Friday, January 18, 2019

Hi JK Parents.

Week 2 of Penguins and we are learning so much!








They are still working on the word "rookery" for a group or "colony" of penguins!

Math and Science:
We made predictions and then tested our ideas at our sensory table full of "icebergs" and cold ocean water!  The children each coated one hand in penguin blubber (Crisco!) with a plastic glove.  They placed both hands inside plastic bags and submerged them, and observed which stayed warmer in the icy water.  We talked about how penguin's blubber allows them to swim in the frigid water of Antarctica.  They have also learned about the penguin's camouflage of black and white, and how their white belly's look like sunlight on the ocean's surface to predators.

They are continuing working on their number penguins using manipulatives.  I love it when they ask to do certain centers over and over again!  They grow comfortable and then become leaders and teachers for other children.


 Icebergs and penguins, along with some other animals/sea friends!  
 Mermaid Yoga!
 PJ Party, minus a couple of friends!  






 Balloon fun!  Great gross motor skill activity and spacial awareness!


Such concentration!
Candy Corn Penguin!
Literacy:
We have read many more books about Penguins and talked about the social and emotional aspects of many of the penguin characters.  We introduced "Word Books" this week, where the children practice writing words all beginning with the same letter and letter sound, and then draw something that starts with that letter.  It's fun practice for them to write actual words.  We are discussing the beginning and ending sounds in words and isolating those sounds.  We are also working on vowels and their multiple sounds.  U seems to be the most difficult for them to learn, especially the long "u" sound.  We are practicing our reading in groups and as individuals and replacing the short vowel sound with the long one if the first doesn't make sense. (This strategy is called "flippy dolphin".)  We are also rhyming words each day at our morning meeting.  The children are learning different words to rhyme, and also making up words that rhyme.

We have been learning about questions and practicing asking our friends who, what, where, why, when or how questions.  It's difficult for four and five year olds to ask questions and not make statements about similarities, so we have been modeling these questions during our weekly show and tell.















We enjoyed a visit from our third grade reading buddies.  Each child completed a "Response to Reading" page with their buddy, writing words using inventive spelling and illustrating a scene or character from the book their buddy read to them.


 Library time is so much fun!  Sequencing with the felt board to tell the story!  If you Give a Moose a Muffin!







We completed journal pages of our favorite penguin, labeling the penguin using inventive spelling.

Fine Motor/Science:
We made bird feeders from sun nut butter and sunflower seeds and pine cones.  We talked about the different birds that do not migrate and where they find food in the winter.  If you don't have a yard to hang your pine cone, feel free to hang it on the grounds at Roycemore!

We celebrated our second five year old in JK!  Happy birthday to Kadence!

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Massey




Monday, January 14, 2019


Hi JK parents!

We are having a great time learning about our Southern Hemisphere friends, Penguins!   

Literacy:
We worked on our zoo phonics, beginning and ending sounds of words, compound words, and writing our capital and lower case letters using Handwriting Without Tears.  We have read many books about Penguins, mostly non-fiction, but have also learned from our fiction books about penguins that are different and how that makes them wonderful! 






We talked about the setting and characters in a story as well as different events or sequences of events. 

Fine Motor:
The children made January calendars and used inventive spelling to label their mittens.  Some made patterns and others chose to write winter words on their mittens. 

We practiced scissor skills as the children first cut out a penguin shape, then used torn paper to decorate.  They all labeled their penguin and glued on eyes and a beak. 

We played a penguin game that required careful balancing as they took turns placing penguins on an "iceberg".

Everyone used colored pencils to complete their January self portraits!  I love seeing all they are adding and the amazing details. 






Math & Science:
The children chose cards as part of our game, and then added two numbers together using pom poms as manipulatives.  They wrote each number on a penguins tummy, and practiced talking through an equation, saying, "three plus eleven equals fourteen". 

We measured ourselves to determine if we are shorter, taller, or that same size as a Fairy penguin as well as an Emperor penguin. 

We talked about everything a penguin is, does, and has as we charted everything as a class.  We learned that a penguin is a bird that does not fly!  They were most impressed that a penguin can hold it's breath for 20 minutes, and that penguins swallow fish whole, without even chewing!  They were also a little disgusted to learn that penguin chicks eat regurgitated food from their parents.  Ewwwww.  They have all learned characteristics of their favorite penguins, and that the larger penguins lay one egg but the smaller ones lay two.