8-11 de septiembre

¡Hola Familias!

We packed a lot of punch into this 4-day week! This week we've been practicing using more phrases in Spanish, such as "¿Puedo ir afuera?" (Can I go outside?) and "¡Ya terminé!" (I'm finished!). It's exciting to hear the kids catching on quickly and gaining more confidence.

Here's what else we've been up to this week...

Reading / Lectura: We've been practicing identifying, producing, and writing the letters G, H, I, and J. Additionally, we've been focusing on the vowel A and identifying it in both mayúscula (uppercase) and minúscula (lowercase) forms. Finally, we've been studying los sustantivos, or nouns, and distinguishing between persona y lugar (person and place).

Writing / Escritura: This week our writing has been focused on la familia--la mamá, el papá, el hermano (brother), la hermana (sister), el bebé, and los abuelos (grandparents). We've also been building our writing stamina and are able to sit quietly and write for longer periods at a time.

Math / Matemáticas: We've been practicing writing the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9. We've continued playing games to identify, practice, and compare numbers!

Bible / Biblia: This week we wrapped up the Creation story and learned how God rested (descansó) on the 7th day, and how it is good to rest when we work hard! Then, we learned about Adán y Eva, la serpiente, and how sin (el pecado) was brought into the world. Even though this is a sad story, we can be filled with hope that many years later, Jesús came to rescue us from our sins!

Science / Ciencias: This week we've started our unit on Los Cinco Sentidos, or the 5 senses. We've been learning a song about the senses as well as practicing using las manos para tocar (our hands to touch). We felt and identified mystery objects and practiced drawing different objects that we can touch! More to come next week.

Immersion Tip of the Week
One reason we don't use translation in a Spanish Immersion class is because we want the students to make immediate connections between the action, object, or concept to the Spanish word. If we translate into English, they pay less attention to the Spanish word and just wait for the translation. In the coming weeks, we'll be practicing an important skill called circumlocution in which the students learn how to describe unknown words using vocabulary they already know. 

Reading Tip of the Week
When reading a book this week, try to think of words that rhyme with words in the book. For example, "This word says 'house'. What words rhyme with house? Can you think of any?" This kind of activity will increase your child's phonemic awareness, a critical skill for reading in any language!

Walk-A-Thon Packets

Reminder that Walk-A-Thon packets are due this coming Monday, September 14th! Thank you to those who have turned them in already. More info to come on our class Walk-A-Thon!

Picture Day

Picture day is coming up on Wednesday, September 16th at 10:00am. Please make sure to send in your picture form by that day!

Scholastic Flyers

I've sent home 2 sets of different flyers (one went home today) so you can get an idea of the variety of English and Spanish texts that are available. Please make sure to complete your online order using class code TRHVL by Friday, September 18th! 

That's all for this week. See more pictures below and enjoy the beautiful weekend! 

31 de agosto - 3 de septiembre

¡Hola Familias!

We've had another great, FULL week of Kindergarten! It's been exciting to see the kids adjusting to the schedule, language, and expectations of our classrooms. We've had a lot of fun and learned a lot too!

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

Reading / Lectura: This week we learned the letters and sounds for D, E, F, and G this week. Additionally, we've been learning about las vocales, or the vowels, which are foundational in Spanish reading (more on that later!). We've also been practicing los sustantivos, or nouns, and differentiating between una persona y una cosa (people and things).

Writing / Escritura: In Writing class, we've been practicing writing our names on our papers, drawing and writing with pencils and crayons, and sharing our work with the class.

Bible / Biblia: In Bible, we've been learning about la creación. We learned about las plantas (plants), el sol, la luna, y las estrellas (sun, moon, and stars), los pájaros y los peces (birds and fish), and finally, los animales y las personas (animals and people). As you can see, there's lots of vocabulary involved in our Bible lessons!

Math / Matemáticas: We have been practicing writing the numbers 3, 4, and 5 this week, as well as making numbers with play-doh and wikki sticks and counting unifix cubes using dice.

Outdoor Learning

This week, we have continued to practice how we can learn in outdoor spaces. We've practiced the skills of forming a circle and sitting in our spaces, observing the natural world, and exploring and returning on signal. We've really enjoyedthe beautiful weather!

We have an exciting partnership that we've been developing with the Outdoor Discovery Center this year. If you're looking for more outdoor learning activities, here is a link to some ideas you can try at home!

Walk-A-Thon Packets

Our Walkathon is comingup the week of September 21st! Usually this is a school-wide event, but this year we'll be doing a smaller version. :) Please find your child's Walkathon packet in his/her folder with more information about the event. Make sure to return the packets by Monday, September 14th!

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. (For more great information, check out the "Myth vs. Fact" infograph on the left!)

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!

That's all for now. Enjoy your long weekends and I'll see you back on Tuesday!

Enjoy some photos from our week below...