Rhyme Time and Sing-a-Long

We are working hard in class to develop the necessary skills for reading, and rhyming is an important part of the reading process. Rhyming allows children to play with words and makes language fun and engaging. It encourages children to listen to language and notice its sounds. Rhyming also helps children discover word families (e.g. hat, mat, bat). Rhyming is such a rich language activity! As a class, we are having fun identifying rhymes and creating rhymes. Take a peek at some of the rhyming activities we have enjoyed together so far this week!

Rhyme Bag

We have two Rhyme Bags that students are taking turns bringing home. Only items that rhyme can be placed inside! One of today’s students had fun with us by only showing us her first item, a cat. We all enjoyed guessing what else might be inside (as well as what probably wouldn’t be inside). Look at the rhyming items that filled her bag!

Mat, bat, cat, rat, hat!

When your child brings the Rhyme Bag home, feel free to not only choose items to place inside, but illustrations, words, or images printed from your computer. All items will be returned. Happy rhyming!

Rhyming BINGO

Rhyming BINGO is so fun it hardly feels like work, but boy, are the children refining their rhyming skills! In partners, the students listen to clues I read aloud that rhyme, and together find the picture/word on their card. The children have been excellent sports, and one student even decided to make his way around the room today to shake the hands of his competitors!

Down by the Bay

This week we have enjoyed Raffi’s Down by the Bay, which is a story as well as a song. The rhymes are very silly and the students have had lots to laugh about as we create new rhyming verses. Below is a clip of Raffi singing Down by the Bay in concert. Can you guess the students’ favourite verse (which, funnily enough, is their teacher’s LEAST favourite verse)?

Stay tuned for our dazzling Down by the Bay class project, to be posted soon!

Sing-a-Long

After lunch today we were surprised by a very special guest, Father Dan! He came from our parish for a special beginning of the year visit to meet all of the students. Father Dan is very talented and shared several songs with us on his guitar. The children couldn’t get close enough to him, and kept scooting up on the mat! Father Dan, you have a gift!

We sang several songs with Father Dan and one of our favourites was Awesome God. Then Father Dan shared a story with us from his Action Bible, a bible written much like a comic book, with bright illustrations and speech bubbles.  We heard the Creation Story and learned that God created us good. Father Dan reminded us that God created us out of love and that He loves us very much.

Tomorrow morning is our first school mass. All parents and guests are welcome to celebrate with us. Mass will begin at approximately 9:30. We look forward to sharing this welcoming mass with Father Dan and our school community!