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We had another busy week here in 1-1. 

Read all about our great learning adventures!

Reading

This week, the children began learning about the Daily 5. The Daily 5 is a way of structuring the reading block so every child is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research-based tasks are ones that will have the biggest effect on each child's reading and writing achievement, as well as help encourage children who love to read and write. The children receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of children.

When it is up and running smoothly, the children will be engaged in the Daily 5, which is made up of the following:

- Read to Self

-Work on Writing

-Read to Someone

-Listen to Reading

-Word Work

We started our introduction to the Daily 5 with a detailed discussion of what it means to be a good reader. Together, we created a chart titled, Good Readers... Below is a picture showcasing all the ideas the children came up with that good readers do every day.

The children also learned about stamina. They learned that stamina is doing anything for a long amount of time without getting tired or giving up. We worked on building our reading stamina. The children practiced reading and training their bodies and brains to read in the appropriate way (staying in one spot, read the whole time, read quietly, work on stamina, get started right away). 

On Thursday, the children learned how to choose a good-fit book. They learned how to look for a good-fit book in five ways using the acronym I PICK. We will revisit this frequently in the next couple weeks and throughout the school year. Picking a good-fit book is one of the most important things to do in order to become a better reader. 

I PICK

1. I choose a book

2. P urpose - Why do I want to read it?

3. I nterest - Does it interest me?

4. C omprehend - Am I understanding what I am reading?

5. K now - I know most of the words

To help the children remember what the acronym I PICK stands for they learned a song titled, I PICK Rap. You can watch a video of the children preforming the song below.

                   
I PICK RAP from Melissa Johnson on Vimeo.

On Friday, the children learned about the Read to Self component of the Daily 5. We began by creating an I-chart. The children came up with appropriate Read to Self behaviors to write down on our chart. We not only talked about the role of the children during Read to Self but the role of the teacher. View a picture of our I-chart below. After creating the I-chart, the children practiced Read to Self and worked on building their stamina. They did a great job and met our goal of reading to three minutes. Each day we will work on increasing our stamina and building the length of time we read for. Enjoy the photos below of our class hard at work on building their reading stamina. 

We will begin guided reading groups in a week after we have finished our introduction to the Daily 5. I will continue to post information about the remaining areas of the Daily 5 as we learn the routines in class. 

Writing

This week, we continued working on our first writing unit, Autobiographies. On Tuesday, the children met with a partner to share their rough drafts. They took turns reading their writing to one another. After, they shared ideas for adding more detail to each others writing and illustrations. The children then returned to their seats and worked on editing their rough drafts. 

Later in the week, the children started the publishing process. They will rewrite each part of their autobiography in their best handwriting and draw illustrations that are careful, colorful, and detailed. When they are finished publishing all of their pieces, they will compile them into a book. 

Math 

In Math, the children continued working on number sense. They practiced reading temperature ranges on a Fahrenheit thermometer. The children made the connection that the degrees on the thermometer go up, just like numbers on the number line. The children were also introduced to math explorations. They learned about base-10 blocks, pattern blocks, and geoboards. On Thursday, the children practiced solving number stories using a variety of math strategies that we have learned. 

We will wrap up our first math unit next week. The children will review all of the math concepts we learned in this unit. They will enjoy using Mimio Vote as our review tool. Our classroom will turn into the set of a game show during our math block time as the children apply their math knowledge and answer questions using their very own clickers. On Tuesday, we will have our first math test. The children will have all problems read out loud to them. This will ensure that I am testing their math skills and not their reading skills. The tests will come home via backpack mail later in the week. 

Social Studies

This week, we began our Map unit in Social Studies. The children learned about the seven continents and oceans this week. The children enjoyed two projects this week, Me On The Map and creating a map of the world using a paper plate and cut out continents. 

International Dot Day

On Monday, the children had a wonderful time celebrating International Dot Day. They listened to, The Dot, by Peter Reynolds. We talked about how each of us can make a mark. The children shared ways that they will make their mark this year by doing something brave or something creative. The children also enjoyed creating their own dot art. They started with a blank canvas and used crayons to create their own dot.  We have some remarkable artists in our room! 

Constitution Day

On Wednesday, we celebrated Constitution Day in our classroom. The children watched a short School House Rock video titled, The Preamble. Then, they listened to a short story titled, Our Constitution. I projected the story on our whiteboard and the children took turns highlighting important facts about the Constitution. After, they worked together to fill out a graphic organizer about the Constitution. The children also brought home a short poem to share with you about the Constitution. 

Notes:

-Please be sure to check your child’s red take home folder nightly. Encourage your child to show you the work they are bringing home.