Friday, February 27, 2015

The Little Squeegy Bug

In Class:
This week in class we read The Little Squeegy Bug!


We practiced the /g/ sound like in the word buG. We talked about what kind of bug the squeegy bug is (a firefly, or lightning bug) and if the kids had ever seen a real one before.

In our APPLE class, Miss Marcia brought us the supplies to make squeegy bug snacks. They were delicious!!!



Home Activity:
See what kind of bugs you can find around your house. Use your good speech sounds to call them by their names (ex. lady bug, beetle, fly, etc.). If you are feeling really adventurous, you can give the bugs names! I like to name the first bug I find with an A name, the second a B name, third a C name and so on. This helps us practice lots of speech sounds, too :)

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Dog Breath

In Class:
This week in class we read the book Dog Breath!


Just like Hally Tosis has stinky breath, we talked about other animals that have specific features that are unique to them!

  • Kangaroos have pouches for their babies
  • Skunks can spray when scared
  • Pufferfish puff up and when feel threatened
  • Porcupines have quills to protect them
  • Octopus can squirt ink to help them escape danger without being seen
  • Anglerfish live in the dark and have their own "flashlight"
Home Activity:
Find ten items in your house that have a scent. Decide if they are STINKY or NOT STINKY. Make sure that your child says their good /s/ blend word when saying "Stinky"! How many stinky items did you find? How many not stinky items?

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

My Daddy Snores!

In Class:
This week in class we read My Daddy Snores! We were practicing our /s/ blend words.


We mostly worked on our speech sounds in class this week. We played a version of the activity that you can make to play at home!

At Home:





Friday, February 6, 2015

SINGLE most important skill for your child??

The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Children (from Too Small to Fail)

Reading aloud to children from birth has many benefits for both parents and children—and can be great fun!  No matter how young, children can learn a lot when they are read to, and benefit a great deal from the cuddling and bonding that accompanies a reading session. In addition, the act of reading aloud to children is highly beneficial to both their vocabulary growth and in preparing them for school later on.
Even from birth, children are absorbing language by listening to their parents and caregivers talk, read and sing to them and others.  When parents and caregivers read to their children, they help instill a love of learning and language in their children that helps build self-esteem, confidence and curiosity. According to research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reading has been found to be the “single most important skill” for a productive life.
Unfortunately, according to Read Aloud 15 MINUTES, only 48% of young children in the United States are read to each day. And studies have shown that as many as 10 million children struggle with basic reading in school.
Parents and caregivers can inspire a love of books in their young children by reading books together every day, in any language. And it doesn’t matter how young the child is; even newborn babies show interest and excitement when their parents read simple books to them as they cuddle or nurse them, or when parents describe the pictures in a book during a short play session. No matter the book—and no matter the age—children will learn to love reading if it means spending more time with loved ones.


Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Albert's Impossible Toothache

In Class:
This week in class we are reading Albert's Impossible Toothache!

We talked about the initial /t/ sound and practiced lots of words with this sound.

We talked about toothaches and other aches- tummy aches, head aches, toe aches, etc. If your child says someone bit their toe, its because of this silly book :)

Home Activity:
Print off the following pages. Cut out the words and help your child decide the things that are "good" for our teeth (edible) or "bad" for our teeth (not edible). Place them accordingly on the paper under the good or bad section. As you place each word, practice it 5 times for lots of good initial /t/ word practice!





Monday, February 2, 2015

Pink Color Bags!

You will be receiving this month's color bags in your child's backpack shortly. Please help your child find one or two things around your home that are PINK that they can put in their bag and bring to school by February 10. 

Here is the song we are learning in class and practicing each week for the month of February: