May 17-21

Here's what we've been doing this week:

• We have been doing more addition problems in Spanish and the children are figuring out the answers quicker and with more confidence. This week I asked them more simple addition problems, such as "seis mas dos" (six plus two). The children raised their hands when they had an answer. I let everyone give their answer (in Spanish only) and then we worked it out together. To figure out the answer, I put down number cards between zero and ten on the rug. I asked if someone could find the number "seis". After a child had selected the correct number card, another child put down the correct number of inch cubes for that number. We did the same thing for the number "dos" and then counted all of the blocks (6+2) in Spanish. This helped them associate the number that they were hearing in Spanish with the physical act of putting down the matching number of blocks.

• We've been doing lots of rhyming this week! We talked about rhyming words and the children made up a few rhymes of their own. Then I took out several of our nursery rhyme books. These are books with no more than a sentence on each page and very simplistic drawings. With all of the work that we have been doing with letter sounds, the children were able to figure out the titles to all of the books after looking at the letters in the words. Then I read the books to the class. They loved listening for the rhyming words. Some of the rhymes, such as "Hickory Dickory Dock" and "Humpty Dumpty" were very familar to them, so they said the words with me. Afterwards, all of the books were available so that the children could copy or trace the words and pictures. Listen for lots of rhymes from your children at home!

• We have started a new song in Spanish about a farm. The song has lots of animals that the children get to portray: a duck, chick, cow, pig, donkey, rooster, dog and cat. It's lots of fun. Ask your child to sing it for you.

  La Granja

  Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) El patito hace así, cuá, cuá Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan. Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) El pollito hace así, pío, pío, Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan. Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) La vaquita hace así, mú, mú, Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan. Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) El puerquito hace así, oinc, oinc, Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan.

  Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) El burrito hace así, íja, íja, Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan. Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) El gallito hace así, kikiri, kí, Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan. Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) El perrito hace así, guau, guau, Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan. Vengan a ver mi granja que es hermosa (2x) El gatito hace así, miau, miau, Oh, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan amigos, vengan.

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