Reading Rocks!!

Today we learned how to use the change to less diagrams in math. These are just like the change to more diagrams we did yesterday. We used cups to show that when we take something away, the start number gets smaller. We will continue working on these concepts next week. We also learned that everyone learns differently and at different times. We read Leo the Late Bloomer to help us understand this concept. We understand and respect other readers. Everyone is learning how to become better readers at their own pace! We took two quick assessments today. We took our Unit word test and a comprehension quick check. Finally, we had a great celebration of learning with our special guests. We made book markers, we shared our reading time and we got to read and eat snacks!! What more could you ask for on a Friday? Thank you so much for joining us. :))

Homework- Read your just right book. Read your weekly poem. Have your lucky listener sign the sheet. Bring the book bag and reading notebook on Monday.

 I sent home some important information today. The students will be bringing home a plastic bag with a book in it each night. They should read this just right book and return it the next day. Please read the sheet for more details. We will be doing Pizza Hut's Book It program. If the students read for at least 10 minutes each night, they can color their pumpkin on that particular day. At the end of the month, if they have read at least twenty days, they can earn a free personal pizza.

Complete Sentences

Today we learned how to make sure we write in complete sentences. We finished our Sentence Buddy by adding the naming and telling part arms. To check our sentences when we write we need to ask four things.  Does the sentence have a capital? Does the sentence have a naming part? Does the sentence have a telling part? Does the sentence have the correct punctuation? We made words today that belonged to the -it and -in word families. In math, we learned how to organize our information in a word problem by using a change to more diagram. We compared this to organizing our clothes. There is a place for each number. We included this in our strategies for adding. In science, we used a model to demonstrate the two jobs of the sun. A candle helped us to see that the sun provides light and heat for Earth.

Homework- Read! Complete home link 2.8 and bring it back tomorrow.

Unit Labels

Today we learned that including a unit when you solve a word problem is very important. Without labeling your answer, no one will know what you are counting, adding or subtracting. For example, if Kensey had 3 cookies and Mrs. Haley ate 1, how many cookies does Kensey have left? The answer is 2 cookies. Cookies is the unit label. We also explored another math tool: the calculator. We learned how to choose a just right book. We used the five-finger rule. Ask your child what that means. A just right book is the perfect book for you. We had a contest to rename the story we read called A Fox and a Kit. We had to make sure our new title fit the story. Was it what the story was mostly about? We had lots of great ideas! We continued to work on our Solar System paper in science.

Homework- Read The Fox and the Kit in your reading textbook. Bring the book back tomorrow.

Book Covers

Today we learned the cover of a book can tell us many things. We looked at the cover of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and labeled the parts of the cover. We determined that the cover can help us choose a good book to read. We practiced our word wall words and read 'Little Boy Blue' to find rhyming words. Then we used the rhyming words to help us read and spell words with the same patterns. We practiced the counting up strategy in math. We learned how to play a game called High Roller. We are still working on numbers that bond to make 10. We also listened to our Solar System song and then colored and labeled the planets.

Homework- Read! Complete Home Link 2.6. Return the worksheet tomorrow.

Solar System

Today we learned all about the planets that make up our solar system. We listened to a song that told about each one. We learned that the sun just stays in one place and the planets go around the sun. We played a game called Roll and Color to practice identifying CVC words. We practiced sorting words and then read Fix It! to practice reading the words. We learned that the words in a book are written by the author and the pictures are done by the illustrator. We also learned that the part of the sentence that tells who or what the sentence is about is called the naming part. Every sentence should have a capital at the beginning, punctuation at the end and a naming part. Tomorrow we will talk about the telling part of a sentence.

Homework- Read Fix It! and answer the questions. Place the book in your book box and then bring the questions back tomorrow.

Third grade buddies

Today we learned how to play Spin-a-Word. We had to spin for a consonant and then spin again for a word family ending. Once we created the word, we had to decide if it was real or nonsense. We had a tough time with 'bog'. Most students didn't know that was a real word so we got a vocabulary lesson as well. We attacked Mrs. Miglich's class with our 'Fall' poem. We explored some books and discovered that all of the books had some things in common. We found out they all had a front cover, a back cover, a title page, pictures, words, sentences, punctuation, a spine, and many more things. Ask your child what they discovered about books. In math, we practiced using strategies to find all of the number combinations that make 10. Finally, we got to read with our 3rd grade buddies.

