same, almost the same, not the same, identical, and similar. This week we will work on how things are different, things that belong in a set, and things that can be used together. You can practice at home with your child by using some of the words with your child. It is especially good if you have your child use the words. You can play an "I Spy" type game where one of you spies two objects that are identical, similar, in a set, can be used together, are different, etc. and then describes the objects to the other person to see if he/she can guess what the two objects are. Have the person/child always start off with "I spy two things that are ________." (identical, similar, in a set, etc.)because using the math vocabulary is the best way to learn it.

The math numbers we have been learning about and to write are 1 and 2. This week we will continue practicing 2 and learn about and how to write 3. Once again, we always start writing a number from the top. Our math program doesn't start numbers for another week, but I like to get an early start on them since many of the students know at least their lower numbers and just need practice in writing them.

We have been and will continue visiting our helpers (their teacher, the principal, secretary, librarian, and custodian) around the school. We are illustrating a book about the people who help us at school. As soon as we finish your child will bring it home.

We go to the library on Thursday. The books they check out can be kept for two weeks but if your child brings the book back early he/she can check out a new one the next Thursday. At any time your child can turn a book in. It is best to do it before Thursday so it can be checked in before we have library.

Have a wonderful restful weekend!