Welcome
to Mrs. Smith's
Kindergarten
Class
This page includes
all of the handouts I send home with each child the first day they attend
my class. Everyone gets them on the First Day of School, and I also
send them with any student who enrolls later in the year.
Feel free to copy
and adapt for your own use.
KinderKorner subscribers
can download a Word 97 .doc file containing these pages from the Shared
Files area on the ONElist website, at http://www.onelist.com ... sign on
to the site, click on your KinderKorner subscription, then choose Shared
Files and look for the file called WelcometoK.doc -- If you have any problems
with the download, write to help@onelist.com for assistance.
Welcome To
Mrs. Smith’s Kindergarten Class
My name is Victoria Smith, and I am delighted
to be your child’s teacher this year. Kindergarten is a time of new beginnings,
of making friends, and of learning lots of new things each and every day.
This is my sixth year with Bakersfield City School District, and the first
year that we have had an extended-day kindergarten. Our days and weeks
will be filled with many wonderful experiences and opportunities for learning
and growing.
We will learn all about letters and
sounds this year, and will be doing lots of writing activities, too. The
children are always proud of the stories and books they create and are
anxious to share their new skills. Families can help at home by reading
to and with their child daily, and encouraging them to write and draw.
We will also be learning all about numbers, building on important math
concepts including sorting, counting, graphing, classifying, patterns,
time and money, measurement, and addition and subtraction.
As soon as we settle in, I'll be sending
you information regarding our daily schedule, reading and math instructional
programs, homework, and kindergarten educational goals and expectations.
I will also be sending a note about my Home Reading Connection Program,
and I’m certain you’ll want your student to be a part of it!
You are welcome to visit our classroom
at any time. I can always use an extra pair of hands and another smiling
face when I am working with the children. I am in need of helpers who can
come on a regular schedule, whether weekly, biweekly, or monthly – as well
as helpers who would just like to drop by when they can. I also need helpers
who are willing to do simple things for me at home, such as stapling books
together or gluing covers on our Writer’s Workshop books. Let me know if
you are able to help in this way, and I will send all necessary materials
home with your child when help is
needed.
Please feel free to call me at school
(631-5430) if you have any questions or comments. I'm looking forward to
a wonderful year with you and your child!
Mrs. Smith
Classroom Environment
Our classroom environment reflects real,
relevant teaching and learning. Our classroom curriculum incorporates all
the language processes (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in a
meaningful context using a Balanced Literacy approach that values purposeful
reading and writing.
Our classroom encourages children to
see themselves as readers, writers, and problem solvers. We value the process
as well as the product, and understand that all children are unique individuals.
The teaching process is based on what we know about how children learn.
We use district-adopted reading and
mathematics instructional materials, including the "Literacy Place" series
from Scholastic for Language Arts, and "Anytime Math" and "Math Their Way"
for math and problem-solving.
Our classroom strives to:
Immerse the students in oral and
written language, offering ample opportunities for experience and practice.
Create a cooperative classroom where
children are encouraged to interact in a positive way.
Create a print-rich environment.
Give children choice times during the
day, where they have opportunities to be responsible for their own learning.
Provide multiple opportunities for children
to work – independently or with the teacher – in large groups, small groups,
and individually.
Allow opportunities for the teacher
to observe and record children and their learning.
Give children experience with real mathematical
and scientific processes.
Teaching Reading is Based on These Beliefs
Reading programs should be child centered.
Reading for meaning is paramount.
Reading must always be rewarding.
Children learn to read by reading, and
also by experimenting with writing.
Children need to be read to every day.
Children learn best with books that
have meaning and are rewarding.
The best approach to teaching reading
is a combination of approaches, offering instruction in phonics and discrete
skills as well as experience with good literature. This is the essence
of "Balanced Literacy."
The best cure for reading failure is
good first teaching.
The foundations of literacy are laid
in the early years.
Teaching Phonics in Our Classroom
Through a Balanced Literacy program,
that includes
direct instruction in phonics and discrete
skills
Through Big Book and Pocket Chart activities
with known text
Used in the context of a meaningful
task
Through interactive music and movement
activities
As part of daily routines
Tied to literature and stories, songs,
and poems
Modeled through teacher demonstration
and student interaction
Integrated with journal work, writing
table, and special word books
Through Guided Writing and Guided Reading
Through book making
Taught with Sound Picture Cards and
reinforced with Sound Charts
As an integral part of our spelling
program
Components of a Daily Literacy Lesson
Read Aloud - Teacher reads stories
/ poems that are at or above the students’ independent and guided reading
levels. This familiarizes students with book language, story structure,
descriptions, plot development, concepts of print, phonics and phonemic
awareness, and the love of literature.
Shared Reading - Provides the
beginning support that enables children to read independently. The teacher
reads a story to the whole group or class. During rereading, the children
participate, reading more and more of the text.
Guided Reading - A small group,
teacher-directed process that helps the children to develop the reading
strategies they need to become independent readers.
Independent Reading - Provides
opportunities during the day for children to practice and internalize strategies
learned during shared and guided reading, using many different types of
text.
Write Aloud / Modeled Writing
- The teacher models the processes an author uses in planning and writing
a story or other product, for the whole class or a small group.
Shared Writing - The teacher
and the children work together through the processes that occur in writing:
concepts and conventions of print, sound/symbol relations, phonics, and
spelling.
Guided Writing - The children
write with or for the teacher, following the same processes as Shared Writing.
Independent Writing - Children
learn to write by writing for their own purposes and from their own experiences.
They learn to think of themselves as authors, making good writing decisions
while employing the entire Writing Process (from first draft through editing
to "published" product). Additional practice of discrete skills may be
in the form of directed writing or worksheets.
Student Behavior and Discipline
Our class rules are simple and easy to
follow:
-
Listen to the teacher
and follow directions.
-
Use a quiet, inside
voice in the classroom.
-
Take turns listening
and speaking, and raise your hand to speak
during group time.
-
Clean up after yourself.
-
No running in the classroom.
-
Be a good friend.
In addition, BCSD rules include the
following:
-
Toys, gum, candy, and
seeds may not be brought to school.
-
Keep your hands and
feet to yourself.
-
Students may not wear
hats at school.
Consequences in our classroom for choosing
to not follow the rules:
-
Verbal warning.
-
5 minute time out.
-
10 minute time out.
-
15 minute time out, in our
room or another classroom, and a
possible phone call to parent or note sent home.
-
20 minute time out in
our room or another classroom,
loss of activity such as centers/free choice/recess,
phone call
to parent or note sent home, and possible referral to
the principal
for counseling.
Looking for more ideas?
My bookstore pages have lots of information
on how I use various materials in my classroom, and on activities you can
do with your students. The thematic pages are complete unit resources,
with lots of poems, songs, and activities on each page. Make yourself
comfortable and take a look around!
Choose from the categories below.
Underlined subjects are links, the
other ones are coming soon!
These pages are updated often,
so please come back soon to
see what's new at KinderKorner!
Click below to go directly to
Amazon.com
to browse for books.
This page went online on August 16, 1999.
Kinder Korner and all non-credited text materials
on this page
are copyright by Victoria Smith, 1998 &
1999.
All rights reserved.
Graphics on this page are from
and
