5-9 de octubre

 ¡Hola Familias!

 

We had an incredible week! With our visit on Monday with Dallas, a miniature horse, our field trip to the ODC on Wednesday, our Zoom guest readers and celebrations of our abuelos y abuelas, we were busy every moment! I've also been hearing more and more spontaneous language in class, which is SO exciting! The kids are doing such a good job, and I'm very proud of them.

Thank you for your child's baby photos! Hope you can enjoy the poster to the right--we had fun guessing each classmate's baby picture! Going down from top left, the numbers are: James (13), Vivian (12), Henry (17), Travis (8), Rose (3), Daymon (11), Jameson (10), John (18), Claire (7), Kaia (1), Victoria (4), Jolie (2), Max (9), Cole (14), Nixon (6), Deborah (16), Isaac (5), Norah (15).

Here's what else we've been doing this week...

Reading / Lectura: We finished the alphabet with letter Z on Monday. The kids were so excited about it! We have spent the rest of the week practicing various activities that the kids will be doing as we begin center time for guided reading. Next week we'll take of with las sílabas--or syllables--which are foundational to reading in Spanish. We've also been learning the difference between regular and proper nouns. (Ask your kids about the noun song--el sustantivo!)

Writing / Escritura: This week we worked on using our sound chart (which we practice every day) to stretch and write words. We've also been practicing using spaces between our words and punctuation at the end. Finally, we've been adding more detail to our work as we build our stamina.

Math / Matemáticas: We've been practicing arranging number tiles from 1-10, comparing numbers on a number mat, drawing pictures of groups of objects, and writing numbers 1-3. I've seen so much improvement in the kids' handwriting and ability to write numbers!

Bible / Biblia: I LOVED the moment when we were going to the carpet for Bible this week and one child said, "We're going to find out what happened with José!" Teaching Bible stories to these precious kids is such a blessing for me, and I love seeing them excited about what they're learning. We've been learning about José (Joseph) and how, even in his darkest moment en la cárcel (in jail), God had a plan for him. We ended the week learning how José was able to help Faraón by interpreting his sueño (dream).

Science / Ciencias: This week we've been focusing on our sense of smell (la nariz para oler). We had a fun outdoor experience smelling mystery items and saying huele bien (it smells good) or huele mal (it smells bad).

Immersion Tip of the Week
One of my favorite parts about teaching immersion is finding creative ways to incorporate language into our everyday activities. For example, when we're having lunch, I like to ask the kids to identify colores, formas (shapes), and other adjectives like caliente/frío (hot/cold), suave/duro (soft/hard), and dulce/salado (sweet/salty). The kids really enjoy showing me things they bring for lunch that fall into different categories! Try this at home and ask your kids what words in Spanish they'd use to describe their food.

Reading Tip of the Week
When reading a book this week, see if your child can identify some letters. Practice the name of the letters (in English OR Español) and the sound that it makes. It's OK if the letter makes a different sound in English than in Spanish; just tell your child that some letters made different sounds in different languages. ;)

Classroom Supplies

If you happen to have any extra egg cartons or toilet paper tubes, I am still in need of a few. ¡Muchas gracias!

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Just a reminder that parent/teacher conferences will be held via Zoom on Monday, October 19th and Tuesday, October 20th. If you have not signed up yet, please do so (or let me know if you need help). I look forward to talking with you about your child's progress!

That's all for now. Have a great weekend and enjoy some pictures below!

28 de septiembre - 2 de octubre

 ¡Hola Familias!

As the clouds roll in (and out...and in...) this week and the temperatures drop, we are reminded that winter is on its way! Please remember to have your child bring adequate clothing as the colder weather moves in--we spend lots of time outside each day! 

Here's what we've been up to this busy week:

Reading / Lectura: We are almost through the entire alphabet! We practiced letters U, V, W, X, and Y this week. Next week we'll practice Z on Monday and then start preparing to transition to our guided reading/literacy centers. We also focused our attention on the vowel E and classified nouns as singular and plural.

Writing / Escritura: We've started a new vocabulary unit on el cuerpo (the body). With this theme we do LOTS of games, songs, and Simón dice to practice these words! We've also been practicing the writing process: brainstorming, drawing,  and stretching words to hear and write their sounds.

Math / Matemáticas: This week we started using counters to put numbers 1-10 in order and to identify each one. We've also been practicing seeing the parts within numbers and representing them using colored tiles. Finally, we've identified and practiced drawing and cutting círculos, cuadraros (squares), and rectángulos.

Bible / Biblia: We finished the story of Jacob y Esaú, learning how Esaú forgave his brother just like Jesus forgives us. Now we are beginning the story of Joseph (José), which is a familiar story to many! We learned how los hermanos de José were jealous of him and threw him in a pozo. We learned how, even after being sold into slavery, Dios was still with José and had great plans for him.

Science / Ciencias: This week we practiced the sense of saborear con la lengua (taste with the tongue). We practiced the vocabulary me gusta/no me gusta (I like/don't like) and did some taste testing of foods to practice dulce (sweet), salado (salty), agrio (sour), and amargo (bitter). It was fun to see the kids' reaction to eating limes, kale, goldfish crackers, chocolate chips, and many more items!

Immersion Tip of the Week
You'll notice that some of Spanish reading instruction looks a little different from English reading instruction--for example, Spanish reading relies heavily on syllable blending. Even though some of the phonics and strategies are different from English, many strategies--such as comprehension of text and using picture clues--are the same and will transfer to English. 

Reading Tip of the Week

Let's keep it simple this week--just READ together! Don't underestimate the power of reading with your child! If you have not already, incorporate reading books into your daily routine. Apart from its academic benefits, it is a wonderful opportunity to slow down and bond with your child!

Field Trip Wednesday!

On Wednesday afternoon of next week we will be going to the Outdoor Discovery Center with Mrs. Bos's kindergarten class! It looks like the weather will be nicer than this week (fingers crossed!), but please have your child dress for the weather!

Mask Mandate

Today (Friday) we practiced using our masks all day. This was a bit tough for some kids, as can be expected. While it is not easy to use masks all day, I am SO grateful for each day that I get to spend teaching these wonderful kids in person. :) I would love it if you could talk with your child about these new expectations over the weekend so she/he'll be prepared for Monday. We'll get used to it--our kids are so resilient!

Grandparents' Day

Next week we will be receiving some (virtual) grandparent visitors in our classroom to read to the kids! We'll also make a simple craft and a video to share with our beloved abuelos. Please make sure you send me the PRINTED photo(s) of your child with his/her grandparent(s) by MONDAY! 

Have a great weekend and enjoy some more photos below!