Here is what is happening in our TK classroom…
Handwriting - We looked at letters with vertical lines and practiced making vertical lines in our handwriting books. We are working on proper pencil grip. Two ways to help your child gain a proper pencil grip - 1. placing a pom pom in your child’s hand for their ring and pinky fingers to hold. This prevents too many fingers on top of the pencil. 2. using very short crayons and pencils so there is only room to pinch the crayon instead of using too many fingers/fist to color. Some ways to build finger strength at home - play doh, climbing UP slides, legos, eye droppers, and cutting with scissors.
Language Arts - We are working on rhyming words, blending syllables into words, separating words into syllables, beginning and ending sounds, and identifying letters and sounds. We specifically worked with the letters Mm, Ss and Aa this week. Students sorted pictures that begin with these letters. We reviewed Humpty Dumpty and also practiced Jack and Jill. Students illustrated Jack and Jill in their poetry journals. We had fun having a “museum walk” to view everyone’s amazing illustrations. I assessed capital letters, shapes, and colors this week. Next week I will be assessing lowercase letters and letter sounds.
Math - We are working on identifying, and writing numbers 1-6. Students also learned some short poems to help them write these numbers (we focused on numbers 3 and 4 this week). Next week we will begin our unit on patterns. We will continue to practice counting and writing numbers up to 10.
Science - We did two fun experiments…
Celery can turn colors! We performed a science experiment where celery stalks were placed into cups of different colored water. Have your child describe what they observed. We then cut the celery open and noticed colored dots inside. Finally we broke the celery, pulled up the stalk and noticed that there were tubes inside the stems that carry the water to the leaves. We planted the base of the celery and are hoping to grow a new plant from the base!
Water walk - We also performed a science experiment where we placed paper towel strips in a cup of colored water stretching into an empty cup. Students watched the water “walk” into the empty cup. When two primary colors “walked” into a shared cup that cup turned a new color!
Students experimented with the coding Bee Bots during centers on Friday.
Social Studies - We are making friends and making connections as we share our "Me Bags"
Art - We used cups and black paint to make circles on paper. Next week we will paint these with watercolors. We are practicing careful coloring. Our Kandinsky circles are hanging in our classroom. If we are very brave next week we will be learning about Jackson Pollock and will make a group project by “throwing paint” at our canvass.
Our art center is busy with paint sticks, daubers, watercolors, scissors, glue, markers, crayons and colored pencils. Hope you have been receiving lots of handmade treasures! Students are encouraged to make their own art during this time.
Please Note - We are extending our “Colorful Start” unit for a few more weeks and then will move into “Falling into Place” later in September. We thought it would be fun to end with a “color celebration” on September 27. We are planning to make tie dye t-shirts to wear during this celebration. Please send a white cotton t-shirt for your child to tie dye by September 17. We will dye the shirts at school and send them home (with instructions) to be washed. On September 27, we will watch a movie about colors and have a colorful snack. Students are encouraged to wear their colorful tie dye shirts to school on this day!
Snack/Sharing - Thank you for all the healthy snacks last week! We enjoyed applesauce, pretzels, cheese sticks, crackers, popcorn, and more! We also loved learning about your child through their Me Bags. Our “people of the day” next week are….
Monday - Teddy
Tuesday
Wednesday - Bode
Thursday - Judah
Friday
Vision Screening - On Tuesday, September 17 our TK students will have a vision screening. A permission form was sent in your child’s backpack last week. If you would like this screening for your child, the permission form must be signed and returned by Tuesday.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Amy Simmons
If you have any of these valuable things at your house and would like to send them to school, we would love to use them in our classroom…
Things We Collect
Non fiction picture books
Ribbon
Paper lunch sacks
Water bottle caps/milk jug caps
Cardboard tubes
Bubble wrap
Smooth rocks
locks/keys
Nuts/bolts
Stationary/envelopes
Stickers
Craft items
Cardboard egg cartons
Baby food jars