Riggs:
- This week we introduced the margin (the vertical line near the left edge of the paper), the Riggs clock, comfortably close (letters that are close to each other without being squished or too far apart) and spaces the blank space between words. We also practiced the first 3 Riggs strokes of 7: the circle, short line and tall line above the baseline. Here is what I dictate to the children:
Stroke 1-the circle: Spacing over to leave enough room for a full round circle which will sit “comfortably close” to the margin line, just under the middle dotted line, begin at 2 on the clock. Go up and around, touch the dots and go down past 10 to 8; set your circle on the baseline and round up past 4 to 2. Stop and lift your pencil. Remember your circle should be comfortably close to the margin line.
Stoke 2-the short line: Begin at the middle dotted line and pull a line straight down to the baseline. Stop and lift your pencil.
Stroke 3-the tall line above the baseline: Begin just below the top base line and pull a line straight down to the baseline. Stop and lift your pencil.
Stroke 4-the tailed line extending below the baseline: Begin at the middle dotted line and pull a line straight down past the base line, stopping just above the lower dotted line. Lift your pencil.
Stroke 5-the first diagonal line: Begin at the middle dotted line, above 10 on the clock. Slant your line forward, straight down past 4 on the clock to stop at the base line. Lift your pencil.
Stroke 6-the short cross line: Begin just above the middle dotted line, make a small horizontal stroke in the direction we read and write. Stop and lift your pencil.
Stroke 7-the second diagonal line: Begin at the middle dotted line above the 2 on the clock. Slant your stroke backwards past 8 to stop at the base line. Lift your pencil.
We practiced Riggs strokes on Riggs paper, on sandpaper using cinnamon sticks and in applesauce.
Riggs clock: 
Riggs letter strokes 
- Next week we will review the first 3 strokes then have a letter stroke test. Learn the next two strokes and have another letter stroke test.
Saxon Math:
- We have been learning about graphs. We placed objects on graphs. We've been graphing our weather. The students are learning how to do their lunch count as an entry task because that is another graph. We learned about pictographs: a graph with pictures. We graphed who brought us to school; mom, dad, brother/sister, or grandma/grandpa.
- We learned about the shapes circle and square. How many corners, sides, angles they have, where the center is, they found the shapes in our classroom, made art (in the hallway) using the shapes.
- We learned about left and right and practiced how to tell them apart. We also did the Hokey Pokey to practice left and right.
- We are practicing writing numbers 0, 6, 8 and 9. The students have rolled a dice to see what number to write and spun a spinner to see what number to write.
- Next week we will be ordering (smallest to largest and least to greatest), matching numbers to sets, collecting and sorting data, identifying morning, afternoon, identify first, last, between, middle, first, second and third. We will also be having our first math assessment.
Core Knowledge:
- We filled in our tree quadrant with what we knew about winter, made winter posters (boys poster and girls poster)
- We read a book called "Snow Globe Family" and made snow globe art
- We peeled, cut and cored apples to make (sugar free applesauce) that we ate and practiced Riggs strokes in.
- We read a book called "Waiting for Winter" where 3 animals who didn't know what snow was (they are hibernators) talk to deer about snow. Deer says snow is "white, wet, cold and soft" and the 3 hibernators look for snow and find a can, a toothbrush and sock. We talked about the importance of our words and how we use them to describe. It is hard to know something when you haven't seen it before by listening to a description.
- Next week we will be talking about Spring.
General:
- In regards to the student finding a needle on the playground. We in kindergarten are referring to anything sharp as "emergency garbage" We did some role playing of what the children are to do if they see "emergency garbage": stop playing, run to the teacher and tell them "emergency garbage" and the teacher would take care of it.
- Students are beginning to get sick! In kindergarten we do the bat wing catch (I tell them a story where Batman taught me this special catch). When a child coughs or sneezes they must catch it in their bat wing (the crook of the arm) while the hand on the other arm is holding the first one's elbow. We practiced what it sounds like in a good bat wing catch and what it sounds like when you don't catch it and what that looks like.
- Proper hand washing after bathroom, blowing nose, etc. 1) Wet hands 2) Soap 3) Wash for 20 seconds (sing the ABC's or Happy Birthday while they do it) 4) Rinse with water 5) Dry 6) Use the paper towel to turn off the faucet (not your clean hands!)
