Learning Stations (Feb 27 - Mar 3)

March is Fairy Tale Month for our class. The first fairy tale we are reading is the Hans Christian Andersen Three Little Pigs!

Literacy Station

The story was read to the children. For this station, the children have to sequence the nine panels of the story in order. It is quite a challenge to remember the sequence but the children loved doing the cut and paste activity. To assist the children further, a bristol board contained the nine panels of the story as reference. However, I am finding that the children are able to recall the story sequence from memory!

Math Station

A game called Paddlin' Penguins is to challenge the number recognition and counting skills of the children. A picture of a canoe served as a gameboard. Children will take turns to draw a number card from 1 - 10. Based on the number, the child must get the same number of penguins sitting in the canoe. Afterwhich, they will turn over the number card and do a one-to-one correspondence of the paddles on the back of the card with the penguins sitting in the canoe.

Science Station

A book entitled Baby Wolf is read to the children. It tells the life of a baby wolf. The book reading will give facts about wolves to the children in a straightforward manner. The exercise of the reading is for the children to remember one interesting fact about a wolf. Afterwhich, the children will label the parts of the wolf in their worksheets. Then, another book will be read during the week to the children. Entitled Wolves by Emily Gravett, the aim of this exercise is for the children to infer what are the characteristics of a wolf based on the story. Before the children can infer, they need a background knowledge of wolves which they will learn from the first book.

Art Station

The children will make their paper puppets and re-enact the story using our small puppet theatre.

Three Little Pigs

Please find the nine panels of the Three Little Pigs Story that I have made for the children!

March is the month for Fairy Tales!!!

I am excited to say that the month of March will be devoted to fairy tales! A lot of elements come into play when children are read fairy tales: dare to dream, use of imagination, hope to become better than in one's present state, the ability to deal with inner-self conflicts, dramatic play (puppets, masks!), storytelling and oral language. A book entitled The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim has discussed why it is important to read fairy tales to our little ones. I am still waiting for my copy from the Toronto Public Library to read and am hoping I will have it during my March break as an easy reading! Once I read it, I will summarize the points to you :P!

Computer Time

Learning about technology is an essential skill and knowledge in our society. And luckily, our school is equipped with more than 30 computers in the computer lab and all contain the latest software packages as requested ad hoc by me when I see on the OSAPAC website the licensed software that our children can use for their learning.

During computer, the children learned to use KidPix, Math Strategies Primary, Millie’s Math House, Bailey’s Book House, Sammy’s Science House, Plumo at the Zoo, Sheppard Software, AB Circus, Starfall, and many other websites and computer software that make them learn about science, math, language, art and other skills. Kindergarten kids love computers!

Reading Buddies (AM and PM)

AM Class

The morning class has Ms. Pollock's Grades 2/3 as their reading buddies. I have always admired Ms. Pollock as a teacher and as a friend. She has been an awesome person to talk to and I have always told her I am fascinated at her teaching style. Ms. Pollock also tells me like it is and I appreciate her honesty and friendship. Her Grade 2/3 class is a wonderful bunch of kids who have taken the challenging task to read and guide the morning kindergarten kids during our reading buddies block of 35 - 40 minutes.

Thank you, Ms. Pollock, for your wonderful class as reading buddies and your friendship!

PM Class

After much groveling and begging on my knees, I finally got reading buddies for the afternoon Kindergarten class. As you know, Grade 6 is a very important time for any school year with a thousand and one things to do. Our Grade 6 teacher extraordinaire and friend, Ms. Hutchison, will give me 19 reading buddies from her class during Wednesdays to read and discuss books of interest with our afternoon Kindies. It will give them the time to write in their journals after reading a book with the big guys.

Thank you, Ms. Hutchison, for your cooperation AND friendship! You're the best!