![]() Having conferences this week and getting to share all the wonderful things our children are doing in Kindergarten reinvigorates me and also makes me wonder, where did September go? It seems like it was yesterday that they walked in (some crying), just starting to write their names "on the boot" and learning about this thing called Kindergarten. To talk about them counting their numbers, making combinations of 5 and 10, referring to mathematical tools by their precise name and writing their letters and numbers is incredible! I love watching them grow! This week, we've been working on listening with empathy. We're building our sense of awareness about ourselves and those around us. We talked about how listening with empathy requires us to listen with our eyes and ears. We show each other that we are listening through our mannerisms, our eyes and even "thinking ahead" about their needs. For example, students "listen" to their surroundings by making sure that when we sit in a circle, we make sure that everyone feels included in the physical space. When someone is talking, we turn our bodies and track the speaker. We read about Pezzettino, a small, orange piece that looked all over for where he belonged. He searches all around only to find that he belongs to himself. The book is simple but rich, a message to students about their own uniqueness, the infinite things that make them who they are and how they are a special piece of a larger puzzle. Not only did this book reinforce concepts we are learning in school: a sense of community, a sense of belonging, everyone offering their own individual talents and gifts, but it provided us with an opportunity to talk about parts, wholes, and a natural need to apply counting and cardinality. Students created their own unique "Pezzettino," thinking about what makes them special and unique. Here are some comments they shared:
Students counted each colored square they used and counted how many they used in all - a big task for kinders! Here are some questions you might your child:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2016
Categories |