Core Words
The core word that we have created sentences with and made a book with was the core word "play". This was a very easy word for the students to use in a sentence. We will be working with the core words "is" and "don't" for the remainder of the month.
I have been very impressed with the students being able to recognize the core words that we have covered throughout the school day. Sometimes they may require a gentle reminder that it is a word that we have already practiced before they are willing to try to read it.
Whole Group Lesson
We have worked with the word family "ag" over the last two weeks. Our next word family will be the word family "ap".
Interactive word family games have also been included in our lessons. Students are required either to match a picture to the word, match a word to a picture or spell a word in the word family that we are focusing on.
Literacy Groups
Mrs. Abou continues to reinforce the word family that we are learning. Students have been participating in a variety of matching, spelling and reading activities.
Some of the students in Ms. Purcell's small group have been working on their reading comprehension skills. They are required to read a two- to three sentence story and then respond in writing to comprehension questions. Her whole group continues to work on their reading skills and strategies to incorporate when they encounter unknown words.
Writer's Workshop
This week, students were asked to write about something that they like. Although each student has individualized expectations, each student is expected to try their best to write down the letters that they hear and to use the list of core words and sight words that we have learned so far this school year.
As you could see in the samples of writing samples below, some students have more experience creating a variety of sentences using a variety of sentence starters, sounding out unknown words and using known words in their writing. Some students have been confident at using the list of core and sight words but are not yet venturing from a well-loved sentence starter, whereas some students are working on making the letter-sound to letter connection.
Students write like they speak. If they use colourful words while they are speaking, once confident in their writing ability, it will come out in their writing.
MATH
Every student is now able
to solve addition problems using manipulative with minimal support. Several of
new strategies have also been introduced including drawing a picture and counting
from a number upwards. Students are encouraged to draw circles for each number
when they use the draw a picture strategy.
For example,
2 + 2 = 4
o o (count all
of the circles)
o o
When using the strategy counting from a number upwards, students are encouraged to put the first number in their head and the second number on their fingers or to put the first number in their head and then use their hand draw the second number. Visuals are provided to assist the students to add using this strategy.
(put three fingers up, put 5 in your head, touch your head and say 5, and count your
fingers 6, 7, 8)
(draw three circles, put 5
in your head, touch your head and say 5, and then count your circles 6, 7,
8)
