Book marks and strategy cards to help your child read!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-aXmoov0HzOTUJyOG5RSGEtM3M/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

Just hit the link above and you can download book marks and strategy posters that we use in Kindergarten to remind the student's how to decode unknown words.  The cute graphics help them remember very important reading strategies.  I have also included explanations of each of the strategies so you can remind them of what they learned in Reading Workshop this year.  I hope you will find this useful.  Enjoy.  Remember to read at least 20 minutes each day to avoid the dreaded Summer Slide!  Get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather that is coming.  See you on July 9th at Zachary's Park for our Summer Picnic.  We will meet at 5:30 in the park.  Bring a picnic and your favorite book to read with your Kindergarten teachers.  Can't wait to see you all there!

A post from Ms. Allen and her summer vacation pictures for you

Keep working on your Summer Reading Goals!  Make sure that you are reading at least twenty minutes a day!  I have been very busy working on my Summer Reading Goals of reading for at least 60 minutes a day!  I have been learning about how you learn to read!  Keep reading and use your SUPERPOWERS so that you can start first grade strong!  Happy Reading!!

 

Last week I went to the Lake of the Ozarks on vacation.  While there I went on a hike and found The History Tree!  This tree is huge!!!  Look at how big the tree is compared to me!  When they cut down this tree it was over 1000 years old!  The History Tree got me thinking about how trees grow.  I found this website that explains how trees grow -http://woodmagic.vt.edu/kids/grow/index.htm.  After you read the first page, click the “So, how does the crown get taller” link on the bottom of the page to find out how trees can get so tall.  This got me thinking… how do tree trunks get wider?  Before reading on to the next page, finish the writing prompt: Tree trunks get wider…  After you finish your prediction click the link on the bottom of the page to check your prediction and learn how tree trunks get wider.  As you continue with your research on trees, you can find more information on this website.  I can’t wait to hear about all of the information that you learned about trees.

 

Summer Reading Bucket List

Ms. D reads Scaredy Squirrel!

Ms. D and Ms. Arrendale have been in school all week learning how to be even better reading teachers.  Did you know that many teachers go to school in the summer while you are on vacation? 
While at school we were introduced to a new book called Scaredy Squirrel.  Ms. D wanted to read the book to you!  Here is a video of her reading it to you.  Enjoy!

 

Click above to watch the video!

Hello from Ms. Martin and Mrs. O!

Did you know that your teachers go to school while you are on vacation?  Ms. Martin and Mrs. O took a class at college together this June.  They are learning how to be better reading teachers.  They wanted to say hello and show you that they have been reading lots of books this summer.  Here is a picture of them at college reading!  They want to know, have you been reading EVERY DAY?  They have been reading every day.  Sometimes they read just for fun, and sometimes they read to learn something new.  They are reading fiction and non-fiction books.  They can't wait to see you at the Picnic on July 9th.  What do you think they are reading?  Who do you think will read more books this summer?  You?  Mrs. O.?  Ms. Martin?  We will find out when you come back to school this fall as big First Graders.  Bring your favorite book you read this summer to show Mrs. O. and Ms. Martin.  Don't forget to read at least 20 minutes each day!

 

Look at how our garden is growing!

Ms. Arrendale went to the school today and checked on our garden.  We planted sunflower seeds the last week of school.  Guess what?  They are growing!  How big do you think they will be when you come back to school in August?  Make a guess.  Estimate.  Draw a picture of you next to the sunflowers when you come back in August.  Which will be bigger?  How many sunflowers do you think we will have in our garden?  What do you think we should do with them?  Write a story about a sunflower.  Look up sunflowers on the internet with a grown up.  Do research in books at the library about sunflowers.  What do they need to grow?  How big do they get?  Are there different kinds of sunflowers?  Do you think all of the sunflowers in our garden will be the same?

Parents, use these pictures to get your child thinking and speaking about the life cycle of plants.  Encourage them to write, research and read about sunflowers.  Let them eat sunflower seeds and let them write about if they like or dislike sunflower seeds.  Have them explain why they like them or do not like them.  Have them guess how many seeds the sunflowers will have.  Ask them to justify their answers.  Maybe you can walk up and look at them.  Let them take their summer journals and draw them at different times this summer.  They can explore them over time and draw and write about their observations.  They could write a "how to" story about how to plant and care for sunflowers (make sure they use language like: first you have to get the seeds, next you have to....... and so on).  This is a skill they learned in Kindergarten this year and they will use in First Grade.  Mostly, encourage their sense of wonder about how things grow. 

I will try to get back up there to take more pictures in a few weeks to let them see the pictures and talk about the changes they observe.  Enjoy the pictures!

 

Some summer book ideas

You can tell I am trolling Pinterest.  Here are some summer book ideas for you.

 

Another great visual on why you should read 20 minutes a day!

Found this on Pinterest and had to share.  I love the graphics and how it creates great readers, expanded vocabulary and basically a love for reading.  Enjoy.

