Picture Day Tomorrow!
Hello Families,
This is a reminder that tomorrow (Thursday, October 19) is picture day. Kindergarten classes are usually called first, so please ensure you arrive to school on time.
Many thanks,
Ms. Quin
Reading and Writing in Kindergarten
Letter Learning
Learning the names of the alphabet letters – like all early learning – is best done in the context of what is meaningful to young children.
Many children first learn the initial letter of their own name, which has a great deal of meaning and importance to them. For the child who loves Jello, J may be an important letter, while the child who knows that daddy works at Safeway may begin to notice the letter S.
Some children learn to read without knowing the names of letters or the sounds associated with them. But research shows that for most children, associating names and sounds with the alphabet comes before conventional reading.
However, this finding does not mean that letter names should be drilled into young children. There are far more effective and enjoyable ways for children to learn about letters. For instance, children enjoy labeling items that they chose. Sound out the name of the object together to determine which initial letter to use, then cut out big letters from magazines or newspapers and invite the child to tape them on items that they want labeled.
At home or out together, point out letters and words that are likely to be of special interest to your child. Try simple activities such as reading logos of favourite foods and stories, identifying street signs, writing grocery lists together and playing with magnetic letters on the refrigerator door while singing the alphabet song. Remember, children learn through play!
The Write Stuff
Long before a child learns to form letters with a pencil or marker, they have taken many steps toward learning to write. Children must have many opportunities to use their hands to do various things before they can successfully print letters.
Molding with clay or playdough, using large and small Lego’s, picking up beads and playing with knobbed puzzles all prepare the fingers and hands for writing. Scribbling with markers and crayons, controlling a pencil for use with a stencil, using chalk on the sidewalk and painting with fingers/large brushes are a few of the many ways children practice for later writing.
We stock our room with plenty of paper, paper clips, staplers, markers and crayons, and we make sure that these materials are available for children to use. Children may want to “write” notes to their friends or messages to their teacher or parents. They use writing materials in their dramatic play – making signs for a store, tickets for a show, menus for a restaurant, and so on.
As children experiment, developmental stages of writing become evident. Children move from random scribbling to controlled scribbles, to random alphabet letters, to consonants that represent words. Only with lots of opportunities to practice can children move through these stages.
If your child does not have a proper pencil grip, cannot purposefully manipulate a crayon or simply shows no interest in learning to write, they are probably not ready to do so. Take care not to push. Children enjoy learning a new skill only when they are ready for it. Getting ready is just as important as mastering the skill.
Make Your Own Storybooks
Children love stories and love making things so take advantage of this terrific combination and make some books with your child. Preschool children are ready to help write and illustrate stories from their own experiences or imagination. Here’s the idea:
- Write down a story as your child tells it. Be sure to write the child’s words, not yours, and repeat the words as you write. This process helps a child recognize that print is “talk” written down.
- Place an appropriate number of words at the top of separate pages of paper and reread the story with your child.
- Invite your child to illustrate each page and, if s/he wishes, to create a cover, title page and dedication.
- Arrange pages in order and place in a notebook.
- Encourage your child to “read” this new book to you.
The same process can be used with photographs that describe a trip to the zoo, a vacation or a visit from Grandma or Grandpa.
These unique books make wonderful gifts. You might want to photocopy them (colour photocopies are great!) and give them to several members of the family and close friends.
Remember, whatever the topic, we adults act only as the scribes for the child’s words and as assistants in putting the book together. Children should make all the decisions about the content and creation of their own storybooks!
And, of course, HAVE FUN!
Stages of Children’s Writing
Educators look at writing very differently than they did a generation ago. The things that young children seem to do naturally when given a paper and markers are now viewed as true forms or writing.
There are at least six different forms of writing:
Drawing: Children draw and “read” their drawings as a form of communication. They may draw unrecognizable forms and say “I played at the house centre today with my friends”. Or they may draw a treelike form and say “This says remember to take me to the park”.
Scribbling: Young children believe they are writing when they scribble and often “read” what they just scribbled. Children often will move the pencil like adults, making their scribbles from left to right.
Invented Letters: Many young children make up their own letters. A circle with a line drawn down from the bottom (resembling a lollipop) is a common invented letter. Again, children believe they are writing.
Random Letters: As children become more aware of the alphabet, they often write the letters in long strings, usually at random.
Invented Spelling: Invented spelling takes many forms but is related to the sounds the child hears in each word. At the beginning of this stage, children may write one letter to represent a word. Later, words are represented by two letters, the initial and ending letter sounds. As the child’s writing continues to mature, most sounds are represented in their invented spelling. I refer to this stage of writing as Kidwriting when we start Writer’s Workshop.
