3K Learners

Current Unit: Wheels

Next Unit: Exercise

Summary of Unit: 

Wheels are all around us. They are on cars, buses, shopping carts, riding toys, etc

Children love to explore how things move and how wheels help us do things easier.

The students will discover the physical attributes of wheels, how they work, notice things that they use in their daily lives that have wheels, and conclude the unit by making cars out of cardboard boxes.  Through this unit we will continue to focus on language, literacy, math and science skills to enhance their learning.

At home you can:

• Take a walk around your neighborhood and identify different types of wheels.
• Make Pizza and have your child use a pizza cutter to make pieces.
• Compare different types of wheels
• Ask them why a car has 4 wheels and a bicycle has 2 wheels?
• Begin discussing stepping up to PreK.  Ask your child how they feel about moving to a new class next year. 

Exercise is crucial to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Moving makes children feel capable and confident, releases tension, and builds strong bodies and minds. We will explore how our bodies move and learn the importance of moving our bodies. As we learn about exercise we will incorporate math, literacy, science, social studies, art & music, and physical development skills. 

At home you can:

• Exercise as a family: ride bicycles/scooters together, go for walks.
• Take turns choosing an exercise and count up to 10 while doing the exercise: EX: Jumping Jacks, Hopping, Running in place, etc. 
• Play with all types of balls: throwing, catching, bouncing

Reading: 

K students listen to and interact with a read aloud each day! The class has grown to love books and understand some basic concepts of print. In these upcoming units we will read books about wheels, exercise, and stepping up. As we continue to explore our daily read aloud, we will review the various parts of a book, including the title, author, and illustrator. 

At home you can:

• Read books about wheels and exercise..
• Take a picture walk through a book before reading it together. Have your child make observations, connections, and ask questions. For example, “I see a family traveling in a car. I wonder where they are going. This reminds me of when I went in a car to go see Grandma.” Let your child show off how to properly hold a book and turn the pages! See if they can tell a story using the pictures. 

Suggested Books:

• Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus By:Mo Willems
• Where’s the Ramp? By: Lisa McCarthy
• ABC on Wheels By:Roman Olivera
• Head to Toe By: Eric Carle
• Wiggle By: Doren Cronin
• Barn Dance By: Bill Martin

Writing:

3K students have been working very hard to identify the letters of, and write their names. We “sign in” to school each morning. We are continuing to practice the tripod grip while using writing tools. As they continue to practice writing their letters, the students will be working on the understanding that when letters are put together, they form words. We will begin to label our own artwork. Our classroom continues to be a print rich environment to provide unit vocabulary and examples of the written word. Each center has a writing basket for children to create as they play. 

At home you can:

• Encourage your child to write their first name! 
• Provide your child with a list of family member’s names and have them try to write them. Notice how the first letter is always uppercase and the rest are typically lowercase.
• Have your child try to label their pictures.
• Have your child draw a picture of what they see at a park, store, or during a walk with you label the picture

Math:

During our final unit, pre-k students will continue to identify numbers 1-10 and count small groups of objects (up to 5). In class we will use different objects to visually demonstrate these concepts. Finally, students will practice writing numbers 1-5 on their own. 

At home you can:

• Use a toy car to practice tracing numbers or letters. (See image below.)
• Have your child practice writing numbers 0-5 using any fun type of writing tool, such as colorful markers or a fun pen.
• Create an exercise and perform the exercise 10 times, counting as you do the exercise.  

Gym/Gross Motor Movement

ross Motor is a crucial part of a child’s development. Everyday we participate in activities that require listening skills, critical thinking, problem solving, and strengthening our muscles. As the weather gets warmer we will start to go outside to the playground for our daily gross motor period with Ms. Sheflin. The students love to run, make up games, ride tricycles, and climb.

                              **SAVE THE DATES**

As we celebrate our last unit: Exercise

We would like to invite both parents/caregivers to have breakfast with us in the large playground on May27th at 8:30am and then exercise our bodies through some fun gross motor activities.

It is crucial to learn how to keep our bodies healthy & strong while having fun. Please bring a blanket and breakfast for you and your child.

Our Stepping Up Ceremony will be Tuesday, June 24th at 10:00 am

in the classroom.Two People per family can attend.

Make sure you bring ID to enter the school.

Can’t wait to celebrate!

Parent and Student Voices:

“My building is Target!” -Soraya

“I build the building high. His is not.” - Zion

“The playground is the best. I chase.”-Selena

“The wall is bricks.” -Tauren

“My favorite center is kitchen” -Jaylin