Ask Me About Thursday, September 1, 2016

Today we opened some of our Literacy Work Stations.  We opened the ABC Station, the Word Station, the library, and the Writing Stations.  We looked at the activities in the station and learned where we could work with them and how to put them away before getting out something else.  Although the stations are fun, we are working, so we need to work using quiet voices that only the people next to us can hear.  That's a challenge sometimes when you are having fun!  We know that if the activities are not used to help us be better readers and writers, we will have to leave the station and do something else.  That means, even though playdough is really fun, in Word Station we are using letter stamps to practice spelling words.  Ask me to tell you what I did today during Literacy Work Stations.
We read a book with an important lesson for this time of the year called My Name is Elizabeth!  This book is about a little girl who likes to be called Elizabeth, but some people call her Betsy or Betty.  Even her grandpa calls her Lizzy!  We can tell by looking at her face and the way she is standing how she is feeling, and the author uses thinking bubbles that show what she is thinking in her head.  Finally, she tells the crossing guard her whole name, and tells her she can call her Elizabeth.  This is such a good lesson for all of us!  We can politely correct the way someone pronounces our name, or tell them if they are calling us a nickname we don't want.  
I have begun short assessments to see where the children are in reading and math. Next week our reading assessment block will open and we will have additional testing.
One of the favorite times of the day is when we take a Brain Break  This is an important time for kids to take a break from concentrating and gives their body a short break to exercise..  Most of the class really enjoys dancing, following what is on the "big tv" or Promethean Board in our classroom.  Here's a sample of one of the songs we dance to during our breaks.

The class continues to do a really great job learning class and school routines.  They are listening and following directions.  Usually, kindergarteners are very leisurely when given tasks and just seem to be on their own time.  This group is right with me! Almost everyone cleans up when told to and gets right to work, and a few just need a little reminder.  I'm so impressed!

Have a nice evening!
Miss Wolfe