The children are getting excited about Christmas, and they may have told you about our sleeps countdown! We having been counting backwards since 40 sleeps! As well, in preparation for the upcoming holiday season, we have been practicing our Christmas song, All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth. If you are familiar with the song, it wouldn’t hurt to go over it with your child at home. They love to sing!
We are still working on a number of different inquiry-based learning projects in the classroom, one of which is the recognition that we are unique and special in different ways, as set out as a learning outcome in our Social Studies curriculum. I am sending home a book that we compiled last month, in your child’s backpack for this coming week for you to read with him/her. As I had mentioned before, it is called The Important Book. As a follow up to that activity, we will also have a wee homework assignment on your child’s name and how it was chosen. This emphasizes the importance of our individuality through our given names, and allows children and parents to exercise speaking and listening skills in the process.
We have been focusing intensely on rhyme over the last number of weeks, through silly songs, games, stories and activities. There are a number of fun things one can do to help with this important area of phonological awareness and processing. The “Name Game” is a fun one for the car.
Using the name Katie as an example, the song follows this pattern:
- Katie, Katie, bo-batie,
- Banana-fana fo-fatie
- Fee-fi-mo-matie
- Katie!
- (see wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_Game for further explanations)
As well, through our Jolly Phonics program, we have been focusing on initial, middle and sometimes final sounds in words. There are a number of neat ways to enhance learning in this area as well. For instance, if you know the tune “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” have your child respond to a verse such as this:
If your name begins with /t/, stand up
If your name begins with /t/, stand up
If your name begins with /t/, stand up and wave your hands
If your name begins with /t/, stand up.
(try it with a end sound! Kate ends with the /t/ sound)
As I have said before, and I re-iterate once again, you are your child’s first and greatest teacher! What an awesome and tremendous responsibility! Have a wonderful week!
