Iris and Kailee Read Together – A Learning Story

Iris and Kailee Read Together

A Learning Story by Iris, Kailee and Michelle

During independent reading time I was reading with each individual child one at a time.  For everyone else, I had them pair up and read to each other.  For two of the kindergartener’s, Iris and Kailee, I gave them a copy of Hop on Pop to read together.  They are both able to sound out words and are beginning to site read if they are given a somewhat familiar book with fair words.  They decided to go to the tables to read instead of reading at the circle area where everyone else was.  I was just across the carpet in the chair with another child but I was still able to listen in to their conversation.  They opened the book and Kailee began to sound out the words, reading the book fairly easily to Iris.  When Kailee got to the word “three” she struggled and Iris took the book and read the word for her and then continued to read to Kailee, also fairly easily.  Then Iris came to the name “Mr. Brown.”  They both went back and forth about how to sound out “Brown” and neither could quite get it.  They were both trying back and forth for quite a while, almost getting it and then Kailee said, “Look he’s wearing brown, IT’S BROWN!  WE FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHAT THAT WORD WAS!”  Kailee was beaming at Iris and Iris was beaming at Kailee.  They were giddy and silly and their pride shown out to the entire classroom.   

 

What it means

Iris and Kailee you are building the ability to work independently and cooperatively.  You stuck with the book I gave to you and worked diligently to sound out the words, use the pictures to help you make meaning of the words and helped each other when you felt stuck and needed assistance.  You are both learning to read and understand written language.  You inspired others around you by working for a long time to figure out the word “Brown” and your perseverance paid off with the pride you felt from being able to read all the words in the book. 

Opportunities and Possibilities

I will continue to give Iris and Kailee space when reading.  They are a good match developmentally and they truly enjoyed working together to read the book I gave to them.  Knowing where they are in their reading journey, Hop on Pop was the perfect book to break into independent reading for both of them.  By not rushing over to “help” them sound the words out, they gained confidence and pride in their own abilities.  This was a good reminder for me to stay back and let the kids work it out, make mistakes and overcome obstacles on their own.

Gingerbread Week

Downtown Trippin’:

(Jim’s first fieldtrip.  He was a very good boy.)

The theme this year was “The Silver Screen.”

On to the Carousel:

Hansel & Gretel:

A Giant Gingerbread House:

Making our own Gingerbread Houses:

We worked so hard to get Rohan’s candy cane to stand up on it’s own.  Who says this isn’t science?

Thank you Elisa, Leslie and Jana for all your help during this eventful week.

We do this week every year and they always LOVE it.  You can feel the excitement in the air all week long.  Such a great tradition for this class.  (You were so missed Kathleen and Brigit – this will always remind me of you guys.)

Our Little Geologist

Alex has become our go-to guy for all things rocks, gems and minerals.  He shares his knowledge with our class once a week and is starting to branch out and teach lessons to the preschool classes on a weekly basis as well.  He is a great teacher; patient, kind, involved, pulling kids in who stray, using manipulatives, examples and sharing interesting facts and texts.  Amalie always says, “this is so neat” (as well as many other students) and she often hunts him down to ask him questions about found geological treasures from the big yard. 

Thank you Alex for all your knowledge and teaching ability.  You are a great inspiration to us all.

Sewing with Anne Marie

We’ve been sewing in this classroom since the very beginning.  I use to do all of the design work and stitching with the kids and then we discovered Anne Marie and her wonderful design techniques and now we have a professional come in once a week and work one on one with the kids to finish a project of their own design.  The kids draw their design, cut it out and use both the sewing machine and hand stitching to complete the projects.  So far this year we’ve nearly completed three designs.

Asher and his amazing squid:

Aidan’s blue doll and outfits:

Amalie and her gown:

Amalie was still finishing up the buttons and other flair for her final flourish.

Afternoon Adventures

Mondays:  Dance with Jenna

Tuesdays:  Woodshop with Eric

Wednesdays:  Origami & Japanese with Mayuko

Vega’s name in Japanese

The Village

Created by our lovely Director, Sarah Airhart.

First Weeks – Math Stations

Math comes in all shapes and sizes in our classroom.  It varies by the day, by the grade, by what other activities we incorporate it into and by our mood.  Sometimes it is a part of a larger project that includes writing, nature, building.  Other times I set it up in stations, having manipulatives available for manipulation and exploration.  We then discuss what we have done with the manipulatives and what it means.  We also use Everyday Math Books for further written math exploration.  We always use manipulatives with the math book work as well.

