We have had a wonderful second week of kindergarten! I can tell we are all settling into a comfortable routine, and the kids are doing a fantastic job getting used to our routine and schedule. This week we have been starting to use more common phrases and questions, such as "¿Puedo ir afuera?" (Can I go outside?), "¿Me lo abres?" (Can you open it?) and "¡Ya terminé!" (I'm finished!). Here are more details about what we are learning...
Reading / Lectura: This week we have learned and practiced the letters B, C, D, and E. All of the consonant sounds we've learned so far have almost exactly the same sounds as they have in English. We have also been learning about las vocales--the vowels (see here for a video of the pronunciation)--as well as the difference between una persona (a person) and una cosa (a thing). Additionally, we have been learning how to build our reading músculos (muscles) by reading for longer stretches of time.
Writing / Escritura: We have started our unit focusing on la familia, or the family. We have been learning and practicing family vocabulary words and drawing pictures of moments with our families. It is exciting to see the kids start to share their work with each other!
Math / Matemáticas: This week we have practiced counting and writing the numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7. We are also having fun counting on our fingers, exploring manipulatives, and sorting objects.
Bible / Biblia: We are continuing to learn about the 7 days of creation. On day 2, God created el cielo y el agua (sky and water). On day 3, God created las plantas (plants). On day 4, God created el sol, la luna, y las estrellas (the sun, moon, and stars), and on day 5, He created los pájaros y los peces (birds and fish). The kids have been enjoying pulling things out of the "surprise bag" every day to discover more about God's creation!
Science / Ciencias: We are learning about los cinco sentidos, or the five senses! This week we started practicing vocabulary for all of the senses. We have also been exploring the sense of touch using las manos (hands). We played some games trying to guess the mystery object and learned vocabulary such as caliente/frío (hot/cold) and suave/duro (soft/hard).
Immersion Tip of the Week
One technique I use to encourage students to produce language, even when their vocabulary is limited, is called "circling". For example, I'll ask "sí-no" questions, such as: "Is this ball big?" "Is this a pencil?" Then, I'll ask "either-or" questions, such as: "Is this a Bible or a notebook?" "Is this book red or blue?" "Is the boy happy or sad?" This helps students hear more vocabulary and feel successful because they can understand and answer questions correctly.
Reading Tip of the Week
When you're reading a new book to your child this weekend, talk about the pictures you see on the title page. Ask, "What do you think this book will be about? Why do you think that?" Make predictions together. Most of all, have fun!
Lunch Duty
My grade-level colleagues and I would love to be able to meet once a week to be able to collaborate together. Would you like to come and have lunch with a fun group of kindergarteners so we can do this? We will meet every Thursday, so if you are available around lunchtime to help out, please sign up here!
In Your Child's Folder
Please make sure you check your child's folder daily. This week, you received your child's Walkathon packet (to raise funds for our school) and school picture form (coming home today). If you have any questions about either form, please let me know!
Donations?
We are in need of paper towels, paper plates, and Kleenex if you would like to donate any to our classroom this year! Muchas gracias!
Holland Christian Girls Cheer Clinic!
