3K Learners

Current Unit: Buildings

Next Unit: Wheels

Summary of Building Unit: This is a favorite unit for 3K students! A building is a permanent structure with a roof and walls. All living creatures need a shelter to call home. In our community we have a variety of buildings: small, large, tall, short, wide, etc. As the weather gets warmer, as a Family Engagement activity, students will have fun going for a neighborhood walk to notice and discover the buildings that surround our school. Our block area will turn into a construction zone complete with orange construction vests, hard hats and, of course, caution tape. They will also use recycled items, such as cardboard boxes and tubes, to construct different types of buildings. We will investigate how buildings in our community are the same and different; what is needed to build structures; who builds these structures; what materials are used; what jobs are needed, and  purposes for different buildings. 

At home you can:

• Take a walk around your neighborhood and identify different types of buildings and their functions (library, medical office, apartment building, etc.).
• Compare different buildings using categories such as size, color, number of windows, etc. Encourage your child to use complete sentences and unit vocabulary.  
• Investigate your home and create a list: how many windows, doors, rooms, steps, etc. 
• Measure something in your home, such as a window, door, floor tile, etc. You can use a measuring tape or a non standard unit of measurement (shoe, paper clips, cereal box, your hand).

Summary of Wheels Unit: 

Wheels are used everywhere and they are all around us. They are on buses and cars, shopping carts, strollers, wagons, tricycles, toys, etc Children love to explore how things move and wheels make this easier. The students will discover how wheels work, how people in their community need wheels to make their work easier, and even use different materials to create their own wheels.  Through this unit we will 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. Keep a list! 
• Compare different types of wheels and ask questions to encourage conversation. Why are some wheels so huge and others tiny? Do you think a bus would move if it had wheels like on a bicycle? Why do you think that?
• Play with toy cars. Create different ramps using blocks, cardboard, books, etc. Which ramp makes the car roll faster, farther, etc.

Reading: 

3K students love listening to stories!  In these upcoming units we will read books about wheels, buildings, and stepping up to Pre-K. As we continue our daily read aloud, we will review the various parts of a book, including the title, author, and illustrator. Students will continue to be challenged to answer questions about the story, as well as higher thinking questions that include their opinion on why they believe something particular happened in the story. 

At home you can:

• Read stories daily and include books about buildings, construction and wheels.
• Take a picture walk through a book before reading it together. Have your child make observations, connections, and ask questions. 
• 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
• Good night, Construction Site by Sherri Dusky Rinker & Helen Morgan
• ABC on Wheels By:Roman Olivera
• The Three Little Pigs 
• Amazing Buildings By: Kate Hayden
• Construction Zoo By Jennifer Thorne

Writing:

3K has been working very hard developing our pre-writing skills. As they continue to practice drawing lines and shapes, they also have many opportunities to practice identifying and writing the letters and they are beginning to write their names. 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:

Our 3k students are continuing to practice identifying and drawing shapes,  counting up to 10, identifying numerals 1-10, counting small groups of up to 5 objects, determining which has more/less.

At home you can:

• Use their finger or a toy car to practice tracing numbers or letters. (See image below.)
• Have your child practice tracing numbers 0-5 using any fun type of writing tool, such as colorful markers or a fun pen.

Gym/Gross Motor Movement

Gross 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.

Parent and Student Voices:

The recycling unit made my child more aware of how we can reuse things and at the same time reduce waste. Now Jiana will ask me how can we reuse this bottle mommy or we can use this container again. So I am very happy for the recycling unit. Smaller steps today with the younger generation will lead to a greener tomorrow. 

-Parent of Jiana