I hope everyone made it through Hurricane Sandy safely! I wanted to send this out yesterday, but we lost Internet connection! This week, we will shift gears and being talking about the comprehension strategy of making predictions. Students use information from text, pictures, and their schema to make predictions before, during and after reading. This week, our text connection will be Zachary's Ball. Students will work on making predictions as well as identifying clues used to make the prediction. Guided reading groups have been working on fiction, non-fiction, and short comprehension passages and will incorporate the strategy of predictions into this area as well.
Our writing blocks will be combined with science this week. Our nocturnal animal project topics have been chosen and we are ready to begin our research. This week we will learn about taking notes from research sources. We will be using both Internet and literature sources to get information about our nocturnal animals. Students will use a graphic organizer as a format for note taking. The four main areas for research will be body features, habitat, predators and prey, and adaptations.
In math, we continue on with Unit Three. This week our lessons will focus on double frames and arrows and making change. Now that our Daily Five Math is in full swing, we have really shifted focus from daily whole group instruction to small group instruction math as well as reading!
Our science lessons will focus on bats this week. We will discuss the habitat and body features of bats this week. In regards to the nocturnal animal project, students will be coming home with a detailed description of this assignment. There is a home component to the project, which is to make a 3D model/diorama of the animal in its natural habitat. Please look for the detailed instructions in this week's Monday Folder.
Please remember that parent conference day is Tuesday, November 6. I will be sending home a friendly reminder of your scheduled time. Please also look for the pre-conference form in the Monday Folder as well. Conference day runs on a tight schedule and we only have 15 minutes to discuss your child's progress. I will use the pre-conference form to help set the agenda for our meeting and make the best use of our time together.
We will be having our Fall party this Wednesday October 31. A big thank you to our room mother, Laurie Canavan for organizing everything! Please be sure to send in a snack for the party for your child as we will not be serving food!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Weekly Update 10.22.12
This week in literacy, we will continue to work on making text to text connections. We will also tie in conversations about the author's message, or theme, of text. Our literature connections this week will include Now One Foot, Now the Other and The Two of Them. We will use these two stories as models for making text to text connections.
In writing, we continue talking about the descriptive setting aspect of personal narratives. We will work on word choice and expanding ideas using descriptive language. We will also review the use of the capital letter I in writing.
Unit Three continues on in math this week. Our daily lessons will cover coin combinations, telling time to the 15 minutes interval, place value and collecting and graphing data. We will begin using Math Daily Five this week as well. This will allow for more small group and differentiated instruction during the math block, rather than whole group. When students are not doing "Math with a Group", they will be engaged in math activities in the following categories: Math by Myself, Math in My Journal, Math with a Partner and Math with Tools. We will be using a weekly checklist to help develop time management and the monitoring of independent work.
In social studies, we will conclude our unit on economics. We will finish up this week by talking about saving and spending. We will have our assessment on goods and services on Friday. Students will be required to sort different items into the categories of goods and services. In order to exceed the expectation and receive a grade of a 4, students will need to correctly sort all 15 items correctly and add two additional items to each category.
In science, we will launch our study of nocturnal animals. We will begin by studying the bat. We will select our topics for the nocturnal animal research project on Friday. Additional information on this project will come home next week!
In writing, we continue talking about the descriptive setting aspect of personal narratives. We will work on word choice and expanding ideas using descriptive language. We will also review the use of the capital letter I in writing.
Unit Three continues on in math this week. Our daily lessons will cover coin combinations, telling time to the 15 minutes interval, place value and collecting and graphing data. We will begin using Math Daily Five this week as well. This will allow for more small group and differentiated instruction during the math block, rather than whole group. When students are not doing "Math with a Group", they will be engaged in math activities in the following categories: Math by Myself, Math in My Journal, Math with a Partner and Math with Tools. We will be using a weekly checklist to help develop time management and the monitoring of independent work.
In social studies, we will conclude our unit on economics. We will finish up this week by talking about saving and spending. We will have our assessment on goods and services on Friday. Students will be required to sort different items into the categories of goods and services. In order to exceed the expectation and receive a grade of a 4, students will need to correctly sort all 15 items correctly and add two additional items to each category.
In science, we will launch our study of nocturnal animals. We will begin by studying the bat. We will select our topics for the nocturnal animal research project on Friday. Additional information on this project will come home next week!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Weekly Update 10.15.12
This week, we will focus our comprehension strategy of making connections on text to text connections. The skill of making text to text connections requires the reader to link two different texts and describe how they connect to each other. This week we will model this strategy using the texts Amazing Grace and Oliver Button is a Sissy. Students will be asked in orally discuss how the texts are alike as well as put their ideas in writing.
In Writer's Workshop, we will continue working on describing the setting. This week, we will practice this skill by writing a descriptive setting about the beach. Students will also be asked to independently transfer and apply this skill over to their Writer's Workshop personal narratives. We will also look at periods, exclamation marks, and question marks.
