Parts of the Day
There are many parts to our week, and it can be helpful to know them by name and know what happens during these times. I will try to include updates with specific skills and foci during these learning times, but the information below gives a big-picture view and explains some of the practices and routines.
Reading - Reading happens every day and is an umbrella for many different components. Often we have "read alouds" where I read a story to the children and we have conversations focused around comprehension or reading strategies. "Shared reading" is when the children are invited to participate along with the teacher. This may be done through a "big book" or by a copy of a book projected on the smart board. Here, reading strategies are often the focus. A more standalone component of reading is Phonics. This begins our reading time each Monday, and is when children are introduced to the letter we will focus on for the week. They meet an animal that begins with the letter, learn a song about that animal, and brainstorm words that start with the letter. On Tuesdays, we practice writing this letter during Handwriting by working through a rotation of tasks such as using an app on the iPad, using a pushpin to "trace" the letter, or practicing the letter on a white board.
For the rest of the reading workshop, the children have "jobs" which generally consist of one of three things: Letter/Word Work, Word Games, and Private/Partner Reading.
With Letter/Word Work, the children have folders that contain work associated with the letter and word(s) of the week. On Mondays, when a new letter is introduced, children highlight the letter in the song we've learned and work on a letter book. On Tuesdays the word (or words) for the week is introduced and the children highlight the word in a "red book." The word is also added to our "Word Wall." On Wednesdays we generally do an activity related to a theme or type of learning that is the focus for the week. On Thursdays the children complete a handwriting sheet with the week's letter and a sentence with the week's word. Finally, during "Finish Up Friday," the children finish up what's in their folders and any other work for the week, and may complete an extra activity if time remains when this work is done.
Word Games are when children apply their knowledge of letters and sounds during activities and word-play games. On Mondays we complete a lesson from the New Phonics curriculum, which usually involves manipulating magnetic letters on a magnet board. We also use the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum to practice important skills such as identifying first and last sounds as well adding, deleting, or substituting sounds.
During Private Reading children select books from a collection of baskets or elsewhere in the classroom library. They find a quiet spot away from classmates and read on their own. So far, we have talked about two different kinds of books, "Learn About the World" (Non-Fiction) and "Favorite Stories" (Fiction). After this, they switch to Partner Reading. Each child has a partnership that last for multiple weeks, and they find this partner to read together. This may mean taking turns sharing facts that they have learned in their respective "Learn About the World" books or taking turns reading the pages of a "Favorite Story." During this time, teachers are often circulating to ask children to read to them and "conference."
Writing - We write at least three times a week, usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This generally begins with a whole group lesson focusing on a strategy or aspect of writing; often this includes modeling by the teacher. Some children then go off to begin writing, while others remain on the rug for a "writer's circle." This is a time for children to practice telling their stories to a partner while the teacher circulates to help launch them into their writing. We often end a writing session by having one or two children share a piece of writing.
Math - Math also happens everyday. Our curriculum, Investigations, is very hands-on and game-based. Consequently, many lessons begin by learning a new game and later playing that game, either as a "job" during a rotation or as a whole class. Other "jobs" might include working in our "Math Workbooks" or doing the "Counting Jar." This activity happens most weeks, usually on Monday or Tuesday. Children are given a jar with a collection of objects, often ones that fit a theme or begin with the letter of the week. They count the objects, make an equivalent set using chips on their plate, and record their findings in a "Counting Jar Journal." This activity helps focus on counting strategies and skills. Some days we have "Math Choices" where children select from a variety of options based on their interest. These may be games we have been learning, or other recently introduced activities.
Discovery - This is when we learn about the world around us. This may include a focus on something from our culture (like a special tradition) or on an important person. This is also when we use our five senses as scientists. So far we have been focusing on weather, and are now shifting to learn about the lifecycles of various living things. Later in the year we will learn about balance before returning to additional learning opportunities around weather and living things.
TEAM Meeting - This is the time when we learn to be good teammates; it occurs at least every Thursday. We have created our "Team Agreement" and refer back to this when we are thinking about this task. This is a time for explicit social-emotional learning instruction. It may begin with a story that inspires a discussion or involve modeling and practicing a skill.
Outdoor Explore - This is the time each day when we go outside and explore our immediate surroundings. This may just mean time on the playground, or we may learn a game or even venture further off into the campus.
Recess - Recess happens after lunch on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. All kindergarteners go out on the playground together. Children make self-directed choices, practice important social skills, and of course play! After Recess, we come in for a few minutes of Peace Time where the children may read a book or relax and reset while we listen to calming music.
Learn and Explore - Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, our days end with Learn and Explore. This is another time where children make self-directed choices, play, and practice important skills. Some of the choices include art, blocks, dramatic play, and discovery. These choices all include embedded academic skills, and at times children also may rotate through a specific task related to a specific learning domain.
