Hello families and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your families, enjoying the beautiful fall weather.
This week we made "pumpkin pie" plates called "I am very thankful for..." with four different things the the children wrote they were thankful for in each "slice." They did a lovely job and it was very sweet to hear what they were thankful for. We also made a "Thank you" turkey, an A-Z scarecrow, and learned the poem "The Turkey" (all these items were in this Friday's white bags).
I have several thank yous to say this week -
Taylor's mom donated an amazing metal miniature-sizzed shopping cart for our Home Centre/Store. Wow!
Dana's mom has been helping me collate reading/writing booklets by cutting and assembling them. Thank you so much Deanne!
Angelina's mom has donated boxes of paper napkins, paper plates etc. which is wonderful! Thank you so much! I will share them with the Kindergarten Team.
Alex's mom and dad kindly donated a bag full of craft materials. Thank you!
Lexa's mom cut and assembles a little book called "Leaves" which we will make next week when we do a unit on Leaves/Fall changes.
Thank you to our weekly volunteers: Reading Club parents this week were Lexa's mom and Victoria's mom. Mystery Readers were Julia's sister Samanthat who is now in Grade One! Way to go Samantha! Julia's mom also read a book to the class. Mason's mom read to the children as well and we welcome her back in the class this year. White bags and Snuggle Books were done by Chloe's mom and Emma and Jonas' mom.
E.C.I. Co-op student Emily is doing a great job helping out in the class and getting to know the kids. She will be assisting me with in-class routines/activities and with reading one-on-one to the children.
SK parents please remember to help your child read, write and return your child's "Read and Write Book" each week. The children can keep the little white board markers I gave them. The books can be stored in their Bedtime Book Boxes just like the Snuggle Books.
Almost all the children have made and shown us their wonderful Bedtime Book Boxes! They look amazing! What a great way to encourage reading.
The afternoon class welcomed their Reading Buddies again this week and read three books with them.
Next week we will be continuing with our Phonics Sounds/duotangs (we have done S and A) and we will also be doing a unit on Farms.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Beverley
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Friday, September 28
Hello Parents,
Please take a moment to look at the lovely watercolour-on-pastel art your children made that is displayed on the hall bulletin board: "Falling Leaves on a Cloudy Day" (Morning Class), and "Falling Leaves on a Sunny Day" (Afternoon Class).
Our Journal entries this week were about "My Best Friend."
The children had fun practicing/learning how to write numbers with their individual magnetic write-on/erase boards. Way to go! In this week's white TDSB bags I sent home the little rhymes that accompany the numbers.
The SKs borrowed their first laminated "Read and Write Mini-Books" this week along with an eraseable white board marker. The Read and Write Books reinforce word families. Your child can keep the marker to write on the books and practice their words, but please be sure to return the book next week to receive a new one (just like the Snuggle Books). Please keep the white board marker and little book in your child's Bedtime Book Box to encourage them to practice reading and writing it.
A special thank you to Dana's mom who has very kindly offered to help me with craft preparation/booklet preparation etc. since we, sadly, no longer have the assistance of an educational assistant in the class. Thank you so much Deanne. Thank you as well to Lexa's mom in the afternoon class who will be assembling/cutting/stapling our little "Leaves" booklet for both classes next week. Your time is very much appreciated.
As I wrote in a recent email, if your child will be receiving an award at an upcoming Sharing Assembly, I will post this in my blog. Each child will receive an award throughout the year for demonstrating a TDSB Character Trait.
Thank you to Quentin's mom for making the Play Dough this month! Thank you also for bringing in a bird's nest for our Science Centre.
The JKs and SKs worked on their new Phonics Duotangs and the letter-sound "S." The SKs will complete 8 Phonics booklets throughout the year.
The SKs also completed their first Sight Word Mini-Book: sight word "a." Sight word books are to be kept at home and stored in the Bedtime Book Boxes for practice/review.
If you have not made and brought in your child's Bedtime Book Box please do this by next week. The box is a terrific way to reinforce a joy of reading an encourage reading before bedtime as well as reinforcing literacy. Thank you.
Exciting news! Starting October 2nd our afternoon class will be assisted by E.C.I. Grade 11 co-op student (and former LKS student) Emily J. approximately 2 afternoons per week until the end of the school year. Emily will assist me with reading to/with the children, classroom materials preparation, and helping reinforce concepts of numeracy. Welcome Emily!
This Thursday, October 4 is PAJAMA DAY to celebrate all the donations for the Terry Fox Walk/Run. Thank you to all the parents who joined us on the walk and to those of you who donated to the Canadian Cancer Society in Terry's Memory.
Next week is our first Book Fair in the Library. The morning class will go on Monday, October 1 and the afternoon class will go on Wednesday, October 3. If you are sending money with your child please put it in a sealed baggie with his/her name on it.
Scholastic Orders for October are due on Hallowe'en. I will place September's orders on Monday and they should arrive late next week or early the following week. Thank you for supporting Scholastic and your child's classroom!
More thank-yous to parent volunteers:
Reading Club: Emma and Jonas' mom; Emerson's mom
White TDSB Bags and Snuggle Books: Lexsa's mom, Chloe's mom
Next week we will be doing fun numeracy and literacy activities with a Thanksgiving theme.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Beverley
Please take a moment to look at the lovely watercolour-on-pastel art your children made that is displayed on the hall bulletin board: "Falling Leaves on a Cloudy Day" (Morning Class), and "Falling Leaves on a Sunny Day" (Afternoon Class).
Our Journal entries this week were about "My Best Friend."
The children had fun practicing/learning how to write numbers with their individual magnetic write-on/erase boards. Way to go! In this week's white TDSB bags I sent home the little rhymes that accompany the numbers.
The SKs borrowed their first laminated "Read and Write Mini-Books" this week along with an eraseable white board marker. The Read and Write Books reinforce word families. Your child can keep the marker to write on the books and practice their words, but please be sure to return the book next week to receive a new one (just like the Snuggle Books). Please keep the white board marker and little book in your child's Bedtime Book Box to encourage them to practice reading and writing it.
A special thank you to Dana's mom who has very kindly offered to help me with craft preparation/booklet preparation etc. since we, sadly, no longer have the assistance of an educational assistant in the class. Thank you so much Deanne. Thank you as well to Lexa's mom in the afternoon class who will be assembling/cutting/stapling our little "Leaves" booklet for both classes next week. Your time is very much appreciated.
As I wrote in a recent email, if your child will be receiving an award at an upcoming Sharing Assembly, I will post this in my blog. Each child will receive an award throughout the year for demonstrating a TDSB Character Trait.
Thank you to Quentin's mom for making the Play Dough this month! Thank you also for bringing in a bird's nest for our Science Centre.
The JKs and SKs worked on their new Phonics Duotangs and the letter-sound "S." The SKs will complete 8 Phonics booklets throughout the year.
The SKs also completed their first Sight Word Mini-Book: sight word "a." Sight word books are to be kept at home and stored in the Bedtime Book Boxes for practice/review.
