Welcome to Kindergarten!

We have had a great first week in Kindergarten! We have learned routines and classroom/school/playground rules. We have started writing in our draftbooks, finding books we love, and exploring numbers and math manipulatives. Here are some pictures of your Kindergartners working hard!

Reading Update: Fairytales

Our readers began investigating the genre of fairy tales and the ingredients all fairy tales have, including: good/evil characters, once upon a time, happily ever after, magic, royalty and maybe even a lesson that was learned. We looked at a website called Speakaboos where children can read different genres of text including fairy tales. We will have an opportunity to review comprehension strategies, reading with expression (getting into character) and word decoding skills through our study.  Looking forward to learning more about these books!!

Read-A-Thon!

Our second graders have had quite the day. They brought in books and blankets and towels and have loved setting up reading spots around the room. They have shared books and magazines with partners, used voices to act as a character, and enjoyed seeing books their friends brought.

We also invited the first graders to our room today to show them our non-fiction posters. These second graders have been working hard on researching a topic and finding interesting facts. They were able to take notes on what they learned – and presented each of their topics today. The first graders were able to learn about dogs, famous people, basketball, space, dinosaurs, sharks, gymnastics, and storms. Keep working hard!!

Reading

We are welcoming 2017 in with series book clubs.  Each student is part of a series book club with other friends.   We will be focusing on noticing patterns while we read about the character’s traits, the problems in the story and the lessons that were learned by the characters.  This requires our readers to jot sticky notes while they are independently reading so that they are prepared to share for their club conservation.    Children will begin to notice patterns within a series of books, get connected to the characters and hopefully feel inspired to read them all :).

MobyMax

Dear Parents,   

 

Mobymax is an online learning tool that Georgetown utilizes to support math facts, math skills, reading, and much more.  Mobymax can be used on a laptop, desktop, tablet/ipad or smartphone.

 

LOGIN Instructions for LAPTOP or home computer:

Open browser (safari, firefox or google chrome.  Type one of the following into the browser address bar:

  1. Go to www.mobymax.com/mi1457
  2. Go to mobymax.com and enter mi1457 in for the school code.
  3.  Go  to mobymax.com and select Georgetown Elementary — scroll to Hudsonville, MI.
  4.  Go to the blog and click on the MOBYMAX whale.

 

LOGIN INSTRUCTIONS for tablets/smartphones:

  1. Open safari
  2. Type www.MobyMax.com/signin in the URL address bar.
  3. Select student.  Type mi1457 into the school code box.
  4. Click the “Action Icon.” This is the box with the arrow icon pointing up at the bottom of the window.
  5. Click “Add to Home Screen.” This is a grey square icon with plus sign.
  6. Enter the name “MobyMax” and click “Add.”
  7. A MobyMax icon will now appear on your home screen.

 

Once you are onto the MOBYMAX site, there are three view options that pop up.

  • Star: Incentives, goals that MOBYMAX is offering.
  • Books: Learning Area (Number Sense, Fact Fluency, Reading Trio, etc.)
  • Arrow:  Progress icon (purple), Messages from the teacher, Vibes – good messages from the teacher, etc.

 

FACT FLUENCY:   First time on, each child takes a placement test.  Addition is the first fact to be tested and mastered, followed by subtraction, followed by multiplication and then division.  Each child should spend 5 minutes a day on MATH FACT practice.

 

  • Each fact appears for six seconds.
  • If the right answer is entered, a new problem appears.
  • If the wrong answer is entered, time is allowed for a correction.
  • The five minute fact test is broken into 5 one minute sprints.
  • At the end of each sprint, a progress update is provided.
  • Overall progress can be checked via the PROGRESS ICON.

Green = mastered.  Yellow = Tricky Fact.

Reading Lessons:  MOBYMAX also has an reading modules that work together to reinforce reading skills.   Your child’s teacher will tell you which area should be the focus for your child.

 

Content Lessons:  MOBYMAX also has other learning modules for your child to keep active as a learner over the summer.

 

Non-Fiction in the Sun!

We took advantage of the beautiful weather today to take our non-fiction books outside! These readers have been practicing with non-fiction books to learn and share new facts with friends. They have learned the different text features: headings, table of contents, captions, diagrams… and have learned how to “prove” what they learned by showing a friend where they found the information. We practice skimming and scanning today. The kids learned how to look for certain things on a page before they read it to give them a better idea about the information they would be reading.

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Spring Break Challenge

If you are looking for something to do over spring break, I have an idea for at least 120 minutes of your time off:  Learning!  All students who spends 120 MINUTES or MORE engaged in reading or online learning images(120 total minutes over all the days of break), will be entered into a drawing for a $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD.

Online Options:  MOBYMAX (ALL GRADES), STUDY ISLAND (Gr 3-5), RAZ KIDS (Gr PK-2), MATHFACTSPRO (Gr 1-5).

Reading Options: Listen to an audio book or a REAL PERSON READ or  JUST READ on your own.

Did you know that listening to a story stimulates children’s imaginations and emotions, exposes children to rich language patterns, new vocabulary words and a variety of texts?  If you need ideas for great family friendly audio books, check the GEEKMOM / GEEKDAD Blog.  This is a great idea if your child struggles to stay focused reading or if you are in the car traveling.

If you read or listen to a book, enter your total  minutes here.

Reading!

March is reading month! We celebrated today by reading with our third grade friends!

Reading Counts

Your child came home with a Reading Counts book (similar to WEB reading last year).  Each child has selected a good fit book within their independent reading level to take home and read and they are SO EXCITED!!!  Reading Counts is a reading incentive program (separate from our curriculum) that promotes reading habits and also rewards children for their efforts.    Please see the following link for more informationREADING COUNTS.  Here is how we use Reading Counts at Georgetown.

1.  Students independent reading levels are determined through teacher assessments.  Levels will be similar to last year (within a level or two).

2.  Each child is given a goal number of points to achieve during the semester based on their reading level.  Each book has an assigned point value which can be found on the inside cover of the book. (These books are found in the library.)

3.  Students select a book at their reading level and read it at home and/or at school.  Books are labeled with reading levels A – Z on the spine of the book. 

4.  When children are finished with the book they sign up to take a RC comprehension quiz on the computer for that particular book here at school.

5.  If the quiz is passed (8/10 questions answered correctly), then another book is checked out.  If the quiz is not passed,  students take the book home again and reread.

6. At the end of the semester (mid Jan),  students who have met their goal receive a prize and a ticket into our end of the year BIG prize drawing.  Last year it was an Ipad Mini and Target gift cards….YEAH!

Please see your child’s book bag for more specific information.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Mrs. Ray