Nonfiction, How-To, and Measuring

This week during Reading we:

• learned that readers think about the big idea in a nonfiction book before, during, and after reading.
• learned that the pictures in nonfiction books help us better understand what the words are teaching us.  Readers study and talk about the pictures.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• learned that when we read nonfiction books, we may come across words we have never heard of.  Readers can look at the pictures to search for clues about what a word might mean.
• added "be" to the word wall.
• learned to pay attention to the labels in pictures and what they are referring to.
• learned that Dr. Seuss's birthday is Sunday.  We read Cat in the Hat and created hats for Monday's community meeting.

This week during Writing we continued our How-To unit.  We:

• learned that writers can add a warning to a step if there is something their reader needs to be careful of.
• learned that, just like recipes have a list of ingredients, we can add a "What You Will Need" list to our How-To books.
  
  
  
  
  

•  reviewed that writers need to leave spaces between their words.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• learned about periods and practiced adding them to our books.
• shared some of our how-to books with our first grade reading buddies.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

During Math, we spent the week learning about measuring.  We learned that before tools like rulers were created, people could have their bodies as a tool for measuring.  We then used paper cutouts of our feet to measure different objects around the classroom.

Another day, I read a book called How Big is a Foot?.  This book teaches readers that when different people use their feet to measure, they might get different measurements based on the length of their feet.  Because of this, standard units of measurement are necessary.  I introduced the class to the standard foot, and we used this unit to measure objects in our classroom.  We learned that, when we all use the same size measuring tool, we should all get the same measurements.

Next week, we will spend time reading Dr. Seuss books.

Have a nice weekend!
Katie

Fun in the snow!

It looks like winter again on the Rowe School playground!  The children have been thrilled to have fresh snow to play in.

Last week during Reading Workshop we:

• reviewed the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts and how to tell the difference between the two types.
• learned the word "all."
• learned that just like we go on adventures when we visit new places, we can go on adventures in nonfiction books, even if we can't read the words.  We can study the pictures to learn new information.  During buddy reading, we can share and talk about these books with our buddies.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Last week during Writing Workshop we kicked-off our new unit: How-To Books.  First graders just finished this unit, so when we got together with our first grade buddies, the kindergartners were able to hear an example of a how-to book that their buddy had written.  This was the perfect transition to our new writing unit.  Last week we:

• learned that writers can teach someone else how to do something.  We are all experts in so many areas, and through our writing, we can teach others how to do things we already know how to do.
• learned that when we are writing a how-to book, we need to tell the reader how to do something instead of telling how we do it.  Instead of writing "I put eggs in a bowl," a writer should write "You need to put eggs in a bowl."
• learned that our illustrations should match each step we write about.

Last week during Math we:

• practiced making patterns.
• played two digit Number Top-It and highlighted the numbers on a number grid.
• played the Teen Frame Game to practice reading, building, and comparing teen numbers.
  
  
  
  
  

We have an exciting week ahead of us.  We will celebrate the 100th Day of School on Wednesday and Valentine's Day on Friday.

Six More Weeks of Winter

On Friday, I taught the children about Groundhog Day.  Each child predicted whether or not they thought Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow on February 2.  The majority of the children predicted that he would not see his shadow.  As they made their predictions, they made comments like: "I want to wear shorts," and "I want summer to come."  I hope the children weren't too disappointed when they realized Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, thus predicting six more weeks of winter.  Luckily, according to WMTW's website, "The good news is that, according to analysis by the National Climatic Data Center, Phil is wrong most of the time."  We'll see what's in store for us for the rest of winter.

Last week during Reading Workshop we:

• added "said" to our word wall.
• learned that when we finish reading a book, we need to tell what the story was about or what we learned before we begin reading a different book.  We can tell the story or facts across our fingers.  I continuously tell the children that "reading is thinking."  Reading a book is more than just reading the words on a page; it is about understanding what is happening in the story or what the author is trying to teach us.
• learned that "reading is thinking" not just when we read by ourselves, but also when we read with a buddy.  When we finish reading a book to our buddy, we can ask him/her to tell us what the book was all about.
• learned that if we can't remember something we read, we need to go back and reread.
• read with our first grade reading buddies.

The children have also learned about the job of e when it is at the end of a word and there is another vowel in the word.  Check out this YouTube video to see what the children have learned about e at the end of a word:


Last week during Writing Workshop we:

• learned to add the "inside story" to our small moment stories.  Writers don't just tell what was happening on the outside (what other people would be able to see and hear if they were in that same moment), writers also write about what they were feeling throughout the moment, the "inside story."
• reviewed that writers can use tools to help them write words.  In their folders, students have a list of word wall words, an alphabet chart, and a digraph/blend chart as tools to help them spell words.
• learned that the last page of a story should tell the end of the moment.  
• chose a small moment story to edit and fancy-up.  On Thursday, I taught the children to edit their stories for spaces, correct spelling of word wall words, punctuation, and capital letters at the beginning of each sentence.  Children then used an "editing pen" to edit their stories.  
• shared the small moment story we selected with our reading buddies and first grade buddies. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Last week during Math we spent a lot of time learning more about 2-digit numbers.  We:

• played 2-digit Top-It.  Children chose two cards, put them in the order that created the larger 2-digit number, then compared numbers with their partner.  Whoever had the larger 2-digit number got to keep the cards.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• made 2-digit numbers with cards then highlighted those numbers on a number grid.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• practiced counting bundles of ten Popsicle sticks and single Popsicle sticks to build an understanding of the quantity of 2-digit numbers.
• learned about the difference between the tens' place and the ones' place and how it is important to pay attention to the order of the numbers.
• practiced writing 2-digit numbers on whiteboards.

The learning that is taking place in our classroom right now is amazing!  I can't wait to share your child's learning and progress with you at his/her conference in just a couple of weeks.
Warmly,
Katie