Sorry I didn't post last week.  That snow day seemed to really throw me off for the rest of the week.  Last week the only new learning we had for reading was the letter F.  This week we are learning the letter O and sight words they, you, and of.  In Math we have been working on the numbers 10-16, and we will continue to 30 this week.  One of the goals we have for Kindergarten is to be able to write all of the numbers up to 100.  This is kind of an ambitious goal for Kindergarteners, but they usually don't have a problem with it after practice.  Last week we wrote to 20 and then to 30, but the kids have been able to use classroom resources to help them out.  Eventually they will be assessed on writing the numbers independently with no help.  This is something that would be great and very easy to work on at home.  In Social Studies we are finishing up our unit on Maps and Geography.  I am assessing the students individually and will have those grades posted as soon as I get to each student.  It is taking for-ev-er!  We have also been working on RtI testing, which basically is a way for us to see if the kids are keeping up with national norms based on their grade and the time of year.  We test on basic skills, and we have already done the fall and I am just finishing up the winter, so I will be able to compare the two and see if each student and the class as a whole is making adequate growth.  We will be able to discuss the results at the March parent-teachers conference, or earlier if need be. 

Please keep reading with your kids at home.  When they bring in a filled up book sheet, each month they get a book-it certificate first and and sheets they fill up after that will get a prize from the prize box.  I haven't been keeping track of who has reached the goal each month, but I am afraid there are many kids who haven't been able to receive the prize which is a very easily attainable goal.  From a teacher's standpoint, I have to say that I can usually tell which kids have been read to at home on a consistent basis.  Experts recommend you read to your child every night for at least 20 minutes.  In my class I just simply ask that you read 25 books a month, and if some of those books are the easy readers the kids bring from school, they only take about 2 minutes a piece.  I think it is worth evaluating how much time you spend reading with you child even if they do an O.K. job without the practice.  It makes a world of difference in their overall comprehension, their vocabulary, their reading skills, and their exposure to the vast world that we live in.  Have fun reading!