Category: Literacy

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

 

At the beginning of the year when students are learning how to write their names, we always have fun reading the book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  All the letters climb up the coconut tree until the tree bends… “Will there be enough room?”  No, because all the letters fall out!  The book has a great rhythm and there’s even a song that goes with it.  See YouTube video below.

 

 

Students made coconut trees and added the letters of their names.  They learned how to use scissors and managed to cut out tree trunks (any size they wanted) and tree leaves!

The coconut trees are displayed on the hallway bulletin board outside our classroom!  Please come and take a look.

 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Look who’s in our room!

 

 

Hatching soon

We have been reading lots of stories about chickens and other oviparous animals.  We have been visiting Ms. Gourlay’s classroom every few days to observe the eggs in the incubator.  Sometimes Ms. Gourlay reads a story to both of our classes.  Today, she read a funny one titled, “Chicks and Salsa” – the chickens get tired of the same old chicken feed and decide to try some new foods!  Soon, all the animals decide to plan for a fiesta with chips and salsa!  After the story, we ALL got to try some chips and salsa!  Some kids were trying chips and salsa for the very first time.

“It was the best!” H.S.

“It was salty, but I still like it.” A.L.

“It was a little bit spicy, but I liked it!” K.S.

“I loved it!” E.Y.

“It was a tiny bit good…” A.O.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a link to the story on video –> Chicks and Salsa video

We look through a special scope that allows us to see inside the egg!  Then we draw and write about our observations in our booklets.  The eggs are due to hatch any day now…

What’s Hatching?

Division 7 and 8 are studying a new theme this month. We are little scientists and we are learning about oviparous animals. Last week, three eggs arrived at our school. We will get to see how these eggs hatch!  The eggs are slightly larger than the ones we usually eat at home. They will take approximately three weeks to hatch.  The eggs are safely stored in an incubator in Ms. Gourlay’s classroom.  We will visit them every 2-3 days to make an observation about the eggs and write down some notes in our observation booklets, as scientists do.

eggs in the incubator

Ms. Gourlay and I are keeping it a secret.  What animal do you think is inside?  “Hopefully not a dinosaur,” said a kindergarten student.

Buddy Reading

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a restful winter break.  There is something about January.  The kids seem to bounce right back into the school routine with renewed energy for the new year.

Every so often, we have older buddies come into our class to read with our kids.  Today during our kindergarten literacy time, we had grade 2 and 3 buddies come to read with us. 

Reading is a necessity in any classroom, and getting some extra time to share a story with someone is a gift. We have all heard about reading being the secret to success. Students gain access to rich vocabulary and even simple stories contain complex aspects of relationships and events. While being read to, students are able to just relax and concentrate on what the story is about.  They gain by listening to critical language and enunciation skills.  There is no pressure to sound out words or memorize any information.  For the older kids, the more they read to their little buddies, the more confidence they gain in their own reading skills. The benefits are just too many to list. Plus, it’s fun and the kids love having buddies!

Most of these buddies were in my class for kindergarten and/or grade 1. It’s always so nice when they come back to visit their old classroom!

[metaslider id=242]

img_20170104_091914