Kindergarten News – October Edition
Welcome to Our Classroom Update!

Dear Kindergarten Families,

We’ve had a busy and exciting month filled with learning, laughter, and new experiences. I’m thrilled to share everything we’ve been up to in class and give you a glimpse of what’s coming up next!

📚 Writing Workshop

We have been focusing on building our foundational skills in our Writing Workshop. The students are learning to spell words they don’t know by stretching them out super slowly, just like “robot talk.” This means we break down words sound by sound, such as /c/ – /a/ – /t/ for “cat,” to help us figure out how to spell them. It’s a challenging but fun process that requires students to know their letter sounds and be patient with themselves. This strategy is called “stretching out the sounds,” and while it takes a little practice to get used to, our young writers are gaining confidence daily!

We’re also learning “snap words”—those critical words we want to know in a snap! These are high-frequency words like “the,” “and,” “it,” and “me” that students encounter often in their reading and writing. Practicing these snap words helps build fluency and supports the students in becoming independent writers.

🔠 Phonics Focus

In Phonics, we’ve been mastering the alphabet and its sounds. We’ve explored most letters and their corresponding sounds, using tools like the ABC chart to reinforce learning. Each week, we also enjoy listening to our Star of the Week share their family pictures and drawings, which allows us to practice beginning sounds in names!

We have been working on rhyming, a crucial skill for developing strong phonological awareness. We practiced recognizing words that rhyme, creating our own rhyming pairs, and even making silly rhymes to have a little fun while learning. Additionally, we’ve incorporated more snap words into our daily lessons to support the reading and writing we do throughout the day.

📖 Reading Adventures

Our Reading Workshop has been buzzing with excitement! This week, we’ve partnered up for buddy reading, where students can read and share stories with a classmate. This practice helps build confidence and teaches students to listen actively while supporting their peers.

Our theme this week has been all about fall! We’ve explored books and stories centered around fall leaves, pumpkins, and changing weather. The students have shared their favorite fall activities and traditions with one another, and it’s been wonderful to see the enthusiasm for the season. Next week, we will dive into all things apple. We’ll be reading books about apples, tasting different types of apples, and even making homemade applesauce right in the classroom! We’ll also be graphing our favorite apple flavors—a delicious way to incorporate literacy and math skills!

➕ Math Explorations

In Math, we’ve been learning a new game called Top It, which is similar to the card game War. This fun and engaging activity helps students understand number values and encourages them to compare numbers. It’s a hit in our classroom and a great way for students to practice their math skills in a playful setting.

We’ve also been practicing subitizing—recognizing how many objects are in a set without counting. This skill helps students develop a strong sense of number value and prepares them for addition and subtraction in the future.

iReady- next week!

Next week, we’ll be taking our iReady Math and Reading Diagnostic test. This is a chance for us to see where each student is in their math and reading journey so I can better support their individual growth. After we complete the assessment, I will send home each student’s password for iReady so you can log in and practice math skills at home!

🍎 Upcoming Events & Reminders

• Apple Week: Get ready for a tasty adventure as we learn all about apples next week! If possible, please send in one apple with your child on Monday, September 30th—any type or color will do! We’ll use these for apple tasting, graphing, and applesauce making.
• iReady Diagnostic: Our iReady Math Diagnostic will take place next week. Please make sure your child gets a good night’s rest and has a healthy breakfast on test days!
• Fall Celebration: Stay tuned for more information about our Fall/Halloween Celebration at the end of October. There will be games, crafts, and fun fall activities for the students to enjoy!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child’s learning journey. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warm regards,
Mr. River Eubanks
Kindergarten Teacher

Star of the Day Calendar….