Homework- Read our 'Fall' poem to your lucky listener. Have them sign the lucky listener sheet. Several students left their notebooks on their table. They can take them home on Monday to read the poem and have the sheet signed.

Explorations

Today we learned how to find the perfect spot for reading. We established our reading bubbles. No one should be in our reading bubble but us. This will help us to concentrate on reading. We also practiced making -ot, -op and -ock words. We did exploration stations in math. The stations allowed us to work on subtraction, number bonds and collecting data using tally marks. We talked more about the sun and collected facts from the book, Who Likes the Sun?

Homework- Read! Complete math box 2.4 and return it tomorrow. Don't forget pictures are tomorrow. Please sign up for a conference if you haven't. Let me know if those nights don't work for you and we can make something else work. Thank you!!

The Sun

Today we learned all about the sun. We found out that it is a star and is made of gases. You could take 100 Earths and place them across the sun. The sun is very hot. You should never look directly at the sun. We also reviewed the number bonds for 10. We read The Big Blue Ox and identified the characters and settings of the story. Finally we learned that if you get caught in a tornado, you can get spit back out. :))

Homework- Read The Big Blue Ox and return the book tomorrow. Share the family letter for math and the gold word work packet with your family. Don't forget to sign up for conferences. Also remember...pictures are on Friday!

Literacy Statons

Today we learned the procedure for literacy stations.  We will do 2 stations each day Tuesday through Thursday. We reviewed tapping and spelling CVC words. We learned how to turn and talk to our mini-lesson partners and compared our rug time to a water hole. We gather there to learn something and then go practice in our own spaces. We learned about number bonds. We explored combinations of two numbers that equal 10. We brainstormed things that we might find in the sky and then learned that our next unit in science is all about the sun.

Homework- Read! Complete home link 2.2 and return it tomorrow. Don't forget to sign up for conferences!

7 Habits of a Great Leader

Today we learned a lot!! When I asked the students what they learned today, the hands were going wild. :)) We learned about being proactive with our 7 Habits of Great Leaders introduction. Being proactive means being in charge of yourself. We learned about Internet safety and Kelso's choices from Mrs. Amstutz. She also taught us some sign language. We also had computer time today and learned how to navigate our Southeast website and also how to find our learning games. We got to play a few of the games as well.

Homework- Read the decodable reader Hit It and place it in your book box. Practice the new words we previewed today: is, in, his and you. If you didn't bring your progress report signed, please do so. Thank you!! Don't forget to sign up for conferences. Information was attached to the newsletter.

Adding Strategies

Today we learned about adding strategies. We learned we can use the number line, number grid and we can count up. Counting up works best when you start with the bigger number in the problem and then count on. We also learned about the turn-around rule. 2+3 and 3+2 will have the same sum. Oh, we learned that a sum is an answer to an addition problem. We made words with the short i family. We took a comprehension quick check over our Pig in a Wig story and we got to meet our 6th grade buddies.

Homework- Read the poem 'Apple Tree' and have your lucky listener sign the sheet. Bring your progress report back signed and have a nice weekend!!

Game Day

Today we learned how to use rhyming words to help us read and write other words. We read What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig. We located rhyming words and then used those words to read and write other words with those same spelling patterns. We learned about being respectful readers during independent reading time. We reviewed the letters x and y. We brainstormed a list of topics to write about during writing time. We played math games during math workshop. These games helped us to practice using the number line, number grid and comparing numbers.

Homework- Read! Practice your letters and sounds. 

Mini Explosions

Today we learned that we need more time in our day!! :)) Once again, we ran out of time at the end of the day because we were investigating vinegar and baking soda. We did mini-explosions! We reviewed the scientific method and then put our knowledge to the test. We got to use goggles and droppers. We used the tricky word strategy of  'Lips the Fish' during our reading lesson. The students guessed the covered word by looking at the pictures and then getting their lips ready to say the first sound in the word. We took our first word test and we also took our first math test. I can't wait to see what we have learned.

Homework- Read Pig in a Wig from the reading textbook. Tell your family if the story is realism or fantasy. How did you know? What evidence did you find? Bring the textbook back tomorrow. Share home link 1.12 with your family. This is a preview of Unit 2.

