<![CDATA[My Site - Blog]]>Mon, 30 Jan 2017 07:06:24 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Kindergarten Math]]>Fri, 27 Jan 2017 17:53:55 GMThttp://clarkforkschoolacademics.weebly.com/blog/kindergarten-math

        Building a solid foundation for future mathematics learning requires a high-quality, challenging, and accessible kindergarten mathematics curriculum. In the Explorer kindergarten classroom at Clark Fork School, we also believe that it should be fun, engaging, and full of choice.
A day in the life of a Clark Fork School Explorer includes time focused on math studies. It begins with a whole group activity where we gather on the carpet and discuss a mathematical concept or do a math activity that involves some full body movement – which is great for our kinesthetic learners. We also really enjoy opportunities to take our math learning outside! Nature has a lot to teach us about math.
    After a whole group activity, we implement a system of Math Stations, which are split into the following 3 categories:
- Math by Myself - a chance for individuals to engage in a quiet, focused activity that helps her/him practice a particular math skill, be it counting, number ordering, 3D shapes or the like
- Math with Someone - children get the chance to have fun with math and a partner (or two). This allows them to engage in conversations about math and practice math vocabulary. Additionally, they will have an opportunity to work on social interactions, conflict resolutions skills, and negotiation techniques
 - Math Writing - students get to work on specific number writing, recording, and drawing that corresponds to different math topics. For example, during this time students can practice writing their numbers, drawing shapes and patterns, or writing a story about math.

    Each station is stocked with 5-7 different games and activities intentionally designed to encourage students to make choices they find interesting and exciting. Options change regularly depending on the concept we are addressing and each student’s proficiency. In the course of a week, students will work at each of these stations at least once. 
    Also during this time, a group of 2-4 students will work with a teacher checking in on progress, playing some practice games, introducing an advanced concept, or doing some focused activities with kids that are struggling with a particular concept. 
    Throughout it all, special attention is paid to ensure that our math activities are fun, hands-on, exploratory experiences, which stretch a child's thinking and understanding. Our focus is ensuring our students will be curious life-long mathematical learners and academically prepared to thrive in 1st grade.

We have a blast with math at Clark Fork School! 

<![CDATA[Sensory Table Snow!]]>Wed, 21 Dec 2016 17:20:43 GMThttp://clarkforkschoolacademics.weebly.com/blog/sensory-table-snowOur Steller’s Jay classroom (2-3-year-olds) has been investigating ice and snow! Teachers put snow in the Sensory Bin along with four spray bottles of colorful water. You will see the children exploring and having a ton of fun. But what are the underlying learning goals?
Posted at the center is the main objective for this activity: “Control small muscles in hand.” Teachers are setting up this center with the intention of students using their fine motor skills to squeeze spray bottles. This builds hand strength and muscle control, which are necessary for holding writing implements and preparing children for pre-writing skills.
In addition to fine motor development, children are also learning:
  • Social emotional skills: “Children demonstrate a belief in their abilities.” Students will show the ability to adjust when things do not go their way. If they want to spray the blue color, but another child is using that bottle, the child needs to wait for their turn. Children are practicing delayed gratification and flexibility. Every day is a good day to practice sharing and taking turns. By having only four spray bottles, children will need to request turns, decide when and how to share the bottle, consider each other’s needs and feelings, and use their strong voice to stand up for their needs.
  • Science and Problem Solving: “Children explore cause and effect.” There are many ways children can explore cause and effect by spraying water on snow. The action of squeezing the spray bottle and water coming out, mixing colors together, accidentally spraying their friend and the friend becoming upset, thinking about the nature of snow by spraying the warm water and watching the snow melt, and touching the snow and feeling their hand becoming cold.
  • Communication: “Children can express themselves using words and expanded sentences.” Children are communicating verbally and non-verbally all the time. At this center they would need to use their words to request a turn, ask a friend to play, stand up for their rights, and engage in an imaginative scenario with a peer.
  • Cognitive skills: “Approaches problems flexibly.” In order to continue to hold interest and be exciting, children may find new materials to bring into the snow, and use them in interesting ways. For example, a child might bring the people over from the block center and use their imagination to create a colorful snow world. The possibilities are endless!
  • Creativity: "Uses different mediums to create form and meaning." Students may spray the snow to create a work of art, changing the white canvas into a rainbow of color.
<![CDATA[Literacy in the Explorer Classroom - CFS Kindergarten]]>Thu, 29 Jan 2015 20:59:08 GMThttp://clarkforkschoolacademics.weebly.com/blog/literacy-in-the-explorer-classroom    The Explorer Classroom at Clark Fork School is a place where children learn through playful, hands-on experiences with materials, the natural world, and an engaging, caring adult. Literacy permeates the Explorer classroom and underlies many of the activities and interactions. Our teacher creates a magical and engaging language-rich environment that supports the development of ideas about symbols, oral language and the printed word. Our biggest priority is to mentor and encourage a love of reading, an appreciation for the places it can take us, and an understanding of the worlds and knowledge it can unlock. 
    The Daily 5 is the portion of our day that focuses specifically on developing literacy skills. This time starts with a 5-7 minute Focus Lesson about a particular concept in reading or writing. After the focus lesson, students get to choose from five different centers to practice their literacy skills: Word Work, Read to Self, Listen to Reading, Work on Writing, or Read to Someone. The teacher also meets with individual students during this time. Through the Daily 5, we balance student choice, individualized education, and good work. 
    In addition to early literacy skills, Daily 5 helps students develop life-long learning skills such as initiative and self-direction, persistence and attentiveness, and reflection and interpretation.
    Last week during Daily 5 we added another consonant digraph to our repertoire--"wh"! We worked on listening for the sounds of all our digraphs in different words and grouping them accordingly! We also learned two new activities that we added to our Word Work choice--Writing the Room (where we get to walk around and copy words we like from our print-rich walls) and playdough and letter stamps (where we stamp letters into playdough to make words from our Word Wall - a sensory-rich way to experience words)!

