Hoppin' Into Junior Kindergarten!

This week was full of Pumpkins in JK!  We learned about the parts of a pumpkin and read many books about various pumpkin facts and adventures.  We watched a video about a square pumpkin whose differences saved the entire pumpkin patch.  The students started practicing a skit about “Five Little Pumpkins” and enjoyed playing different parts before they “rolled out of sight”! 

We continued our love of cooking in class as we made pumpkin muffins.  We cooked them in the school oven, and then decorated them with cream cheese frosting, sprinkles and sugar and enjoyed them for our snack.  Throughout the process of becoming little chefs, they are also learning how to cook (collaborate and communicate) as part of a group, problem solve, measure ingredients, take turns, change the properties of ingredients by combining them, and that they can make something quite tasty by working together (compromising and discussing different ideas) and following instructions! 

Our third grade reading buddies visited our classroom and found cozy corners with their JK buddies to read their favorite stories.  The children ask about them every day and when they will see them again, so it’s clear they are enjoying the conversation and special attention they receive from their older friends.  

Our math skills were tested during a fun game with squirrels counting their nuts, where the children worked both individually and in small groups to recognize and identify numbers from 11-20.  Many are fluid in recognizing numbers from 1-10 but get a little stumped with the next group.  Feel free to use any opportunities at home or around town where you see the double-digit numbers, to point them out to increase familiarity.  It also makes it more relevant and easier to learn if they see a connection to their own lives and how the information will be useful.  Each day we practice our “Handwriting Without Tears”.  Repetition when writing the lower case letters is slowly replacing the all caps from the very first week.  We will continue to build on our names by adding last names, phone numbers etc. as each student is ready. 

Show and Tell continues to be a highlight of the week as the children practice their public speaking and leadership skills by managing the questions from their classmates and discuss their favorite items.  We are jumping into Van Gogh next, and are mixing in a little of our bat study early to keep the October and Halloween excitement alive. 

Have a great week!