Reading is Thinking

Last week during Reading Workshop, our focus was on comprehension.  Now that students have learned many strategies for reading words, we spent more time talking about how to think as readers.  We've been using the phrase "reading is thinking" to remind us to think about the stories/nonfiction texts we're reading.  We learned to talk about a book after we've finished reading it, and to check-for-understanding while we are reading.  We have practiced doing this during read-to-self and buddy reading times.  I taught the children to make a check symbol with their fingers as a way to remind themselves to check-for-understanding, telling who and what the story is about (In the near future, we will spend time learning how to think of the big idea and details in a nonfiction text).  You can support your little reader by reminding him/her to check-for-understanding while reading at home.

Last week during Writing Workshop we continued writing small moment stories.  We learned to:

• use words we know to help us spell new words.  For example, if I know how to spell the word "and," I can use that to help me spell "sand."
• write an ending that ends in the moment.
• write a title.
  
• keep on working, even if we are waiting for help from a teacher.  We brainstormed ideas of what we can do while we are waiting for help.
  

Last week during Math we:

• started making number scrolls to help us practice writing numbers.  Students will continue working on their scrolls throughout the year. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• played Roll and Record with a partner to help us practice adding.
• learned about length and found items in the classroom that were taller, shorter, and about the same height as us.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Ms. Honan announced that this Friday, February 3, will be Spirit Day...children can wear their favorite team shirt or red, white, and blue.  

Have a great week!

Katie