Writing
Students really impressed me with their writing! This week, we reviewed watermelon and seed writing ideas. Ask your child the difference between the two and who would win in a watermelon vs. seed battle! We also had time to gather many writing ideas by prewriting in our writer's notebooks. Finally, students started to draft some of their seed ideas. Next week we will start our first official writing unit, realistic fiction narratives.
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| Decorating our writer's notebooks! |
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| Making a house map prewrite |
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| Identifying watermelon vs. seed ideas |
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| Drafting a narrative |
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| Drafting a narrative |
Reading
I can tell that I have a group who loves to read! Which makes me very happy! This week we focused on actions that good readers perform. First, we made new (school) year reading resolutions. Some of us decided that we need to try new genres, while others will work on reading one book at a time. We also reviewed picking out books that are a good fit for us. We learned the acronym PICK (Purpose, Interest, Comprehend, Know) to help us with this. We also reviewed "just right" books and the "5 finger rule" to determine if books are too easy, too challenging, or just right. As students became familiar with our class library, they added many books to their book interests/books to read list. Most students have chosen a good chapter book that they can read at home and school. Finally, we were reminded that "Reading is Thinking" this week. As we read independently, we wrote our predictions, connections, inferences, etc. on sticky notes. We will continue with good reading habits next week!
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| Making reading resolutions |
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| PICKing a "just right" book |
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| Finding interesting books in the class library |
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| Choosing just right books |
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| "Reading is thinking" |
We had a great week in Math! We practiced every rotation that will be in full swing next week! As a recap, students will all start with a minilesson. Then, they will be involved in one rotation a day (Computers, Activity, Math Games or Problem Solving), rotating daily so that students have the chance to work in each rotation. Finally, students are pulled from their rotation to dig deeper into the day's lesson at the back table in a small group setting. Next week we will continue with place value in Chapter 1.
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| "All About Me" math notebook cover |
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| Games rotation |
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| Games rotation |
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| Making multiplication flashcards at the activity rotation |
We are already learning so much in social studies! We started with a review of cardinal directions and the 7 continents and 5 oceans of the world. Students' first quiz will be next Tuesday, August 26th. Using a word bank, they will label a blank map with the 7 continents and 5 oceans. Students' study guides should be in their Take Home Folders. Additionally, I have review games and activities on the Moodle. In class, we have moved on to the study of landforms. Students have started to make awesome flipbooks to help them in identifying some of the landforms vocabulary.
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| Working on the "Royal Castle Floor Plan" cardinal directions activity |
Other Important Info.
- Thank you to all parents who could make Curriculum Night! If you were not able to make it, your child will bring home our class handbook containing everything that I had discussed. An electronic, color copy (which is especially helpful for the clip chart colors) can be found here.
- Our spelling schedule will start next week, and students will receive their first word sort set.
- Strings students will have class on Tuesdays and Fridays with Mr. Chang from 12:45-1:15. This means that they will miss recess, and then eat lunch at 1:15-1:30.
- Students' first Friday Homework assignment was passed out today. This week we have a reading assignment that is titled, "Hitchhikers in the Bathroom." This is due next Friday, 8/29. We alternate with math and reading Friday Homework.
Have a great weekend!
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