If you have not made and brought in your child's Bedtime Book Box please do this by next week. The box is a terrific way to reinforce a joy of reading an encourage reading before bedtime as well as reinforcing literacy. Thank you.
Exciting news! Starting October 2nd our afternoon class will be assisted by E.C.I. Grade 11 co-op student (and former LKS student) Emily J. approximately 2 afternoons per week until the end of the school year. Emily will assist me with reading to/with the children, classroom materials preparation, and helping reinforce concepts of numeracy. Welcome Emily!
This Thursday, October 4 is PAJAMA DAY to celebrate all the donations for the Terry Fox Walk/Run. Thank you to all the parents who joined us on the walk and to those of you who donated to the Canadian Cancer Society in Terry's Memory.
Next week is our first Book Fair in the Library. The morning class will go on Monday, October 1 and the afternoon class will go on Wednesday, October 3. If you are sending money with your child please put it in a sealed baggie with his/her name on it.
Scholastic Orders for October are due on Hallowe'en. I will place September's orders on Monday and they should arrive late next week or early the following week. Thank you for supporting Scholastic and your child's classroom!
More thank-yous to parent volunteers:
Reading Club: Emma and Jonas' mom; Emerson's mom
White TDSB Bags and Snuggle Books: Lexsa's mom, Chloe's mom
Next week we will be doing fun numeracy and literacy activities with a Thanksgiving theme.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Beverley
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday, September 23
Dear families,
Wow! Three weeks of school are over already! The children are really settling into our classroom routines, such as reading a "Bell Book" when they come into the classroom before the start of our lessons. Good job!
Thank you for attending Curriculum Night. We enjoyed speaking with you and explaining the Kindergarten Curriculum to you. Here is more detailed information:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindergarten.html
Please be sure to return your child's Medical Forms by Monday at the very latest.
The first Scholastic order is due at the end of September. The second Scholastic order is due at the end of October. Please support the classroom by supporting Scholastic. Orders are usually shipped within one week of the due date.
Please be sure to arrive on time to school and to pick up your child on time, especially during these first weeks of school when routines are being established and reinforced. Thank you. If you arrive please get a late slip for your child at the office.
Terrific job with the Bedtime Book Boxes! They look wonderful! Happy reading!
We have met our Afternoon Book Buddies from Ms. Sunde's class. This is a weekly opportunity to make a new friend and practice reading with a Grade 2/3 LKS student. Morning Book Buddies are coming soon!
Four poems/songs have gone home for your child to practice: If I Were a Leaf, Apples, Kindergarten Here I Come, and Sep-tem-ber.
The JKs completed their Brown Bear, Brown Bear booklets and should be able to "read" the story to you. The SKs did a wonderful job making and writing a little booklet (one of many they will make this year) entitled "I Like..." They are displayed on our inside hall bulletin board.
In our Science Centre the children are learning about fasteners and how to use simple technology such as staplers, hole punches (single, dual, triple), tape dispensers, paper clips, etc. and they enjoy making booklets from the materials.
In the children's white bags you will find a little project called "Who Am I?" Please help your child complete this and send in a baby and recent photo. We will read the work together and try to guess who is who! Please do not attach the photos. We will do that when we have read and guessed who the children are.
The children started their weekly journals and wrote and drew a picture about Fall.
The children also have a sheet called "Alphabet Chart" and "August/September Words." We practice these daily and I have asked the children to practice reading those words at home as well.
We completed our first calendar. The JKs are learning to write their numbers 1-5 and the SKs are reviewing their numbers 1-31. I will keep a copy each month for assessment and I will send the original home so you can see your child's progress with number writing. Here are the little sayings we say while learning numbers (a copy of this will go home):
Around, around, around you go, that's the way to make zero.
A straight line down is lots of fun, this is how you make the number one.
Around and back on the railroad track, two, two, two.
Around the hill, around the tree, three, three, three.
Down and over, down once more, this is how you make the number four.
Fat old five goes down and around, give him a hat and look what you've found.
Six is a monkey's tail that I've found, make a "C" and curve around.
Straight over, slant down, number seven is coming to town.
Make an "S" and close the gate, now you've make the number eight.
Around and down, number nine is coming to town.
LKS had practice Fire Drills and Lockdowns and they children did an excellent job lining up quickly and quietly and exiting the school (fire drill) and keeping silent in the cubby room (lockdown).
Our little class library has changed from "Back to School" books to the books of Eric Carle, the author, along with Bill Martin, Jr., of Brown Bear, Bear, Brown Bear, amongst many other wonderful books.
Miria and Elle from Mrs. Wilson's class were our Mystery Readers this week, and Daphne from Mr. Ourique's class collated the Scholastic Orders. Thank you so much!
Soon the SK children are going to be borrowing "Read and Write Mini Books" which are read at school and then put in their Bedtime Book Boxes and practiced at home. They will be exchanged weekly just like the Snuggle Books. The children will also be making/writing Sight Word Mini Books and will bring those home to keep in their Bedtime Book Box (no need to return those). If you are unsure of what is to be exchanged and what is to keep, a good rule of thumb is, "if it is laminated, it goes back to school."
Thank you so much to our parent volunteers:
Noah's mom - Play-Doh
White Bags and Snuggle Books - Charlie's mom, Anna's mom, Cam's mom, Chloe's mom
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and see you tomorrow!
Mrs. Tyndall
Wow! Three weeks of school are over already! The children are really settling into our classroom routines, such as reading a "Bell Book" when they come into the classroom before the start of our lessons. Good job!
Thank you for attending Curriculum Night. We enjoyed speaking with you and explaining the Kindergarten Curriculum to you. Here is more detailed information:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindergarten.html
Please be sure to return your child's Medical Forms by Monday at the very latest.
The first Scholastic order is due at the end of September. The second Scholastic order is due at the end of October. Please support the classroom by supporting Scholastic. Orders are usually shipped within one week of the due date.
Please be sure to arrive on time to school and to pick up your child on time, especially during these first weeks of school when routines are being established and reinforced. Thank you. If you arrive please get a late slip for your child at the office.
Terrific job with the Bedtime Book Boxes! They look wonderful! Happy reading!
We have met our Afternoon Book Buddies from Ms. Sunde's class. This is a weekly opportunity to make a new friend and practice reading with a Grade 2/3 LKS student. Morning Book Buddies are coming soon!
Four poems/songs have gone home for your child to practice: If I Were a Leaf, Apples, Kindergarten Here I Come, and Sep-tem-ber.
The JKs completed their Brown Bear, Brown Bear booklets and should be able to "read" the story to you. The SKs did a wonderful job making and writing a little booklet (one of many they will make this year) entitled "I Like..." They are displayed on our inside hall bulletin board.
In our Science Centre the children are learning about fasteners and how to use simple technology such as staplers, hole punches (single, dual, triple), tape dispensers, paper clips, etc. and they enjoy making booklets from the materials.
In the children's white bags you will find a little project called "Who Am I?" Please help your child complete this and send in a baby and recent photo. We will read the work together and try to guess who is who! Please do not attach the photos. We will do that when we have read and guessed who the children are.
The children started their weekly journals and wrote and drew a picture about Fall.
