SKILL-Ful Thinkers

Saturday, March 7, 2020

What We're Learning

WRITER'S WORKSHOP
Graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts and ideas. Presently, students will tell an adult their topic and three ideas and the adult will complete the chart. Students are then supported in writing their four sentences (one sentence for the topic and one sentence for each idea).

MATHEMATICS
Addition
We are continuing to work on our addition skills. Most of the students are able to add using manipulatives independently and are continuing to show improvement in their level of confidence in their ability to complete addition problems in a more independent manner. Students are encouraged to use a strategy that they comfortable using. Most students either use the counting on strategy along with using manipulatives (put the first number in your head, use manipulatives for the second number and then use the counting on strategy - 5 + 3 = (5, 6, 7, 8) 8 or they use manipulates for both numbers.

Patterns
- We have been locating patterns in our environment.
- We are competent in our ability to extend and recreate AB and ABC patterns.
- We will be working on extending and recreating AAB, ABB patterns.

Sight Word List - updated

Below are the sight words that we have learned this year. There are 20 words in total. The seven words in pink are also included in our core word list. We practice reading these words in isolation and in sentences. The short phrases in the brackets help us remember our sight words.

1. are (the pirate sound) 11. red (red riding hood)
2. here (over here - point to ground). 12. my (my "y")
3. the (the ball or the car) 13. go (green light go)
4. blue (bluebird, blueberries) 14. play (play ball)
5. he (he is a boy) 15. that (I want that balloon)
6. a (awww) 16. it (tag! you're it)
7. and (salt and pepper) 17. help (Help! Fire!)
8. yellow (yellow sun) 18. I (point to yourself)
9. you (point to someone else) 19. make (make your bed)
10. in (sign language for in)   20. is (is cold)

Will be introduced in March:
21. to (to the park)
22. we (we are friends)
23. be (be quiet)

Core Word List - updated

Below are the core words that we have learned this school year. We have practiced reading these words individually and in sentences. We have practiced creating sentences with these words, participated in fix-it sentence activities (the words in the sentence are out of order and students must put words in the correct order - teacher verbalizes the correct order) and we have also created a page in class books for each word. Students are expected to use the core word chart to spell these words correctly during writing activities.

1. want 11. is
2. that 12. stop
3. help 13. more
4. it 14. you
5. what 15. in
6. play 16. make
7. go 17. open
8. I 18. don't
9. like 19. on (introducing week of March 9th)
10. do

Sunday, February 16, 2020

What We're Learning

LITERACY
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.