In writing, students enjoyed listening to Eloise Greenfield’s She Come Bringing Me That Little Baby Girl and Grandpa’s Face. They learned that authors draw on memories from their childhood to create stories. Students enjoyed writing about topics of interest and sharing their pieces with classmates. In grammar, students worked on differentiating between complete and incomplete sentences. They learned that incomplete sentences are usually missing a subject or predicate.
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Reading this Week
We had the opportunity to read the book Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman. We discussed how poetry is beautiful but can sometimes contain challenging vocabulary. We learned strategies that good readers use when they approach difficult words. Substituting synonyms, using prior knowledge, studying the illustrations for clues, and using context clues are just a few of the strategies students practiced this week. Making connections and recording our thinking as we read was another focus this week! Students learned that good readers make connections to gain a deeper understanding of the text.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Special Visitors
Mollie's parents came in to share a book with the class to celebrate Mollie's birthday. They came and read The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name. We had a wonderful time hearing the story.
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Writing
We started our “Being a Writer” program! Students enjoyed the book The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume. We learned that writers incorporate characters’ perspectives into their writing. Students brainstormed a list of people they could write about and even began writing their first story! In grammar, students focused on subjects and predicates within sentences.
Reading
Students practiced recording their prior knowledge, questions, and facts on a KWL chart with the book Balloons Over Broadway. They enjoyed learning about and discussing the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Students continued working on building their reading stamina and choosing just right books.
Monday, September 9, 2024
Another Special Visitor
Nate's mom came to help us celebrate Nate's birthday. We had a wonderful time hearing the story Grumpy Monkey. It was a wonderful story that talks about emotions in a humorous way.
Special Visitor
Harvey's mom came in to read to the class. She read a class favorite, The Book with No Pictures. It was a wonderful way to celebrate his birthday.
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Chapter 1 Videos
Place Value and Base 10 Blocks
Flat Stanley Project
We just finished reading Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. In the story, a young boy gets flattened by a bulletin board (without being hurt) and is able to travel by slipping himself inside an envelope. We are making our own “flat travelers” that will also travel around the United States. When the Flat Stanleys return to school, our class will plot his travels on a map and share the information received with each other. It will be a tremendous learning experience for your child. We are very excited about it!
Science
We were so excited to start our first science unit! Students shared their prior knowledge and questions regarding weather. We learned that weather is how the sky looks and how the air feels. Students recorded their observations about various weather situations. We had a wonderful discussion focused on why we care about the weather and how it affects our world.
Reader's Workshop
We were so excited to start Reading Workshop in our classroom! We discussed everyone’s roles and responsibilities as a reader. Students also got into the routine of selecting their own books during independent reading time. Students enjoyed listening to Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, The Plot Chickens, and The Girl Who Hated Books. As we read these books, we talked about the theme of the story.
Friday, September 6, 2024
Special Visitor
Chase had his dad stop by to read a book to the class to celebrate his birthday. It was a wonderful way to celebrate his special day.