The children also have a sheet called "Alphabet Chart" and "August/September Words." We practice these daily and I have asked the children to practice reading those words at home as well.
We completed our first calendar. The JKs are learning to write their numbers 1-5 and the SKs are reviewing their numbers 1-31. I will keep a copy each month for assessment and I will send the original home so you can see your child's progress with number writing. Here are the little sayings we say while learning numbers (a copy of this will go home):
Around, around, around you go, that's the way to make zero.
A straight line down is lots of fun, this is how you make the number one.
Around and back on the railroad track, two, two, two.
Around the hill, around the tree, three, three, three.
Down and over, down once more, this is how you make the number four.
Fat old five goes down and around, give him a hat and look what you've found.
Six is a monkey's tail that I've found, make a "C" and curve around.
Straight over, slant down, number seven is coming to town.
Make an "S" and close the gate, now you've make the number eight.
Around and down, number nine is coming to town.
LKS had practice Fire Drills and Lockdowns and they children did an excellent job lining up quickly and quietly and exiting the school (fire drill) and keeping silent in the cubby room (lockdown).
Our little class library has changed from "Back to School" books to the books of Eric Carle, the author, along with Bill Martin, Jr., of Brown Bear, Bear, Brown Bear, amongst many other wonderful books.
Miria and Elle from Mrs. Wilson's class were our Mystery Readers this week, and Daphne from Mr. Ourique's class collated the Scholastic Orders. Thank you so much!
Soon the SK children are going to be borrowing "Read and Write Mini Books" which are read at school and then put in their Bedtime Book Boxes and practiced at home. They will be exchanged weekly just like the Snuggle Books. The children will also be making/writing Sight Word Mini Books and will bring those home to keep in their Bedtime Book Box (no need to return those). If you are unsure of what is to be exchanged and what is to keep, a good rule of thumb is, "if it is laminated, it goes back to school."
Thank you so much to our parent volunteers:
Noah's mom - Play-Doh
White Bags and Snuggle Books - Charlie's mom, Anna's mom, Cam's mom, Chloe's mom
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and see you tomorrow!
Mrs. Tyndall
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Dear Parents,
The first week of school went very well and I would like to welcome all my new students and their parents to my classroom. Welcome back to all my returning students and their parents. It's hard to believe they're in SK now! It's going to be a wonderful year!
Please take some time to read my last posting, "Kindergarten Handbook for Parents." It contains a lot of helpful information about the Kidnergarten years and has fun ideas about how to help your child at home as well.
In this week's white TDSB bag were instructions on how to make the "Bedtime Book Box." When you have made it with your child, please bring it in so s/he can show the class! The Bedtime Book Box is a great way to inspire your child to read the weekely Snuggle Up and Read Books as well as other special books they may want to put in their box.
Your family also received information in this week's white bags about Anchor Words, the ABCs of Craft Supplies, and Reading Tips.
Please return the Personal Information Sheet/Topics I Want My Child to Write About This Year sheet by MONDAY so that your Grade Parents can start compiling class lists (handy for play dates and birthday parties!). Thank you.
September 11 is Curriculum Night! It starts in the gym at 5:30 and then parents are welcome to go to my classroom for follow-up questions and to sign up for Volunteer opportunities in the classroom. I will forward this volunteer list to my Grade Parents who will then enter the volunteers into monthly calendars and will email the class if more volunteers are swtill needed. Kindergarten Curriculum Night ends at 6:30 when the teachers need to return to the gym for introductions. The Grade 1-8 teachers will then have their Curriculum Night presentations. The Kindergarten Curriculum will be posted on Ms. Caddel's Blog at the end of the week.
This week the kids learned about Routines and used their new Memo books to start writing! They also talked and wrote about the summer and about how old they are. I am very happy to see that many of the JKs already know how to print their names.
If you will be volunteering in the classroom you will need to fill out a Police Check Form available at the office.
Your child received the first Scholastic Order Forms this month. Scholastic is a great program for reasonably-priced books and is a great way to support your child's classroom and get free/discounted books and materials for the classroom. Please support Scholastic. Books make wonderful gifts!
I need three parent volunteers for our Terry Fox Walk (around the school) on September 27, and one volunteer each week for Mr. Blais' Computer Lab Class. Sign up on Curriculum Night!
The LKS Photo Days are on September 19-20. Since LKS is a big school Photo Days are two days. I will let you know which day is your child's Photo Day. There will also be a Retake Day and a Sibling Photo Day. More information to follow.
A Special thank you to my helpers this week: Lexa's mom and Logan's mom did the white bags, and the Snuggle Books were done by Daphne Vescio, one of my wonderful LKS Student Helpers. Thank you so much! Please be sure to read and return your child's Snuggle Book so that s/he can receive and read a new one!
I would also like to say a very special Thank You to this year's Grade Parents: Cole's dad, Caroline's mom and Anna's mom in the morning class, and Quentin's mom and Chloe's mom in the afternoon class. The Grade Parents work very hard at organizing our parent volunteers and communicating from LKS Parent Council to home.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Please return your white bags, Snuggle Books and forms by Monday. Please send me an email if you have any questions at betyndall@rogers.com.
Mrs. Tyndall
The first week of school went very well and I would like to welcome all my new students and their parents to my classroom. Welcome back to all my returning students and their parents. It's hard to believe they're in SK now! It's going to be a wonderful year!
Please take some time to read my last posting, "Kindergarten Handbook for Parents." It contains a lot of helpful information about the Kidnergarten years and has fun ideas about how to help your child at home as well.
In this week's white TDSB bag were instructions on how to make the "Bedtime Book Box." When you have made it with your child, please bring it in so s/he can show the class! The Bedtime Book Box is a great way to inspire your child to read the weekely Snuggle Up and Read Books as well as other special books they may want to put in their box.
Your family also received information in this week's white bags about Anchor Words, the ABCs of Craft Supplies, and Reading Tips.
Please return the Personal Information Sheet/Topics I Want My Child to Write About This Year sheet by MONDAY so that your Grade Parents can start compiling class lists (handy for play dates and birthday parties!). Thank you.
September 11 is Curriculum Night! It starts in the gym at 5:30 and then parents are welcome to go to my classroom for follow-up questions and to sign up for Volunteer opportunities in the classroom. I will forward this volunteer list to my Grade Parents who will then enter the volunteers into monthly calendars and will email the class if more volunteers are swtill needed. Kindergarten Curriculum Night ends at 6:30 when the teachers need to return to the gym for introductions. The Grade 1-8 teachers will then have their Curriculum Night presentations. The Kindergarten Curriculum will be posted on Ms. Caddel's Blog at the end of the week.
This week the kids learned about Routines and used their new Memo books to start writing! They also talked and wrote about the summer and about how old they are. I am very happy to see that many of the JKs already know how to print their names.
If you will be volunteering in the classroom you will need to fill out a Police Check Form available at the office.
Your child received the first Scholastic Order Forms this month. Scholastic is a great program for reasonably-priced books and is a great way to support your child's classroom and get free/discounted books and materials for the classroom. Please support Scholastic. Books make wonderful gifts!
