Reading is So Much Fun!

 The class is so excited about reading!  All they want to do is read and take AR tests. 

We had a special visitor last week.  Clifford came to visit because we met our goal of books sold during the book fair.

 Isabella got her first tag today.  That makes 4 kids in the class who have earned tags.  Brodie, Gabe, and Madeline have also earned a tag.

When we aren't reading, we do some math.  Today we worked on putting the numbers in order in this pattern.  Speed and accuracy are important.  You can make some number cards at home and practice doing this.  I have the class race me to see who is faster. 

100th Day of School

 We celebrated 100 days of school last Friday.  It's quite a milestone for us because we have been counting up to it since the first day of school.  It's taken a long time to get here.  Some of the kids were a little disappointed to find out that they would not be going to first grade yet.  The 100th day is not the end of Kindergarten.

 We sang our "Count to 100" song for the last time. 

 We made fruit loop necklaces with 100 fruit loops and gummi savers. 

 The kids also brought collections of 100.  It was fun to see what everyone brought.

Reading Stations

 With the new semester, we started Reading Groups.  This is a little different from the stations of last semester.  Each station is longer and when the kids are in the group with me, we are reading!  I'm always so excited to see them take off with reading.  I couldn't do it by myself.  I know the kids are getting a lot of help from home and now your hard work is paying off.

I completed middle of the year testing last week and sent home a note telling you what level your child is reading on.  By the end of the year, I want everyone to be reading a 3 or 4.  If you have any questions about this, please let me know and we can set up a conference. 

 When I am working with a reading group, the other kids are at stations.  Some stations are work stations and others are just for fun.

 We've been working on color words.  Color words are not on the sight word list but I like to teach them anyway.

 Blocks are a station that is just for fun but what they don't know is that they are learning to cooperate and work together in that station.

The computer is a favorite station.  When they go to the computer, they are working on reading skills.

If the red folders have seemed a little strange lately, it is because I am trying to teach the kids how to code the behavior chart and put the papers to go home in it all by themselves.  It's not going very well right now.  I noticed today that some days are not being coded and I pick up loose papers all over the floor after everyone leaves.  I'm not ready to give up yet.  Since we aren't having naps anymore, I have a hard time getting the folders ready by the end of the day.  So please be patient.  I think they can learn how to do this. 

Reindeer Games

 We had reindeer in our class all day.

I think they are coming to the party tomorrow, too. 

The kids can wear pajamas to school tomorrow.  We are going to have pancakes and hot chocolate for breakfast.

 The party starts at 1:30.  All parents are invited to attend.  I hope you can all come. 

Gingerbread Man Adventures

 We made these Gingerbread Men last week after we read lots of stories about them.  In every story, the Gingerbread Men ran away and had an adventure. 

 So we really shouldn't have been surprised that when we came to school on Thursday, our Gingerbread Men were gone!  They left a letter for us that told us they wanted to see how Christmas was celebrated in other countries.

 The first stop for them was Japan.  The kids got to eat with chopsticks and then they made origami ornaments.

 The next country was Sweden.  They learned about the tradition of Christmas caroling and how the kids take cinnamon rolls and coffee to their parents on Christmas morning.

 In Mexico, they learned about a Christmas tradition of decorating houses and whole neighborhoods and then going from house to house to find the baby Jesus.

In Ukraine,  we heard the story of the Christmas spiders.  You will soon have a spider to decorate your tree at home. 

Don't forget about the Christmas party on Wednesday.  Everyone needs to bring a wrapped book for the book exchange by Tuesday.

Christmas Lists

 The Christmas excitement is building around here.  Since they are talking about it anyway, I let them write about one thing they want Santa to bring for Christmas.  Animals are the number 1 request.  Not the stuffed variety, the real thing.

 Madison wants a real puppy.

 

 Kalan wrote, "I like hamsters because they are my best friends."

 

 Lindsay wrote, "I want a bunny for Christmas."

 

 Chevy wants 2 hamsters and a cage with a wheel.

 

 Brodie wants a DS.  No pets for him.

 

 All Brooks wants is a ball.

 

Good luck to Madeline's parents on this one.  She wants Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the real one.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

 We are busy getting ready for Christmas, but we can't neglect our work so our days have been very busy.  Our morning routine stays the same no matter what else is going on.

 We have a phonics lesson everyday also.

 Finally, the books the kids bring home to read have lots of words in them.  The kids have been looking forward to having more words to read in the take home books.  Please watch carefully as your child reads to you.  Remember that they need to have their eyes, fingers and words all working together.  If they aren't using all three then they aren't really reading.  They can easily memorize the words and not actually read the words. 

 This month, I am stressing the importance of kindness.  We have talked a lot about how to be kind to each other and how to recognize when someone is being kind to you.  We have a kindness tree in the room and when one child is kind to another, their name goes on a star and the star is hung on the tree. 

I'm also going to reward good behavior this month.  The kids made stockings last week and every child that stays on big green all day will have a treat in their stocking waiting for them the next day. 

We made the rabbits last week also because our letter was R and we put the stocking caps on them to make it feel more like Christmas. 

 We had already made these reindeer by tracing our hands and feet.  No, they are not Rudolph the Yellow Nosed Reindeer.  For some reason the picture made the red bulbs look yellow.

This is a box of Gingerbread Man ornaments that we will be decorating on Friday.  Can't Wait!