Each day we have at least one Special. Our specials by day, name, and teacher are:
Monday - Music with Mr. Siskavich
Tuesday - Wellness with Mr. Cassidy AND Art with Ms. Pearce
Wednesday - Wellness with Mr. Cassidy
Thursday - Library with Ms. Sajdera and Technology with Ms. Matthes
Friday - Art with Ms. Pearce
Reading - Reading happens every day and is an umbrella for many different components. Often we have "read alouds" where I read a story to the children and we have conversations focused around comprehension or reading strategies. "Shared reading" is when the children are invited to participate along with the teacher. This may be done through a "big book" or by a copy of a book projected on the smart board. Here, reading strategies are often the focus. A more standalone component of reading is Phonics. This begins our reading time each Monday, and is when children are introduced to the letter we will focus on for the week. They meet an animal that begins with the letter, learn a song about that animal, and brainstorm words that start with the letter. On Tuesdays, we practice writing this letter during Handwriting by working through a rotation of tasks such as using an app on the iPad, using a pushpin to "trace" the letter, or practicing the letter on a white board.
For the rest of the reading workshop, the children have "jobs" which generally consist of one of three things: Letter/Word Work, Word Games, and Private/Partner Reading.
With Letter/Word Work, the children have folders that contain work associated with the letter and word(s) of the week. On Mondays, when a new letter is introduced, children highlight the letter in the song we've learned and work on a letter book. On Tuesdays the word (or words) for the week is introduced and the children highlight the word in a "red book." The word is also added to our "Word Wall." On Wednesdays we generally do an activity related to a theme or type of learning that is the focus for the week. On Thursdays the children complete a handwriting sheet with the week's letter and a sentence with the week's word. Finally, during "Finish Up Friday," the children finish up what's in their folders and any other work for the week, and may complete an extra activity if time remains when this work is done.
Word Games are when children apply their knowledge of letters and sounds during activities and word-play games. On Mondays we complete a lesson from the New Phonics curriculum, which usually involves manipulating magnetic letters on a magnet board. We also use the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum to practice important skills such as identifying first and last sounds as well adding, deleting, or substituting sounds.
During Private Reading children select books from a collection of baskets or elsewhere in the classroom library. They find a quiet spot away from classmates and read on their own. So far, we have talked about two different kinds of books, "Learn About the World" (Non-Fiction) and "Favorite Stories" (Fiction). After this, they switch to Partner Reading. Each child has a partnership that last for multiple weeks, and they find this partner to read together. This may mean taking turns sharing facts that they have learned in their respective "Learn About the World" books or taking turns reading the pages of a "Favorite Story." During this time, teachers are often circulating to ask children to read to them and "conference."
Writing - We write at least three times a week, usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This generally begins with a whole group lesson focusing on a strategy or aspect of writing; often this includes modeling by the teacher. Some children then go off to begin writing, while others remain on the rug for a "writer's circle." This is a time for children to practice telling their stories to a partner while the teacher circulates to help launch them into their writing. We often end a writing session by having one or two children share a piece of writing.
Math - Math also happens everyday. Our curriculum, Investigations, is very hands-on and game-based. Consequently, many lessons begin by learning a new game and later playing that game, either as a "job" during a rotation or as a whole class. Other "jobs" might include working in our "Math Workbooks" or doing the "Counting Jar." This activity happens most weeks, usually on Monday or Tuesday. Children are given a jar with a collection of objects, often ones that fit a theme or begin with the letter of the week. They count the objects, make an equivalent set using chips on their plate, and record their findings in a "Counting Jar Journal." This activity helps focus on counting strategies and skills. Some days we have "Math Choices" where children select from a variety of options based on their interest. These may be games we have been learning, or other recently introduced activities.
Discovery - This is when we learn about the world around us. This may include a focus on something from our culture (like a special tradition) or on an important person. This is also when we use our five senses as scientists. So far we have been focusing on weather, and are now shifting to learn about the lifecycles of various living things. Later in the year we will learn about balance before returning to additional learning opportunities around weather and living things.
TEAM Meeting - This is the time when we learn to be good teammates; it occurs at least every Thursday. We have created our "Team Agreement" and refer back to this when we are thinking about this task. This is a time for explicit social-emotional learning instruction. It may begin with a story that inspires a discussion or involve modeling and practicing a skill.
Outdoor Explore - This is the time each day when we go outside and explore our immediate surroundings. This may just mean time on the playground, or we may learn a game or even venture further off into the campus.
