Mrs. Lefever
Kindergarten
Beckham Elementary
"Mom! Today I broke my stamina record of 15 minutes in Read to Self, and I also got to pick 5 "good fit" books of my very own to put in my book box!"
"Dad, this hamburger you're grilling has a good aroma! That's my strategy on the CAFE menu, you know, to use interesting vocabulary!"
"Do we have a deck of cards? I want to teach Sam the Buddy Game that I played in BUILD today."
LANGUAGE ARTS 
In K we are learning to read and write within a framework called the Daily Five. (In my class we do four due to time constraints.) During the morning, the children are required to go to 4 work stations in any order that they choose.
1) Read to Self--reading books from their book box. At the beginning of the year I select a variety of genres for them to read from. Later they learn to select their own "good fit" books based on their own interests and reading level.
2) Listen to Reading--listening to books on tape
3) Work on Writing--writing stories about daily events in their lives
4) Word Work--working on spelling words and high frequency words (sight words)
The children begin the year by learning how each station works and then practice building their stamina so that they will be able to work at each station independently for long periods of time. In about 6 weeks they are able to increase their stamina from working for 1 minute to working for 16 minutes and longer at each station.
How Can I Help at Home?
Reading
- Read to your child everyday. Ask him questions about the story when you are finished. Have him retell the story to you. Ask him what his favorite part was and why. Can he connect the story to something in his life or to another book? These are all important elements that we discuss at school and that your child must be able to do in order to progress to the next reading level.
- When your child brings home books from his reading group, encourage him to read them to everyone in the house! Repeated reading encourages fluency.
Writing
- You can help your child generate ideas for his stories at school by pointing out interesting events as they occur in his daily life--a lost tooth, a new pair of shoes, a haircut, a trip to the park, the dog getting out, etc. On the way to school each morning ask in the car, "What are you going to write about today?"
- Provide writing opportunities at home. Buy special notebooks and writing tools at a dollar store and encourage your child to write.
Word Work
- Be attentive to your child's daily spelling practice. Make sure that he knows which word he is writing as he is doing his nightly homework or else he is just doing handwriting practice! Review previous words frequently by making flashcards of each of your child's words. You can also play games to help review the words such as Memory, Hangman, etc. There is also a wonderful site where you can customize an individualized spelling list of our sight words for your child to practice on at www.spellingcity.com.
- Encourage your child to look for his spelling words while you are reading and while you are out and about. Look for them on menus, on signs, etc. Keep them always in the forefront of your mind. Quiz your child on his spelling words while going to and from school each day.
MATH 
We are learning about numbers, patterns, geometry, measuring and addition/subtraction within a framework called BUILD. During the afternoon the children are required to go to the L and D stations and may choose from the B, U, and I stations.
B--Buddy Games-working on math games with a buddy
U--Using Manipulatives-using manipulatives to solve math problems independently
I--Independent Reading--looking at math books and making math books about the unit emphasis
L--Learning About Numbers-activities focusing on numbers and how they work. For example, understanding that 5 might be composed of 3 & 2, 4 & 1, 5 & 0, etc. This station is generally tailored to meet a child's individual needs based on assessment.
D--Doing Math-the focus is on one specific emphasis at a time such as geometry or patterns
The children begin the year by learning how each station works and then practice building their stamina so that they will be able to work at each station independently for long periods of time. In about 6 weeks they are able to increase their stamina from working for 2 minutes to working for 12 minutes or longer at each station.
How Can I Help at Home?
- Games--Get out that deck of cards and play! Great games for this age group are Go Fish, Crazy 8's, Old Maid, Memory, War, etc.
- Count! Count all of the time. Count while driving to and from school each day. K's should be able to rote count to 100. If your child can count forward to 100, practice counting backwards from 100. Don't always start and begin at 1/100. Pick a random starting point such as 39 and count from there. K's can also begin counting by 10's, 5's, and 2's (in that order).
- Story Problems--Tell your child a story problem to figure out in his head. You have books and I give you more. How many do you have now? You have 6 pieces of candy, and you share 4 with your brother. How many do you have now?
SCIENCE 
During the spring we will be exploring various animals and their habitats such as farm animals, freshwater life, rainforest animals, zoo animals, ocean life, elephants, insects, etc. We will be learning about the various characteristics and parts of living organisms, identifying their needs, examining their interdependence on each other, and looking for patterns and similarities in their development (tadpoles to frogs, caterpillars to butterflies, larvae to ladybugs, etc.).
As the seasons change from winter to spring, we will be observing and recording the changes that we see, looking for patterns and cycles that occur in nature, and predicting what will happen next. Through simple investigations the kindergartners will develop abilities necessary for scientific inquiry--asking questions, gathering information, constructing an explanation, and communicating their findings. Each student will be involved using basic tools such as a handlens, simple microscope, and his own five senses to make observations, collect information, and record his findings.
How Can I Help at Home?
Encourage your child to use all of his senses when exploring his world! If he finds something especially interesting (a leaf that is an unusual color, a rock with a curious pattern, an insect, etc.), encourage him to start a science collection at home (or bring it to school to share). Ask him to describe the object to you using as many of his senses as he can. Have him label and record his observations on paper.
SOCIAL STUDIES
In March we will be learning about our state and some of its symbols. We will also be learning about some of the early history of Texas and of men such as Stephen F. Austin who played an important role in the formation of our state.
In May we celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day. We will discuss family customs and traditions and how they are unique and special to each family.
How Can I Help at Home?.
Ask your child to say the Texas Pledge for you.
Ask your child to sing our state song, "Texas, Our Texas."
Discuss your family heritage with your child and what family customs and traditions are unique to your family.
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