Last week, we launched our second Readers' Workshop Unit ~ Super Powers!: Reading with Print Strategies and Sight Word Power. To begin the unit, we had a visit from Super Reader himself! We didn't get to meet him (he slipped into the classroom after school) but he did leave us a letter, a song and some Super Reader pointers! The students were SO excited to use the pointers to read the A and B pattern books and our Shared Reading poems and songs in their new book bags! We will continue to practice using our pointer power to read our books independently (back to back) and with a partner (hip to hip) this week.
Early pre-reading A and B level books all have a pattern that carries the reader through the book. An adult reads the title page and the first two pages to the student, with the student echo reading each of these pages after the teacher reads. Then the students use the pattern and the pictures to read the rest of the books independently. When students have learned enough of their letter sounds and sight words, they will be ready for level C books, which they will start reading conventionally. From C, they will move up levels as they master the reading skills and strategies needed for each level. Students will be reading these "just right" leveled books for the rest of the year, encouraged to move up levels at their own pace. I will be reading individually with each student over the next few weeks, assessing each student's independent reading level. If you are interested in learning more about the reading levels, please see the document 'what a reader needs' on the curriculum - resources tab of our website.
Early pre-reading A and B level books all have a pattern that carries the reader through the book. An adult reads the title page and the first two pages to the student, with the student echo reading each of these pages after the teacher reads. Then the students use the pattern and the pictures to read the rest of the books independently. When students have learned enough of their letter sounds and sight words, they will be ready for level C books, which they will start reading conventionally. From C, they will move up levels as they master the reading skills and strategies needed for each level. Students will be reading these "just right" leveled books for the rest of the year, encouraged to move up levels at their own pace. I will be reading individually with each student over the next few weeks, assessing each student's independent reading level. If you are interested in learning more about the reading levels, please see the document 'what a reader needs' on the curriculum - resources tab of our website.
Writing Readable Writing!
We also launched our new Writers' Workshop unit ~ Writing for Readers! In this unit, the goal is to empower the students as writers who have ideas to share and can share them in a form that is readable to others. To begin this unit, we did an on-demand assessment, something the students will do in each grade prior to starting a new Writers’ Workshop unit of study. I gave them each a three-page booklet, a pencil and 40 minutes and asked them to use everything they know as writers to write a true story about their lives (as we learned to do in our first unit). Mindy and I were blown away with how focused and independent our grown up writers were during this assignment! Their finished pieces gave me evidence of where they are as a writer and what goals they need to work on during this unit.
For the next few weeks, we will be writing true stories about our lives, adding lots and lots of details (like labels and speech bubbles) to help readers feel like they are right there in the story with us! All of the students have been excited to use pictures to tell these stories, and most of them are bravely diving in and adding words ~ stretching out the words they want to say and writing the sounds they hear down on their papers to tell their stories! We have also been doing lots of word work with the letter sounds we have learned during our Reading Horizons lessons (A, B, D, F & G), using these letters to write both real and nonsense words. One of the most powerful things that emergent writers can do is reread their writing. Next week, students will be setting readability goals to help them focus on this challenging work.
For the next few weeks, we will be writing true stories about our lives, adding lots and lots of details (like labels and speech bubbles) to help readers feel like they are right there in the story with us! All of the students have been excited to use pictures to tell these stories, and most of them are bravely diving in and adding words ~ stretching out the words they want to say and writing the sounds they hear down on their papers to tell their stories! We have also been doing lots of word work with the letter sounds we have learned during our Reading Horizons lessons (A, B, D, F & G), using these letters to write both real and nonsense words. One of the most powerful things that emergent writers can do is reread their writing. Next week, students will be setting readability goals to help them focus on this challenging work.
PBL ~ Who Am I
Assessing Our SpeakingAfter watching a video of their gallery walk presentation, students used our speaking rubric to assess how they did using a still body, a clear voice and an engaged brain to speak. After filling out the front, they drew a picture of what good listening looks like on the back, setting a goal for the next time they use their speaking skills. | Looking for Brave...At QAE we often state Mistakes Are Welcome Here! , This is such an important element of growth mindset learning and is a message I work hard on teaching constantly, with both my words and my actions. To develop a deeper understanding of this important concept, we will explore different character traits that are tied to this theme. This week, we started this work by thinking about being BRAVE! I used Dr. Seuss' book, "The Lorax", to start this conversation, paying close attention when the Lorax said, "I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." Speaking up for someone who has no voice is important. If we do not do this, we risk losing something important. I challenged our class to pay attention and notice when we see themselves or others being brave. We decided to keep track of the brave acts we noticed in our books, our classmates and ourselves, putting star stickers on our truffle tree for each brave act we noticed.. |
student presents, the audience will provide feedback about what they observed the speaker’s body, voice and brain doing during the presentation. The speakers will also give he audience feedback about their listening. Final presentations will be videotaped.
