Prep | Kindergarten News
Unit of Inquiry: Sharing the Planet
Over the last few weeks, the boys have been exploring how cycles follow patterns. We have been inquiring into how cycles are observable in the world around us, and the impact of cycles on living things. This week, we have begun an investigation into how living things have needs. The boys have designed an experiment to identify the differences between living and non-living things. They will conduct this experiment over the next week, making observations, asking questions and collecting data to communicate their ideas.
This unit is closely linked to our Mathematics unit where we have been recognising, describing and continuing patterns, and literacy engagements where we are identifying time connectives in books and communicating our understanding of cycles through written and oral language.
Reading
As part of our literacy programme, students in Kindergarten have continued to develop their phonemic knowledge and understanding by learning new sounds, as well as writing and reading words and sentences. Additionally, students have been taught several high frequency words known as ‘Tricky words’ to support them with increased fluency during reading and writing.
Readers do so much more than decode a series of words or recount a sequence of events. Experienced readers make predictions and inferences in their heads. They also make connections to themselves, others and the world around them. We have been exploring quality picture books with rich vocabulary to continue to develop our comprehension skills. The two most recent stories Superworm and My Two Blankets allowed for the development of target vocabulary including cunning, mope, mutter, strange, whispered, lonely. I wonder if your son has used any of these words outside of the school context. Can he apply his new vocabulary?
Mathematics: Capacity and Three-Dimensional Objects
Whose water bottle holds the most water. Does the FORM of the bottle affect how much water it can hold? Why does the taller bottle hold less water than the shorter bottle? These are all questions posed to and by the kindergarten students as they investigate the concept of capacity. Students make predictions about which container will hold more and then test their predictions using their problems solving skills. We poured one bottle into the other and used our growing and evolving vocabulary to describe our observations. Our target vocabulary of full, empty and half-full assisted the boys to describe their observations.
We have also been manipulating, describing and sorting three-dimensional objects. We are developing our understanding and fluency in mathematics through exploring and connecting mathematical concepts. We are making connections to position, location, perspective and directions.
Christian Studies
Boys love their superheroes. They all have a favourite, or three. Over this term, we are exploring some heroes from the Bible – people who showed amazing faith to trust God. We began the term by thinking about our favourite superheroes like Superman and Batman. We asked the questions: “how do they use their power to save people” and “can they save everyone at the same time”? After singing about “Jesus our superhero”, we saw how Jesus can save everyone at the same time. Over the last few weeks, we have investigated some famous characters such as Joshua at Jericho, Gideon and the jug, trumpet and torch as well as the famous David and Goliath story. They have been recreating the stories using costumes and drama outside. The boys have enjoyed learning how each person was a hero because they trusted God, even when things looked bad.
In Chapel, we are thinking about “the fruit of the Spirit”. This encourages us all to think about how we share love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control with others. We have been learning a new crazy song reminding us that the fruit of the Spirit is not a coconut, or banana but the actions that come from us to serve others. It is also encouraging for them to see other staff members come to Chapel and share their wonderful joy about Jesus with the boys.
