Academic Expectations

First 9 Weeks Grading Period

Academic Expectations

Communications:
Reading

• Names capital and lower case letters
• Produces correct sounds for each letter of the alphabet
• Writes first name in correct form
• Reads sight words without hesitation (I, see, a, the, can)
• Looks at a book quietly/reads independently for 5 minutes
• Recognizes words that rhyme
• Produces words that rhyme
• Identifies front cover, back cover, and title page of a book

Writing

• Generates his/her own topics
• Includes drawings that support the meaning of their stories
• Writes daily (pictures or words are done neatly and legibly)
• Represents sounds in words
• Working toward meeting the elements of the Narrative Writing Standard

Language/Speaking Listening

• Participates in conversation with peers and adults
• Asks and answers questions about kindergarten topics and texts
• Speaks audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly

Math:

• Names numbers 0-10
• Places numbers in order 0-10
• Matches numerals with groups of objects 0-10
• Counts orally 1-30
• Accurately answers the question "How many?" when counting objects or pictures(up to 10)
• Represents quantities using objects or pictures up to 10
• Identifies greater, less, or equal groups of objects up to 10

Social Growth and Development:

• Follows class rules
• Follows student code of conduct
• Respects the rights of others
• Uses acceptable work habits
• Takes care of personal and school property
• Works well in cooperative group activities
• Listens to and follows directions

Independent Reading

Our kindergartners practice their reading skills every day in Independent Reading.  We started out by looking at books for only three minutes, and have already doubled that to six minutes.  In our class, students go to their assigned "Work Spaces", which are quiet places in the classroom, where nobody will distract them.  "Work Spaces" change each week, so eventually every child gets to be in every "Work Space".  Independent Reading is an important part of our Reader's Workshop.  Following Independent Reading, our students write down one book they read in their Reading Logs, then they may go to their Literacy Centers.  For more information on Reader's Workshop, see our Wikispace at http://doironkindergarten.wikispaces.com/Readers+Workshop.

 

 

Literacy Centers

Each morning, during Reader's Workshop, our students go to Literacy Centers.  These activities allow students to practice reading and writing skills.

 

 

Phonics with Starfall.com

 

The Book Center

 

Making Words

 

Balances

 During the week of September 24th, we continued our unit on
The Practice of Science.  Our students were introduced to balances,
an instrument to help us learn which of two things is heavier,
lighter, or the same weight.  Our students compared classroom objects, such as scissors and eraser, glue stick and pencil, and scissors and glue stick.

 

Then we went outside to our Outdoor Learning Area
(outside, across the hallway from the cafeteria). 
Students gathered pine cones, little sticks and rocks, leaves,
and pine straw.  They used the balances to test their ideas about
which items would be heavier, lighter, or the same.

 

Finally, we came back inside to record our observations

in our Science Journals.

 

(Notice the balance with the red and yellow cups.)

 

(Notice the blue "see saw" type of balances)

 

 

(Those are ants on the sidewalk near the blue balance!)

 

We are learning to be scientists!

Our students are learning to be scientists!  They've been learning about some of the tools scientists use.  During the week of September 17-21, children learned how to use a hand lens, or magnifying glass.  You will enjoy these photos of them investigating things inside the classroom, as well as outside our back door.

Each time they used the magnifying glasses, they drew an illustration in their Science Journals, showing what they observed by using it.

Jack and Jill went up the hill...

For the last two weeks, we have been studying Nursery Rhymes (Mother Goose Rhymes).  Each day we practiced reciting the Rhyme, and sang the corresponding song, if there was one.  We talked about any new or difficult words, and sometimes acted out the story.  We drew pictures of the Nursery Rhymes in our Reader's Response Journals.  These are some of the entries from the day we talked about "Jack and Jill".  As a class, we talked about what features students needed to have in their illustrations, such as a hill, a well, and the two children.  Our students learned that when we say "Jack fell down and broke his crown", it means that he hurt his head!

OPEN HOUSE

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend our annual Open House on Thursday, September 13th.  It was a pleasure to see so many parents, grandparents, and brothers and sisters.  Remember to look at our wikispace at http://doironkindergarten.wikispaces.com/ to learn more about our kindergarten curriculum.  You may also want to look at our Common Core State Standards.  Go to http://www.corestandards.org/, then click on "The Standards" to the far right.  There is a column of PDF files.  Click on the fourth one down to see the "Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy ...".  Click on the eighth one down to see the "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics".  These standards range from kindergarten through twelfth grade, and have been adopted by 45 of our 50 states.