 

New learning packet available to you to download!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-aXmoov0HzOVUtZYjZqaFJFaDg/edit?usp=sharing

Here is the link to the new Summer Slide packet.  Just click on the link and download!  This will help you have fun ways to keep your kids sharp this summer!

 

Ms. Boatright has a new family member!

If we are lucky maybe Ms. Boatright will bring this little cutie to our Kindergarten Picnic on July 9th!  Her name is Zoe and she is so cute and so little.  Maybe you can write a story for Zoe and bring it to the picnic or make Ms. Boatright and Zoe a card welcoming her to the family.  I can't wait to meet Zoe!

 

 

 

101 Things to do with your kids this summer!

I found this on-line and thought it was wonderful!  Just a few ideas for you.  Enjoy!

 

1. Sort and match the socks from the laundry.

2. Count the number of times your dog fetches a ball/frisbee.

3. Pick up seashells at the beach, then sort and count them.

4. Visit www.allaboutbirds.com and find birds that live near you. Look at photos and listen to their calls.

5. Describe the items of laundry you are folding - color, size, person it belongs to.

6. Ask your kiddo to chew each bite 10 times and count.

7. Play Chutes and Ladders.

8. Draw lines on paper (straight, curvy and jagged) and have your child cut on the lines.

9. Ride bikes together.

10. Ask your child to pick up a number of toys before you count to 10.

11. Build something with Legos or blocks.

12. Make faces at your kiddo and ask her what she thinks you are feeling.

13. Make a 4x4 grid on paper. Give your child a number of different items (such as coins, buttons). Ask him to put one item in each square. Older children can put like items together to make a graph.

14. Visit the library and go to the nonfiction section. Find a few books on a subject in which your child has interest.

15. Collect leaves and identify them.

16. Make a nature scavenger hunt list (rock, pointy leaf, bug, etc.) and go on a nature hunt.

17. Blow bubbles.

18. Play "Mother, May I?" to practice gross motor skills.

19. Have running races with friends or siblings.

20. Play games with dice - help her learn to recognize the patterns of dots instead of having to count.

21. Practice name writing...all upper case, all lower case, with an initial upper case letter.

22. Write your last name with a yellow highlighter then have your child trace it.

23. Count something that you are cooking or eating - "How many strawberries have you eaten?" or "How many green beans are going in the pot?"

24. Gather a collection of similar small toys (Legos, matchbox cars, Littlest Pet Shop, etc.) and have him count the toys.

25. Look at family photos and practice family words - not only the usual ones (mother, sister, etc.) but also things like aunt, uncle, cousin, grandmother.

26. Teach your child to write the names of siblings and friends.

27. Give your kiddo a list of phone numbers and your cell phone (turned off) and have him practice dialing the right numbers.

28. Practice "Stop, Drop & Roll".

29. Have a family fire drill.

30. Talk about what 911 is for and when to use it.

31. Climb - a ladder, a tree, on the play set, at the park.

32. Begin teaching her how to tie her shoes.

33. Look through binoculars.

34. Use a magnifying glass with a book or a newspaper.

35. Read a story, then have him tell you what happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end.

36. Have her retell a familiar fairy tale.

37. Recite nursery rhymes -" Jack and Jill," "Humpty Dumpty."

38. Play school and let your child be the teacher.

39. Get out the dress up box. Let her tell you a story about how you are dressed.

40. Sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

41. Give him three similar objects of different sizes (measuring spoons, blocks, stuffed animals) and have him put them in order from smallest to largest.

42. Reenact a familiar story/fairy tale with puppets or stuffed animals.

43. Count how many steps - up the stairs, from the car to the door, from the kitchen to the bedroom, etc.

44. Listen to an audio book in the car.

45. Bake cookies, letting her help measure and stir.

46. Have a family taste test. Try something sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

47. Smell different spices and describe the smells.

48. Let your child help wash the car. Using a sponge helps them develop hand strength.

49. Ask what letter each item on his plate begins with.

50. Tell them a letter and ask what sound it makes.

51. Sing a song with the days of the week in order.

52. Have her sort small items by color, size or shape.

53. Play with playdough; have them sculpt a masterpiece!

54. Practice snipping with scissors.

55. Read letters on box labels at the grocery store.

56. Have him sort the groceries in the cart into healthy and not-so-healthy piles.

57. Read a book together. Follow along with your finger to teach that writing goes from left to right, top to bottom.

58. Play "I Spy" using colors or shapes - "I spy...something that is a circle."

59. Find 10 things in your house that are a given shape.

60. In the produce section at the grocery store, have your child tell you the color of each fruit or vegetable.

61. Swing at the park/in the backyard, teaching her to pump her legs.

62. Have a skipping race around the house.

63. Ask your child to write various letters in the sandbox or at the beach.

64. Using a paintbrush and water, paint letters on your sidewalk or driveway or at the pool.

65. Count cars as they pass you on the highway.

66. Tell the colors of the passing cars.

67. Have your child count how long he can do certain things - hold his breath, stand on one foot, jump up and down, etc.

68. Say each letter and ask her to give you an animal that starts with that letter.

69. Find an anthill and look at the ants with a magnifying glass.

70. Capture some bugs and look closely at them.

71. Look at the stars at night - download an astronomy app!

72. Find 10 of the same small item (coins, crayons, paper clips). Make two piles, then ask which has more or which has less. Ask for an addition sentence describing your piles, for example, 2 + 4 = 6.

