Mrs. Davenport's Kinder-Kids: It was a spooooky week in kindergarten!

Science

It was a spoooooky week in kindergarten! This week we began learning about the creepy and crawly creatures associated with Halloween. We started with bats. I introduced CER (claim, Evidence, Reasoning) this week. CER provides opportunities for student to process their experiences and communicate their findings through scientific explanations.

· Claims are accurate and specific statements: Bats are different than birds.

· Evidence is all of the scientific data that supports the claim:

o Bats are mammals.

o Bats are nocturnal

o Bats hang upside down.

o Bats are born alive.

· Reasoning is the explanation that connects your claim to the evidence that supports it.

Initially in kindergarten, we provide the scaffolding needed to ensure their responses are thorough and well supported.

Art/Fine Motor

The kindergarten artists have been hard at work decorating our centrum. We marble painted spider webs, made spiders out of our handprints and created black bats to practice our scissor skills. We also practiced symmetry by making symmetrical bats. We painted a bat wing on one half of a piece of paper and transferred it to the other half.

Writing Workshop

Our budding authors are now working on our next unit called, Launching Small Moments. This unit builds on the skills and enthusiasm from the oral language unit while introducing students to the world of written language. When writing or drawing about a small moment, children learn to take the everyday events of their lives and make them into a story. Some students are writing/drawing on a single page. Some are moving into multiple page booklets. My goal is to make sure that students can keep themselves engaged as writers!

Reading Workshop

In Making Meaning (our reading comprehension program), we are learning routines for “Turn & Talk.” This is where kindergartners learn to share their opinions about the book and practice their comprehension strategies with a peer. We are learning what to do when we are the speaker and listener.

We also discussed the differences in a Reader’s interest as well as learning how to handle our classroom books correctly.

Math

We graphed our favorite Jack-o-lantern face. Then we analyzed our data. The mad face had the least amount of votes. The happy face had the most. I encourage you to continue to use the words most, least and equal with your kindergartner. When counting money, toys, or cars on the road, questions of most and least are good to keep in mind.

We also played a new math game called “Give the Next Number.” We sit in a circle and choose a number to start. Then we begin to count! Each child gives the next number. We practiced counting by ones and tens. As the year progresses, we will play counting by 5’s, 2’s and backwards.

Our patterning skills are progressing! Your kindergartner has been working on:

· copying patterns that others have made

· extending patterns that others have started

· telling what is missing if part of a pattern is hidden

· comparing and talking about patterns that arise from their daily experiences

· Recognizing patterns in the environment - e.g. fence posts: short, tall, short, tall...

Kindergartners are also creating their own easy or complex patterns at various difficulty levels.

B is for Blocks and Bones! We made block skeletons this week. I am always amazed at the kid’s creativity! When we work with blocks we are …..

· Learning how to share & cooperate

· Increasing eye-hand coordination

· Strengthening our fingers (fine motor skills)

· Problem solving & spatial relationships

· Experimenting with gravity, balance, and geometry

· Testing our ideas (cause & effect)

· Using our imaginations to create structures

Hooray for Letter Vests!

We started using our letter vests this week. We will use them in a wide variety of ways to enhance alphabetic knowledge, phonics, and word wall words. Ask your kindergartner what letter(s) they wore.