Our Week

This week we focused on reading and writing Fairy Tales. We talked about the difference between a Fairy Tale and a Fable and read the The Three Little Javelinas, The Three Little Pigs, and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. At the beginning of the week we focused on making predictions. We made predictions before, during, and after reading the The Three Little Javelinas. Then, on Tuesday the students made predictions before reading independently Jack the Wolf . After that, I read to the students a version of the Three Little Pigs, and then the students got in groups to retell the story using linking words (first, next, last) and the puppets they made at centers. This activity reinforced retelling the sequence of events in a story using transition words. The kids really enjoyed performing as well as watching their classmates perform. We ended our week by reading The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. I tied point of view into this story and we discussed together that this story was told by a character in the story (first person), which was different than our other two stories which were told by a narrator (third person). Yesterday, we began organizing and planning out our own Fairy Tales, and then today we started drafting our stories. Writing a Fairy Tale has been challenging for some students because it encourages creativity and sometimes critical thinking. In our Fairy Tales we made sure to include once upon a time, linking words, and happily ever after. In addition to these things, I also encouraged the students to include good and bad characters, a problem, a solution, and magic. We did not finish this writing project, so we will continue working on it next week. 

 

In math, we started addition. At the beginning of the week I introduced our vocab terms: add, plus, equal to, addition sentence, and more than. We put these terms in our math journal, and then we went over our Big Idea and Essential Questions for this unit. I really want the kids to understand why addition is meaningful and how it is used daily. We conversed about why it is important to get the correct amount when adding, and what problems it could cause if we are not accurate when we add. We also had a discussion on why we need to be fluent with our addition facts to 10. After looking over the addition pretest, I split the kids up into guided math groups. I did this in order to help better meet the learning needs of all students. Some students need to be challenged more, so I started double digit addition with them. Other students need to work on accuracy, so I have been working with them on applying various strategies to help them correctly find the sum. I sent home addition flashcards because it is important that all students improve on their fact fluency. We will begin timed tests next week over addition facts so please make sure you are going over facts with your child at home. 

Please be practicing reading and writing first quarter sight words. I will be testing students over these words in few weeks. Next week your student will be coming home with reading homework. They will be coming home with either their guided reading book or their Journeys book. Please spend some time listening to your child read. 

Parents, thank you for all you do to help your child! I take great pride in teaching your child, and I am here to help them learn. If there is something you are concerned about, or have questions about please don't hesitate to contact me.  Enjoy the sunshine, fall temps, and weekend! 

-Mrs. Wright

Wright's Weekly News September 26th-29th

First quarter Parent Teacher Conferences are on October 19th from 1:00 to 8:00 pm. Be looking for a sign up time sheet to go home tomorrow! Also, I will be sending home addition flashcards for students to practice their fact fluency at home. Please be reviewing these facts with your child. The goal is for students be able to have fact fluency to 10. We will begin addition timed tests next week. 

Our Week

This week we had fun watching Mr. Kenney and Ms. Swope walk the plank. CIS and Henry raised over $800 for playground equipment! 

   

In reading, we focused on the beginning, middle, and end of a story. I introduced the plot of a story to the students using an anchor chart that resembled a roller coaster. We had fun riding the Plot and using our Whole Brain Teaching to help us learn how to identify the beginning, middle, and end of a story. The students learned that at the beginning of a story is when we are introduced to who the characters are and what the setting is, the middle is when the problem arises, and at the end is when the solution takes place. I read aloud Chicken Little to the students and we identified the beginning, middle, and end of the story together. Then the students went back and applied their knowledge of beginning, middle, and end to their story, Gus Takes the Train. The kids marked with sticky notes where they thought the beginning, middle, and end was in their text. They then made a beginning, middle, and end flap book summarizing the parts of Gus Takes the Train in their own words.

    

Our theme this week was feelings. As a class we brainstormed various feelings we have and how our feelings affect our actions. We used our knowledge of feelings to help us analyze how a character’s feelings change in a story just like our feelings can change throughout various experiences. Our read aloud texts, Chicken Little and Amazing Grace helped us understand how a character’s feelings can change throughout a story. To go along with our theme and comprehension element, the students wrote a narrative of a time when their feelings changed. The kids used a brainstorming map to help them organize their thoughts and identify who the characters and setting were in their story. They then used their map to help create their narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. 

In math, we reviewed numbers bonds and finished our unit on reading, writing, and using numbers to 120. I was so pleased with how the kids have learned the concept of numbers bonds and have used this strategy to help them solve addition and subtraction problems. Today the students made a flap book of addition strategies as an introduction to the next unit. I look forward to seeing how the students apply various strategies to help them add and eventually subtract. We will be working heavily on addition fact fluency next week. 

 

   

We had two Monarch Butterflies in our classroom this week. We got to watch these awesome little creatures go from a chrysalis to a butterfly. One of the guided reading groups even researched butterflies using books from the library and the internet. They did a great job creating these colorful posters and presenting them to their classmates. 

