Second Steps Lesson: This week we learned about being assertive and asking for help. We talked about how to try to fix the problem yourself first, then ask a friend, then an adult. We listened to our "listening rules" song and continue to talk about using self talk. We also read "You Get What You Get" and discussed the rule "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit." The character did not want the phrase used at home, but then started telling his sister that she gets what she gets! The parents decided to use this phrase at home too. We talked about how sometimes its hard to not get what you want at school and at home, but that we will all be ok. You may want to try using this phrase at home.
We took a class photo to remember our sweet Dhanya Sri who moved back to India this week. We will miss her dearly!
Silly pic!
Morning Greeting: We flipped over apples with everyone's name on it. We greeted each other with a handshake or a high five.
Reading: This week we started our new reading unit. We learned we have reading SUPER POWERS! One of our powers is our pointer power. Mabel, our phonics loving elephant, brought each student a pointer stick to point to each word as they read. Students have practiced each day reading books, on his or her level, with their pointer sticks. We talked about how if there are three words on the page, we should only say three words. We are searching our books for our sight words, too. I modeled reading with pointer power this big book below throughout the week. During our phonics time, we finished up celebrating all our names, looking closely at letters, syllables, vowels and consonants. We also worked in our rug clubs and practice writing sight words on whiteboards.
Math: This week we continued matching numerals with number names and counting to 9. Students played board games to practice counting. We played a game today called One more, One less. Students rolled dice, and had to record one number higher and one number lower.
Apple Theme: This week we had fun with apples! We did an apple investigation with our apples. We weighed them, measured their height, graphed apple colors, wrote words that have to do with apples and learned if apples sink or float. Today, we cut up our apples (with butter knifes) and made applesauce!
We went outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather and our delicious applesauce!
Writers Workshop: Students this week continued to build their writing stamina! I continue to model writing stories. We talked about the steps in writing a true story this week and the importance of having characters, a setting, and a series of events that happen. Students are growing so quickly as readers and writers! It is exciting for me to watch them grow. I look forward to you seeing their writing. During writing time, I walk around and help students to stretch out their words like a rubberband, but never tell them the letters. They use their letter sound charts and knowledge to identify letters in the words.
Center Time: I worked with small reading groups while students worked in literacy centers on various skills including stretching out words, reading books on individualized levels, learning letter sounds, and writing words.
Dance-A-Thon: Students had a blast today at PE dancing on the blacktop with the DJ playing great tunes! Hope to see you tonight form 5-7pm! Thank you to Kate Tuttle for the photos.