I need three parent volunteers for our Terry Fox Walk (around the school) on September 27, and one volunteer each week for Mr. Blais' Computer Lab Class. Sign up on Curriculum Night!
The LKS Photo Days are on September 19-20. Since LKS is a big school Photo Days are two days. I will let you know which day is your child's Photo Day. There will also be a Retake Day and a Sibling Photo Day. More information to follow.
A Special thank you to my helpers this week: Lexa's mom and Logan's mom did the white bags, and the Snuggle Books were done by Daphne Vescio, one of my wonderful LKS Student Helpers. Thank you so much! Please be sure to read and return your child's Snuggle Book so that s/he can receive and read a new one!
I would also like to say a very special Thank You to this year's Grade Parents: Cole's dad, Caroline's mom and Anna's mom in the morning class, and Quentin's mom and Chloe's mom in the afternoon class. The Grade Parents work very hard at organizing our parent volunteers and communicating from LKS Parent Council to home.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Please return your white bags, Snuggle Books and forms by Monday. Please send me an email if you have any questions at betyndall@rogers.com.
Mrs. Tyndall
Monday, September 3, 2012
Welcome to Kindergarten!
Kindergarten Handbook for Parents
Prepared for Parents by Mrs. B. Tyndall, Lambton-Kingsway JMS
Introduction
The Kindergarten Handbook has been created to acquaint you with the major components of my program as well as to provide activities which will help your child prepare for and succeed in Kindergarten. Please keep this as a reference guide for the entire year.
Mission of the Kindergarten Program
I would like to welcome you and your child to our kindergarten program at Lambton Kingsway Junior Middle School. I am looking forward to an exciting year of new experiences and lots of fun! It is during the first years of life that children form attitudes about themselves, others, learning, and the environment. These attitudes last a lifetime, so I work very hard to find ways to help children develop positive attitudes.
Educating a child is most successful when families and schools work together in the best interest of the child. I welcome your input and assistance in educating your child. After all, you are your child’s first teacher! Valuing education and the opportunities it provides are important first steps. I am hopeful that you will find time to participate in some of our school activities. I am always in need of parents to help in the classroom and in many other capacities.
The goal of my program is to meet your child's needs not only intellectually, but also physically, socially, and emotionally. Going to school is one of the most important experiences in a child’s life. School can be an exciting place where children meet new and different people and participate in many new and different experiences. I promise to work diligently to provide the children with wonderful experiences that help them to feel good about themselves and their school.
Communications
Contacting the Office: School Phone Number: 416-394-7890
My Blog: mrstyndallslksblog.blogspot.com. Please check my blog for weekly updates about classroom activities. I try to not send paper notes home and will post most information on my blog.
My email: betyndall@rogers.com
Overview of the Curriculum
Reading and Language Arts
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following communication arts areas: Pre-reading and reading activities • Letter identification • Letter-sound relationships • Letter formation (printing upper and lower case letters) • One-to-one correspondence • Determining real and make-believe Writing activities • Drawing a picture to convey meaning • Holding a pencil correctly • Copying words • Identifying and writing sight words • Writing words and sentences • Revising writing in a group setting
Speaking and listening activities
• Telling stories • Dictating lists, stories, and descriptions • Listening to others • Listening to stories • Story retelling • Reciting poems • Participating in class discussion • Show and Tell
Knowing and using basic library terminology (author, title, illustrator, Title page) • Identifying parts of a book (spine, cover) • Making predictions and drawing conclusions • Selecting appropriate reading materials • Demonstrating respect for others using library materials • Participating in author studies • Using visual structure to communicate ideas • Developing organizational skills in association with art activities
Mathematics
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following mathematics areas: • Counting forward from 0 to 100 • Color Recognition • Recognizing and writing numerals 0 to 100 • Skip counting by 2, 5, and 10 • Counting backwards from 20 to 0 • Reading numerals to 100 • Estimating time on an analog clock • Naming the value of a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, loonie, and toonie • Performing simple data collection and graphing • Patterning • Naming geometric shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, cone, sphere, and cube) • Showing Addition and subtraction facts to 10
Science
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following science areas: • Five senses • Weather elements • Production processes involving plants and animals
Social Studies
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following social studies areas. • Identifying and locating places and regions • Identifying landforms and bodies of water • Identifying people in places and community helpers • Recognizing the Canadian flag and singing the national anthem • Discussing sources of conflict and possible solutions • Identifying reasons for rules and routines in the classroom/playground
Health, Physical Education, Safety
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following health, physical education, and safety areas • Large muscle activity through outdoor play including running, sliding, skipping, and other games • Basic rhythms of walking, running, marching, skipping, and jumping • Fire drills and other safety drills (earthquake drills; drop and cover; Stop, Drop, and Roll )
Music
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following music areas: • Singing alone and in groups • Movement to music
Helpful Reminders for School
Starting Times: AM Kindergarten 8:30-11:20 PM Kindergarten 12:30-3:05
Before your child comes to school, please make sure he/she has had a good breakfast or lunch and also plenty of rest (ten to twelve hours is recommended for this age.
Snack Program: I have provided you with a Snack Schedule for the months of September/October. Please remember to send in snack for each of the children on your child’s Special/Snack Day. This is also your child’s Show and Tell day. If you forget to bring snack, I will provide snack and will send home a reminder to bring non-perishable snacks for each of the children to store for future use. Children will be provided time to eat their snack in a relaxed social setting. All snacks must be nut free.
Birthdays-individual special snacks
Monday-washed and cut vegetables
Tuesday-cheese and crackers
Wednesday-washed and cut fruit
Thursday-your choice of a healthy snack
Friday-cookies, muffins, rice krispy squares etc.
Label, Label, Label: Please label your child’s coats, sweaters, backpacks, lunch pails, thermos, etc… Please label everything and anything sent to kindergarten.
Shoes: For safety reasons, I ask that all children wear closed toe shoes to school. Please provide your child with a pair of indoor crocs or slippers if/when they wear boots to school.
When your child is ill: When your child is ill, please call the office at 416-394-7890 and report your child’s absence. All absences must be verified. If your child becomes ill at school, he/she will be sent to the office and you or one of the names listed on the emergency card will be contacted. Please notify us immediately if any contact numbers change.
Targeted activities you can do at home to help your child in Kindergarten:
Practice writing his/her first and last name
1. Have your child practice writing his/her name using a variety of tools such as a Magna Doodle, crayons, pencils, and markers. Check that your child is gripping the writing utensil correctly. You may even consider having your child practice writing his/her name using different items around the house such as pudding, rice, sand, or shaving cream. *** Be sure that your child uses a capital letter only at the beginning and lowercase letters for the rest of the name.
2. Write your child’s name in large letters (or use magnetic letters). Say each letter aloud as you write or place it so your child can associate the name of the letter with the shape of the letter.
3. Cut apart the letters of your child’s name (or use magnetic letters) and have him/her put them back in the correct order saying the name of each letter while doing so. (Start with just the first name, adding the last name only when they have mastered this.)
