Tales from Tuesday!

Welcome back, Branden! We really enjoyed listening to your reading of Whales. We learned a lot!






We sorted our new word wall words. Be sure and practice reading them and writing them. Go to spellingcity.com and practice!

Today we learned about metacognition (thinking about our thinking). We learned that good readers brains are always busy thinking.

In writers workshop we learned that that we need to have a goal or a target to aim towards. We also learned that this is true in reading, writing, word work, and math! We are setting goals in each of these areas as well as personal goals that will help us be better readers, writers, spellers, mathematicians, and learners.

During math workshop 1st graders learned about the unit box. We learned that when we answer a problem we have to say what the unit is: cents, dollars, etc. A label. As an example: I have 3 books. Gavin gave me 2 more. How many books do I have altogether? 5 BOOKS.

2nd graders worked on addition number stories where they not only identified the unit, but wrote their own stories. They also worked on the number grid.

Tomorrow is a Monday switch day and we will have library. Be sure and bring your books.

And....don't forget to READ, READ, READ, READ....

Friday Fun!

Enjoy the video of Jefferson reading. We certainly enjoyed listening to his GREAT reading!!!




We did a quick check in on how we are doing in learning our word wall words. Students were read 10 words to spell and then I dictated 5 sentences that used the same words. Results will go home next week. Using spelling city is a great way to practice but an even BETTER way is to have a journal for each child to write in everyday. Write stories...write their writing ideas down...make lists...in other words, WRITE.

After our check in, we did an open sort on number words versus color words. This is part of our expanding our vocabulary words. We also watched a video about Christopher Columbus.

After the students went to P.E. and music, we went to the computer lab. We read an online book about Columbus and then took a quiz. We then watched an online video about Jamestown, as part of our look back into our past.

Have a GREAT weekend and don't forget to READ...READ...READ...READ...

Tales from Thursday!

Jason was our child of the day and did a GREAT job! Enjoy his reading:



We also had a mystery reader: my daughter, Ashley! She read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. She read it as part of an outreach from the company she works for, American Eagle. They graciously donated a book to our classroom..Thank you! Of course I'm very proud of my daughter who is a studying interior design and architecture.







Of course...I know I'LL enjoy listening to her read...but...enjoy if you like:


We read another book about Christopher Columbus and then worked on some Columbus Day activities prior to independent reading. In writing, we learned that writers make lists and we used what we learned to make lists in our Daily Pages. After indoor recess, we worked on calendar math and problem solving. Then, 2nd graders went to art while the 1st graders and Mrs. Fishkins 1st graders stayed in the classroom. We "played" Making Words (phonics and spelling activity) and then played Academic Vocabulary Jeopardy.

Here's Mallory Making Words. She was the first to get the mystery word: pockets. She was GLOWING!


Elsa was glowing too! She knew the word genre from the clue:

I am fairy tales. I am mystery. I am books about whales. I rhyme and I'm biography. Who am I? That's the way to do it, Mallory and Elsa!!!

We ended the day with 1st graders in art and 2nd graders played computer games with Mrs. Fishkin.

Tomorrow we have P.E. and music. Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ!!!!

Wednesday Wonders!

Enjoy a video of Matthew reading. The students really enjoyed the book!



We began the day working on words. We focused on the word "them" comparing and contrasting it "then" and then we built words. We also looked at the pattern in the word: CCVC (Consonant, Consonant, Vowel, Consonant)

After working on words we learned that readers pick out books to read for a purpose. Just like we wear shoes designed for specific purpose, we choose books for a reason. We may pick a book just to enjoy, we may pick a book to learn about a subject, etc.

In writers' workshop we began listening to a video of Tomie DePaolo (the author of The Art Lesson). He told us that even as a small child, before he even began school, he wanted to be a writer and illustrator of children's books. He told us about how he loved to draw and that he couldn't wait for art class in school. We then read the book The Art Lesson, and discussed how this book was autobiographical. We returned to the video and Tomie told us how the idea for book came to be. In telling the story we heard words that were in the book. We learned that writing is just talking on paper.

