D

THE KINDERGARTEN
POSSIBILITIES
HOW WE LEARN THROUGH INQUIRY AND PLAY
REFLECTIONS, RESEARCH & REMINDERS

Reflections

Stand aside for a while and leave room for learning. Observe carefully what children do and then, if you
have understood well, perhaps teaching will be different from before.

DEAR KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES

Educators
Ms. Lyndsy Moffitt, OCT
Ms. Raquel Cortes, DECE

Phone

(289) 342-1001
Extension 131 & 504

Email
lyndsy.moffitt@yrdsb.ca
raquel.cortes-vico@yrdsb.ca

It has been a wonderful couple of

months filled with lots of learning!
We are thrilled to be able to share
this with you via our monthly
newsletter. In Reflections, we will
share with you some of the great
learning that has taken place over
the month. In Research we will
share with you research that
pertains to various areas of learning
and development in FDK. And
Reminders, is simply a place for us
to reinforce various messages and
information to you and your family.
The past 3 months have been a
time for us to build relationships
and foster childrens interests. We
have seen many of our children
become interested in Space,
Dinosaurs, Buildings and my
favourite, Flower Faries.
We have also seen many of the
children engaged and focused
during our Math Exploration &
Learning Time where over the past
three months we have been
exploring Number Sense &
Numeration (specifically early
number concepts and composing

-Loris Malaguzzi

and decomposing numbers up to 5).

We have also explored Patterning,
Data Management, Measurement
and Geometry and Spatial Sense.
During Thinking & Learning
Time, the children continue to
explore letters, sounds and sight
words. We have also done a great
deal of guided writing where we are
practicing early writing skills and
letter formation. All of this is
reinforced in your childs Think
Wo rk Jo u r n a l . We a r e a l s o
practicing early concepts of print
through our whole group shared
reading texts and in our Guided
Reading groups.
Amidst all the learning, we have
grown to get to know each and
ever y one of your children
personally. We are thrilled to be a
part of such a bright, respectful, fun
class. We look forward to our
continued learning together.
Best,
Lyndsy Moffitt, OCT & Raquel
Cortes, DECE

www.thekindergartenpossibilities.weelby.com

THE KINDERGARTEN
POSSIBILITIES
HOW WE LEARN THROUGH INQUIRY AND PLAY
REFLECTIONS, RESEARCH & REMINDERS

Research

To develop the whole child, we must develop the mathematical child.

-D. Clements

THE COMPREHENSIVE MATH PROGRAM IN FDK

Mathematics in an FDK
classroom may look very
different than in other grades. It
may also be new to many
parents who are familiar with a
more traditional way of
learning. The York Region
District School Board defines
the comprehensive math
program as one that includes
Environment, Learners, and
Learning. The premiss behind
the learning in a comprehensive
math program is that students
are actively engaged in the
mathematics in order to
construct understanding
(YRDSB, A Comprehensive
Math Program: Learning
Overview).
The comprehensive math
program consists of three parts:

1. Meaningful Problems
2. Games, Puzzles,
Invitations for Learning
3. Mini Lessons
Meaningful Problems are
designed in a way to allow for
multiple entry points. They
encourage students to see
mathematics in the world
around them. They provide
children with a challenge and
have no immediate solution.
These types of problems
support students in finding their
own solution and examine
different approaches to the
problem.
Mini Lessons in our
classroom involve a small group
of children who participate in a
guided and explicit learning

experience. In our classroom,

mini lessons such as The Red
Dot Game or exposure to a
Rekenrek and 5 and 10 frames
help children develop efficient
computation and the
composition of important
numbers such as 5 and 10.
In our classroom, Games,
Puzzles and Invitations for
Learning are designed to help
reinforce students
understanding of concepts and
skills and refine students
proficiency with numbers.
Games such as Tenzies, and
Kindergarten Yahtzee, are used
to develop and construct
understanding of certain
number concepts.
Examples of Invitations for
Learning are shown below.

THE KINDERGARTEN
POSSIBILITIES
HOW WE LEARN THROUGH INQUIRY AND PLAY
REFLECTIONS, RESEARCH & REMINDERS

Reminders

www.thekindergartenpossibilities.weebly.com

Homework in FDK

Shared Reading, Think Work

Journal, Think Work Calendar &
Leveled Readers

Many have been inquiring about

homework in FDK. We feel that
homework is something that has
to be meaningful to children. With
that, we hesitate to send too much
homework as it tends to be
pencil paper tasks that have little
meaning for the children. We have
designed our reading, writing
and oral language Think
Work program in a way that
makes each task familiar,
meaningful and personal for
your child.
Our Shared Reading text is
practiced daily for one week, which
not only allows your child to

become familiar with

concepts of print, but allows
your child to read it to you
with confidence.
Our Think Work Journal is an
opportunity for you to reinforce
writing skills that we practice
during our Guided Writing
groups at school.
Review of Our Daily Learning
Collage is a great opportunity
to build your childs oral
language skills. As well, it
provides you with a glimpse into
important learning moments
that happen in our day.
We send home a monthly Think
Work Calendar which provides
prompts and suggestions as
to activities you can do with
your child everyday to build

your childs Portfolio and will come

home at the end of the year. Most
We make our learning transparent by student art work is kept at school. It
providing parents with a classroom
adorns our walls and honors each
website? As we embrace the FDK
child. With that, the amount of
program, we understand that literacy paper coming home with your child
and numeracy worksheets are thing
will be limited. We encourage you to
of the past. Important work is kept in visit our classroom website daily in

Did You Know...

on what we are learning in the

classroom.
Finally, research has shown that
most children do not start
reading until the age of 6. Up
until that point, children are
memorizing words and becoming
familiar with concepts of print. For
now, we will only be sending
leveled readers home with our
SK children. We would like to
allow time for our JK children to
become familiar with the concepts
of print through reading their
Shared Reading text.
Should you wish to discuss your
childs reading further, please
connect with us. We are happy to
discuss resources that can help your
child learn to read.

order to see our learning on Our

Daily Learning Collage. This collage
captures important learning
moments that take place daily. When
reviewed daily with your child, it
serves as a tool to develop and foster
oral language skills and gives you a
glimpse into our learning everyday.