The last couple of weeks during Reading Workshop we:

• spent time reviewing the strategies we have learned so far: Eagle Eye, Lips the Fish, Stretchy Snake, Skippy Frog, and Chunky Monkey.
• learned that readers may need to use multiple strategies together to figure out a word.  Readers need to make sure that if they use Eagle Eye, they also look at the word and use Lips the Fish or Stretchy Snake to make sure what they think they see in the picture matches what the word looks like. 
• learned to ask ourselves three questions when we think we have figured out a word: Does it look right?  Does it sound right?  Does it make sense?
• reviewed that readers point and hop under words, not on top of words.  
• learned that if we are stuck on a word, we can go back to the beginning of the sentence or page and get a "running start."

During Writing Workshop we have been working on our narrative writing unit.  We learned to:

• write a story about something that has really happened to us.
• write a beginning for our story.
• use sequencing words to help us write our story in order.
  
  
  
  
• write a story that happened in one place, at one time.
• write who was in our story, what we were doing, and where and when it happened.
• write details to tell how we were feeling. 
• end the story in the moment.

During Math we:

• practiced solving addition and subtraction number stories and writing number models to represent our stories.
• played a game called Dice Roll and Record to help us practice adding.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• continued our study of teen numbers, reviewing that all teen numbers have one group of ten, which is why the one is always written first.  
• used double ten frames to help us build teen numbers.
• played a game to help us practice reading and writing teen numbers. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

This past week, we also found time to do some watercolor painting.  The children painted colorful snowmen/snowwomen to go with a poem we learned about snow coming down in colors.  The colorful snowmen/women really brighten up our hallway!

It looks like we have some warmer temperatures ahead for the weekend.  I hope the children are able to enjoy some time playing outside.  

Warmly,

Katie

Happy New Year!

The children were excited to be back this week.  With it being such a short week, I didn't have the opportunity to take as many pictures as usual.  I will make up for it in the next couple of weeks!

This week during Reading Workshop, we learned a new strategy: Chunky Monkey.  This strategy reminds us to look for chunks we know inside of larger words.  For example, we can use the word/chunk "an" to help us read the word "hand."  We also learned that when reading pattern books, the last page is often different than the pattern on the rest of the pages in the book.  Often times, the author will make the last page the opposite of what the rest of the book was about.  Next week, we will learn another technique authors use when changing the pattern on the last page.

During Writing Workshop, we wrapped up our pattern book unit.  Before vacation, all the children chose a book from their collection of pattern books that they wanted to publish.  I typed the words, and the children spent writing time this week illustrating their books.  Today, we celebrated the end of our unit by sharing our books with the class.  Now they will become part of our classroom library.  Next week, we will start our small moment writing unit.

During Math, we explored patterns on the number grid.  We also played a game to help us practice identifying combinations of ten.

Although it was too cold to play outside most of the time, we did make it out for a couple recesses.  Here is a snapshot of our fun in the snow!

Stay warm!
Katie