Welcome to Curriculum Night! Hammond Elementary Kindergarten

Learning throughout the day in different ways:  Daily 5/ Literacy Centers – Read to self, read to someone, word work, listening, and work on writing.  Whole group - The entire class is involved in the same lesson at the same time.  Small group with Teacher – 3 to 5 students working with the teacher on specific skills at their level.  Individual – One student working with the teacher, aide or volunteer on a specific skill. Ask your child what activities they did for the day. You might get a more specific response than just “I played”.

Literacy Block Daily 5/Literacy Centers Read to Self Word Work Listen to Reading Work on Writing Read to Someone

What is my child learning in Daily 5 and Literacy Centers... Read to Self: The best way for your child to become a better reader is to practice each day. Your child will practice with books he/she chooses, on his/her just right reading level. Read to Someone: Reading to someone allows time for your child to practice reading strategies, work on fluency and expression, and checking for understanding. Your child can hear his/her own voice and share in the learning community. Listen to Reading: When your child listens to reading, he/she can hear examples of good literature and fluent reading. Your child learns more words, thus expanding his/her vocabulary and becoming a better reader.

What is my child learning in Daily 5 and Literacy Centers? Work on Writing The best way for your child to become a better writer is to practice each day. Your child will practice sentence structure, Modern Manuscript (which the district has switched to), and learning writing conventions. Word Work Word work allows your child to have hands on activities to practice with the alphabet and high frequency words. **If you notice your child is NOT coming home with worksheets or papers, it is because many of our activities are hands on thru games, technology, white boards, or kept in a folder at school.

Kindergarten Sight Words Sight words are words children recognize instantly because of repeated exposure. Please practice these words at least 3 times a week to help your child develop a large sight word vocabulary. Ideas for learning sight words: MyON online books, and You-Tube sight word videos.

Daily Writing  Writing is an essential part of your child’s development. Since all students enter kindergarten with their own writing abilities, the skills taught during reading instruction will aid students in their writing process. Students will participate daily in Writer’s Workshop where they will learn what writer’s should do.  In kindergarten, students will be given a Writing Journal in which they will write everyday.  Research has shown that writing skills develop in a predictable order: Pictures Approximations Random Letters Initial Consonants Initial and Final Consonants Vowel/Consonant Combinations Words (all syllables present) Standard Spelling

Math  Calendar  Count, read, and write sets to 20  Generate and compare sets to 20  Graphing  Geometry  Numbers to 100  Estimation  Compose & Decompose Numbers  Add/Subtract  Word problems  Measurement  Personal Finance

Why are we going deep in teaching Number Sense?  The math curriculum is a sequential hands-on approach. It begins with basic concepts and develops into higher level thinking skills. Real life scenarios are also incorporated through story problems. Students are allowed to work with many different types of manipulatives to reinforce the concepts learned. It is our goal to promote lifelong problem solving skills as we encourage the children to explain their “thinking”.

FAIR Testing FAIR testing is a state of Florida test. All students will be tested individually using the FAIR testing criteria. FAIR testing has almost been complete by all Kindergarten students. The test measures letter knowledge, letter sounds, blending, listening comprehension, vocabulary. The FAIR test is administered a total of 3 times. On the final FAIR test students will be asked to read a passage. Questions will be asked after the passage is read to check comprehension.

Science  Scientific Concepts  Scientific Process Skills  Becoming a Scientist  Matter  Energy  Weather  Space  Force and Motion  Living and Non-living  Earth Science  Plants  Natural Resources  Animals

Social Studies  Rules and the purpose for rules  All About Me!  Basic Human Needs  Community Helpers  Holiday Customs and Traditions  Patriotic Symbols & Patriotic Holidays  Landforms  Technology  Problem Solving  Historical Figures  Maps and Globes

Technology  The children are exposed to technology in the classroom to reinforce concepts learned. The Internet provides opportunities to explore interesting topics and to promote research. Each kindergarten class will visit the computer lab weekly. Each kindergarten classroom also has 2 student computers and printer access. We also have the use of the Smartboard Technology and online learning access through: (for Reading) ****MyON can be accessed from your home. User Name: Child’s student # (Lunch Number) Password: month/year of birth (Ex: )

Testing  FAIR October, January, April  DRA Developmental Reading Assessment (Administered as needed to check reading levels) ****End of Year Math and Science tests administered in May.

Our Classroom Community  Our classroom is a community. In our community, we have rules to help us get along with one another.  Our class rules are: 1.Listen & follow directions 2.Keep hands, feet, & objects to yourself 3.Work together, get along, & show respect 4.Small Voices inside…. Tall voices outside

Discipline Blue: EXCELLENT Day!!! Green: Great day! Yellow: Oops! Warning (5 minutes off recess) Red: Extended Time-Out ( or Call home) Rewards:  Daily Praise  Sticker or a stamp  Free Choice/ Free Time  Treasure Box You will find the behavior chart in the daily folder. ****INITIAL DAILY the behavior calendar!!!

Kindergarten Odds & Ends….. …. Snack… A snack time will be offered to students during our afternoon time. There will no longer be a snack on early release Mondays due to time constraints. Please look to the snack calendar for your child’s snack day. …. Fine Motor Skills….. Please work with your child on fine motor skills. Let your child use scissors, play with clay or playdoh to build those fine motor muscles in their hands. …… Edsby…. Kindergarten will not be posting grades on Edsby. Kindergarten is for the most part the “big picture” and NOT grades. We look at the “whole child” when marking the report card. For now, Edsby will not show grades of any kind for our kindergarten students. …… Classroom Websites… Will keep you updated on important events and information!

Kindergarten Homework We highly encourage that you read to or with your child every night. The students will have a homework packet weekly. The packet will go home on Fridays or whatever day is the last day of that week. The homework packet will be due the following Friday completed. This allows for you to choose the time that you want to work on the homework throughout the week according to your own schedule. In addition to the homework packet, we are highly encouraging the following websites to enhance your child’s learning experiences in the classroom: and These skills will lay a great foundation for your child’s ongoing education. We appreciate your partnership in your child’s learning.

Weekly/ Occasional Items Family Projects: Most months this year your child will have a “family project” that you can work on together at home. Due dates will be on the projects. Guided Reading Books/ Book Bags: Each child will bring home leveled library books that are to be read at home and returned to school. Library Books: We go to the library weekly. is to be used when nowww.myon.com book is brought home.

Field Trips  Two field trips will be scheduled throughout the year. Chaperones will be needed. Please get your SERVE forms completed and approved as soon as possible. It takes approximately 2 weeks to get these back. We will tell you the dates as soon as specific arrangements have been made.  Please remember that field trips are a special learning experience for our kindergarten students. Therefore, we ask that no siblings attend our field trips.

Communication Between Home and School  Daily Folders  Monthly Newsletters  Conferences  Phone calls, notes  is the best way to contact me during school hours  Kindergarten website

Thank You!  Communicate with your child’s teacher!!!  Look in your child’s daily folder or planner EVERY night. Look at the behavior. Initial every night.  Support our school through PTA!  Become involved at Hammond!

Questions? Comments? Check the kindergarten website- it has a lot of valuable information. Leave any questions or comments in our Kindergarten Parking Lot in the back of the room. We will work on the answers for you and send them out in the next newsletter. If the question only pertains to your situation, you can leave your contact information so we can call or you.

Let’s Have a Great Year!