4. Label your child’s door or other objects so his/her name can be seen in print.
Practice recognizing and writing the numbers 0 to 10 (or higher)
1. Read and enjoy counting books together.
2. Point out numbers in license plates, in the store, in your home, and all around you. 3. Use magnetic numbers to have your child practice naming them. Have your child put the numbers for your phone number in order saying each number while doing so.
4. Practice writing numbers using a variety of materials such as pencils, crayons, markers, and sidewalk chalk, etc. (see number formation sheet in folder).
Practice counting orally and practice counting objects (to 10 or higher)
1. Have your child count his/her own snacks such as pretzels, goldfish crackers, grapes, etc....
2. Count each item as you pick up 10 things to put away in the house or bedroom.
3. Count the number of stair steps in your house or the number of steps from your car to the store.
Practice naming and correctly writing the letters in the alphabet
1. Read and enjoy alphabet books together.
2. Help your child recognize letters of the alphabet in everyday life (ex. Restaurants, road signs, store signs, cereal boxes, etc...).
3. Practice recognizing and writing both upper and lowercase letters. (see letter information sheet in folder).
Practice book handling skills
1. Discuss how to open the book from the front. Point out the front of the book and the back of the book. Discuss that the front of the book is where the story begins and the back is where the story ends.
2. Discuss how to hold a book so it is not upside down and show where to start reading. 3. Read with your child on a daily basis.
Practice recognizing the eight primary colors
1. When your child is coloring, ask what colors were used.
2. Have our child draw objects on paper and ask him/her to color the objects in certain colors.
3. Have your child sort objects or food by colors. Use items such as clothes, blocks, Skittles, M&M’s, or Fruit Loops. Have your child name the colors.
4. Discuss colors of things in the world around you such as the sky, the grass, cars, clothing items.
Practice your phone number and address
1. Have your child practice his/her phone number on a play telephone.
2. To help your child remember his/her phone number, make up a rhyme or song to go along with it.
Practice naming and drawing the four basic shapes (circle, triangle, square, rectangle) 1. Point out objects in your house or environment that have the basic shapes such as doors, windows, clocks, can tops, kites, etc...
2. Read and enjoy shape books together.
3. Have your child draw the shapes on chalkboards, paper, etc....then cut them out naming each shape while doing so.
Practice coloring within the lines and cutting on the lines
1. Have your child cut out coupons.
2. Have your child cut out pictures from old magazines of things that he/she is interested in.
3. Have your child draw simple objects with some detail (including “self, family, house, and pets).
4. Explore coloring with a variety of resources including markers, crayons, chalk, and paint.
Some Tips to Help with Beginning Reading and Writing
The greatest benefits of reading are obtained when your child is an active participant engaging in discussions about stories, talking about meanings of words and the story, predicting outcomes, and relating the story matter to other texts and his/her own life. 1. Read to your child daily.
2. Talk about the book as you read with your child and after you have finished reading it.
3. Look at the book cover before reading. Point out the title, author, and illustrator. 4. Point out words or phrases that are repeated several times throughout the story.
5. Encourage your child to finish predictable phrases or rhymes.
6. Remember to focus on the meaning of the story. If a child reads something that doesn’t make sense, often he or she will go back and try again. If this doesn’t happen, stop and ask, “Does that make sense?”
7. If your child comes to a word he or she does not know and asks for help, consider asking these questions: • Does the picture give you a clue? • What word would make sense here? • With what letter does the word begin (or end)? If these strategies fail and your child wants you to say the word, go ahead and do so rather than having your child labor over it.
8. Don’t worry if your child memorizes a particular phrase or story. That is an early stage in the reading process.
9. Encourage your child to point to the word with his or her finger as he/she reads. 10. Some helpful questions: • What happened at the beginning, middle, or the end of the story? • What do you think will happen next? • Why do you think the character did that? • What would you have done if you were that character? • What was the best thing about the story?
11. Make sure your child sees you as a reader, (reading a newspaper, enjoying a good book, reading a catalog, etc...)
12. When reading with a child, always sit beside the child with the book between you so that you can both see the text and enjoy the pictures.
13. Consider giving books as presents so they become associated with a pleasurable experience and have special meaning.
14. Make sure your child sees you as a writer, (writing things such as grocery lists, thank you notes, notes to other family members, etc....)
15. Have a wide variety of writing supplies available for your child to write and draw on including various sizes and types of paper, pencils, crayons, markers, chalk, etc... 16. When your child draws a picture, encourage him/her to tell you about it. Then write down what your child says as he/she says it. Let your child see you write down what is said. Read it back. Point to the words as you read.
25 Ways To Use Magnetic Letters At Home
1. LETTER PLAY: Encourage children to play with the magnetic letters on the refrigerator or on a table. Playing with letters allows children to learn more about how they look.
2. MAKING NAMES: A child’s name is the most important word. Have children make their names several times, mixing up the letters, making their names and checking them with their names written on a card.
3. LETTER MATCH: Invite children to find other letters that look exactly the same as a letter in their name (e.g., place an m on the refrigerator and have the child find all the ones that look like it). They don’t need to know the letter name.
4. NAME GAME: Have children make names of friends or family. Have them make the name, mix the letters, and make the names several times.
5. MAKING WORDS: Make a simple word like mom or dad or sun and have your child make the same word by matching each letter below the model (sun – s-u-n).
6. ALPHABET TRAIN: Have your child put the lowercase magnetic letters in the order of the alphabet. Then they can point to them and sing the alphabet song. Have them repeat the process with uppercase letters.
7. CONSONANT/VOWEL SORT: Have children sort the consonant letters and the vowel letters.
8. FEATURE SORT: Have children sort letters in a variety of ways – e.g., letters with long sticks and letters with short sticks, letters with circles and letters with no circles, letters with tunnels and letters with dots, letters with slanted sticks and letters with straight sticks.
9. COLOR SORT: Have children sort all the red, blue, green, yellow letters.
10. UPPERCASE/LOWERCASE MATCH: Have children match the uppercase letters with the lowercase form.
11. WRITING LETTERS: Have children select ten different letters and write each letter on a paper. They can use the magnetic letter as a model.
12. WRITING WORDS: Have children make five simple words (such as dog, fun, big, hat, like, sit) and then write them on a sheet of paper.
13. MAKING FOOD WORDS: Make some words that identify food – e.g., bun, corn, rice. Have children draw pictures of each, mix the letters, and make the words again.
14. MAKING COLOR WORDS: Give children a list of color words with an item made in that color as a picture support (for example, a red ball). Have children make the color word with magnetic letters using the model, mix the letters, and make it again several times.
15. MAKING NUMBER WORDS: Give children a list of numerals with the number word next to each. Have children make the word and mix the letters two or three times.
16. LETTER NAMES: Specify a color and have children take one colored letter at a time and say the letter name.
17. MAGAZINE MATCH: Look through a magazine or newspaper with children, cutting out some larger print simple words (such as man, box, boy). Glue them on a sheet of paper with plenty of space below each. Have children make each word below the printed one. 18. FIND THE LETTER: Make a set of alphabet letters, upper-or lowercase, on a set of index cards. Shuffle the “deck” and take turns drawing a card and finding the magnetic letter that corresponds to it.
