Wow! The children are learning more sight words and we are learning how knowing one word can help us read another word. If we can read "me" (which we can!) then we can read "we","he", "be", and even "she"! If we can read "at" we can read (and spell) "cat","hat","sat","fat", "bat" and "rat". Here is the link to our fun "at" song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UAajWf0TLo Our new favorite - Chicken Jane - saves Scot and Dot from the acrobatic cat. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92sBstV4w7M We have also covered the sight words: look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MG5pZ0F3Js and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr0StkqQNws are (Argh! No video for this) Thanks, parents, for listening to the children read their little books each night - this is where they put their skills to use. Soon the books will have more words so the firm foundation is very important.

The children are getting lots of practice recognizing sight words. They are reading beginning books, playing sight word games and doing Smartboard activities.   Some fun things you can do at home to keep the words fresh over the Christmas break are: Spread salt or sugar on a cookie sheet and have your child make the words with their pointer finger. Of course, if you use sugar they can have a lick at the end of a word! Use the magnetic letters from the preschool kit and have the children play "Mix and Fix' on the fridge or a cookie sheet. They make the sight word and then they mix it up, repeating it several times and saying the letters and the final word as they "fix". Make the words with playdough (or real cookie dough!) Spray shaving foam or whipped cream on the counter and have your child trace out the word. Cut letters out of the flyers and glue them on a sheet of paper to make the sight words. "Rainbow Write" the words: the child (or you) makes the word with a pencil or marker. The child traces the word with several different colors to make a rainbow word. Write the words on separate pieces of paper, make sentences with them and have your child read the sentence. Mix in your family names to make it motivational and meaningful. Here is the list of sight words we have covered so far: I, my, Mom, Dad, is, here, am, see, the, little, big, a We plan to do In and on this week. Some of the children are picking up words like:  yes, no, happy, cat, dog  They may be fun to practice with too.

Some parents have been asking for the tune to the song we are singing for the Christmas concert. Here is a link to where they sell the music - there is a place you can click on "listen" and it plays the middle part of the song. http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/St-Nick-at-Night-Jolly-Old-St-Nichol... Here is a link to another class singing the same song on You Tube. Our actions are different but the words are the same. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOugtxnjGPw