Introduction to Breathing Buddies

We kicked off our week at Rowe School with our first community meeting.  Every month, two or three teachers and classes will plan and host a school wide community meeting.  Our first meeting was hosted by Ms. Honan, Mrs. Gross (school counselor), and Mrs. DiRusso (speech therapist).  

Among other things, we participated in a mindfulness activity for two minutes called Breathing Buddies. The children lay down on the floor and placed a favorite stuffed animal on their bellies. They spent two minutes focusing on their breath as they watched and felt their “buddy” rise and fall with each inhale and exhale. Research has shown that daily mindfulness practice can improve a child’s attention span and ability to regulate emotions, both of which are skills critical to academic success.  We will continue to practice this mindfulness activity in our classroom, and will make breathing buddies a regular part of our routine.

I have given each child a stuffed animal to use as a breathing buddy.  If they would prefer, children can bring their own stuffed animal from home.  The stuffed animal should be small enough to rest on your child’s belly without falling off. 

This week during Reading Workshop we:

• learned the third way to read books: read the words!  We read a shared text called Time for School.  I taught the children to point under each word as they read.
• reviewed how to read the pictures.
• learned about different ways we can read an alphabet book (point and name the letters, name the sounds, and find things in the picture that start with that letter).
• learned that readers can think about what the characters might be saying and then pretend to talk as if they are the characters.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

In addition to reading workshop, we also have word work time.  This is when we learn about letters, sounds, words, etc.  One of our lessons this week was for the children to figure out different ways to sort letters.

capital and lower case 

letters that are the same

blue and red letters (which the children will later learn are vowels and consonants)

letters that are the same

letters that are the same

blue and red

capital and lower case 

This week during Math we:

• learned that numbers are all around us!  We went on a number hunt through our school and outside.  After spotting a number, we recorded it in our math journals.
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• explored numbers 0-5 and made our own posters for the number five.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
• learned about and practiced subitizing: the ability to recognize the total number of objects in a set without counting them.
• looked at shapes and described characteristics of each shape.
• learned about a "five-frame" as a tool for showing different ways to represent numbers.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  The children used different colored plastic chips to show combinations that equal five.

This week during Writing Workshop we:

• learned that when we want to write a story we: think of something that has happened to us, draw it, then label parts of our pictures with words.
• started storing our stories in our own writing folders.  
• learned that when we want to write a word we: say the word, say the sounds, then write at least one letter for every sound we hear.  If we don't know what letter makes a sound, we can put a mark on our page.
• learned that "when we're done, we've just begun."  This reminds children to keep on working for the whole writing workshop block.  They can add details to stories they've already written or start a new story.
• fancied up our stories with color on Friday.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Best,
Katie

Off to a great start!

I have enjoyed getting to know the children over the past seven school days.  With each day that passed, our classroom community grew a little stronger, and the children demonstrated a better understanding of the routines and expectations.  I am looking forward to the year ahead with this amazing group of children!

Through this blog, I will communicate much of the teaching and learning that took place the week prior.   Please check back often to stay up-to-date with what's going on in our classroom.

Your child will have Reading Workshop every day (except for the few rare occasions).  Reading Workshop begins with a mini-lesson during which I model how to use a skill or strategy as a reader. The children then have the opportunity to read-to-self, and eventually to read with a buddy, too.  We come back together at the end of Reading Workshop to bring closure to the lesson.

Last week during Reading Workshop we:

• learned two different ways to read a book: by telling a story through the pictures, and by retelling a story we have heard before.  After modeling how to do this, the children had time to practice on their own.  
• learned about stamina, and each day we added one more minute to the the time we read for. We are up to 8 minutes!
• learned that readers look closely at, and tell about, every page in a book.  If we skip pages, it is like fast forwarding through, and missing, parts of a movie.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Last week during Math we:

• learned about length and measuring.  The children each received a strip of paper, and they had to find the classmate who had the same length paper as they did.  After finding a match, the children sat down with that person and asked get-to-know-you questions.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• learned how to "tag-and-drag" as a strategy for counting a collection of objects.  We also learned that the final number you say when counting a collection tells how many objects there are in all.
• explored pattern blocks.  The children were introduced to the names for each pattern block shape (rhombus, trapezoid, square, triangle, and hexagon).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• created a birthday graph showing the birthdays of everyone in our class.  We analyzed the data and discussed which months have the most and least birthdays.

Last week during Science, we began learning about the life cycle of a butterfly.  The children shared their prior knowledge, I read aloud a nonfiction book, and I shared that we will have the opportunity to observe caterpillars as they change to chrysalises then to butterflies.  The children looked closely at the caterpillars and drew their scientific observations.  

 Below is a snapshot of last week's recess and free exploration.

You can see that the children have been very busy!  I hope they had a fun, restful weekend.

Best,

Katie