I can't thank you all enough for the wonderful parent/teacher conference I had with you on Tuesday, November 4th! We had lots of great discussions and I really got to know a lot about you and your family. This helps me understand your child and how I can help any needs of theirs in the classroom. If you would like to schedule a conference with me in the upcoming weeks before the Holiday Break please let me know. I can't believe that we are almost 1/2 way done with the school year! Time flies when you are having fun! When we get back in January we will start PALS in the middle of the month. We will know more then where your child is and how to better meet their needs. :)
One conversation I had with many of you was about sight words. Sight word recognition is a hard skill at the beginning of the year for many students. As many of you had noticed the "COW", better known as Concept of Word, is the hardest skill on the PALS test. Without a concept of word it is hard for students to understand the meaning of a sight word or what we are even asking them to memorize. If your child is getting frustrated PLEASE put the sight words away. However, you can practice sight words, or focus on the skill of concept of word, by asking "what word is this?" inside their small homework books or Super Kid books they bring home at the end of each unit. You can also count words, ask beginning sounds, or decode or "break apart" words. Then, bright back the flash cards as they build they confidence. I will check sight words soon before we leave for the holidays. As a reminder, I would like for all students to know the pre-primer and primer word list before moving onto 1st grade. I am VERY proud of all my students for their hard work and dedication! Keep it up class!
Here are a few websites that have fun sight word games for your children to enjoy:
http://www.sightwordsgame.com/
http://www.zoodles.com/free-online-kids-games/kindergarten_sight-words
http://www.cookie.com/kids/games/sight-words.html
http://www.familylearning.org.uk/sight_word_games.html
If you have any questions about sight words or anything else we are doing in the classroom please let me know. I hope your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving Break! :)
-Miss Bunch
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