Highlights from Reading Workshop:
The students are continuing to learn about how to read their books fluently (i.e. sound like an expert or a storyteller while reading). They learned that readers use their voices to sound like the characters and connect one page to the next to tell the whole story.
They also learned that they can talk to their partners about text to self connections they made with a book or a character in a book. Moreover, I told the students to think about how characters and alike/different, and talk to their partner about this as well. The students have learned a lot about having a discussion about what they're reading, and what's more, I taught the students how to use a post-it note to flag parts of their books where they thought about the text. They can use the post-it to mark a time when they: had a strong feeling, made a text to self connection, thought about their favorite part, or learned something from the book. The students also used post-its to mark pages that gave them evidence to support their thinking. They are making excellent progress in using the pictures to find evidence AND are talking to their partners about this!
Highlights from Writing Workshop:
We began a new unit in writing called "Label and List in a Content Area." This unit introduces the children to learn how to write non-fiction books in a very simple way. Children are invited to write a non-fiction book by describing things in nature such as leaves and seashells or by thinking of something they know a lot about (space, insects, dogs, shapes, etc.). I began by reading non-fiction books to the students and we talked about the differences between fiction and non-fiction, specifically, author's purpose. Additionally, we talked about being scientists who observe many things, including the world around them. We went on a listening walk, in which we listened very carefully to the sounds all around, and we went on a scientific walk and collected leaves to observe.
The students began learning how to write like scientists and non-fiction authors. They learned that writers are like scientists writing down many observations. They also learned that writers work hard to capture what they see exactly the way they see it. I also encouraged students to add labels to their pictures and use the lines of their book to tell more about their labels. Then, the students learned that writers brainstorm their observations and plan their writing across the pages of their booklets. Lastly, I explained to the students that they can write about other topics they are "experts" on. So, we made a list of things we know a lot about, and the students began writing books about a topic they can teach others about. They practiced following the writing process... 1) Think of a topic 2) Decide what you want to teach about that topic 3) Plan your writing by deciding what you will write on each page 4) Sketch the pictures 5) Write the words.
Highlights from Math Workshop:
We concluded our first unit in math, and the students took an official end of unit "test." This was sent home this past week with a rubric attached to it. It's important to note that the children did this test on their own, without help from me or any other adult.
The second unit began with a focus on 5 as an anchor number. First, the students counted objects in a park scene, and we talked about how each group that had 6 or more objects could be split up into a "group of 5 and some more." Then, the students used a 5-frame (which is a series of 5 squares attached to one another) and extra squares to make numbers greater than 5. They began exploring equations by using the + and = math symbols. See pictures under the "Inside the Classroom" page to see the kids in action!
The students are continuing to learn how to write numerals and count sets of objects and pictures. Because we are given many opportunities to practice these skills, its important to talk to your child about justifying their thinking by asking, "How do you know?" or "How can you check to make sure you're right?"