Fire Safety and Apple Cider

Fire station, smoke trailer, apple cider...what a fun, busy week we had!! 

The children enjoyed visiting the Yarmouth Fire Station on Tuesday.  I think they're favorite part was being able to step into a fire truck and ambulance!!
The smoke trailer and going on the fire truck ladder were also a big hit!  What a great learning experience for the children.

On Friday, Alden's mom, Jen Libby, came into our classroom to teach us how to make apple cider.  We have been reading a lot of apple books the last few weeks, so this was a great connection and such an authentic learning experience.  The children were so excited to have this opportunity.  They made delicious cider!!  Thank you, Jen!

The rest of our week was very busy, as usual.  During Reading Workshop we:

• shopped for new books for our baskets.  Up until this past week, I was putting books in each child's basket.  From now on, they will be choosing books each week.  The books will stay in their baskets for them to read throughout the week. 
• learned that readers can make connections between books.  We used Corduroy as an example.  Since we had read Corduroy and A Pocket for Corduroy, I taught the children that when I read Corduroy Lost and Found (we hadn't read this yet) they could connect Corduroy's actions in this book to his actions in the other books we read.  As I read aloud, I had the children turn-and-talk to a buddy several times to share their connections.  
• practiced pointing to one word at a time as we read a familiar text, Fire Truck.  Each child then got their own copy of Fire Truck to practice pointing and reading the words.  They will bring this book home soon.

During Writing Workshop we:

• continued to work on saying all the sounds we hear in words and writing a letter for each sound. 
• learned that writers can add words that describe how the people in their stories felt in that moment.
• selected our favorite piece of writing to fancy-up.  Students will share these pieces next week.  The rest of our writing went home with us on Friday!  Enjoy having your child share his/her stories with you!

During Math we:

• learned what a "digit" is.
• learned that the teens are two-digit numbers with a 1 as the first number (the tens' place, but do not expect your child to understand place value yet).
• practiced ordering the teen numbers (we call them the tricky teens).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• started using individual whiteboards to solve math problems and show our thinking.  We will use this tool frequently throughout the year.  The children love having their own whiteboard to use, and it is a great way for all children to be engaged in the lesson.
  
  
  
  

I hope you all enjoy the extra day off with your children!
Best,
Katie