Fun in 4K
October 2nd
Red and yellow, orange and brown,
All the leaves are falling down.
Days are nippy, nights are clear.
Summer’s over, autumn’s here.
Be Respectful & Be Responsible
Be Responsible
* I can wash my hands.
* I can hang up my backpack.
* I can use the bathroom all by myself.
* I can clean up after myself.
* I can put my coat on all by myself.
Be Respectful
* I can use good manners.
* I can raise my hand.
* I can use a quiet voice.
* I can keep my hands to myself.
Discussing these agreements at home is a great way to bridge school and home. It also helps to reinforce the rules from home :)
We are also learning what it means to be a friend. We read the book My Friends by Grace Jones while focusing on these three questions:
Who can be a friend?
What does it mean to be a good friend?
Where can you meet friends?
Literacy Learning
Our literacy learning focus this month continues to be on identifying the letters in our name. Many children have also started to take notice of the letters in their friend's names. The children have also begun to practice writing their names. Right now the children are learning to write their names. In order to support them with the correct pencil grip, the children have been doing activities to build fine motor strength. We build fine motor strength by playing with play dough, coloring, lacing beads, tearing paper and cutting.
Our interactive read aloud this week was People Who Help At School by Janet Preus. The children learned that there are many people at school who help them learn and keep them safe. And of course adults are not the only ones that help at school, each and every child can help make their classroom a fun, happy place to learn.
Math Learning
Our math learning focus continues to be on identifying shapes, but next week we will begin to practice rote counting and counting objects up to 5.
Many children come to school already able to count. However, to develop a good understanding of number as quantity, children need to encounter quantities in many different ways. Strong counting skills are required before moving on to more complex number concepts, such as addition and subtraction. We will be engaging in lots of opportunities for counting in the coming weeks!
JACKETS, HATS AND MITTENS... OH MY!
It will also be important for you to consider your child's self-help skills when you are choosing new winter coats, snow pants, mittens and boots - your child should be able to independently put on and take off any items he/she wears to school (That includes shoes! If your child cannot tie shoes, then consider choosing slip-on or velcro shoes that they can get on and off independently.)
PreK PALS Testing
Over the next few weeks all 4K children will complete Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Preschool (PALS-PreK). PALS-PreK is an informal assessment tool used to measure young children's early literacy development. The tasks on this assessment, which include Name Writing, Upper-Case Alphabet Recognition, Lower-Case Alphabet Recognition, Letter Sounds, Beginning Sound Awareness, Print and Word Awareness, and Rhyme Awareness, reflect skills that are vital for children's future reading success. PALS-PreK supports teachers as they plan, implement, and assess appropriate classroom literacy experiences in order to meet each child's individual literacy needs.
If you would like more information about specific tasks on the assessment please ask me. You can support your child's literacy development during the preschool years by reading books together, singing songs, providing opportunities for writing, as well as noticing print and letters in the world. With help from both home and school, your child will be on their way to becoming a successful reader!