<![CDATA[Sledding!!!!]]>Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:00:33 GMThttp://clarkforkschoolacademics.weebly.com/blog/sleddingChances are, if you chose Clark Fork School, you understand the benefits of outside and gross motor play. Fresh air, exercise, and freedom from “inside” bodies and voices is essential to the development of a healthy, happy human. But why sleds? Besides being SUPER FUN, here are a few examples of the learning objectives behind sledding and why we choose to have sleds at CFS:
Social and emotional development:
  • A limited number of sleds on the playground requires students to practice sharing by either taking turns or using them cooperatively.
  • Sledding encourages the development of empathy and compassion as older students pull younger students around on the sleds and alter their speed to match the rider’s tolerance and strength. 
  • Children also practice empathy and compassion when they check-in with students that have been bonked or who fell off the sled.
  • Sledding is a great way to learn the importance of working together as a community and why rules are sometimes necessary to ensure safety and enjoyment for everyone.
  • Sledding promotes psychological restoration (resiliency/ability to “bounce back”).
Sensorimotor Development:
  • Students demonstrate an awareness of their body in space by avoiding obstacles or intentionally hitting a bump. 
  •  Sledding encourages kids to adapt movements to specific situations by exploring how their body can impact the direction and speed of a sled. 
  • They develop an increased awareness of the environment’s impact on their physical well-being. Eg. Their hands get cold if they are not wearing mittens; They can warm their body up by running around and pulling a sled.
  • Sledding outside encourages sensory development. E.g. Students begin to notice the different sounds sleds make under different conditions. They focus their eyes on both near and far objects.
Gross motor:
  • Gross motor activities such as sledding helps students develop muscle tone, coordination, cardiovascular health and balance. 
  • Physical activity releases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which helps stimulate neuron growth within the cortex and hippocampus, both of which are vital to higher learning ,memory, and advanced behavior such as language and logic.
  • It also releases serotonin which helps increase your learning memory and decrease anxiety.
  • Sledding in the winter aids in the development of observation skills.
  • Is the sled hill open? Is their grass on the hill or is it covered in snow?
  • What is it like to sled on icy snow versus brand new snow?
  • What happens when I sled in another person’s tracks?
  • What makes for a good powder day?

It may look like we are just having fun, but we are learning so much!