We will finish up with Unit Two this week in math. We will have our assessment on Wednesday. Our last lessons of Unit 2 will be Tuesday and we will also review the unit content in preparation for the assessment at that time. Unit 3 will begin on Thursday. Unit Three will focus on place value, money and time. This week, our lessons will focus on place value in two and three digit numbers.
In social studies we will discuss goods and services. Students will be asked to create a service and an advertisement to promote their service.
Today, the RazKids login information will be stapled inside the yellow homework folders. At this point, the account is live and running. You may sign in and use the account starting today. RazKids can be used as the nightly reading requirement and can be recorded on the reading log. Of course, RazKids does not have to substitute for reading literature at home. Either type of reading may be used for the weekly reading log. Please see the previous blog post for additional information about RazKids.
We have started using our IPAD as a component for Daily Five in the Listen to Reading/Read to Self category. Scholastic has a great new app called Storia that we have been using the classroom. If you would like, you may send in a set of personal headphones for your child for to keep in his or her cubby and use when he or she is using the IPAD or computer programs in the classroom.
In Writer's Workshop, we will continue working on describing the setting. This week, we will practice this skill by writing a descriptive setting about the beach. Students will also be asked to independently transfer and apply this skill over to their Writer's Workshop personal narratives. We will also look at periods, exclamation marks, and question marks.
We will finish up with Unit Two this week in math. We will have our assessment on Wednesday. Our last lessons of Unit 2 will be Tuesday and we will also review the unit content in preparation for the assessment at that time. Unit 3 will begin on Thursday. Unit Three will focus on place value, money and time. This week, our lessons will focus on place value in two and three digit numbers.
In social studies we will discuss goods and services. Students will be asked to create a service and an advertisement to promote their service.
Today, the RazKids login information will be stapled inside the yellow homework folders. At this point, the account is live and running. You may sign in and use the account starting today. RazKids can be used as the nightly reading requirement and can be recorded on the reading log. Of course, RazKids does not have to substitute for reading literature at home. Either type of reading may be used for the weekly reading log. Please see the previous blog post for additional information about RazKids.
We have started using our IPAD as a component for Daily Five in the Listen to Reading/Read to Self category. Scholastic has a great new app called Storia that we have been using the classroom. If you would like, you may send in a set of personal headphones for your child for to keep in his or her cubby and use when he or she is using the IPAD or computer programs in the classroom.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Raz Kids Update
Our class RazKids subscription is in! On Monday, your child will come home with their login and password information. The information card will be stapled to the inside of their yellow homework folders. RazKids is an online reading program that works on the accuracy, fluency and comprehension of the reader. I have designated a book level for each student. This level has been selected so that students can read at their independent level, rather than instructional level. Students should be able to read the text and take the comprehension quiz independently with little or no assistance. There are three reading activities for each title. Students listen to the story, read the story on their own and then take the comprehension quiz. I advise students to do all three options for each title.
Please keep in mind that RazKids levels their online books with a different system than the guided reading levels we use at school. Therefore, the letter assigned to your child on RazKids does not correspond to the letter level of books read in school.
RazKids does come with an online incentive program called the Raz Rocket. Students earn stars for the books they read and the comprehension quizzes they take online.
RazKids can be used as the nightly reading for the reading log. However, it is not required to be done every night. Of course, students are welcome to be reading literature at home for their nightly reading.
We will also be using RazKids at school during our Daily Five listen to reading block.
There is now an app for the IPAD available for RazKids! This is brand new and, even better, it's free! If you enter RazKids into your search box in your app store, you should find it. It will say Learning A to Z. You will need the login information that will come home on Monday in order to access the student page.
Please keep in mind that RazKids levels their online books with a different system than the guided reading levels we use at school. Therefore, the letter assigned to your child on RazKids does not correspond to the letter level of books read in school.
RazKids does come with an online incentive program called the Raz Rocket. Students earn stars for the books they read and the comprehension quizzes they take online.
RazKids can be used as the nightly reading for the reading log. However, it is not required to be done every night. Of course, students are welcome to be reading literature at home for their nightly reading.
We will also be using RazKids at school during our Daily Five listen to reading block.
There is now an app for the IPAD available for RazKids! This is brand new and, even better, it's free! If you enter RazKids into your search box in your app store, you should find it. It will say Learning A to Z. You will need the login information that will come home on Monday in order to access the student page.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Weekly Update 10.9.12
I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! This week, in literacy we will be looking at the comprehension strategy of making connections. Students will be working on identifying their connection both orally and in writing as well as citing the part of the text that allowed them to make the connection. Our whole group text connection this week will be Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Students will also be working on this strategy in their guided reading groups.
