exploring vowel sounds

The Kindergarteners have been working with Megan to explore vowel sounds. They are learning how to differentiate between a stretched vowel and a vowel that sounds like its name. They have explored sounds in many different ways; listening for the sounds in words, saying words, reading words, making visuals for our classroom, and sorting vowels as a community and in partnerships.

At the beginning of the week the children listened for short and long vowels in different words and helped make a visual for our classroom- vowel charts! They shared their visual during Fundations and worked together to use their visual to sort new words.

This was an empowering learning experience and connected to our work stretching and writing words in writing workshop. We have been making sure that every word in our writing has a vowel. Vowels are important!

 

 

 




As the week progressed Megan invited children to work in partnerships to sort words based on the vowels they heard. They had a list of pictures and a T-Chart with a short vowel visual on one side and a long vowel visual on the other. They were expected to use one pair of scissors and one glue stick as their tools.

We observed as their work strengthened every day. Partnerships made plans; Who would cut first? Who would glue? They practiced the important skill of collaboration. They had to check their work, listening for the vowels they heard in each word. They practiced using scissors and glue sticks in successful ways. They used picture power, sound power and partner power, further connecting to our work in reading and writing workshop. We observed partnerships work for an extended amount of time, engaged in conversation and hands on learning as they read, debated, cut, and glued.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, 2-6-20

What is your plan? What is going well for you and your partner?

RD- It's really good. We are doing a pattern, I cut and she glues, then I glue and she cuts. Like, cut, glue, cut, glue. 

NF- We're taking turns. It's really great! 

ZM- Well, my partner is really good at gluing, really good. So she is gluing and I am cutting. 

BP- It's pretty good. We are listening together and I am helping when I can. But, my partner helped me hear a short O. I guess we didn't know this stuff before, like the other day. Now I feel like I know more. 

LD- We're taking turns, cutting and gluing, cutting and gluing. But, I also had to keep telling him that those are short vowels. I told him though. So, that's good!