September Snapshot of Events

Here's a snapshot of some of September's classroom events:

Literacy:

Our class has really been taking off with our Schoolwide Reading Fundamentals Program that focuses on important  reading strategies that we should  be implementing everyday in our reading.  Together, we've been following the reading workshop structure that involves both interactive read-alouds and mini-lessons.

Over the past few weeks, we've been working on the following skills strategies:

Using schema, making inferences, speaking to communicate, listening and responding, engaging in discussion/collaborating, text and genre features, determining importance, questioning, visualizing, monitoring and repairing comprehension, finding word meaning, and synthesizing.   

Our lessons have involved:

• Learning about routines, procedures, and expectations of members of a reading community.
• Developing an understanding about our unique identity as a reader.
• Learning how to find "just-right" books.
• Asking questions to interact with text and make meaning of what we read.
• Monitoring for meaning and us "fix-up" strategies when meaning breaks down.
• Discussing with others about their thinking of what we read.
• Creating a reading notebook to notate our thinking about texts.
• Finding evidence from the text to support and clarify our ideas and opinions.

Throughout the past two weeks, I've also been individually assessing your child in the areas of fluency and comprehension. Guided Reading groups have been formed and officially start this week.

Through the reading benchmarking assessments, I was able to place your child in a guided reading group and provide them with appropriate books that I feel matches their reading strengths and capabilities. Guided reading time involves assigning students chapters or pages to read independently, having them answer comprehension questions about their book, and meeting with their group for a novel group discussion. Throughout the year, your child may be moved to a different guided reading group depending on their needs. If your child has a difficult time finishing their reading assignment during the schedule 60 minute guided reading period, they will be asked to finish it that night for homework.

Writing:

Our class is really starting to get used to the format and routines our new WEX Writing Program. Currently, we are learning about the writing concept of "focus". Throughout our lessons, the students have been realizing that when we focus on one moment, setting, sound, or object in our writing, it results in more interesting words, unique perspectives, and surprising fun-to-read details.

Additionally, the students have also been working hard making sure that they are "showing details" in their writing. Showing is the skill of using precise observations, descriptive details, and expressive language to demonstrate emotion, create images, and present evidence within our writing. The students have been learning the difference between telling the reader what is happening in their writing versus "showing" the reader. For example, instead of telling the reader "I was cold", the students have learned that they can better show how the person is feeling by saying, "I was shivering outside on my front porch as I zipped up my coat". Thus, we are learning how to write details in our work that are more precise and authentic to the reader.

Spelling:

A big thanks goes out to all of the parents that are working with their student on spelling each evening this week with our "Words Their Way" Program!  Spelling lists are always reviewed at school with individualized groups on Monday.  Our tests will always be on Friday, unless otherwise noted. Please continue to make sure that they are sorting their words correctly into their various spelling categories. The goal of our spelling program is for the students to learn and retain the spelling rules and word patterns for future use in their writing and not to just memorize the words for the test and forget them by the next week.   The nightly spelling sorts and activities will help your student to reach this goal.  Please continue to make sure that your child completes at least three of the assigned homework activities. Each weekly homework packet is worth 6 points.  

Math:

The students just finished up with Unit 1 this week that reviewed some of the concepts that they learned already in 2nd grade. Our lessons  involved analyzing data and plotting it into various kinds of graphs, finding equivalent names for a given number, discussing the concept of chance, learning how to utilize our new calculators, and counting money. 

Social Studies:

The class has been having a fun time learning all about Chicago.   Together, we have been discussing about the meaning of the parts of the Chicago flag and learned about the first settlers that moved into the Chicago area.   In addition, the students have been reading various articles to learn more about events that happened in Chicago's history involving Fort Dearborn, the Chicago River, the Chicago Fire, the Century of Progress, and the Chicago World's Fair.   The students have been having fun responding to the articles in their online Edmodo accounts.   Parents are welcome to view their responses online at home.  Student passwords will be sent home later this week.   Have them show you how to log-in online to view their responses.   

Last week we had a blast viewing all of the things we have learned in our Chicago unit on our Wendella Boat Ride!   Please click here to see a slideshow of pics from our trip.  

Personalized Learning:

Over the past couple of weeks, students have been having fun coming up with questions that they may have for a possible upcoming Genius Hour research project.   Students have also been exploring and answering many of their questions in a website called Wonderopolis.com.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have also had a great time learning along with Mrs. Nelson, our Advanced Learning Facilitator.  Together, we celebrated "Dot Day" by reading The Dot by Peter Reynolds and discovering the creative spirit and importance of being able to try in all of us.  Through this lesson we were also introduced to positive peer feedback.   Last week, students were introduced to the "Power of Yet".   This concept focused on the growth mindset mentality that we are all on a learning journey and just because you haven't accomplished a task "yet" doesn't mean you cannot try and shouldn't give up.   

Have a wonderful rest of the week!