For the past two weeks, we have been learning about fall and pumpkins.  We have been busy pounding golf tees into pumpkins with hammers, gutting a pumpkin, and learning new pumpkin and fall words.  The students have been doing a great job, and their excitement for learning is really showing!

Our small groups during literacy stations have allowed children to trace fall words, work on beginning letter sounds, practice one-to-one correspondence, work on fine motor skills, and listen to new storybooks on CDs.

Writer’s Workshop has been filled with many new activities.  We have played syllable games to help us recognize sounds in words.  We have played A to Z Bingo – the children take turns pulling magnetic letters out of a bag.  We identify the letter, place it on the tray, find it on our Bingo sheet, and mark it off!  At home, you can go on “letter hunts” with your child.  How many places can you find the letter S in your room?

The focus of Math Workshop has been one-to-one correspondence.  We have been counting objects, making even and uneven sets, and using our words to describe sets, and graphing.  We will continue to collect data, make, and analyze graphs as a whole-group.  Graphing and one-to-one correspondence will soon lead us to ordering.  To practice these skills at home, have your child set the table, directing them to give one fork, plate, cup, etc. to each person.  You can also have your child match pairs of shoes!

The past two Fridays have been very exciting for us.  Two weeks ago, The Avon Lake Fire Department and Sheffield Police came to visit us at school.  We were able to learn how policemen and firemen help us, and the tools they need to do their jobs.  We heard the sirens, saw inside the fire truck and police car, and met the K-9 unit!  This past Friday was our first trip to the library.  Every Friday we will go down to the DDC to have library and computer time. Mrs. Parker will help us find and check-out library books.  Please bring your library book back every Friday.  In order to take a new book home, you must return your book!  This is a wonderful literary home-school connection for our students.