Wow, I can't believe we are so close to the end! It seems like yesterday we were just entering kindergarten. My how the time flies and wow to how much they have grown! Every day we are practicing what it looks like to be in first grade.
Room 112 has been working really hard at what listening looks like (brains, bodies and voices) and this week we were able to pick our own seats! It has been so fun to see the different dynamics of groups and for the kiddos to choose where they want to learn from for the day!
Please remember to be practicing your just right books every day and returning them EVERY MONDAY to shop for new ones!
Room 112 has been working really hard at what listening looks like (brains, bodies and voices) and this week we were able to pick our own seats! It has been so fun to see the different dynamics of groups and for the kiddos to choose where they want to learn from for the day!
Please remember to be practicing your just right books every day and returning them EVERY MONDAY to shop for new ones!
Avid Non-Fiction Readers
We know avid readers love books, they read everywhere and talk about books with their partners. This week we are looking at non-fiction books. Asking questions and having "wow" moments. We know non-fiction books are books that give us information and teach us things. From these non-fiction book we can teach others! Ask your child about some of the things they are learning from their non-fiction books! |
This week we read, Who Lives Here and Actual Size. These non-fiction books are getting us more curious and planting the seeds for our up coming PBL project about the African Savanna and African animals | From now until the end of the year, we will be reading, thinking and learning about animals.Through non-fiction books, we are teaching students how to use comprehension strategies to read and learn as they encounter information and ideas in non-fiction texts. These non-fiction reading strategies are designed to create life-long learners who read actively and independently across the curriculum, who engage their minds and who understand what they read. We can even "read" non-fiction books without being able to read the text. There is so much to learn just by looking at the pictures! The early stages of our non-fiction exploration are setting the stage for student research. We are curious and wonder a whole awful lot about the world around us. Non-fiction books can be a tool for us to start discovering the answers to some of our questions. We use non-fiction text features to help us find the information we need from a book and decide if that information answers our question or sparks new questions. I will be modeling this process of having a question and looking for the answer in a non-fiction book for the next few weeks with the whole class and small groups of kids, preparing kids to do this process independently with an African Animal. |
L Blend Experts!
Word Problems
This week we are looking at combinations and variations. This concept can be very complex for 5 and 6 year old but Ms. Huffman has been setting the bar high and with a growth mind set we can learn anything through practice and PATIENCE.
Not only have we been looking at combinations using cubes, colors and pictures to solve the problem Ms. Huffman has been wearing the same pair of sneakers all week to show the different combinations I can make with the same pair of shoes! Once I introduced the concept, the kiddos have been excited to see what jeans and top I am going to add to the sneakers. It is a fun way to bring math to life!
Not only have we been looking at combinations using cubes, colors and pictures to solve the problem Ms. Huffman has been wearing the same pair of sneakers all week to show the different combinations I can make with the same pair of shoes! Once I introduced the concept, the kiddos have been excited to see what jeans and top I am going to add to the sneakers. It is a fun way to bring math to life!
Making Plywood
Making Boats that Float!
My Boat Design
Creating our Boats
They Float!
Some friends explored through trial and error while creating their boats. After we noticed most of the boats sank after a minute or two in the water we rewinded our brains back to the shaving and sawdust in water experiment. During this experiment we learned wood floats and sinks. Why did it sink we asked ourselves? The wood became water logged just like some of the cardboard on the boats. Once the cardboard became water logged it sank, just like the shavings and sawdust! Some friends then decided to wrap their boats in tape. In the end we made boats that float!