Exploration of our First Unit of Inquiry:
Last week, we continued our inquiry into our current central idea: People create and adapt space to establish community. The children examined our classroom and listed all of the different spaces they noticed. Next, we talked about the purpose of each area. In small groups, we took a walk through the school to explore all the various spaces within our school. We had a rich conversation about public versus private spaces. This process will help us determine the purpose for the area being designed in our classroom. We found books in the library to support our research, as we continue to learn about all of the ideas the children generated to adapt the 'nook' in our classroom. We read several books out loud to generate discussion. Then, we sent children off in small groups or independently with a book about their topic and the original sketch of their idea. Each individual sketch was placed inside a plastic sleeve. We encouraged the children to look through the books and use them as inspiration to add details to their drawings. They were able to draw directly on the plastic sleeve so they could add details without changing their original piece. Next week, will will continue to inspire the children by sharing stories about how other groups of people have collaborated to build community through the use of public spaces.
Language Arts: Readers Workshop and Writing Workshop
Ms. Shannon's Group
We are Readers: Much of our work during the first few weeks of school was spent learning the routines and expectations of both Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop. Children now understand the flow of time and the terminology used during Reading Workshop. Partnerships have been created by the teacher and will remain the same for the foreseeable future. Partners have their own space to return to daily. Children know that good readers sit back to back during independent reading and elbow to elbow/knee to knee during partner reading. When reading with a partner, readers: put one book in the middle, see-saw read, share wow! pages, reread, and add a pinch of themselves by making connections. Some of the reading minilessons we covered so far are: Readers Read a Book From Cover to Cover, Readers Reread, Readers Work Hard to Make the Words they Read Match to Page they are Reading. During Writing Workshop children learned how to generate writing ideas using prompts (I wonder, I imagine, I love) and began to represent their ideas through drawings and words.
We are Readers: Much of our work during the first few weeks of school was spent learning the routines and expectations of both Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop. Children now understand the flow of time and the terminology used during Reading Workshop. Partnerships have been created by the teacher and will remain the same for the foreseeable future. Partners have their own space to return to daily. Children know that good readers sit back to back during independent reading and elbow to elbow/knee to knee during partner reading. When reading with a partner, readers: put one book in the middle, see-saw read, share wow! pages, reread, and add a pinch of themselves by making connections. Some of the reading minilessons we covered so far are: Readers Read a Book From Cover to Cover, Readers Reread, Readers Work Hard to Make the Words they Read Match to Page they are Reading. During Writing Workshop children learned how to generate writing ideas using prompts (I wonder, I imagine, I love) and began to represent their ideas through drawings and words.
Mrs. Gampper's Group:
Building Good Reading Habits: As we begin to develop and strengthen our reading skills, we have been focusing our work on steps to build good reading habits. The children are able to follow and articulate the "good habits" we have been focusing our work on both during their independent and partner reading times. They are being taught and familiarizing themselves with the terms and expectations we have set in place to have a successful Reader's Workshop. You may have heard your child refer to some of the good reading habits we have been establishing in class; Take a sneak peek at the beginning, Check your sneak peek, Do SOMETHING at the end, Read more and more, and keep track, Set goals, and Reread to smooth out your voice. As we continue to build our good reading habits, our list will continue to evolve to help support their growing reading skills. These skills are carried onto our partner reading time, where the children have been paired with one another to practice, refine and support one another with their reading. During Writer's Workshop we have been observing the different types of writing we see all around us, as well as generating a list of ideas and prompts through stories and drawings to build our ideas as we continue our writing journey.
Building Good Reading Habits: As we begin to develop and strengthen our reading skills, we have been focusing our work on steps to build good reading habits. The children are able to follow and articulate the "good habits" we have been focusing our work on both during their independent and partner reading times. They are being taught and familiarizing themselves with the terms and expectations we have set in place to have a successful Reader's Workshop. You may have heard your child refer to some of the good reading habits we have been establishing in class; Take a sneak peek at the beginning, Check your sneak peek, Do SOMETHING at the end, Read more and more, and keep track, Set goals, and Reread to smooth out your voice. As we continue to build our good reading habits, our list will continue to evolve to help support their growing reading skills. These skills are carried onto our partner reading time, where the children have been paired with one another to practice, refine and support one another with their reading. During Writer's Workshop we have been observing the different types of writing we see all around us, as well as generating a list of ideas and prompts through stories and drawings to build our ideas as we continue our writing journey.
Math Inquiry:
Ms. Shannon's Group
The children completed a study of sorting and classifying and moved into the study of patterns. Children learned how to describe the many attributes that can be used to describe objects and sort them into different categories. They sorted by shape, color and size. They sorted buttons and learned that some buttons have two holes and some buttons have four holes. Children also sorted letters into three groups: letters with straight lines, letters with curvy lines, and letters that have both straight and curvy lines. Once children were experienced identifying attributes they began to use this knowledge to create patterns. Children copied patterns, completed patterns and created patterns in a variety of ways. Using multiple materials to make patterns helps solidify the understanding of patterns. Patterns can be simple or complex. Each child was encouraged to create creative patterns at his/her level.
The children completed a study of sorting and classifying and moved into the study of patterns. Children learned how to describe the many attributes that can be used to describe objects and sort them into different categories. They sorted by shape, color and size. They sorted buttons and learned that some buttons have two holes and some buttons have four holes. Children also sorted letters into three groups: letters with straight lines, letters with curvy lines, and letters that have both straight and curvy lines. Once children were experienced identifying attributes they began to use this knowledge to create patterns. Children copied patterns, completed patterns and created patterns in a variety of ways. Using multiple materials to make patterns helps solidify the understanding of patterns. Patterns can be simple or complex. Each child was encouraged to create creative patterns at his/her level.
Mrs. Gampper's Group:
We have begun our math inquiry by looking at our first names. The children wrote their first name onto an index card to familiarize themselves with one another, as well as to count and compare the number of letters in each of their names. We gathered the information first as a list, and then based on our information, we created a bar graph to compare and generate mathematical questions based on our data. The children then began focusing on their names by sorting them by attributes based on looking at the letters and colors chosen to write their individual names. We continued to observe attributes using buttons, and sorting them into various categories, and creating AB and ABC patterns to further our study using unifix cubes and drawings as we transitioned into our study of patterns..
We have begun our math inquiry by looking at our first names. The children wrote their first name onto an index card to familiarize themselves with one another, as well as to count and compare the number of letters in each of their names. We gathered the information first as a list, and then based on our information, we created a bar graph to compare and generate mathematical questions based on our data. The children then began focusing on their names by sorting them by attributes based on looking at the letters and colors chosen to write their individual names. We continued to observe attributes using buttons, and sorting them into various categories, and creating AB and ABC patterns to further our study using unifix cubes and drawings as we transitioned into our study of patterns..
Window To The World Information:
The Kindergarten class will be visiting the library every Monday, so please return library books to school by Monday morning. The First Grade Class will be visiting the library every Tuesday, so please return library books by Tuesday morning.
Thank You!
The Kindergarten class will be visiting the library every Monday, so please return library books to school by Monday morning. The First Grade Class will be visiting the library every Tuesday, so please return library books by Tuesday morning.
Thank You!