And so it begins....

This morning the entire third grade took the first part of the MSA reading test. It is against testing protocol to discuss the test itself, but I can tell you that the students in my homeroom made me VERY proud!!! Students were focused and used their strategies. I could tell they put forth every ounce of their effort, and, in my opinion, that is all we can ask!!

After the test, the children enjoyed music, lunch and outdoor recess.

After recess, my reading class began preparing for their next writing piece. Today they got into small groups and rotated between 4 different issues of Storyworks, a Scholastic literature based magazine. Each of these magazines included a topic of debate; is TV bad, cats vs. dogs, would you pay to vacation in space and does money and fame lead to happiness. The children read the arguments for and against these issues. The plan is for them to eventually choose a topic of interest, select a "side" and write a persuasive paragraph about their opinion. They will support their opinion with facts from the Storyworks articles.

To be honest, I have never used Storyworks before nor have I presented so much choice and freedom for a persuasive writing assignment. I think this will create excitement about writing and will, in turn, translate into improved writing skills...only time will tell! :-)

We ended the day by continuing our reading and discussion of The Little House and how technology helped us to adapt to and change our environment. We've had some GREAT discussions...the children are asking very thoughtful questions!!

The only homework is to continue working on the sound project. The project is due March 28.