73. Sing the ABCs three times.

74. Sing Happy Birthday twice to teach her how long to wash hands.

75. Practice writing his first name five times.

76. Play a game of dominoes.

77. Paint an outside scene with watercolors.

78. Pretend to be rabbits and hop around on two feet.

79. Pretend to be flamingos and balance on one foot.

80. Ride a pretend horse and practice galloping.

81. Have him spell his first name out loud for you.

82. Make a pattern with snack food - rainbow goldfish or Chex Mix work well.

83. Make a pattern with coins; ask her to tell you the pattern.

84. Have him make an AB pattern. Then AAB, ABB, ABC, AABB, etc.

85. Count by 10s to 100, by 5s to 100, or by 2s to 30.

86. Count to 50.

87. Check out the Bob books or books by Margaret Hillert at the library.

88. Have your kiddo tell you the letters in a newspaper headline or a book title.

89. Make a list of words that start with a given letter.

90. Write upper case ABCs and then lower case ABCs.

91. Play a number card game like War or Go Fish!

92. While driving, have him tell you the letters he sees on signs.

93. Look at the calendar and read/count the numbers.

94. Count backwards from 10 to zero or 20 to zero.

95. Read a simple map together (ones from tourist destinations are easy and colorful).

96. Ask what sound a given letter makes.

97. Use chopsticks to pick up cotton balls or pompoms.

98. Blow through a straw.

99. Draw a person and color it.

100. Plant a seed and nurture it.

101. Write numbers 0-10 on lined paper.

The Night Before First Grade - Read | We Give Books

The Night Before First Grade - Read | We Give Books

Just click the link above for a great read for your Almost Firstie!  This website has a ton of free books for your child to read and listen too.  No excuse for not reading to your child with this website!  All of the books are free to read.  You have to sign up for an account but it only take a minute or two.  Tomorrow is supposed to be too hot to go outside for very long so this would be a great way to keep your kiddo entertained.  Enjoy!

Peine Ridge Kindergarten Team



Writing Prompts

I took some cool pictures on vacation that I thought I would share.  Next time your kids tell you that they don't know what to write about in their summer journals (you can make one by giving your child a spiral bound journal or a composition notebook and letting them decorate the front!) just pull up this little blog post and let them use the pictures to make up a funny story about what Ms. Arrendale did on summer vacation!  I hope you enjoy looking at these with your child.  Make sure you talk to them about the importance of having a beginning, middle and end of the story, adding details, using their best printing. using punctuation at the end of their sentences, capitalizing the first word in their sentences and using finger spaces between words!

 

Ms. Arrendale found this really big chair at the beach.  Can you make up a story about where this chair came from and who would use a chair this enormous?

After the big storm (Tropical Storm Andrea) came through the Outer Banks I found all of these shells washed up on the shore.  What would you do if you were at the beach and found all of these shells.  Write a story and I will show you the shells I brought back with me from vacation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was at the beach they were having a kit flying competition.  They had kites made to look like sea animals.  Have you ever flown a kite?  You could write a story telling someone who has never flown a kite how to do it step by step. 

 

 

 

 

The first picture in this series shows the ocean when I first arrived for vacation.  The rest of the pictures shows what the ocean looked like when Tropical Storm Andria came on shore.  The wind was howling and blowing the sand up into the air.  The waves were crashing angrily against the shore.  When I put my feet into the water I could feel the water sucking the sand out from beneath my feet.  I was mesmerized watching the force of the storm, feeling the wind in my hair, the salty taste of sea water on my lips and hearing the waves crashing against the sand.  Did you notice the words I used when I was writing about my experience?  Try using words to describe how things sound, feel, taste and look when you are writing in your journal this summer.  I can't wait to read your stories this fall when you come back to school! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homework Packet for the Summer

Dear Kindergarten Families,
To save on printing costs I am uploading a summer homework packet for you to use with your kiddos this summer!  Print out the pages you feel your child needs to work on to keep their skills sharp so they are ready for First Grade!  I hope you find this helpful.  Please use it, but do not share it on-line with anyone.  This was created by another teacher who makes extra money selling her packets.  I purchased it for us to use but it is not to be resold or put up on-line anywhere.  Thank you for supporting teachers in the work they do.
Ms. Arrendale

You have to click the link below to get the document.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-aXmoov0HzOcXdwckg4VDBxeGc/edit?usp=sharing

Don't forget to read for 20 minutes a day!