we can learn and grow together!

This week, kindergarteners had so many opportunities to practice their 'partner power' and work together to learn and grow! Keep reading to see how kindergarteners learned in their partnerships. 

During Fundations on Monday and Friday, children got to work with a partner and play teacher! They practiced identifying four pictures each day (Monday: box, chop, pot, sock. Friday: dog, fox, lock, dot), and then writing those words on a whiteboard. One friend dictated the word as the teacher, and then the other friend practiced carefully listening for and transcribing each sound. Children practiced tapping and blending words together, and they supported each other as they figured out how to write some new words! 

Teacher Acadia is supporting Bryn in writing some tricky words!

Brianna and Elena are really taking their time to write the word 'pot'. Can you tap and blend the word 'pot'?

We had more partner work during our Partner Playdate during Friday's Reader's Workshop. In pairs, children explored books in their baskets; they got some new, challenging books this week, so partnerships worked hard together to figure out new words and sounds! Reading with a partner helps build confidence as a reader, and also helps practice important verbal communication skills. 

Asher and Kiki spent some time in the Word Loft figuring out words and sounds in Asher's new book, 'Road Race'. 

A new academic choice was added this week: Hedbanz! Eleanor has been teaching groups of friends how to play this new game. In Hedbanz, a guesser has to guess a word that is on their 'headband' by asking questions. The other players respond with 'yes' or 'no' until the guesser guesses the word! Kindergarteners also get reading practice (using their picture power and sound power) when they point to and read every card. Look at how much fun everyone had! 

The first day of playing 'Hedbanz'. Look at those big smiles! 

We play 'Hedbanz' as a group! Kiera and Autumn are working together to get the picture card to stay in the headband. 

We had community work when we explored 'Not a Box' this week. On our morning message, we worked together to find different 'noticings' in the sentences "What are you doing on top of that box?" and "This is not a box". We created a community book where every Kindergartener's careful writings and drawings are on display. Lastly, we had a theatrical share on Friday when we explored what our 'not-a-box boxes' were. Some examples included: a jet pack, a piano, a drum, a hot dog, a glove, and a hat! 

Izzy noticed our newest sight word in these sentences: 'you'!

Hmmm, what do you think Eleanor's 'not-a-box' box was?

We can learn and grow together in kindergarten! We have such a strong community, and when we work together, this learning only gets stronger. 

not a box

This week we used all of their powers to work with another mentor text; Not a Box.

Celeste read the book Not a Box on Monday morning, inviting children to listen for the short /o/ sound in the words not and box. The readers listened for and recorded the first, middle, and last sound in short /o/ words. Then they worked in partnerships to play teacher; one Kindergartener was the teacher and their peer practiced writing the words, using the same visuals from their independent practice.

In the pictures you can see powerful mistakes and cross outs as well as children taking initiative by setting up their work space with all of their reading tools!

Playing Teacher with a peer is a favorite way to practice developing knowledge and skills.

Then the readers took on the role of word scientists and problem solvers. They circled and underlined noticings; digraphs, sight words, and words inside of words! Finally they copied one of the repeating sentences and cut and glued the picture (picture power) to match; What are you doing on top of that box? 

When writing the sentence they counted the 9 words, ensuring a finger space between each word. They added punctuation, a question mark, at the end. We practiced reading the sentence like a question with lots of expression!

On Wednesday the readers thought of what their not-a-box could be. They practiced drawing their idea during morning meeting and used their practice to help them draw their idea during reader's workshop!

We put our repeating question and response together, building our own Not a Box book. Elena helped to design the front cover. 

We continued to make connections to Not a Box by writing words that rhyme with not and working in an -ot family book during Fundations.

The children added color to their practice not-a-box drawings from Wednesday and we laminated them, turning their drawings into colorful bookmarks to bring home!