Writer's Workshop
In writer's workshop we have continued to focus on how-to writing. In order to learn more about how-to writing and practice this new skill as a class, we are currently writing How-to Build a Snowman! As part of our unit, we have been practicing not only writing, but also reading how-to texts. Since verbs are an essential part of this genre, we have reviewed what verbs are and discussed verbs we may want to include in our own how-to’s. The students came up with a great list! We also concentrated on checking our how-to texts to make sure the steps are clear to our readers. The students worked with a partner to take turns reading and acting out their steps. They are quite the bunch of actors and actresses! As a result of this activity, the students were able to determine what steps might be missing or how to make the directions easier for our audience to follow and understand. As extra practice, ask your child to describe to you step-by-step How-To Brush Your Teeth. Be sure to test out their steps to see how they did :)
Reading Workshop
In reading workshop the students have been practicing making predictions. As adult readers we make predictions often without even realizing it. We do it when we watch movies, read a book, or hear someone tell us a story. It is a way of focusing our attention and motivating us to want to hear or read more. Children benefit from predicting in the same way. Therefore, it is important that we guide them to not only predict what will happen, but to also confirm their predictions.To predict, readers tell what they think will happen in the story. To confirm, readers find out if their predictions were true, partially true, or way off. Using this strategy gives readers the chance to make connections to the text, think ahead, and become more engaged.
Use the following questions to promote this strategy. Ask your child:
What do you think will happen based on the information?
What clues are you using to make your prediction?
What kinds of clues did you use? (pictures, words, or background knowledge)
We have also been practicing how to make an inference. Inferring involves taking your background knowledge and merging it with clues in the text to come up with information that isn't explicitly stated. Visualizing is closely related to inferring. When readers visualize, they construct meaning by creating mental images. Younger children seem particularly inclined to visualize to support their understanding as they listen to and read stories, often living in the stories. Inferring and visualizing allow learners to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words, surface big ideas, and get at the deeper meaning in text. Helping students understand when information is implied, or not directly stated, will improve their skill in drawing conclusions. Inferential thinking is a complex, higher order thinking skill that will develop over time and with experience.
Ask your child to infer what is happening in the following scenario. Make sure they can support their inference with clues!
You hear friends and family singing a song. You close your
eyes and make a wish. Then, you take a deep breath in and
breathe out as you blow out the candles.
Use the following questions to promote this strategy. Ask your child:
What do you think will happen based on the information?
What clues are you using to make your prediction?
What kinds of clues did you use? (pictures, words, or background knowledge)
We have also been practicing how to make an inference. Inferring involves taking your background knowledge and merging it with clues in the text to come up with information that isn't explicitly stated. Visualizing is closely related to inferring. When readers visualize, they construct meaning by creating mental images. Younger children seem particularly inclined to visualize to support their understanding as they listen to and read stories, often living in the stories. Inferring and visualizing allow learners to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words, surface big ideas, and get at the deeper meaning in text. Helping students understand when information is implied, or not directly stated, will improve their skill in drawing conclusions. Inferential thinking is a complex, higher order thinking skill that will develop over time and with experience.
Ask your child to infer what is happening in the following scenario. Make sure they can support their inference with clues!
You hear friends and family singing a song. You close your
eyes and make a wish. Then, you take a deep breath in and
breathe out as you blow out the candles.
Phonics
In phonics, the students have been learning about the -ng and -nk nasal sounds. When -ng and -nk attach to a, i, o, or u, they create a glued sound. For example, -ang, fang, /ang/. Since the /n/ sound is a voiced, nasal sound (i.e. the sound is created by vibrating our vocal cords while pushing air through our nose), the consonant "n" can change the way a vowel sounds. Although we can hear each individual sound in a glued sound, since the letters are glued very closely together it's difficult to separate them. This week we learn about closed syllable exceptions! |
Math
We are currently working on Topic 5: Addition Facts to 20. The work in this topic is a continuation of basic fact strategies started in Topic 4. In primary grades, there is a big emphasis on mastering the basic addition facts. This is no small task! Although the greatest addition fact is 10 + 10 = 20, there are 100 plus possible combinations of addends 0 through 10. Since it is rather difficult to quickly memorize all these facts, there are addition strategies we can use as an aid. We will continue to practice using addition strategies such as doubles, doubles plus 1 and doubles plus 2, and making 10.
Along with memorization of facts comes the need to learn new verbal and symbolic mathematical language. Accordingly, we will review vocabulary the students learned earlier such as addition, addend, sum, part, and whole. We will continue to practice using the words and symbols throughout the year.
Along with memorization of facts comes the need to learn new verbal and symbolic mathematical language. Accordingly, we will review vocabulary the students learned earlier such as addition, addend, sum, part, and whole. We will continue to practice using the words and symbols throughout the year.
We have also been practicing using a new tool in math called a rekenrek. A rekenrek is a tool that supports the natural development of number sense. The rekenrek we use consists of two rows of 10 beads. Unlike drill, practice worksheets, and flashcards, the rekenrek supports even the youngest learners with the visual models they need to discover number relationships and develop automaticity. Adrian Treffers, a mathematics curriculum researcher at the Freudenthal Institute in Holland, designed it to support the natural mathematical development of children and to help them generate a variety of addition and subtraction strategies, including doubles plus or minus 1 and making 10’s. Students can use the rekenrek to develop computation skills or solve contextual problems. Once children understand the operations of addition and subtraction, and can model various situations, it is important that they automatize the basic facts by finding and using patterns and relationships. The following link is to a virtual rekenrek: http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/web-apps/number-rack/. There is also a free app available under the title Number Rack, by The Math Learning Center. Check it out for extra math practice!