Our 4K class is on their way to becoming readers! Through Reader's Workshop, we have learned how to be ready readers through acquiring reading strategies such as using picture clues to identify picture words, recognizing beginning sounds, and recognizing alphabet letters. Now that we have begun mastering our letter sounds, we have begun to use the strategy of stretching our words and learning all about Word Families - words that have same ending/rhyming patterns.
Themes/Concepts:
Let's Move: Move with Me, Here We Go, Follow the Leader
WHAT WE ARE LEARNING:
In Jesus Time…
Following Jesus' example of SERVING OTHERS
The Ministry of Jesus: From Miracles to Resurrection
Living by the Fruit of the Spirit: showing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
In Reading…
Big Book Reading: "Thesaurus Rex" and "Going on a Lion Hunt"
Reading Strategies: vocabulary building (synonyms - words that mean the same), stretching and sounding out words, simple sight word recognition (I, can, see, the, on, in, is, etc.), retelling and sequencing
Read-alouds: "The Gingerbread Man", "The Napping House", "Going on a Bear Hunt"
Print concept: points to text for meaning, finger points to each word, reading left to right
Comprehension: beginning, middle, end
In Math…
Recognizing numbers 11-20
Writing numbers 1-20
Recognizing importance of money - introducing coins
Recognizing part-part whole relationships
Introducing addition by using flannel pictures and telling "joining" stories (visual and auditory)
In Language Arts…
Writing all alphabet letters
Writing/copying words to make simple sentences
Journals: writing picture words and drawing pictures to match, drawing pictures to tell a story and writing beginning sounds of words to tell the story (inventive spelling)
Word families: -an, -at, -un, -ug, etc.
Sight words: I, can, see, the, in, on, and, is, a, etc.
In Science…
Exploring and observing signs of spring
Finding and identifying insects
Baking Christmas cookies
In Social Studies…
Discussing how we can be kind, be neat, and be safe to keep our class, our community, and our world a happy place
"We are the World" - watched music video, talked about helping others in our world when they are in need, and collecting coins to help the children in Haiti
In Music…
Rhythm
Praising our God through song: This Little Light of Mine, You're Worthy of My Praise, I Will Not Be Afraid, I'll Do My Best, He Hung Upon a Cross,
Hip Hop Alphabet Rocks: That Rhymes, Miss Mary Mack, Yippee Yi Yo (rhyming concepts)
CENTERS:
During center time, we enjoy exploring using our senses and increasing our literacy skills through a structured play time. While the teachers meet with small groups to work on math and reading concepts we learn through the day, the children have the chance to use: their reading strategies at the library center (which has a cozy bed with lots of comfy pillows), their writing/print concepts through journaling at the writing center, dramatic play skills through using puppets and dress-ups in our stage area.
In the afternoon, after nap time, children have free-play time in which they enhance their socialization skills through exploring math manipulatives, house keeping, puzzles, writing center, dramatic play toys (i.e. doctor's kit, tool box, police helmet, etc.), cars and blocks, etc.
At the end of the day, we close our day with REFLECTION on our learning experiences of the day and do a community building activity to help our classmates leave on a positive note.
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!