Welcome to our new Kindergarten students!

All of the staff at Samuel Gilbert extend a warm welcome to our new Kindergarten students for 2021. We hope you are feeling ready and excited for 'big school.'
We will be updating this page with literacy and numeracy activities, new information and more, so make sure you check back regularly.
Press play on the video to view a lovely welcome message from our current Kindergarten students.

We look forward to seeing your children at the transition days later this term.

Numeracy Activity - Make a Counting Book

Picture
You will need
  • colour pencils or markers
  • 5 zip-lock bags
  • a stapler
  • a piece of cardboard

To make the counting book
  • Open the zip-lock bags. 
  • Lay the bags on the cardboard, like pages of a book. 
  • Take the remaining cardboard and fold it over the bags to form the spine of the book.
  • Staple it into place. 
  • Finally, give the book a title.

Once you have made the book, it’s time to fill it up!
  • Create your book based on a number. (For example, number 5).
  • Go on a ‘5 hunt’ to find different ways of showing 5.
  • Create your book about 5.
  • Read and share your book with someone in your family. 

Questions for parents to ask
  • How do you know that is (the number chosen)?
  • Can you count to be sure?
  • What else can you do to help keep count?​

Literacy Activity - Handwriting

Watch the video to the right to see an example of a handwriting lesson

Extra things to do at home 
  • Find the letters from the lesson in printed materials around the house and ask your child to use their finger to trace over the letter. 
 
  • Say the phonemes (sounds) that these letters can represent while they are writing them. 
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  • Rainbow writing - Write the letters in a light colour (like yellow) on a piece of paper and ask your child to trace over the letter many times, each time in a different colour to create ‘rainbow writing’.  Try writing using different types of pencils (coloured and lead) and textas or crayons. 
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  • Take turns writing the letters on a family member’s back with a pointed finger. The partner has to try to guess the letter that the writer wrote. 
 
  • Play a guessing game where you describe the letter and your child has to respond. E.g. “I am thinking about a tall letter that goes straight down, then across. What is it?” 
 
  • Make the letters out of playdough or air drying clay. 
 
  • Use a paintbrush and water or chalk to write the letter in the backyard. ​