Reading:
Our CAFE strategy this week was focused on Cause and Effect. We learned that cause and effect means noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others. We used this strategy during reading this week by focusing on problems and what caused them and how it effected the story. We also focused on various things characters did and how their actions (causes) affect different outcomes in a story. We discussed how if we were to change a specific cause in a book how that might change what happened next in the story. It is important as readers to pay attention to these relationships, as they can help with predicting outcomes in a story as well as comprehension of a reading.
This week our word family focus was on compound words. We learned that compound words are when you take two smaller words and put them together to make a new, larger word. We built compound words, watched videos and completed a Google Slide where we saw two pictures and had to make the compound word with a partner that when those two would be put together, what word it would make.
Our vocabulary words this week went with the book The Tiny Seed. We loved learning all about the words seed, nests, sails, gently, burst, drift. Later in the week we split into groups and each illustrated and shared what one specific word meant with the rest of the group. We were challenged to illustrate a picture different than the one on the card.
Our new sight words: off, help
**Be sure to keep the white sight word cards from week to week and continue to practice all of them as new ones are sent home every week.
Our Poem of the Week:
iPad Fun:
Reading
- Vittle: We used this app this week to see how many sight words we could write and record under one minute. This app is a whiteboard app that allows you to record your voice and what you are illustrating/writing. We uploaded our finished recordings/videos to Google Classroom.
- Make a Compound Word:: Second round of iPad choice this week, students practiced our word family focus...compound words! This app had students building and practicing with compound words.
- Reading Eggs/QR Books: Third round all students completed lessons in Reading Eggs and/or listened to stories on “tape” using QR codes inside picture books.
Math
- Book Creator: This week students used the app Book Creator on their own by adding a journal entry of the activity number of the day! We have been doing number of the day as a whole class since the first week of school and they are now experts and are able to do this on their own! They rolled a dice to find their number, wrote the number, the number word, drew the dice, tally marks, number of shapes and number line! They finished the activity by recording their voice explaining their thinking and what they did with the number of the day.
- Doodle Buddy: We learned all about subtraction stories this week and the vocabulary word “take away”. We practiced creating and telling these stories either on our own or with a partner using the stamper tool and solving the problem.
Writing:
Writer’s Workshop this week, we finished our unit on Opinion Writing. Students completed their post-test on writing an opinion on Tuesday. During a post-test, they are not allowed to come have me check their writing or ask for any help. I use this time to assess if they have learned everything I have taught and worked with them on during their writing groups and are able to complete the task individually. They did a great job and I am excited to move on to our next and final writing activities for the year.
To finish off the year, we are going to learn various ways people write in their daily lives. We started this week by learning about writing a list. We talked about all the reasons we might need to write a list and various types of lists we could write. We will continue next week about learning how to write a letter!
Math:
Math this week we learned all about the vocabulary term take away. We learned that these two words can be used in a subtraction story. When you are subtracting a smaller number of items from a larger number, you are “taking away” those items. We practiced telling subtraction stories this week where instead of adding items together, we were taking them away.
Content:
This week was all about PLANTS!
- Monday--We were not at school :).
- Tuesday--We let our butterflies free into the world! We also, put white flowers in water cups with food coloring and one without food coloring. We observed the flowers all week and some of their petals changed the color of the food coloring!
- Wednesday--We learned about ways we can help keep the Earth stay healthy and clean.
- Thursday--We had visitors from Mrs. Ruhl’s father's farm. We met two baby lambs who were less than a month old. So much fun!
- Friday--We practiced a stop motion play-doh lesson on the plant life cycle whole group and with a partner. We will complete this individually next week!
Social Emotional Learning (SEL):
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
This week’s SEL focus was learning about APOLOGIZING. We read a Berenstein Bears book called The Blame Game and discussed why it is important to apologize and “fess up” if you in fact did something you shouldn’t have, even if it was an accident and to not blame someone else. We shared that is important to tell the truth and maybe get into trouble but if we lie about something we will definitely get into trouble. We learned about a 4 part apology that helps us apologize and actually reflect on our action, be sincere and think ahead to the future on what we could do if the same situation were to happen again. We listened to a few different scenarios where
A few discussion questions to talk with your child at home about this topic:
-Who is someone you think is a good leader?
-What does that person do that makes them a good leader?
-What are two things you could do to be a leader at school and home?
ABC Countdown to Summer Highlights:
D-Disco Dance Day
E-Estimation Day
F-Fruit Day
G-Game Day
PRACTICE AT HOME:
Have your child practice telling addition and subtraction stories. Encourage him/her to use the vocabulary terms “all together” and “take away” when telling the story. Flip roles and you tell a story and have your child solve it!
Next Week:
- In reading we will focus on “Monitor and Clarify””
- In writing we will learn about writing a letter and a card.
- In math we will review focus skills from this past nine weeks .
- Our theme next week is all about PLANTS..
Important Dates/Information:
**Go to our classroom webpage if you want to see important dates on a calendar! I will update this classroom calendar as dates and events come about.
- 4/19 ABC Countdown to Summer Begins! Be sure to keep your calendar handy and/or check our classroom calendar on our school website to be in the “know” of what letter and celebration is each day. You do not need to bring or send anything in unless it is stated on the text message
- 5/5--MME School Carnival 6-8PM
- 5/9--Field Trip to the Indianapolis Zoo *Please send in your child’s money ASAP.
- 5/11 & 5/12--Muffins with Mom
- 5/22--Kindergarten Graduation 10AM
- 5/24--LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