In to deliver effective instruction, students will also be meeting in word work groups to work on different sound and spelling patterns. Students also have individual sight words to work for spelling practice as well.
In writer's workshop, we will begin to focus on the craft of personal narratives. We will introduce the description of the setting. Students will be encouraged to describe their story settings using the five senses. This week, we will work on a small writing piece and work on describing an autumn day. We will also look at complete sentences, fragments and run-on sentences.
We continue on with Unit Two this week in math. Our lessons will focus on name collection boxes, frames and arrows, and in and out boxes. We will have our Unit Two assessment next week. We will have our Unit Three pre-assessment on Friday. We have started to introduce some of the components for our Math Daily Five program. This is a similar format to Reading Daily Five and allows small group differentiated math instruction as well as opportunities for review, preview and extension. The five components for Math Daily Five are Math with a Group, Math Journal, Math by Myself, Math with Tools and Math with a Partner.
In social studies, we continue talking about basic economic needs of a community. We will revisit needs and wants and move our discussion into consumers and producers/buyers and sellers.
New October book orders will come home today in the Monday Folders. You can order online or simply send back the paper order form with check payment. Please return/submit online by Monday October 15.
In to deliver effective instruction, students will also be meeting in word work groups to work on different sound and spelling patterns. Students also have individual sight words to work for spelling practice as well.
In writer's workshop, we will begin to focus on the craft of personal narratives. We will introduce the description of the setting. Students will be encouraged to describe their story settings using the five senses. This week, we will work on a small writing piece and work on describing an autumn day. We will also look at complete sentences, fragments and run-on sentences.
We continue on with Unit Two this week in math. Our lessons will focus on name collection boxes, frames and arrows, and in and out boxes. We will have our Unit Two assessment next week. We will have our Unit Three pre-assessment on Friday. We have started to introduce some of the components for our Math Daily Five program. This is a similar format to Reading Daily Five and allows small group differentiated math instruction as well as opportunities for review, preview and extension. The five components for Math Daily Five are Math with a Group, Math Journal, Math by Myself, Math with Tools and Math with a Partner.
In social studies, we continue talking about basic economic needs of a community. We will revisit needs and wants and move our discussion into consumers and producers/buyers and sellers.
New October book orders will come home today in the Monday Folders. You can order online or simply send back the paper order form with check payment. Please return/submit online by Monday October 15.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Weekly Update 10.1.12
This week, our guided reading program is in full swing! Small group instruction and our full daily five program are both up and running smoothly. Small reading groups and small word work groups will now be occurring daily during our morning literacy block. In whole group reading we will be focusing on making connections. When readers interact with text, they activate their schema in order to connect the text with something in their own lives. This is called a text to self connection. Our literature links for the week include Lily's Purple Plastic Purse and Jamaica Tag Along.
In writer's workshop, we will have some mini-lessons on conventions and the differences between an asking sentence and a telling sentence. We will continue working on our personal narratives and receive feedback in both small writing groups as well as individual conferences.
In math, we continue on in Unit Two. This week, our lessons will focus on fact families, weights and scales and name collection boxes. We will continue to work on the speed and accuracy of our math fact recall during our "mad minute' exercises.
We will start out first unit in social studies this week. We will discuss the differences between needs and wants. We define needs as things that we need in order to live such as food, water, shelter and clothing. Our social studies text connection is a book called Is it a Need? Is it a Want?
This week, I will not be in school Tuesday. I will be attending a conference at Regis College about project based learning. Please send any emails regarding dismissal to Judith.
There is no school Friday October 5 and Monday October 8.
Thank you to everyone who attended Curriculum Night! If you were unable to attend or unable to sign up for a conference, please let me know so we can schedule. Thank you as well to all who signed up to be a regular classroom volunteer. We will be starting the volunteer schedule in November. Stay tuned!
In writer's workshop, we will have some mini-lessons on conventions and the differences between an asking sentence and a telling sentence. We will continue working on our personal narratives and receive feedback in both small writing groups as well as individual conferences.
In math, we continue on in Unit Two. This week, our lessons will focus on fact families, weights and scales and name collection boxes. We will continue to work on the speed and accuracy of our math fact recall during our "mad minute' exercises.
We will start out first unit in social studies this week. We will discuss the differences between needs and wants. We define needs as things that we need in order to live such as food, water, shelter and clothing. Our social studies text connection is a book called Is it a Need? Is it a Want?
This week, I will not be in school Tuesday. I will be attending a conference at Regis College about project based learning. Please send any emails regarding dismissal to Judith.
There is no school Friday October 5 and Monday October 8.
Thank you to everyone who attended Curriculum Night! If you were unable to attend or unable to sign up for a conference, please let me know so we can schedule. Thank you as well to all who signed up to be a regular classroom volunteer. We will be starting the volunteer schedule in November. Stay tuned!
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