Mrs. Smith

Oct 2, 20203 min read

Readers Read the World

This week we began Reader's Workshop! During Reader's Workshop, each session begins with a mini-lesson followed by independent work. As students work, the teachers confer with the students while delivering a mid-workshop teaching point. The workshop ends with a share.

Reader's Workshop: Read the World

This week the children learned that readers walk through the world in a special way - they don't just see things, they READ them! They read them by looking at things like signs, directions, books, and think, "I wonder what this says." They think about the words. During the mini-lesson, I showed the kiddos pictures that I took of signs around school. We tried our best to read the signs. If we weren't sure what they said, we looked at the pictures to figure out what the sign was telling us.

Reader's Workshop: Fiction vs. Nonfiction

This week during Reader's Workshop the children also learned that there are lots of different kinds of books. There are storybooks (fiction) and "learn about the world books" (nonfiction). During the mini-lesson, the children were taught how to read a nonfiction book. Then the child had the opportunity to pick out a nonfiction book and tried their best to look, think, read and learn!

Math: 5-Groups & Family Math Stories

This week during math we continued making 5-groups using numbers 6-10. We also practiced family math stories. We focused on adding and subtracting situations to create story problems. We acted out the problems showing the adding or subtracting with our fingers. For example, Tom sets the table. He puts down 3 plates and then 1 more. How many plates are on the table?

Fundations

This week the kids learned the process of listening to a story and then retelling the story in their own words. Ask your kiddo if they can retell "Echo Finds Dinner."

STEM Challenge: Design a Paper Plate Marble Maze

The students were challenged to create a paper plate marble maze using a paper plate, construction paper, glue, tape, scissors, and pipe cleaners. The kids engineered all kinds of cool structures on their paper plates for their marble to go through as they tilted the plate in different directions using their hands!

Free Choice

This week the kids loved exploring the sand in their individual sensory bins! Sensory play has so many benefits. Sensory play encourages the development of motor skills, supports language development, and encourages 'scientific thinking' and problem-solving while they play, create, investigate, and explore!

Recess

During morning recess, the kids enjoy the tire swing and monkey bars. During afternoon recess, the kids get to play on the field where there is so much room to run!

French

This week the kids learned how to play "I Spy" in French using colors. They learned the phrase "est-ce" which means "is it." The kids each took turns being the leader and the kids made guesses using the phrase "est-ce."

During PE class this week the kids participated in many different games and activities. Early in the week the kids played "Poppin' Bubbles" and were challenged to pop 500 bubbles!! It was amazing how many bubbles the kiddos popped with their noodles. The kids reported that they popped 700, 1800, and even a trillion bubbles! WOW, they were good! The kids also went on a Nature Walk/Scavenger Hunt and were challenged along the way to hop across the "lava" and look for clovers and pebbles. At the end of class Coach Long surprised the kids with awesome key chains!

Art

This week in art class Mr. Matt took us outside for a leaf hunt! Their mission was to collect as many different types of leaves as they could. The kids walked around Roycemore and Alexander Park hunting for the best leaves! The next day the kids painted the leaves and stamped them onto their paper. They used a variety of colors and saw many textures!