2D & 3D Shapes

Hello families and friends, long time no blog! J  We have had some crazy short weeks in November.  Nevertheless, the students have been working hard at reaching 2^nd quarter benchmarks and some of the 3^rd quarter benchmarks. 

 

Writers Workshop is still going great.  Students continue to grow as writers.  We have started “publishing” our work.  Every Friday, a few students are chose to share one journal entry of their choice.  Other students share their positive feedback with each student that presents their work.  Students comments for other students are something like, “I like how he/she used lots of detail in their picture.” “I like how her message matches her picture.”  “I like how his colors are like they are in real life.”  (I had an awesome video, but I have been waiting for it to upload for over an hour now..so I will have to persevere without it, but it’s a really great moment for students to get praised by their peers for their work. And the students’ feedback is always right on!)

Guided Reading is really off and running.  The students reading ability is improving each week.  Students are using pictures to help them solve tricky words and using different strategies to help sound out difficult words.  We have started including .. “I wonder…” statements to the end of most guided reading sessions.  This is  a statement each students shares of something that they wondered or thought about while they were reading the book.  This helps students take their comprehension to a deeper level.   They are not just reading words, but thinking about what they are reading. 

Students have also been working on their sight words.  Mrs. Kressin has even promised a pizza (and cookie) party once the whole class can identify 25 sight words.  Below is a video of students working on a word family scavenger hunt. 

Students have been rocking their knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes.  Students have been identifying 2D shapes: rectangle, circle, oval, diamond, triangle, and oval.  They can explain each shape by describing the number of sides and corners.  They can identify shapes as flat or solid, and build each shape by drawing or using popsicle sticks.  3D shapes are required at this point, but the students have learned the 3D shapes also.   The 3D shapes we have been working on are: sphere (very hard for most Kindergarteners to say, a lot of time it comes out Spear, but that’s ok, they have the idea), cylinder, cube, cone, pyramid, and rectangular prism.  Students have been working on interactive smart board activities to locate 3D shapes in pictures.  The students did a better job finding them than I did!  I could never find the last 3D shape in each picture, but one of the students always did.  The students can identify most 3D shapes, and describe whether they have flat faces or curved surfaces.   

 

 

 

Math we are still spending a lot of time in Math centers.  Students have been mastering their number recognition and writing numbers 1-20.   In the centers, students are working on shapes, greater than-less than-equal to review, addition, subtraction, smartboard activity which almost always included sorting, number correspondence, addition and if they get far enough into activity subtraction. 

I am so excited to say that every student has mastered describing the position of objects using terms such as above, below, in front of, next to and behind.  This may sound easy, however some students had never even heard the word “above” before!  We made  a fun game out of it, and the students mastered the skill very quickly. 

These students are the best!  As always, I truly believe I have the greatest students ever.  Last Friday before we left for the day, each student had to make sure they had given their friend a hug before they left.  This is such a special, caring, community of learners.  They make every day so fun. 
Next week we have MAP testing again, so as always, please make sure everyone gets a good night’s sleep and has a big breakfast in the morning! J

Keep up all the great work at home!  Parental involvement makes such a difference in each student’s success!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their families. 

Have a great week!
Mrs. Kressin