Here we have an introductory lesson with the kindergarteners in their Everyday Math Books.  The game is to roll two dice and then mark off the number 2 – 12, until the entire row is filled.  They LOVE this game.  A new way at looking at addition and estimation.  As we soon begin to learn about probability with each roll of the dice.

Anagrams have become a fun part of math stations.  Using shapes to make animals and ships and designs.  We’re stretching our brains to be able to figure out spacial relations.

Architecture is a fun way to explore space, shapes, design and cooperation.

Patterns.  Shapes.  Building.  Counting.  Design.

Money.  Counting.  Exchanging.  Buying.  Selling.

Time.

Tick-tack-toe.

Design.  Patterns.  Configurations.  Beauty.  Pride.

Fractions baby, fractions.

Math stations are a fun, exciting and exploratory time for everyone.

First Weeks – Daystar & Castle Park

This is year four of our bi-weekly trips to Daystar Retirement Village.  It is beautiful, awe inspiring, moving and oh so real.  The kids just fall in like leaves in the wind, without hesitation, without over-thinking etiquette or age.  It often sends me to tears just to watch the innocent meet innocent.  What a lovely way to spend our days – spreading love and genuine joy and affection.

Then we go to Castle Park to play.  It’s always a mad dash to the park.  The sun has been such magic this year and we are drawing every last bit out of this beautiful weather that we can.  And Vega – I’m so impressed at how long you worked on getting across the swinging bars.

I know, I say it all the time, every year, weekly, sometimes daily – but I have the best job in the world.  Just look at what I get to witness on a moment to moment basis. 

Pure love.

The Adventures of Tuck the Turtle

When I first fished Tuck out of a lake while fishing with my dad over a year ago, I had NO idea what an important part of the classroom he would become.  I brought him home and decided to take him in to show the kids and they LOVED him and so did we.  Paul and I use to joke that he was our baby.  He is hand fed and it literally seems like he’s saying “Mama” when I walk over to him and he sticks his head out of the water, clamoring for me to hand feed him worms.  This turtle is totally spoiled.

The first week we had him, he somehow escaped but was quickly found across the way in the Orcas Island classroom.  Then this past week, on the second day of school, I couldn’t find him anywhere in his brand new happening  habitat.  I couldn’t believe he was gone.  I looked EVERYWHERE.  And I cried and cried and cried.  A couple of days passed and I was sure he was dried up somewhere in a corner.  Then, Amy from Orcas, came running toward me during lunch, gasping and clasping a glue spider trap.  She yelled, “Michelle, Finn found Tuck.”  I said, “Put him in the water.”  And we submerged him in his tank.  He was so stuck to the spider trap, that his feet and head were glued down.  But slowly he started to come off.  I’m not a screamer and I totally screamed.   I was so happy to have him home.  It felt so much like a miracle.   He had been eating the spiders before his head got stuck.  I’m thinking that is what kept him going for a while.  Thank you Finn for checking out the spider traps.  And Paul, our baby is home, safe and sound.   Don’t do that again Tuck or you are grounded!

First Days

It was such an easy, fluid, peaceful morning.  I kept walking around thinking, how beautiful is this.  Meeting new people, inviting those who have come from somewhere else into the fold with such grace and love.  So much cooperation was had, so much rekindling of relationships, and so very much joy shared. 

(Aidan writes and writes and writes)

(The new water table – science in action – thank you Gates Foundation)

Today at snack all the boys were at one table and all the girls at another and I overheard one of the boys commenting on this and as usual I launched into my spiel about how girls can sit with boys and boys (yadda, yadda, yadda) and then Alex pops out of his seat and says “I’ll fix that” and promptly moved to the “girl” table.  You just gotta love this kids bravery and sense of self. 

(Isaac and Asher explore the classroom pond which holds a turtle, a giant gold fish, guppies, guppy babies, a tad pole and salamanders.)

(Game time – they did this for an hour without even looking up.  So very cooperative.)

(Ultimate dress-up with designer Amalie)

Fast friends (welcome to our school Iris, you are so lovely)

(Vega’s Lego snail)

Welcome back.  Welcome home.  It’s going to be a spectacular year filled with fun, adventure and friendship.

Love always,

Michelle