Common Spelling: The child begins writing more and more words spelled as adults spell.
***Letter borrowed from Tracy Fulton, New Westminister School District***
Kindergarten Philosophy
Letting Children Choose
Why do we as adults pursue hobbies such as golf, crochet or gardening? We spend time in such an activity because we find it enjoyable, we have some control over the activity and we see it as offering some probability of success. We choose what we will crochet or plant; we decide where, when and with whom we will play golf or tennis.
Children, too, learn best when they have some control over their learning, when activities are meaningful and relevant, and when they can make choices in the materials they will work with and how they will use them.
Children thrive when they have opportunities every day to make choices in their learning. We facilitate children’s choices within a carefully planned environment. We create the environment to allow each child to choose activities that are developmentally appropriate for his or her age. The children choose the peers with whom they will work and play and usually determine how they will use the available materials.
These choices empower children to take control of their own learning. Children use materials and equipment in far more creative and innovative ways than we could ever plan, and they use the materials in ways that meet their own developmental needs.
Research indicates that intrinsic motivation – when we work on a task primarily because we find it satisfying – is the most effective and engaging way to learn. In this program we make an effort to provide materials and activities that provide choice and interest for the children. That’s a key reason that you’ll see busy, involved children when you visit the classroom.
What Did You Do At School Today?
It is difficult for young children to recall and describe what they did during the program day. Children are active and busy for the entire time, but they sometimes lack the words to tell others about their activities – or by the time you pick them up, they have moved on to other things.
Parents, of course, want to know about their child’s day. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when asking your child about his/her activities.
Keep informed of the class’s planned events so you can ask specific questions. For example, “Did you get to walk to Safeway today, or was it too rainy?”
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- With most children, avoid general questions like “What happened at school today?”
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- Avoid questions that produce one-word answers
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- Ask specific questions such as:
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- “Whose special day was it today? Tell me about what s/he shared”
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- “What centre(s) did you go to today?”
- “Tell me about this drawing in your backpack”
Sometimes telling your child a little something about your own day starts the ball rolling. Your child may get the idea of sharing news and feelings about his/her day this way.
And remember – if your child shares something about his/her day that you question or worry about, BE SURE TO BE IN TOUCH WITH ME ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS IMMEDIATELY! Sometimes it is a matter of clarifying an issue, and if something is truly bothering your child (or you), it is best to have the issue dealt with right away. Prevention is certainly the best policy!
The Best Learning Is Active Learning
Active learning takes advantage of children’s natural desire to move and touch. Young children love to manipulate items and explore new ideas. They enjoy the opportunity to see how things work and to test their own theories.
Active learning takes advantage of children’s natural motivations, abilities and interests. Children get lots of opportunities to investigate what interests them – to solve problems, discover relationships and make comparisons.
Children use all their senses to make discoveries: How heavy is it? Does it smell? Can I find another one that feels the same? What does it sound like when I drop it? How is it different from other items? Using their hands, eyes, nose, ears and mouth to explore an item, children gather more information and remember what they learn.
As they interact directly with the environment, children not only gather sensory information, they also refine their senses and motor skills. For example, it takes very refined movement of the hands and fingers to produce the penmanship required for writing. Squeezing playdough, picking up puzzle pieces and using scissors are ways for young children to practice using their hands and fingers.
We organize the classroom environment to promote active learning and we do lots of things to encourage children to think and talk about their discoveries and creations. The next time you want your child to learn about something, provide the materials, space and time. Then step back and watch. You will be surprised at how much more your child will discover through active involvement!
Dynamic Classrooms Are Not Quiet!
Quiet classrooms do not mean that young children are learning. In fact, since oral language is very important during the early years, quiet classrooms may indicate that young children are not learning all that they could be.
Talking gives a child the opportunity to experiment with new words. It provides the vehicle for expressing ideas and testing current knowledge.
Shared experiences are important; they give children something to talk about. Children learn the nuances of communication in groups by trying out their language skills. For example, they learn what a question sounds like and how loud is loud enough.
Using words and talking about how things work, making comparisons and retelling experiences lead to increased intellectual development. When children reconstruct experiences, sequence events and point out similarities or differences, they are engaging in higher-level thinking skills. And when children are encouraged to ask questions, they not only gain information from adults’ responses but also build their competence – and confidence – as active seekers of knowledge and understanding.
The vocabularies children use in reading and writing are based on the words they are familiar with from listening and speaking. But expanded vocabularies and other aspects of language growth occur through using language. Talking in the classroom may be a little noisy, but positive results are easily heard!
