During our literacy blocks we are working on many skills including recognizing and producing rhymes, hearing the individual words in a sentence, and hearing the sounds in individual words, all important early literacy skills that help set the foundation for learning to read and write. One of the most important skills we have been working on is identifying letters and their sounds. We use a program called Fundations, which pairs each letter with a key word to help students learn the corresponding sounds. Perhaps you have heard your child saying "b, bat, /b/" or "f, fun /f/", connecting the letter to its typical sound.

As we learn the letter names and sounds, we are also learning how to write them with the correct formation. We use a variety of multisensory methods to learn and practice them, including sky writing  (writing them in the air using big motions), writing them on our promethean board, writing them in colorful sand, and writing them on white boards. Many students are beginning to apply this knowledge during writing, labeling pictures with first sounds they know or attempting sentences by writing sounds they hear. 

Some fun ways you can reinforce these skills at home include playing "I Spy" using letters or beginning sounds (I spy a letter m...I spy something that begins with /b/"),  playing ABC go fish with letter cards, and playing ABC matching games by matching upper case and lower case letters. A few years ago during kindergarten Zoom meetings children also enjoyed going on treasure hunts in their homes, finding 2-3 objects that started with a given sound. 

After our morning recess each day we have math. Our math time typically starts with a short lesson and then children rotate through two stations in small groups. For now our focus has been on numbers to ten, including counting sets, matching numerals to quantities, writing, and comparing numbers. Children have also been introduced to five- and ten- frames, which are models we will use throughout the year for composing numbers. As students gain familiarity with these structures they begin to recognize quantities without counting, and also begin to internalize how many more are needed to make five or ten. For example if a ten frame has five dots, there are five empty spaces.

One of our stations is almost always a partner game, a fun way for children to work on all of these math skills, while also working on taking turns, being patient and flexible, and being a good sport. We always finish by shaking hands and saying, "Good game!" 

Ask your child if they have a favorite game so far.

 Pressing apples for our all school cider celebration! 

We had a fantastic day for our first ECO session, which was focused on establishing routines and expectations for our time in the forest. After a quick bus ride, we began our day in the field just over the covered bridge. We stopped at the far end of the field for a greeting circle and a game. This week we played an old favorite called Camouflage, which gave children a chance to run around, hide in the grass, and practice gathering when they hear our special signal, which is a barred owl call. 

After our game, we made our way to our forest site and gathered around our safety circle for snack and a story. Ask your child about safety circle expectations. Our story this week focused on the three cares, which are broad expectations for our time outside: I take care of myself, I take care of others, I take care of the earth. After reviewing forest boundaries, children had time to explore the space, much of which was spent observing and counting red efts, which seemed to be everywhere with the cool moist conditions. We will talk a lot about red efts in the coming weeks and use them to guide discussions about how we can be responsible guests in the forest that is home to many living things. 

We closed our time by practicing sit spots in a circle. Eventually, everyone will find their own sit spot for this closing ritual, which is often a favorite of children, as they quietly soak in the forest, sometimes sipping tea, sometimes drawing in a journal. We ended with a silent thank you to the forest before walking back to school. On Wednesday afternoon each child chose a nature name. These animal names will also become an integral part of ECO. 

 Last Tuesday our class was invited to vote on the design for next year's Waitsfield dog tags. Jen Peterson, the Waitsfield Town Clerk, graciously gives this task to Kindergarten students each year, using the authentic experience to teach them about the voting process. Children checked in with Jen one at a time and were presented with a ballot with three shapes and three colors. After privately castilng their votes for one color and one shape, they placed their ballots in the official lockbox. When everyone was done Jen tallied the results. This year the vote was very close between orange and red and fire hidrant and star. Ask your child what next year's tags will look like!