September Journals Part 2

September Journals Part 1

August Journals

Kindergarten students write in a journal.  It is true!  They write in their journal every day.  At first the pages may have a basic drawing and you will see where they tried to write their thoughts using lines, circles or random letters of the alphabet.  Throughout the year the drawings become more advanced and your child will start to draw letters of that sound and then words using inventive spelling or by looking at the Word Wall in the classroom. In time they will be able to write on their own.  Some kindergartners come in knowing how to write, so then they are challenged to write more, using details and adjectives. 

Each child is at a different level and that is okay.  I try to get them to keep advancing at their own pace.  Each day I do a lesson teaching them how to write and how to use a "magic line", if they just can't figure out how to sound out a word.  I model the writing for them at the board to demonstrate how it is done.  We review our anchor chart on how to write a sentence.

I explain to the kids that their writing is called "kid writing" and mine is "grown-up writing".  We don't want them to think that their writing is wrong, but it just different.  The goal is to get each child to feel free to write and express themselves without the pressure of it being perfect.  I think that you will enjoy seeing what your child was thinking about at this young age.  Its very interesting to watch them progress throughout their kindergarten year.  

We also keep a class nature journal where together we write about what is happening around us in nature.  Encourage your child to write at home by providing them with paper, markers, colored pencils, and crayons.  You could even buy a "primary" journal notebook and together you could journal his/her life as a small child.  What a great keepsake that would be!

Journal writing teaches students:

• how to read from left to right 
• how to write a sentence 
• how to read 
• how to spell and sound out words 
• how to use correct punctuation 
• how the spoken word can be put into written words  

A Surprise in the Mail!

I surprised the kindergartners with their very own field guide titled, "South Dakota Backyard Birds".  They were so excited when they started looking through it!  They were shouting out birds that they knew in the book.  It was really fun to see them so happy and enjoying the booklets.  These field guides will stay in school throughout the year.  They will use them when for journal writing if they choose to write about a bird.  They will use them to tell riddles using describing words and having their friend try to guess the bird.  On that last day of school they can take their booklet home.

Look! We Know 28 Birds!

Once or twice a day I do a quick run through the bird cards with the kindergartners.  I teach a new bird or two each day.  Here are the bird cards that most of them know.  They even know a few more that I don't have cards for like: Snowy Owl, Bald Eagle and Baltimore Oriole.  Ask your child to name these birds off of these photos.  Maybe they can tell you a bit more about the bird too...like what the bird eats or sounds like.  Have fun!

Fall Trees

Today we did some fall/autumn art since fall colors are beginning to appear in the area.  The kindergartners were supposed to paint a trunk with a paint brush and brown paint and add some branches.  Then they were supposed to use small sponges and dab on orange, yellow and red paint for the leaves.  They really enjoyed this project!  Each tree is as unique as each child!  I loved the finished product!

Cattails

In the fall, the cattails are about to burst.  I brought some to school for the students to check out and after a few days we took the cattails outdoors.  I told the kids they could each give the cattail one pinch.  When they pinched them the seeds came flowing out of the cattail very quickly.  It is kind of a neat thing and the kids loved it.  I explained that each of those tiny seeds would either blow off in the wind or float on the water to the shoreline of a lake or wetland and they would possibly grow into a new cattail plant.  Then I shook the cattail and the seeds blew in the wind over the kids.  They loved it!  This short lesson only took 10 minutes and they learned something about plants and nature while having fun at the same time!