Fire Finger

Today during math we practiced numeral writing using an iPad app called Fire Finger. One student at a time was whispered a numeral to write on the iPad. It was projected onto the Smart Board using the Elmo. While one student was writing on the iPad, the rest of the students were writing on white boards. Each student was able to write a numeral using Fire Finger. If you are looking for a handwriting app for your iProduct, consider Fire Finger. Your child will ooh and aah while writing :)The first pic is on the iPad (I can't get it to be right-side up), the 2nd is on the Smart Board, the 3rd is a student white board. Super fun!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

Today was another great Monday. I have to say I think it is my favorite day of the week and today was no exception. It seems that we have had just the right amount of celebration each time there has been cause to celebrate. Today we decorated card bags, handed out cards, read 2 Valentine books, and had an ice cream snack. Students were able to look into their bags before we finished with two rounds of Shape Bingo (including a heart). The kindness and friendship the students exhibited today make a teacher proud. Once again your children have amazed me :)

Celebration Day

On Friday we celebrated the end of our narrative writing by inviting our 5th grade buddies to come to a publishing party. The Kindergarten students read their stories aloud while projecting them onto the Smart Board. 5th grade buddies enthusiastically clapped for each writer. After the reading we shared heart shaped cookies and juice. Also on Friday students shared their 100 day projects and we took a museum walk through the Kindergarten to see all of the projects on display. Our class' projects are shown below:

Happy Day 100!

On Wednesday we celebrated the 100th day of school. What an absolutely great day. We started by coloring 100 days smarter crowns. Next, we read Mrs. Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten. Students counted 100 beads organized in groups of 10s to make a keepsake necklace. Zero the Hero visited and we counted to 100 by 10s. We finished the day by making "Gorp". Students counted out 10 pieces each of Cheerios, Fruit Loops, pretzels, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, marshmallows, M & M's, Teddy Grahams, and goldfish. I cannot believe we have only 75 more days together! These last months of school will fly by...

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

On Tuesday in honor of MLK Day, we read the book, Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo. We focused on Dr. King's message of fairness, acceptance, and kindness. After reading, students paired up with each other to find one way they were the same and one way they were different. Each pair shared and some of the responses included: gender, age, skin color, hair color, eye color, toys, foods... It was quite impressive how they see each other's similarities and differences. In our classroom we talk a lot about being kind in our interactions with others - when others are kind to us we feel happy and when we are kind to others we feel good about ourselves. On Wednesday we celebrated the 90th day of school with a visit from Zero the Hero. We will celebrate our 100th day on Wednesday, February 5th! Our reading focus today was on looking at the pictures to help solve unknown words in a text. We read the big book, Here Are My Hands, and students had to guess what word I covered up by the pictures clues. It is a strategy Kindergarteners often rely on heavily in their beginning reading. For the last few weeks we have been listening to the soundtrack Frozen during snack time. The children really get into singing a few of the songs. I think they may be ready to go on tour very soon!

Greatest Tuesday Ever!

Yesterday was the greatest Tuesday ever. I have been working on a writing committee with a writing consultant since the beginning of the school year to help implement Writers' Workshop in Kindergarten (it is being implemented K-5 this year). Our writing consultant taught a lesson to our class yesterday while all of the other Kindergarten teachers watched. The students were engaged during the lesson and did a great job learning something new (every word has a vowel). The great day continued during Readers' Workshop where students independently read for 15 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of partner reading. I was amazed! Our reading focus is that Kindergarteners Read in 3 Ways - by the words, by memory, and by the pictures. Students are asked to read their books in that order. To look around the classroom and witness such independence was incredible. Our day ended with Math Workshop and a new card game we call High/Low (what we called War as kids). I am super-proud to be these kids' teacher.

weather

We finally got outside yesterday for a walk! Between the cold temperatures and the icy conditions, it has been a really long time since students were able to get outside for recess. Yesterday, the sidewalks were clear enough so that students could go on a long walk. Many enjoyed it (some were disappointed they couldn't play). Hopefully, we will get outside again today. Please be sure your child has proper outdoor clothes. How many days until Spring?