An Excellent Week
- lindsayham82
- Sep 5, 2017
- 3 min read
We had another great week starting off with an "EXCELLENT" report from the substitute... and let me tell you- that is the test of all tests! We've got a good crew this year! :)

We're finally making it through all 4 reading and writing groups every day & we're so close to making it through all 4 math groups every day! Soon enough :) With that, I hope you've noticed your kiddo starting to take off! I've already noticed huge gains in academic growth and confidence!

(Using finger lights to point to the words [one to one correspondence] during reading groups!) They are obsessed with our eyeball rings & finger lights to practice tracking!

In math, we focused all week on numbers 0-10... identifying, writing, counting, playing games, sequencing, etc! Please make sure your child is forming his/her numbers correctly... it is developmentally appropriate for them to form them backwards at this age, however I do put a "rainbow" over them and ask them to "turn them around!" :)

In writing, we are labeling EVERYTHING! Depending on where your child is at for letters & sounds, he/she is either labeling using the beginning sound or streeeeeetching (stretchy the snake strategy) the word to hear as many sounds as possible! Labels tell the reader about the picture!

We're doing at least one poem a week by echo reading, partner reading, finding the sight words (see above), and then reading to self 3x! This helps us with sight word recognition and fluency! This is something you can easily do at home with sight words using sticky notes or highlighter tape! :)
Ask Your Child About:
-Phonemic/Phonological Awareness: Beginning sounds, Rhyming, "Tapping Out Words"- can you tap out cat? /c/ /a/ /t/
-Phonics: Ii, Uu - What do we say for Ii? i, itch, /i/ What do we say for Uu? (u, up, /u/)
-Reading: Concepts of print, Things GOOD readers do (picture walk & talk, point to the words, read over and over again!)
-Math: Numbers 0-10
-Writing: Labeling, labeling, labeling! Please make sure your child is labeling left to right :)
-Social Studies: Citizenship, & Zones of Regulation - What are some calm down steps you can use when you're in the red zone or the blue zone? Are everybody's calm down steps the same? (no)
Reminders:
-SNACK: Please, please, please make sure your child is bringing 2 snacks a day! I am OUT of snack... and I've never ran out of snack so quickly in any of my previous years!
-Donations: On that subject, if you're willing to donate snack for "emergency snack stash," I will happily accept those donations! I pick things up every once in a while, but would rather spend money on academic things than edible things!
-Volunteers: I checked the volunteer list and everyone is good to go unless you got an email from me stating otherwise! We are settled in our routines and ready for volunteers to start whenever you are ready!
-MPG Testing: We will take a standardized test on the computer for math at the end of the month... to help with the computer skills aspect of this you may want to go to TVO.com and have your child play "Bees and Honey" - it helps with moving a mouse, clicking, dragging, etc! You have no idea how much I will love you for this!
-Fun Run: Our Fun Run is this Friday at 9:20 AM (yes, it got moved AGAIN!)... parents are welcome to attend & we hope to see you there! Keep fundraising! :)
-Library/Learning Commons: I have a standing reservation for our class to visit the library on Tuesdays to check out books once Ms. Connie returns at the end of the month! Thanks for your patience.
Articles I Love (In Case You're Interested):
***Disclaimer: NO, I am not telling you how to parent! I am not a parent & realize that no two families OR children are the same... :)
Here's to hoping some of you hate me this year... in a good way! There is already so much love in our room & I hope you all can sense that whether you're volunteering in our room or listening to your child talk about school!
Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend!
With SO much love,
Ms. Ham
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