Today we started an important pre-reading activity. I gave each student a sheet of paper with three boxes on it. I called out three sound words and asked them to put a block in the box where they heard the sound. For example, "Where do you hear the /a/ in cat?" (in the middle box). A couple of the students insisted that they could not do this because they don't know how to read yet, and I explained that if they would participate with an open mind, they would learn and would eventually become readers--one of the big goals of kindergarten. I try to remain positive, but I insist that every student TRY!

Hearing screenings took up our math time, so we did not get to start math journals today, but we will tomorrow. Each day, your child will have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the day's math concept by drawing/writing in their math journal. For example, one day the journal activity might be for students to draw a square and draw a circle inside the square. I will be able to see, at a glance, if they understand shapes and the concept of "inside." Math journals will be one of the main ways I grade students for report cards.

Tomorrow is library. Don't forget to send your library book back to school so your child can choose a different book.