3K Learners

Current Unit: Current Unit: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Next Unit: Unit 2 - Buildings

Summary of Unit:

Summary of Unit: This unit introduced our very youngest students to the idea that too much garbage can have a negative effect on our community. Our garbage affects us, as well as the plants and animals that we share the earth with. Learning to reduce, reuse and recycle gives our young students a way that they can directly help keep our community clean. By recycling old bottles, cans, paper, and more, we are reducing what we turn into trash. In our room we collected our used paper and shredded it to create a confetti table that is very popular at Choice Time. We also took scraps of paper and boxes and turned them into beautiful works of art. We have read stories, had discussions, thought of ideas to solve the problem of making too much trash.

Home/School Connection: 

• Talk about recycling in your home.
• Make something out of recycle items

The children read the story Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats. Ask your child if they have a toy that they don’t use anymore and pass it on or donate it.

Reading: 

Students continue to engage with our daily Read Alouds. Before reading the story, we read the title and look at the cover. Students are asked to make a prediction about what they think the story is about? Students are asked to tell why they think this. During reading, we take pauses to ask comprehension questions and highlight vocabulary.

At home you can:

• Reread familiar books with your child and encourage them to use the picture clues to “read” it to you.
• Preview new before reading by looking at the cover and the pictures. Ask your child to make predictions about what will happen in the story. 
• Encourage your child to make connections between books and their own life. How are they like the characters in the story? How are they different?

Writing:

Our 3K students have started to sign in as part of our morning routine. Children are encouraged to hold their pencil using a tripod grip. They are encouraged to write the first letter of their name. Almost all of our students are able to recognize their name and most are able to correctly name the first letter. Our writing center, a choice time option, contains many types of writing tools and paper choices. Writing paper and pencils/crayons are also available in all centers for the children to use during their choice time activities.

At home you can:

• Provide a variety of writing tools. Encourage your child to practice holding the crayon with a three finger grip. Ask your child to tell you all about their picture!
• Strengthen your child’s fine motor hand muscles by playing with clay or play-doh. This will be extremely helpful with skills such as writing and cutting. It’s also a lot of fun! 

Math: 

Our 3k students have been practicing counting all throughout the day. Every morning we start the day by counting how many children are on line. Students have been introduced to a ten frame and while taking attendance during morning meeting each child adds a red circle to the frame. We count how many children are present and how many are absent. In class we have also been working on counting groups of up to 5 objects. Students have also been introduced to numerals 1-5. Students have been introduced to positional words and are encouraged to use them in their daily conversations (up, down, above, below, next to, over, under, in between, top, bottom).

At home you can: 

• Identify colors and shapes you see. Include colors and shapes in your daily conversations. For example, “Can you put your red cup in the sink?”,“I love your blue shirt!” 
• Count with your child throughout the day. 
• Use positional words in your conversations and when you give your child tasks at home.For example, “Please put this on top of the table.” “Put this book on the top shelf.”

Gross Motor / Movement

The students have been going to the gym with Ms. Sheflin every morning. Ms. Sheflin has been working on gross motor activities such as balance, running, jumping, hopping and climbing. Students are also still going outside to our playground at the end of each day. Please be sure your child is wearing sneakers and weather appropriate clothing.  

Parent & Student Voice:

We would love to know what your child tells you about school! What is their favorite center? What was their favorite Reduce Reuse Recycle activity?