Thursday...Reading Groups!

It was nice to see so many of you at Back to School Night last night!

With the informal reading assessments completed, we began to meet in reading groups today!  YIPPEE!

With that said....the children's day began by going to art. 

When they came back to class, we reviewed independent work time expectations for getting help and what to do when they are finished with assigned work.  We charted these expectations.  They will be hung in the classroom as a reminder.

After that, we read a biography about Candace Flemming, the author of Boxes for Katje.  We identified how Ms. Flemming's background helped us understand her point of view as the narrator of the story.

Then I assigned independent work and met with two reading groups.

Independent work today included:
1.  Previewing their reading group book and listing unknown words on a sticky note.  The sticky note was supposed to have two columns.  One column was for words the students can't decode (read).  The other side was for words the students can read but for which they do not know the meaning.
2.  Finish the rough draft for their common good writing piece.
3.  A pronoun worksheet.
4.  Unfinished work.

ALL reading groups have homework!  They are expected to read the reading group book this evening!!

When I meet with reading groups today it is simply to get into the practice of coming to group and to select a group name...short and simple!  :-)

In math we reviewed rounding three digit numbers to the nearest ten.  Then the children worked independently on a follow up worksheet and played a n addition game called Numbers League on the iPad.  I met with a small group to work on rounding numbers to the nearest 10.  There is a worksheet for homework.

Following lunch and outdoor recess we analysed a Norman Rockwell painting entitled "Miss Jones" and used "juicy" words to describe the actions, thoughts and feelings we felt described the scene in the picture.  The purpose of this was to help students improve the details and descriptions in their own writing.

After that the students continued their independent work and met with the rest of the reading groups.

We ended the day by discussing the challenges of working collaboratively, as identified by the children in their morning work this morning.  Then we viewed a video clip (twice!) and the students identified the goal of the children in the film and the actions they took to achieve their goal.  This reinforced the idea that citizens have a responsibility to contribute to  the common good of the community.