After lunch and recess we read about Christopher Columbus. We learned that he did not discover America but in 1492 he discovered the New World. He originally wanted to sail to the West Indies, thinking the world was flat, but ended up in the Caribbean area: the new world.

During Math Workshop 2nd grade students did an end of chapter review. 1st graders worked on complements of 10. After their Daily Number Review was completed, they could play the new games I introduced today: The Coin Exchange Game and an addition game.

Tomorrow we have art. Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ....READ....READ....

Tuesday Tales!

Our child of the day, Josh, did a great job reading. Enjoy the video!





We began the day talking about the books we are reading at home. I pulled up the wiki and we looked at the responses and talked more about each book. Remember, the students are to make the entries.

We then worked on our new word wall walls and did a 10 minute word spree. We track each month how many words we can write in 10 minutes.

I read the book Those Shoes and we learned more about choosing just right books. Be sure and ask your child if they brought home a book to read from our guided reading or small group reading time. They have to read it at least 3 times to an adult or a fluent reader and a parent has to sign that they read the book. Instructions are included with the books as to what to do.

After readers' workshop we shared about our reading. Chris, Bradley, and Sahithi shared what they read during guided reading and the response they wrote in their books about their book, Diving in the Pool. We learned that books have themes or there is a Big Idea: what the author wanted us to learn from reading the book.

In Writers' Workshop I read the book There's a Big Beautiful World Out There and we learned that writers' write about things in the world. We are working on where writers' get their ideas and we have learned so far that writers' write about their treasures, things that are important to them, and that there are stories everywhere just waiting to be written.

We had indoor recess today because of the rain and then we finished reading the book Gooney B. Greene, which is about a 2nd grade writer. We were able to connect our reading to what we are learning about ideas in writers' workshop.

Math Workshop began with are calendar activities then we did a quick activity on geometry and problem solving. Students then went to complete their Daily Number Review (number sense) and worked on a Columbus Day Math Activity. (Fact Fluency). I worked with 1st graders on number sense then met with 2nd graders to work on relationships between numbers. (<,>,= number sense).

After the workshop time we regrouped and reviewed our Problem Solving Journal and how we solved the problems we were working on. (Problem Solving/expanded math strategies).

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ, READ, READ, READ, READ.....

Monday Marvels!

Klara was our child of the day and she did a wonderful job reading The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth. She spent time in readers' workshop last week practicing her reading and it paid off:







We then went to the commons for a visit by the Bartlett Fire Dept. We learned about what to do in a fire: here is a video of what it sounds like when a fireman enters a house on fire. It can be a scary noise, but we now know it's the fire department. Listen to the sound:







After we left the commons we went to have our pictures taken. That didn't leave much time in the morning, but we did begin our stories about our treasures. In math, as a class, we worked on number sense and problem solving. Then, 1st graders learned more about the hundreds chart as we played a number sense game called Rolling for 50. 2nd graders used their calculators to discover patterns.

We did not have library today.

And, don't forget to READ....READ.....READ....READ....

Thursday Thrills

Bela was our child of the day and did a wonderful job reading Mother Hen, a non fiction book. Enjoy the video of her reading!





We finished many of our reading, writing and math activities this morning. We also worked on our word wall words. Thanks for sending in the "treasures" for the students writing. I took pictures of each of them holding their special item(s)so that they can use the picture as they write. We also read Arthur Writes a Story and learned that writers' write about things that are important to them.

When students returned from lunch/recess we read our "bucket-filler" notes. Everyone gets at least one, but I even got a few this week. One that I will treasure is from Chris: "Thanks for helping me when I need you." Ah....melts my heart! Thanks, Chris, and to all the other great notes from students. You ALL fill my bucket!

Here is the long awaited video of Mia reading. Enjoy!


Monday we will have a visit from the Bartlett Fire Dept. and it is also Picture Day, so dress up! Have a GREAT weekend and read a few good books! I can't wait to see what you read on the wiki!