21-24 de agosto

We have had an amazing first week of kindergarten! The kids have been busy learning lots of new songs, routines, and games to help build their Spanish vocabulary and get them used to our school and classroom expectations. It has been a joy and a blessing for me to get to know your children and all of their unique personalities. I have seen so many acts of caring and cooperation between little friends already!

Our Week

Here is a quick summary of what we've been working on in class this week.

Bible
We've been talking about how much Jesus loves us and how the Bible is a special book. We learned some songs, including "Este es el Día" (This is the Day), "Yo Tengo un Amigo que me Ama", and "Cristo me Ama. Some key words are Dios (God), Jesús (Jesus), ama (loves) and Biblia (Bible). 

Reading
This week we have practiced "reading" books from shared book boxes. The children have been building stamina by looking at books quietly in 5-minute intervals. We've talked about how to hold and open books, turn pages, and put them back carefully. We've talked about using our imagination to make up a story. Finally, we practiced a little bit of partner "reading" as we share books with friends and look at pictures together. Key words: libro (book), leer (read), amigo (friend), imaginación (imagination). 

Writing
The children have enjoyed drawing pictures and adding a few words to their pictures this week. The main focus has been on how we can draw and write about things we know. We drew pictures and wrote about our summers, things that we like, and what makes us special. Key words: escribe (write), dibuja (draw), especial (special), me gusta (I like). 

Math
In math, we have practiced some basic skills like counting the numbers on our calendar, identifying numbers 1-10, "finger flashing" numbers, singing a fun song counting elephants (Un Elefante se Balanceaba), and rolling dice and counting the numbers. Key words: cuenta (count), los números (the numbers), numbers 1-10.

Routines
Additionally, we've learned LOTS of songs and routines, such as getting in line, going to the bathroom, cleaning up, 5 more minutes, washing our hands, colors, and more! I've heard from a few of you that your kids have come home singing some of these songs! :)

Immersion Tip of the Week

I had the pleasure of talking with many of you during Parent night this past Thursday, and I mentioned that you shouldn't worry if your child comes home saying that he/she learned nothing or didn't understand what was going on. This is VERY normal! Children this age often aren't able to process or verbalize what they are learning, but their little brains are busy making TONS of connections! Expect your child to be exhausted over the next few weeks, so make sure he/she is getting lots of rest! Above all, keep being a cheerleader for your child!

Reading Tip of the Week

When reading aloud to your child, "track" with your finger under the words as you read. This helps build print awareness and reinforces the concept that we read from right to left. This is an example of the "common underlying proficiency" (see #2 in link), a theory stating that skills learned in one language naturally transfer to the second.

*NOTE: To the right under the "helpful links" section, you will see a new link to our Amazon Classroom Wish List. Check it out if you are interested in donating any items for our classroom. Thank you!

Below, enjoy some pictures from our first week of school!