19. LETTER IN THE CIRCLE: Draw two circles and place an (h) in one and an (o) in the other. Have children put letters in the h circle and say how they are like the h. Do the same with the o. This activity will help children learn to look at features of letters. Vary the letters in the circles; accept their explanations about what they are noticing.
20. CHANGE THE WORD: Build several simple words and show the children how to change, add, or take away a letter to make a new word. Examples are: he, we; me, my: at, hat, sat. After the demonstration put the needed letters in a special place in an empty container for them to practice.
21. ALPHABET SEQUENCE: Place the letter a on the table and have the child find the next letter (b) and place the letter c next to the b and have the child look for the next letter (d). Continue through the alphabet with lowercase letters. Repeat the uppercase letters.
22. LETTER SORT: Place a pile of magnetic letters on the table for the child to spread out. Have the child put all letters that are the same together in a pile. Then, if appropriate, have the child give the letter name for each pile.
23. LETTER CHAINS: Make a five letter chain (for example, pfrmo). Have children find the same letters and make the same chain below your model. Then have the children make a chain that you copy.
24. LETTER BINGO: Make two cards with a grid of three boxes across and three down. Trace one lowercase letter in each box. Put a pile of magnetic letters that represent the letters on the cards and some that are not in a plastic bowl. Play a Letter Bingo game. Take turns taking a letter, saying its name, and then placing the letter in the box if there is a match. If there is not a match, put the letter back in the bowl. The first to fill three boxes across, down, or diagonally says, “Bingo” and wins the game. Play the same game with uppercase letters.
25. RHYMING PAIRS: Use a magnetic cookie sheet. Make a simple three letter word such as dog, but, cat, fan, can, hot, man, net, pan, rat, sit. Say the word and then say a second word that rhymes (dog-log, bug-mug, cat-fat, fan-man). Ask the child to make the rhyming .
Quick Assessment Instructions: Have your child point to each letter and tell you what the letter is. Record the letters your child has difficulties identifying. Write each of the difficult letters on an index card and use the index cards as flash cards. Practice with flash cards starting with a few at a time. See “25 Ways to Use Magnetic Letters at Home” This can also be used to practice letter sounds. Have your child name the colors. Have your child point to the shapes (triangle, rectangle, circle, and square) using objects around the house. Have a set of 10 objects . This could be buttons, pennies, cereal, etc… Have your child touch each object and say a number that object. Vary this activity by giving a new number and have your child count out this new set. Have your child cut straight lines on paper using “child-sized scissors.” Have your child write his/her name using an uppercase letter for the first letter, then followed by lowercase letters. Have your child say his/her first and last name.
Lower Case letter names and sounds
Have your child point to each letter and tell you the name of the letter. Record the letters your child has difficulty identifying. Write each of the difficult letters on an index card and use the index cards as flash cards. Practice. Practice with flash cards starting with a few at a time. See “25 Ways to Use Magnetic Letters at Home”. This can also be used to practice letter sounds.
Upper Case letter names
Have your child point to each letter and tell you what the name of the letter. Record the letters your child has difficulty identifying. Write each of the difficult letters on an index card and use the index cards as flash cards. Practice. Practice with flash cards starting with a few at a time. See “25 Ways to Use Magnetic Letters at Home” .
Identifying the Numbers 0 – 20
Instructions:
1. Have your child point to each number in random order and tell you the name of the number.
2. Record the numbers your child has difficulty identifying. Write each of the difficult numbers on an index card and use the index cards as Flash Cards. PRACTICE.
3. Practice with the Flash cards and have your child count out beans, or pennies. Start with the number 0 – 5. Once that becomes EASY, add a few more numbers 1 – 10. Continue to add a few more. Make a matching game: you place 8 pennies on the table. Have your child count them , then find the correct flash card. Keep a progress chart and set goals. 0- 10, 10 - 20. Encourage your child and when he/she meets a goal, do something fun and special together. Number Recognition Practice Sheet Instructions: Have your child point to each number and tell you the name of the number. Alphabet Practice: Directions: Trace the letters in the directions of the arrows
Prepared for Parents by Mrs. B. Tyndall, Lambton-Kingsway JMS
Introduction
The Kindergarten Handbook has been created to acquaint you with the major components of my program as well as to provide activities which will help your child prepare for and succeed in Kindergarten. Please keep this as a reference guide for the entire year.
Mission of the Kindergarten Program
I would like to welcome you and your child to our kindergarten program at Lambton Kingsway Junior Middle School. I am looking forward to an exciting year of new experiences and lots of fun! It is during the first years of life that children form attitudes about themselves, others, learning, and the environment. These attitudes last a lifetime, so I work very hard to find ways to help children develop positive attitudes.
Educating a child is most successful when families and schools work together in the best interest of the child. I welcome your input and assistance in educating your child. After all, you are your child’s first teacher! Valuing education and the opportunities it provides are important first steps. I am hopeful that you will find time to participate in some of our school activities. I am always in need of parents to help in the classroom and in many other capacities.
The goal of my program is to meet your child's needs not only intellectually, but also physically, socially, and emotionally. Going to school is one of the most important experiences in a child’s life. School can be an exciting place where children meet new and different people and participate in many new and different experiences. I promise to work diligently to provide the children with wonderful experiences that help them to feel good about themselves and their school.
Communications
Contacting the Office: School Phone Number: 416-394-7890
My Blog: mrstyndallslksblog.blogspot.com. Please check my blog for weekly updates about classroom activities. I try to not send paper notes home and will post most information on my blog.
My email: betyndall@rogers.com
Overview of the Curriculum
Reading and Language Arts
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following communication arts areas: Pre-reading and reading activities • Letter identification • Letter-sound relationships • Letter formation (printing upper and lower case letters) • One-to-one correspondence • Determining real and make-believe Writing activities • Drawing a picture to convey meaning • Holding a pencil correctly • Copying words • Identifying and writing sight words • Writing words and sentences • Revising writing in a group setting
Speaking and listening activities
• Telling stories • Dictating lists, stories, and descriptions • Listening to others • Listening to stories • Story retelling • Reciting poems • Participating in class discussion • Show and Tell
Knowing and using basic library terminology (author, title, illustrator, Title page) • Identifying parts of a book (spine, cover) • Making predictions and drawing conclusions • Selecting appropriate reading materials • Demonstrating respect for others using library materials • Participating in author studies • Using visual structure to communicate ideas • Developing organizational skills in association with art activities
Mathematics
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following mathematics areas: • Counting forward from 0 to 100 • Color Recognition • Recognizing and writing numerals 0 to 100 • Skip counting by 2, 5, and 10 • Counting backwards from 20 to 0 • Reading numerals to 100 • Estimating time on an analog clock • Naming the value of a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, loonie, and toonie • Performing simple data collection and graphing • Patterning • Naming geometric shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, cone, sphere, and cube) • Showing Addition and subtraction facts to 10
Science
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following science areas: • Five senses • Weather elements • Production processes involving plants and animals
Social Studies
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following social studies areas. • Identifying and locating places and regions • Identifying landforms and bodies of water • Identifying people in places and community helpers • Recognizing the Canadian flag and singing the national anthem • Discussing sources of conflict and possible solutions • Identifying reasons for rules and routines in the classroom/playground
Health, Physical Education, Safety
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following health, physical education, and safety areas • Large muscle activity through outdoor play including running, sliding, skipping, and other games • Basic rhythms of walking, running, marching, skipping, and jumping • Fire drills and other safety drills (earthquake drills; drop and cover; Stop, Drop, and Roll )
Music
Your child will participate in activities to enhance his/her skills in the following music areas: • Singing alone and in groups • Movement to music
Helpful Reminders for School
Starting Times: AM Kindergarten 8:30-11:20 PM Kindergarten 12:30-3:05
Before your child comes to school, please make sure he/she has had a good breakfast or lunch and also plenty of rest (ten to twelve hours is recommended for this age.
