Our first few weeks in Room 17

Kia ora room 17 whanau,

It is great to get this blog up and running for Room 17. This is a space where you can see and share in your child's learning and everything that is going on here at Target Road. I will endeavour to update it regularly.

The first few weeks of school have been based around getting to know each other and forming positive relationships. The students in Room 17 have not been disappointed in the way they show and express their individuality, each and every one is unique and special and I feel very lucky to be their teacher this year.

With initial assessments almost completed, the tamariki have been put into their reading groups and books will start to come home in their book-bags. It is important we start off slow and steady and from a level students feel comfortable and confident with. Please have a read of their home learning book (coming home this week) for tips on how to support your child with reading at home. 

We have been making our way through the Jolly Phonics Program with a new letter each day. Students are encouraged to practice the sound that goes with each letter. We have so much fun brainstorming words that start with the letter, playing "I spy with my little eye..." We accompany these with an illustration of the words (normally drawn pretty terribly by Miss Krysta! Luckily the children don't seem to mind too much). We sometimes practice writing the letter, dancing, doing artwork and acting out songs to do with specific words and letters. Practicing the sound that each letter makes is going to help tamariki sound out letters and words in their writing and reading so try to incorporate these letter sounds into everyday life at home.

We are starting to practice our writing as well, the students revel in writing in their books or on whiteboards. We brainstorm things we can write about; events in their lives, what they have done in the weekend or other relevant things that are happening. We do a shared model together and then attempt to write our own sentence independently. Then we use our teacher, peers and our butterfly card to find the words and letters we need. I am very proud at the way students are getting involved and giving their writing a good go!

Maths in Room 17 is done during our calendar time. We practice how to count forward and backwards to and from 10, 20 and 30 and are also learning the days of the week. As we go on through the year we will incorporate other maths concepts as the children grow in their understanding and knowledge.

A very exciting journey we are embarking on here at Target Road School is incorporating a Play based learning approach in our junior school. Play encourages the development of a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills. It allows them to test ideas, work through uncertainties, explore social interactions and make sense of the world around them. It is not about an end product but about the process, where exploration and playing with ideas are celebrated. Through their play children are able to show dispositions in their learning such as courage and curiosity, trust and playfulness, perseverance, confidence and responsibility. Play based learning highlights the way in which children approach learning, for example taking an interest, being involved, persisting with difficulty, challenge and uncertainty, and expressing a point of view. Respect, Responsibility and Resilience are our values here at Target Road School and Play based learning allows tamariki the opportunity to grow their understanding of the importance of these values both in their learning and in life.

In Room 17 we have lots of fun playing and exploring our learning environment. Two areas of play have really caught the students interest; box construction and dress ups. We have had a ball cutting, taping and creating out of big and small boxes. Children have to problem solve and think about how to create the idea they have in their mind and work together to see it through to fruition. It was such a fun afternoon making a MASSIVE fort which came from the frustration of only a few being able to fit in the smaller forts they were making.

 

The students interested in dress up and dramatic play are making links between home and school. Seeing familiar outfits such as Spiderman, pirates and mermaids strengthens these links and allows them to share their prior knowledge and explore their interest at school and with their peers. It is so fun to play pretend and role play the many different dress ups. When students dress up they act out their own life experiences, it helps them make sense of what is happening in their lives and the world around them.