Learning through Play!

On Thursday morning we had a practice lockdown. The purpose of a lockdown drill is to give students and staff members of KTS an opportunity to practice what to do in case of a real lockdown. We discussed how a lockdown drill is similar to a fire drill and all schools practice this. We remembered to be safe, silent and serious. The students did a GREAT job! We sat quietly until Mr. Belcher and the police officer opened the door and the police officer thanked our kindergarten students for sitting so quietly! 

Purposeful play is an important mode of learning for children. It honours the learning styles  of 5 year olds and enhances social/emotional, physical, and intellectual development. 

Through organized activities and purposeful play, children are able to explore and experiment with their environment. They clarify and integrate information and concepts encountered in their previous experiences (Alberta Education Kindergarten Program Statement).

Here are a few pictures of the centres we explored this week! 

"We are making cookies for our coffee shop" 

We turned our dramatic play centre into a Tim Hortons! The students co-created the menu and are taking turns exploring the different roles at our coffee shop :) 

"We are digging for gold!" 

Please ask your child: "What centres have you been to?" "Who do you play with?" "What have you created?" 

REMINDERS 

Thank you for returning home reading books on Monday's! Students are enjoying reading books with their peers and sharing the popcorn words they can identify :) 

Thursday March 25 - Conferences (No School) 

Friday March 26 - Conferences (No School) 

Monday March 29 - April 5 - Spring Break 

Enjoy the sunshine :) 

Subitizing

 

In Math we are focusing on number recognition and subitizing. 

What is Subitizing? Subitizing is the ability to instantly recognize “how many” in a small set without having to count.  

We love this subitizing song, please watch with your child! 

Ask your child, "What number's can you recognize?" 

To help us practice subitizing and get numbers "stuck in our brain" we have been playing a few number games! 

First we played "Tug O War" 

Today, we learned Level 1 of "Number Battle". Each player rolls their dice, says the number and represents the number with their fingers. Students then identify which is the bigger number. 

This is a game you can play at home, all you need is a partner and two die please ask your child how to play Number Battle :)

Reminders

Home Reading - Thank you for returning the Home Reading bags on Monday's. Happy Reading! 

Friday, March 19 AM Attends 8am-12pm

March 25 and 26 - Parent Teacher Conferences No Classes 

March 27 - April 5 Spring Break (No Classes) 

Home Reading

 

Thank you for your support and patience during the first week of home reading. As mentioned in School Messenger home reading books will be sent home with your child on Thursday’s. We ask that home reading books be returned on Monday’s to allow for the three day quarantine period.

In Kindergarten we are all readers!  Our goal is for your child to develop a LOVE of books and reading. With your child, practice and celebrate any one of the reading skills below: 

1. Look and talk about the pictures

 

Why? To develop our oral language and imaginative skills 

 

 

2. Point to each word as the adult or student reads 

Why? To develop an understanding that text is read from left to right, top to bottom 

 

 

3. Use Memorization to help us read

Why?  To develop our confidence and comprehension 

 

 

4. Use Pictures to help us read unfamiliar words 

Why? To develop beginning decoding skills 

After you have read a book with your child you may wish to: 

Ask your child to identify popcorn words 

Ask your child to identify the number of words on a given page

Ask your child what happened in the story? 

Find words in the story, and have your child create rhyming words 

Happy Reading :)