Weekly News for September 18th-22nd

Homecoming Week

Wow! It was such a great week filled with lots of reading, writing, and spirit! It's days like today that remind me how proud I am to be a cardinal. I love my community, and I am so glad I had the opportunity this week to share my excitement with this kids about living in such as awesome town with so many wonderful helpers.
This week we spent time learning about community helpers as well as discovering their role in our neighborhood. At the beginning of the week we read Lucia's Neighborhood and discovered important places and people in the community we live in. After reading this text, we discussed various community helpers and actually came up with a community helper for every letter of the alphabet! In addition to this non-fiction text, we read When I Grow Up, which allowed us to brainstorm and imagine all the different things we could be when we grow up. Next, we applied our knowledge of cause and effect by thinking of different cause and effect situations that went  along with various professions. Finally, the kids completed a cause and effect activity that required them to come up with their own cause and effect statements. Some students did real life scenarios, and others used examples from one of my favorite cause and effect books, If You Take a Mouse to School.
We had some special community helpers come and share about their job and their role in the community this week, which was very exciting! On Monday we came up with questions to ask our guests, and then when each helper came the kids took turns asking questions. I was so proud of how respectful the students were and how many students took notes. We used what we learned from our community helpers and stories this week to help us complete our journal entries each day and our narrative writing piece. Today we finished our week strong by writing a narrative about One day while working as a... I was so proud of the hard work each student put forth and all the details the kids used in their writing pieces! Our focus this week was details and so many of them even included lots of details as well as linking words like first, then, next, last.  This makes my heart so happy! I love that the kids are making huge improvements in their writing!
In math, we began Number Bonds this week. We practiced identifying the whole and part in a number bond and why number bonds are important. I explained to the kids that numbers bonds are a strategy that will help us add and subtract. The past few days we have been taking the parts of a number bond to make a whole, and then we use the parts and whole to help up make an addition sentence. We began going over today how to find the missing part in a number bond when we are given the whole and a part. This was a little confusing to some of them so we will review this next week along with the purpose of finding a missing part and how it relates to subtraction. We will also practice finding various ways to make 10 and creating our own number bonds that go along with addition sentences.
Have a wonderful weekend! I hope to see many of you at the game tonight. Thanks for being part of this wonderful community and living in Clinton. I am blessed to call this town home and your kids my own! 

September 11th-15th Weely News

This week is homecoming week and the spirit days are listed below. We will be attending the Homecoming Parade on Friday to show our support and to get pumped for the big game!

Monday - Pajama Day

Tuesday - Twin Day

Wednesday - Hawaiian Day

Thursday - Disney Day (favorite character)

Friday - Homecoming Day

Our Past Week

 This week has been a great week of learning! We began the week reading Knuffle Bunny and recalling the problem and solution in the story. Then, we made a text to self connection by brainstorming things that were special to us. After brainstorming ideas we picked one thing that was really special from our web, and then we explained our reason for why it was special to us. During reading we also begin finding the the main idea of a book. I explained to the kids that the main idea is what everything in the book is about. I used a stool as a way of explaining this concept. We discussed that the seat is the main idea and the legs are the details. This visual really helped the kids see that details are used to "support" the main idea. In addition to recalling the main idea in a book, we practiced coming up with our own topic sentences when we write. Today in writing we came up with  a topic sentence, and then worked staying on topic throughout our entire writing piece, which was about an experience with a friend or family member. Writing can be a difficult skill for some students, but I am proud of how hard  the kids have worked this week on their writing. Handwriting has been a major focus this week as well. I have been looking for neat handwriting and correct strokes this week as the kids have completed various writing activities during journaling, centers, and morning work. Please spend some time working with your child on handwriting and reversals. The more practice the better. Some students are still struggling with number reversals and the letters p, b, and d. 

      

We officially began guided reading this week. I started pulling groups back based on their instructional reading levels. Some of the skills we worked on in the groups were: phonics patterns for short a and short o, monitoring for meaning as we read, and inferring a character's feelings. The needs of each group varies depending on their level, but each group of students is getting the instruction and guidance they need to be better readers and writers. I have loved getting to hear the kiddos read this week and watching them apply the skills their learning to their guided writing. Be looking for books to start coming home in the next few weeks. I will send dojo message to let you know when this takes place. 

In math we finished week two of number sense. We focused this week on the vocabulary terms: more, fewer, and the same as well as greater than and less than. The last few days we spent some time understanding greater than and less than using the signs that represent these words (<.>). We worked to make number sentences that were true using the signs, and we practiced reading number sentences correctly using the greater than and less than signs. Yesterday we put our number sense and vocabulary into practice by comparing the winds of  Hurricane Harvey to Hurricane Irma. This engaging activity brought to life greater than and less than. It was cool seeing how interested the kids were in applying their higher level thinking skills to something in the real world. Next week we will use our number sense to help us begin learning about number bonds. Number Bonds will be used as a strategy to help us when begin addition in a few weeks. 

 

I apologize for the limited number of pictures this week. I sometimes forget to take "actions shots" of all we are doing. I know there hasn't been a lot of work that has come up home, but take my word that your kids are working and learning! I will do better about posting work to individual kids stories so that way you can see what your child is doing how they are progressing. I try to spend our time doing quality learning activities that allow me to see if students have learned a concept without doing tons of worksheets. 

Have a great weekend! Spirit week is next week for homecoming. Below are the dress up days.

Monday - Pajama Day

Tuesday - Twin Day

Wednesday - Hawaiian Day

Thursday - Disney Day (favorite character)

Friday - Homecoming Day

September 5th-8th Weekly News