Snack Program: I have provided you with a Snack Schedule for the months of September/October. Please remember to send in snack for each of the children on your child’s Special/Snack Day. This is also your child’s Show and Tell day. If you forget to bring snack, I will provide snack and will send home a reminder to bring non-perishable snacks for each of the children to store for future use. Children will be provided time to eat their snack in a relaxed social setting. All snacks must be nut free.
Birthdays-individual special snacks
Monday-washed and cut vegetables
Tuesday-cheese and crackers
Wednesday-washed and cut fruit
Thursday-your choice of a healthy snack
Friday-cookies, muffins, rice krispy squares etc.
Label, Label, Label: Please label your child’s coats, sweaters, backpacks, lunch pails, thermos, etc… Please label everything and anything sent to kindergarten.
Shoes: For safety reasons, I ask that all children wear closed toe shoes to school. Please provide your child with a pair of indoor crocs or slippers if/when they wear boots to school.
When your child is ill: When your child is ill, please call the office at 416-394-7890 and report your child’s absence. All absences must be verified. If your child becomes ill at school, he/she will be sent to the office and you or one of the names listed on the emergency card will be contacted. Please notify us immediately if any contact numbers change.
Targeted activities you can do at home to help your child in Kindergarten:
Practice writing his/her first and last name
1. Have your child practice writing his/her name using a variety of tools such as a Magna Doodle, crayons, pencils, and markers. Check that your child is gripping the writing utensil correctly. You may even consider having your child practice writing his/her name using different items around the house such as pudding, rice, sand, or shaving cream. *** Be sure that your child uses a capital letter only at the beginning and lowercase letters for the rest of the name.
2. Write your child’s name in large letters (or use magnetic letters). Say each letter aloud as you write or place it so your child can associate the name of the letter with the shape of the letter.
3. Cut apart the letters of your child’s name (or use magnetic letters) and have him/her put them back in the correct order saying the name of each letter while doing so. (Start with just the first name, adding the last name only when they have mastered this.)
4. Label your child’s door or other objects so his/her name can be seen in print.
Practice recognizing and writing the numbers 0 to 10 (or higher)
1. Read and enjoy counting books together.
2. Point out numbers in license plates, in the store, in your home, and all around you. 3. Use magnetic numbers to have your child practice naming them. Have your child put the numbers for your phone number in order saying each number while doing so.
4. Practice writing numbers using a variety of materials such as pencils, crayons, markers, and sidewalk chalk, etc. (see number formation sheet in folder).
Practice counting orally and practice counting objects (to 10 or higher)
1. Have your child count his/her own snacks such as pretzels, goldfish crackers, grapes, etc....
2. Count each item as you pick up 10 things to put away in the house or bedroom.
3. Count the number of stair steps in your house or the number of steps from your car to the store.
Practice naming and correctly writing the letters in the alphabet
1. Read and enjoy alphabet books together.
2. Help your child recognize letters of the alphabet in everyday life (ex. Restaurants, road signs, store signs, cereal boxes, etc...).
3. Practice recognizing and writing both upper and lowercase letters. (see letter information sheet in folder).
Practice book handling skills
1. Discuss how to open the book from the front. Point out the front of the book and the back of the book. Discuss that the front of the book is where the story begins and the back is where the story ends.
2. Discuss how to hold a book so it is not upside down and show where to start reading. 3. Read with your child on a daily basis.
Practice recognizing the eight primary colors
1. When your child is coloring, ask what colors were used.
2. Have our child draw objects on paper and ask him/her to color the objects in certain colors.
3. Have your child sort objects or food by colors. Use items such as clothes, blocks, Skittles, M&M’s, or Fruit Loops. Have your child name the colors.
4. Discuss colors of things in the world around you such as the sky, the grass, cars, clothing items.
Practice your phone number and address
1. Have your child practice his/her phone number on a play telephone.
2. To help your child remember his/her phone number, make up a rhyme or song to go along with it.
Practice naming and drawing the four basic shapes (circle, triangle, square, rectangle) 1. Point out objects in your house or environment that have the basic shapes such as doors, windows, clocks, can tops, kites, etc...
2. Read and enjoy shape books together.
3. Have your child draw the shapes on chalkboards, paper, etc....then cut them out naming each shape while doing so.
Practice coloring within the lines and cutting on the lines
1. Have your child cut out coupons.
2. Have your child cut out pictures from old magazines of things that he/she is interested in.
3. Have your child draw simple objects with some detail (including “self, family, house, and pets).
4. Explore coloring with a variety of resources including markers, crayons, chalk, and paint.
Some Tips to Help with Beginning Reading and Writing
The greatest benefits of reading are obtained when your child is an active participant engaging in discussions about stories, talking about meanings of words and the story, predicting outcomes, and relating the story matter to other texts and his/her own life. 1. Read to your child daily.
2. Talk about the book as you read with your child and after you have finished reading it.
3. Look at the book cover before reading. Point out the title, author, and illustrator. 4. Point out words or phrases that are repeated several times throughout the story.
5. Encourage your child to finish predictable phrases or rhymes.
6. Remember to focus on the meaning of the story. If a child reads something that doesn’t make sense, often he or she will go back and try again. If this doesn’t happen, stop and ask, “Does that make sense?”
7. If your child comes to a word he or she does not know and asks for help, consider asking these questions: • Does the picture give you a clue? • What word would make sense here? • With what letter does the word begin (or end)? If these strategies fail and your child wants you to say the word, go ahead and do so rather than having your child labor over it.
8. Don’t worry if your child memorizes a particular phrase or story. That is an early stage in the reading process.
9. Encourage your child to point to the word with his or her finger as he/she reads. 10. Some helpful questions: • What happened at the beginning, middle, or the end of the story? • What do you think will happen next? • Why do you think the character did that? • What would you have done if you were that character? • What was the best thing about the story?
11. Make sure your child sees you as a reader, (reading a newspaper, enjoying a good book, reading a catalog, etc...)
12. When reading with a child, always sit beside the child with the book between you so that you can both see the text and enjoy the pictures.
13. Consider giving books as presents so they become associated with a pleasurable experience and have special meaning.
14. Make sure your child sees you as a writer, (writing things such as grocery lists, thank you notes, notes to other family members, etc....)