Mentos and more

Today we learned how to create words using the -ack family. If you know how to spell rack, you can spell racket. If you know how to spell jack, you can spell jacket. We highlighted the -ack words in our story, The Pack. Rhyming words help us to read and write. We reviewed the letters v and w. We practiced writing our spelling words using blue for consonants and red for vowels. We also looked closely at our words: yes, there is a vowel in every word. We had our Reading Celebration to help us to remember to read every day!! We also reviewed what a scientist does and then went over the scientific method using a Mentos experiment. We tested two different beverages to observe what would happen when Mentos were added to them. The beverages were water and Diet Coke. Ask your child what they observed.

Homework -Read The Pack and add it to your book box. Study your words for your first Word Test. Use the math website to review for the Unit One math test. Also think of the review that we did today with counting, tally marks, number lines, and word problems. 

Number Grid

Today we learned how to use the number grid. We used the grid to count up and back. We related this to subtraction (counting back) and addition (counting up).  We learned that there are 3 ways to read a book. You can look at the pictures and make up a story. You can read the story. You can also retell a story that you already know. We practiced doing this during our independent reading time. Finally we learned how to read with our 3rd grade buddies. We met them today and practiced partner reading.

Homework: Read your Color Poem and have your lucky listener sign the sheet in your reading notebook. Complete home link 1.11. Return it on Tuesday. Enjoy the fair!!

Gobstopper Watcher

Today we learned that good readers read lots of different things. They can read comic books, newspapers, magazines, articles, poems, and books to name a few. We learned how to make -at family words and -ack family words. We practiced solving word problems using addition and subtraction. Subtraction means something is less and addition means it is more. We also did an investigation with Gobstoppers in water. We observed the changes that they went through and then recorded our observations.

Homework Read!! Complete Home link 1.10 and return it tomorrow.

Explorations

Another late football night at the Haley house... I apologize for the late post. 

Today we learned how to explore math materials. We looked at Base-10 blocks, pattern blocks and geoboards. We also learned that counting backwards was like taking away a number. We found out Who Stole The Cookies... it was Peter Pizza, Suzy Swing and Troy Trash. We were rewarded for our great detective work- we got to eat the stolen cookies! We practiced using our Eagle Eye strategy with our story, Sam, Come Back! We also learned a new strategy for figuring out an unknown word- Lips the Fish. Lips can be used to get our lips ready to read a word. Finally, we reviewed the letter sounds and letter formation for j and p. The students also learned about our math site login and we explored what they can find on the site. Hopefully you saw the information come home in their folder.

Homework Read Sam, Come Back! Bring the textbook back tomorrow. Complete the review tally sheet and return it tomorrow. This will used in part of our lesson. Thank you!!

Who Stole the Cookies?

Today we learned  how to use our hand lens to look at fingerprints to identify the suspect in our cookie mystery. We found out that no two fingerprints are alike. We got our class picture taken with the Sheriff and we practiced bus safety. Our new reading strategy is using our Eagle Eye when we read. This helps us to figure out unknown words and helps us to learn more about a story. We just use our Eagle Eyes to look closely at the pictures for clues. We practiced using tally marks to count and represent objects. We used our tally chart to answer questions about the data.

Homework- Read Tap! Tap! Tap! and Mack and Tack. Add the books to your book box. Complete Home Link 1.8 and return it tomorrow.

Charts

Today we learned that charts help us to see and remember the data that we collect. Charts can be used in science and math. In math we collected data in a tally chart. Each tally represents what we are counting. For example, we counted fish, t-shirts, train cars and cars. Each time we have five tally marks we can count by 5s. We learned where to go during a fire drill. We also learned to be good... we lost all of our letters today. :(

Our goal for next week: We won't lose any letters on Tuesday.

Homework: Read your poem of the week, 'School is Waiting'. Have your listener sign the lucky listener sheet. Bring your reading notebook back on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!!

Observations

Today we learned that scientists use tools to make observations. Making an observation means that you are looking closely at something. We learned how to use a hand lens to make observations of objects in our classroom. One student discovered that when you look at something with a hand lens far away, the object is upside down. When you look at the same object close up, it isn't. What a great observation! In math we reviewed how to compare numbers and how to order numbers. We learned that we can use the number line as a tool to help us with both concepts.

Homework  Read!! Use your hand lens to observe some items in your home. Observe some items that are outside. What did you notice?