¡Feliz Fin de Semana! (Happy Weekend!)
Wow, it sure feels like fall now! It's hard to believe that the kids were wearing shorts at the beginning of the week. We had a great week in kindergarten, learning more and more Spanish and practicing using it in different contexts. Here is a synopsis of what we've been up to.
Our Week
Bible
In Bible, we've been learning about Jacob and Esau and how God used them despite the bad things they did. We continued the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob and Jacob tricking his father Isaac. We read the story of Jacob sleeping on the rock and dreaming of the stairway to heaven, imagining what it would be like to have this dream. Finally, we were able to be thankful that God gives us forgiveness (perdón) even when we sin--just like Esau forgave Jacob.
Reading
This week we moved from vowels to syllables--an exciting step towards reading! The syllables ma, me, mi, mo, mu were the focus this week. The students practiced blending sounds, identifying how many syllables in words, and reading simple words and sentences. Here is a fun video that gives an example of blending and reading syllables in Spanish. We also sorted words containing the Spanish diminutive form, -ito or -ita, which is added to the end of some words when referring to a small size or as an affectionate term.
Writing
In writing, we've been working on telling about our own experiences through illustrations and words. Our focus this week was ¿Dónde? (Where?) and ¿Quién? (Who?). Students practiced telling about something they did to each other, and I'm impressed to see them gain more and more confidence sharing this in Spanish.
Math
We've been enjoying different math centers and games this week, while starting to learn to count by 10s (de diez en diez) and telling number stories of sumas and restas. Kids have been getting very good at identifying numbers in different forms (i.e. ten frames, tally marks, dots, numbers), putting them in order, and associating them with the correct quantity.
Science
Since we have studied all of the five senses, this week we conducted an experiment to review them. We examined a bowl of salt and a bowl of sugar, both unmarked, and practiced using our five senses to figure out which was which. What sense do you think helped us the most? La lengua--the tongue, para saborear (to taste)!
Friends to All
This week, we had the pleasure of combining with another kindergarten class to hear a story read by a mom of a student with Down's syndrome. It was a special time for everyone and a great opportunity to be reminded that we are ALL God's creation with special gifts and talents. Please, reinforce this with your child at home. Since we're well into school now and students are more comfortable with each other, occasionally I will hear some less than kind words. Help your child remember that everyone has an important part in our classroom and that we can all work together to be friends and help each other.
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 a syllable with "m" (ma, me, mi, mo, mu). Even if the book is in English, he/she can still look for the syllables. Or, ask your child for an example of a word with each syllable. (Make sure you watch the video for correct pronunciation!)
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
*Wednesday, October 17: Field trip to DeGraaf Nature Center to learn about the 5 senses. Please return library books by today!
*Thursday, October 18: Pajama Day! We're studying syllables with "P" next week, so kids can come in their pijamas!
*Friday, October 19: Book orders due! Please order any Scholastic books before this date so I can submit the order.
*Monday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 23 are Parent-Teacher conferences. Please make sure you sign up for a 15-minute slot!
*Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26: NO SCHOOL: CEA Conference.
Thank you for reading! Enjoy some pictures of our week below.
¡Hola Familias!
Another great week of kindergarten is in the books! It was an action-packed five days of singing, celebrating, learning, and playing with friends. I so enjoyed the opportunity to meet many of the children's grandparents and see them enjoying their special time together on Thursday. One of my favorite things about kindergarten is the ENTHUSIASM! We sing, and we sing loud! Hearing the littlest ones belt out praise songs put a big smile on my face (and the grandparents' faces too!).
Here is a summary of what we've been up to this week.
Our Week
Bible
In Bible this week, we continued learning about the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We finished talking about God's promises to Abraham and then studied Isaac and his wife Rebekah. Then, we acted out the story of Jacob and Esau, and how Jacob received the blessing (bendición) instead of his brother. Even though this family had many problems and was not perfect, God still chose them to be the ancestors of our Savior. What a great reminder that God loves us despite our imperfections!
Reading
We have finished our study of las vocales! This week we learned the final vowel, I (pronounced "ee"). This is a tricky sound because kids often confuse it with the letter E (pronounced "eh"). We have practiced these important sounds through song, movement, writing, coloring, dotting, and many other activities. Next week we'll begin the next pivotal step in Spanish language literacy, which is syllable blending. Additionally, we sorted nombre comunes and nombres propios (proper and "regular" names) and differentiated between mayúscula (capital) and minúscula (lower-case) letters.
Writing
In writing this week, we have been looking at books and noticing the things that writers do. Writers write about topics they know, experiences they have had, and things that interest them. The kids have enjoyed writing and drawing creatively and then sharing their writing with each other. It has been impressive to hear the kids gaining confidence in using the prompt, "Este es..." (This is...) and continuing in Spanish.
Math
In math, we have continued practicing number stories with sumas and restas. The children are getting pretty quick at identifying addition and subtraction problems as well as saying equations. We use manipulative to tell stories and practice showing the problems on our fingers. We have also practiced writing the numbers 1-4.
Science
This week in science, we studied the last sense--la nariz (nose) para oler (to smell). We got to smell some common household items, such as a candle, perfume, chocolate powder, and shaving cream, and decide if it smelled good (huele bien) or bad (huele mal). Then we tried to find matching smells in film canisters. This was a challenge! It has been a lot of fun to incorporate language learning into our science lessons.
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. Looking for new books? Your child brought home a Scholastic order form with instructions for ordering online, and there are many titles in both English AND Spanish!
Important Dates to Remember
*Wednesday, October 17: Field trip to DeGraaf Nature Center to learn about the 5 senses.
*Monday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 23 are Parent-Teacher conferences. Please make sure you sign up for a 15-minute slot!
Action Items
1. Please look over your child's Scholastic Book Order and place your online orders. Make sure you use our class code (TRHVL) so the books will be shipped to our school.
2. Would anyone like to donate pumpkins/gourds for our classroom? I'd love some small gourds (like the ones they sell for 50 cents at the Farmer's Market) to decorate and to incorporate into our math activities. If you have a chance, please send in a couple this week. ¡Muchas gracias!
Have a great weekend, and enjoy some pictures from this week below!
¡Feliz Fin de Semana! (Happy Weekend!)
We've been enjoying different math centers and games this week, while starting to learn to count by 10s (de diez en diez) and telling number stories of sumas and restas. Kids have been getting very good at identifying numbers in different forms (i.e. ten frames, tally marks, dots, numbers), putting them in order, and associating them with the correct quantity. 
Friends to All
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.