During their presentation, each student will be asked to use their All About Me posters to: ~ introduce yourself ~ introduce your family members ~ tell us something about your home ~ tell us what your favorite activity is and why you like it ~ tell us what your favorite foods (displayed on your plate) are After presenting, speakers will watch the video of their speaking and assess what they observe their body, voice and brain doing in the video and fill out a speaking rubric for their presentation. All About Me posters will come home with students when they have completed their presentation! |
How are we the same and how are we different?
A lot of us like Christmas. I think I am the only one with a white dog - August
I am the same because I like to build and I am different than Gefen because he likes to build with Legos and I like to build with Magna Tiles. ~ Ansel
I'm the same as Parker because we both like the same video games, I am different because I am the only one who has a rainbow fish. ~ Bailey
Me and Petra are the same cause our hair is the same Me and Lucy are different because Lucy has curly brown hair and I have straight dirty blond hair ~ Clementine
I am the same because I have bean bags like Ayal has and I am different because I'm the only one who moved.~ Gefen
I am same because we all have skin colors / I am different because every one minute I am hungry - I can't stop eating ~ Jasper
I am the same because me and Noah kinda have the same hair / I am different because Meadow lives in a different state and I am different than her ~ Nettie
I have a friend and her name is Vera and I am the same as her because she goes to NY and I want to go and see her soon / I am different because she lives in NY and I live in Seattle ~ Phoebe
I am different because I have my family and I am the same because I like to play with my sister and my cat Ziggy ~ Petra
We all have the same body parts and different imaginations ~ SJ
I'm different because I have a bearded dragon and Im the same because I have brown eyes and so does Ms. Katz ~ Sophie
Everyone in the world is a human and I am a human. Im the only one with a brown dog in my class. ~ Tyler
coming soon!
We are different because we all like different colors. We are the same because me and Gefen speak the same language (Hebrew) at home and most kids in our class don't. ~ Ayal
I am different because my brother is bigger than me and I am smaller and I am the same because me and my mom got our nails painted the same (Seahawks colors).~ Delaney
I am different because I wake up at 6:30. I am the same because I go swimming. ~ Henry
We are all different because we all have different colors of skin. We are the same because we like to do different things.
~ Kylei
Noah has a sister and I have a brother (different). Me and Noah like to ride bikes (same) ~ Lachlan
Me and Neamaya love riding bikes. Me and my little sister don't have the same color hair. ~ Noah
In our class kids have different skin but we have the same eyeballs. ~ Oliver
I have a little kitty and I think someone else has a little kitty. I am different because I have different eyes than SJ. ~ Reina
I'm the same because I have a goldfish and Bailey and Ms. Cryan Leary have a goldfish. I am different because I hazel eyes and Oliver has green eyes. ~ Zeke
I am the same because I like to build and I am different than Gefen because he likes to build with Legos and I like to build with Magna Tiles. ~ Ansel
I'm the same as Parker because we both like the same video games, I am different because I am the only one who has a rainbow fish. ~ Bailey
Me and Petra are the same cause our hair is the same Me and Lucy are different because Lucy has curly brown hair and I have straight dirty blond hair ~ Clementine
I am the same because I have bean bags like Ayal has and I am different because I'm the only one who moved.~ Gefen
I am same because we all have skin colors / I am different because every one minute I am hungry - I can't stop eating ~ Jasper
I am the same because me and Noah kinda have the same hair / I am different because Meadow lives in a different state and I am different than her ~ Nettie
I have a friend and her name is Vera and I am the same as her because she goes to NY and I want to go and see her soon / I am different because she lives in NY and I live in Seattle ~ Phoebe
I am different because I have my family and I am the same because I like to play with my sister and my cat Ziggy ~ Petra
We all have the same body parts and different imaginations ~ SJ
I'm different because I have a bearded dragon and Im the same because I have brown eyes and so does Ms. Katz ~ Sophie
Everyone in the world is a human and I am a human. Im the only one with a brown dog in my class. ~ Tyler
coming soon!
We are different because we all like different colors. We are the same because me and Gefen speak the same language (Hebrew) at home and most kids in our class don't. ~ Ayal
I am different because my brother is bigger than me and I am smaller and I am the same because me and my mom got our nails painted the same (Seahawks colors).~ Delaney
I am different because I wake up at 6:30. I am the same because I go swimming. ~ Henry
We are all different because we all have different colors of skin. We are the same because we like to do different things.
~ Kylei
Noah has a sister and I have a brother (different). Me and Noah like to ride bikes (same) ~ Lachlan
Me and Neamaya love riding bikes. Me and my little sister don't have the same color hair. ~ Noah
In our class kids have different skin but we have the same eyeballs. ~ Oliver
I have a little kitty and I think someone else has a little kitty. I am different because I have different eyes than SJ. ~ Reina
I'm the same because I have a goldfish and Bailey and Ms. Cryan Leary have a goldfish. I am different because I hazel eyes and Oliver has green eyes. ~ Zeke
Halloween Fun!
THANK YOU Heather (Jasper's mom) and Ravit (Gefen's mom), our class coordinators, for organizing our class party! Thank you Dana (Ayal's mom) taking and sharing these beautiful photos at our class Halloween party! Thank you to all of the parents who sent goodies and/or came in to help up celebrate! Thank you!!