15. Have a wide variety of writing supplies available for your child to write and draw on including various sizes and types of paper, pencils, crayons, markers, chalk, etc... 16. When your child draws a picture, encourage him/her to tell you about it. Then write down what your child says as he/she says it. Let your child see you write down what is said. Read it back. Point to the words as you read.
25 Ways To Use Magnetic Letters At Home
1. LETTER PLAY: Encourage children to play with the magnetic letters on the refrigerator or on a table. Playing with letters allows children to learn more about how they look.
2. MAKING NAMES: A child’s name is the most important word. Have children make their names several times, mixing up the letters, making their names and checking them with their names written on a card.
3. LETTER MATCH: Invite children to find other letters that look exactly the same as a letter in their name (e.g., place an m on the refrigerator and have the child find all the ones that look like it). They don’t need to know the letter name.
4. NAME GAME: Have children make names of friends or family. Have them make the name, mix the letters, and make the names several times.
5. MAKING WORDS: Make a simple word like mom or dad or sun and have your child make the same word by matching each letter below the model (sun – s-u-n).
6. ALPHABET TRAIN: Have your child put the lowercase magnetic letters in the order of the alphabet. Then they can point to them and sing the alphabet song. Have them repeat the process with uppercase letters.
7. CONSONANT/VOWEL SORT: Have children sort the consonant letters and the vowel letters.
8. FEATURE SORT: Have children sort letters in a variety of ways – e.g., letters with long sticks and letters with short sticks, letters with circles and letters with no circles, letters with tunnels and letters with dots, letters with slanted sticks and letters with straight sticks.
9. COLOR SORT: Have children sort all the red, blue, green, yellow letters.
10. UPPERCASE/LOWERCASE MATCH: Have children match the uppercase letters with the lowercase form.
11. WRITING LETTERS: Have children select ten different letters and write each letter on a paper. They can use the magnetic letter as a model.
12. WRITING WORDS: Have children make five simple words (such as dog, fun, big, hat, like, sit) and then write them on a sheet of paper.
13. MAKING FOOD WORDS: Make some words that identify food – e.g., bun, corn, rice. Have children draw pictures of each, mix the letters, and make the words again.
14. MAKING COLOR WORDS: Give children a list of color words with an item made in that color as a picture support (for example, a red ball). Have children make the color word with magnetic letters using the model, mix the letters, and make it again several times.
15. MAKING NUMBER WORDS: Give children a list of numerals with the number word next to each. Have children make the word and mix the letters two or three times.
16. LETTER NAMES: Specify a color and have children take one colored letter at a time and say the letter name.
17. MAGAZINE MATCH: Look through a magazine or newspaper with children, cutting out some larger print simple words (such as man, box, boy). Glue them on a sheet of paper with plenty of space below each. Have children make each word below the printed one. 18. FIND THE LETTER: Make a set of alphabet letters, upper-or lowercase, on a set of index cards. Shuffle the “deck” and take turns drawing a card and finding the magnetic letter that corresponds to it.
19. LETTER IN THE CIRCLE: Draw two circles and place an (h) in one and an (o) in the other. Have children put letters in the h circle and say how they are like the h. Do the same with the o. This activity will help children learn to look at features of letters. Vary the letters in the circles; accept their explanations about what they are noticing.
20. CHANGE THE WORD: Build several simple words and show the children how to change, add, or take away a letter to make a new word. Examples are: he, we; me, my: at, hat, sat. After the demonstration put the needed letters in a special place in an empty container for them to practice.
21. ALPHABET SEQUENCE: Place the letter a on the table and have the child find the next letter (b) and place the letter c next to the b and have the child look for the next letter (d). Continue through the alphabet with lowercase letters. Repeat the uppercase letters.
22. LETTER SORT: Place a pile of magnetic letters on the table for the child to spread out. Have the child put all letters that are the same together in a pile. Then, if appropriate, have the child give the letter name for each pile.
23. LETTER CHAINS: Make a five letter chain (for example, pfrmo). Have children find the same letters and make the same chain below your model. Then have the children make a chain that you copy.
24. LETTER BINGO: Make two cards with a grid of three boxes across and three down. Trace one lowercase letter in each box. Put a pile of magnetic letters that represent the letters on the cards and some that are not in a plastic bowl. Play a Letter Bingo game. Take turns taking a letter, saying its name, and then placing the letter in the box if there is a match. If there is not a match, put the letter back in the bowl. The first to fill three boxes across, down, or diagonally says, “Bingo” and wins the game. Play the same game with uppercase letters.
25. RHYMING PAIRS: Use a magnetic cookie sheet. Make a simple three letter word such as dog, but, cat, fan, can, hot, man, net, pan, rat, sit. Say the word and then say a second word that rhymes (dog-log, bug-mug, cat-fat, fan-man). Ask the child to make the rhyming .
Quick Assessment Instructions: Have your child point to each letter and tell you what the letter is. Record the letters your child has difficulties identifying. Write each of the difficult letters on an index card and use the index cards as flash cards. Practice with flash cards starting with a few at a time. See “25 Ways to Use Magnetic Letters at Home” This can also be used to practice letter sounds. Have your child name the colors. Have your child point to the shapes (triangle, rectangle, circle, and square) using objects around the house. Have a set of 10 objects . This could be buttons, pennies, cereal, etc… Have your child touch each object and say a number that object. Vary this activity by giving a new number and have your child count out this new set. Have your child cut straight lines on paper using “child-sized scissors.” Have your child write his/her name using an uppercase letter for the first letter, then followed by lowercase letters. Have your child say his/her first and last name.
Lower Case letter names and sounds
Have your child point to each letter and tell you the name of the letter. Record the letters your child has difficulty identifying. Write each of the difficult letters on an index card and use the index cards as flash cards. Practice. Practice with flash cards starting with a few at a time. See “25 Ways to Use Magnetic Letters at Home”. This can also be used to practice letter sounds.
Upper Case letter names
Have your child point to each letter and tell you what the name of the letter. Record the letters your child has difficulty identifying. Write each of the difficult letters on an index card and use the index cards as flash cards. Practice. Practice with flash cards starting with a few at a time. See “25 Ways to Use Magnetic Letters at Home” .
Identifying the Numbers 0 – 20
Instructions:
1. Have your child point to each number in random order and tell you the name of the number.
2. Record the numbers your child has difficulty identifying. Write each of the difficult numbers on an index card and use the index cards as Flash Cards. PRACTICE.
3. Practice with the Flash cards and have your child count out beans, or pennies. Start with the number 0 – 5. Once that becomes EASY, add a few more numbers 1 – 10. Continue to add a few more. Make a matching game: you place 8 pennies on the table. Have your child count them , then find the correct flash card. Keep a progress chart and set goals. 0- 10, 10 - 20. Encourage your child and when he/she meets a goal, do something fun and special together. Number Recognition Practice Sheet Instructions: Have your child point to each number and tell you the name of the number. Alphabet Practice: Directions: Trace the letters in the directions of the arrows
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