***Letter borrowed from Tracy Fulton, New Westminister School District***
Our Class/School Schedule
Hello families,
I wanted to take a moment to remind you all of our schedule:
Gym: Wednesday morning
Library: Wednesday afternoon (please send your child’s book back to school on this day so they can take out a new one)
Music: Tuesday/Friday
School Schedule
The bell will ring at 8:50am to indicate the start of the day. Please have your child line up outside the Kindergarten classroom windows by the North Entrance. Students should arrive as close as possible to this time as we are unable to provide supervision before school begins.
We eat our snack at 10:05am and our recess break is at 10:30 a.m. In Kindergarten we start eating our lunch at 11:45 am. Students go outside to play at 12:15 p.m. and return to class at 12:45 p.m. Dismissal is at 2:47 p.m.
Late for School and Early Pick Up
It is really important that parents ensure their children arrive to school on time each day. Lessons begin at 8:50 a.m and those who arrive late not only miss valuable instructional time, but also disturb the learning of their classmates by entering their classrooms after everyone is settled. Any student who arrives late, need to go to the main entrance at the front of the building (Holdom side) and walk to the office to sign in. If you are picking up your child(ren) before dismissal time, please come to the main entrance and go to the office to sign your child(ren) out.
Protected: Have You Filled A Bucket Today?
Protected: I can sort!
Upcoming important dates at Cap Hill
Hello families,
I hope you’re having a great weekend! An email was sent out to all families at our school regarding welcoming conversations next week on Tuesday, September 26 & Thursday, September 28. This email was sent to the kindergarten families by mistake. We already had our welcoming conversations during gradual entry so we will not be meeting with families next week. I’m sorry for the confusion. I will try and cancel the meetings that have already been booked.
A few reminders about upcoming important dates:
Thursday, September 28:
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- there is a school wide early dismissal at 1:47pm. Please pick your child up at our normal pick up location.
- we will acknowledge the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We encourage our school community to wear orange on September 28th to honour the survivors of residential schools in Canada. We will have our Orange Shirt Day assembly in the afternoon before the early dismissal.
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Friday, September 29 – Professional Development Day (No school)
Monday, October 2 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (No school)
Tuesday, October 3 – Hot lunch starts. If you know your child isn’t going to like what is being served on a specific day, please send a home lunch on that day.
Finally, this is a reminder to please check your child’s yellow communication folder every day for notices coming home. If you have not sent back the permission form for your child’s photos to be included in posts for my class blog, please send it in as soon as possible. I will not be able to post photos of your child unless that form is sent back with approval.
I will also send this message as an email since not everyone has subscribed to my blog. Sorry for the duplication if you’ve already subscribed to my blog, but I need all parents to know that there will be no meetings next week.
Many thanks,
Ms. Quin
Welcome to our Classroom Blog!
Hello Families!
Welcome to our Kindergarten class blog/website! In addition to the yellow communication folders, I have now created this blog to keep you updated on things happening in our school and classroom. Instead of sending home paper reminders of upcoming events, I want to be more environmentally friendly by using this blog as a way to communicate important information to you. Letters and forms from the PAC, school and community will still be coming home in the yellow folders but all other classroom news will be posted on my blog. Please take a moment to subscribe so you don’t miss any important information!
On Monday I will be sending home a notice with instructions to access PASSWORD PROTECTED posts. Please look in your child’s yellow communication folder for these instructions. Password Protected posts may have pictures of students in them. Please do not share this password.
**You are welcome to save photos that your child is in, but please remember: if there is another child in the photo you may NOT post that picture on social media (ex. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, your own personal blog, etc.)**
Some posts will also include students engaged in classroom activities and samples of their work. These posts will complement the Kindergarten curriculum and will work as evidence of their learning.
Tips on Commenting and Supporting the Learning Process
I invite you to be partners in your child’s learning process throughout the year by commenting on the posts. I share family comments with the students.
Under any of the posts, there will be a COMMENT link > click to open a box. (You can record in any language.)
Some suggestions for your comments are to:
- Notice thoughts, capacities and growth.
- Connect with your child’s opinions, stories or ideas
- Share your intellectual curiosity; wonder aloud
- Encourage
- Co-conspire… “You are interested in spiders? Me too, here’s an interesting website I’m reading about spiders.”
- I noticed you…
- A few things you did well here are…
- One thing I’m seeing about your work is…
I hope you enjoy future posts we include on our website!
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at Nicole.Quin@BurnabySchools.ca
Many thanks,
Nicole Quin