What a Difference a Month Makes!

   Just a month ago, 17 little ones walked through this door, many unable to read words or write their name.  It amazes me to see how much they have been able to learn in this short time.  They now know the rules and routines,  and are starting to read!  They proudly showed off their writing journals this week after we did a taste test to see which kind of apple they liked best.

 

      We are still doing a lot of exploration in math, but they are counting and writing numbers and sorting and comparing --and we will continue to build skills needed for first grade.  But right now they just think math is just fun as they work in math stations with a partner.

  We had a great time dressing up in Letterland costumes this week.  The 

Letterland characters really help them learn the letter sounds in a fun way.  We are just starting to work on blending the sounds together to make words.

                                        Harry Hat Man and Annie Apple

                         Kicking King and Annie Apple and Quarrelsome Queen

                             Bouncy Ben and Oscar Orange's Old Man and Clever Cat

                         Dippy Duck and Firefighter Fred and Fix-it Max and Peter Puppy

          Aren't they cute?

       We also got a chance to add a little science to the week when my husband found a turtle for me to bring to school.  They wrote about it in their journals and drew pictures and read a poem about a turtle.

         

         I didn't let them touch it -- can't take a chance on turtle germs -- but they sure were fascinated by this little critter.

         

        They still have a lot to learn, but we have made a great start.  It is so nice to have only 17 instead of the 27 I had last year.  We will go on our first field trip next week -- to the apple orchard -- and I'm sure that will be another exciting day in kindergarten!  What a difference a month has made!