Recess - Recess happens after lunch on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. All kindergarteners go out on the playground together. Children make self-directed choices, practice important social skills, and of course play! After Recess, we come in for a few minutes of Peace Time where the children may read a book or relax and reset while we listen to calming music.
Learn and Explore - Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, our days end with Learn and Explore. This is another time where children make self-directed choices, play, and practice important skills. Some of the choices include art, blocks, dramatic play, and discovery. These choices all include embedded academic skills, and at times children also may rotate through a specific task related to a specific learning domain.
Each day we have at least one Special. Our specials by day, name, and teacher are:
Monday - Music with Mr. Siskavich
Tuesday - Wellness with Mr. Cassidy AND Art with Ms. Pearce
Wednesday - Wellness with Mr. Cassidy
Thursday - Library with Ms. Sajdera and Technology with Ms. Matthes
Friday - Art with Ms. Pearce
Being a Good Teammate
Social-Emotional Learning is such a big part of kindergarten that it deserves its own focus. Here are some of the ways we work on being a good teammate, including terms and language we use. I'll update the list as new concepts are introduced.
TEAM Agreement - This agreement was developed based on the children's ideas of what makes a good team. Each child signed it, and we have it hanging in the classroom to refer to.
C.A.R.E.S. - This acronym, which stands for Cooperation, Ask/Advocate, Respect, Empathy, and Safety, is a shared school-wide expectation. We talk about how we as a class are a team, but we as a school are a team as well.
Jobs - Each child in the class has a job to help our team function. This may include being the meteorologist who checks the weather, the assistant who takes attendance, the electrician who turns on and off the lights, or the mathematician who helps us track the days of school. Children have their jobs for a week before rotating to a new job.
Whole Body Listening - We begin the year by reading about Larry and his idea of Whole Body Listening. Since part of our Team Agreement is to listen to each other, this is an important skill. We learned that we don't just listen with our ears, but with our eyes, mouths, and the rest of our bodies as well.
Body Check, Volume Check - We occasionally do a body check, to make sure we are Whole Body Listening. We also have a volume chart which ranges from a 0 - Super Silent to a 5 - Too Loud. We use this chart to do a volume check to make sure we are at the right volume.
Volcanos - We also read a story about a boy whose mouth acts like a volcano. He can't help erupting (interrupting) and needs to learn strategies to help him. We've practiced these strategies and make sure there are no volcanos in our class (most of the time).
Bucket Filling/Dipping - During our most recent TEAM Meeting we read a story about a boy who discovers everyone has an invisible bucket. The bucket may be filled when someone does something kind, or when you do something kind for another. However, someone can also "dip your bucket" if they do something unkind or something that is upsetting.
Checking In - If we dip someone's bucket or in some other way upset them, it is important to check in. We use this term rather than simply jumping to an apology to help children really consider the feelings of the other person first. They ask "Are you okay?" and may follow this up by asking what they can do to make the other person feel okay. This may then elicit an apology at the child's request.
TEAM Agreement - This agreement was developed based on the children's ideas of what makes a good team. Each child signed it, and we have it hanging in the classroom to refer to.
C.A.R.E.S. - This acronym, which stands for Cooperation, Ask/Advocate, Respect, Empathy, and Safety, is a shared school-wide expectation. We talk about how we as a class are a team, but we as a school are a team as well.
Jobs - Each child in the class has a job to help our team function. This may include being the meteorologist who checks the weather, the assistant who takes attendance, the electrician who turns on and off the lights, or the mathematician who helps us track the days of school. Children have their jobs for a week before rotating to a new job.
Whole Body Listening - We begin the year by reading about Larry and his idea of Whole Body Listening. Since part of our Team Agreement is to listen to each other, this is an important skill. We learned that we don't just listen with our ears, but with our eyes, mouths, and the rest of our bodies as well.
Body Check, Volume Check - We occasionally do a body check, to make sure we are Whole Body Listening. We also have a volume chart which ranges from a 0 - Super Silent to a 5 - Too Loud. We use this chart to do a volume check to make sure we are at the right volume.
Volcanos - We also read a story about a boy whose mouth acts like a volcano. He can't help erupting (interrupting) and needs to learn strategies to help him. We've practiced these strategies and make sure there are no volcanos in our class (most of the time).
Bucket Filling/Dipping - During our most recent TEAM Meeting we read a story about a boy who discovers everyone has an invisible bucket. The bucket may be filled when someone does something kind, or when you do something kind for another. However, someone can also "dip your bucket" if they do something unkind or something that is upsetting.
Checking In - If we dip someone's bucket or in some other way upset them, it is important to check in. We use this term rather than simply jumping to an apology to help children really consider the feelings of the other person first. They ask "Are you okay?" and may follow this up by asking what they can do to make the other person feel okay. This may then elicit an apology at the child's request.