n reading we worked on thinking about what we are reading as we are doing it.  If too much time is spent on trying to sound out the words, then sometimes you forget what you were reading about. We also worked on rereading to make sure we understand what the author is telling us.  The children are so excited to be reading and want to read harder books.  We are working on choosing books that are a good fit.

 I

 In writing we started a new unit on opinion/persuasive writing.  We talked about how writers can write to make the world a better place:  they see a problem, think of ways to solve it, then write to make it better.  We discussed that one way to get people to follow your idea is to give lots of reasons why they should follow it.  The more reasons you can give the reader, the more convincing you will be.  We talked about some ways that a writer can write different persuasive pieces- they can make a sign, a list, a book, or even write a petition.  Yes, your kindergarteners are learning how to write a petition!

In math we finished our unit on decomposing numbers 11 to 18.  We worked on problem solving and following directions, solving vertical addition and subtraction, and started a new unit on measurement.  It was a fun start to the unit using unifix cubes to measure things around the room...including partners!  The children really enjoyed this activity and worked well with their partners.

 Station Time

It's finally starting to feel like spring and the flowers are blossoming.  The children are also blossoming-as readers.  This week in reading workshop we worked on reading longer texts of both fiction and nonfiction.  The children are working hard at figuring out unknown words using context clues and sounding out while maintaining comprehension.

This week in writing, we wrapped up our unit on informational how-to books.  It is impressive how much they have grown as writers.  They are able to generate ideas, thinking about all the things they know how to do,  organize the order in which the steps occur, and put them in writing.  They are also doing well with the conventions of writing such as grammar and punctuation.  Next week we will begin a new unit on opinion writing.

  

Last week in math we worked on composing numbers 11-19, this week we worked on decomposing numbers 11-19- breaking them down into tens and ones.  We also worked on solving addition and subtraction problems when they are presented vertically.  We continue to practice counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s to 100.  

In reading workshop we have continued reading nonfiction books thinking about why an author may have used certain text features.  We discussed ways that text features impact a book and how they are different than in a fiction book.  We also talked about how we are a classroom of authors and there are text features that we can incorporate into our own writing.

In writing we have continued writing how-to texts.  We worked on using comparisons in our writing to help give the reader a clear idea of what we are saying and give them a reference point.  We talked about elaboration in how-to books and how to write a collection of how-to books to teach a reader even more about a topic.  All the while remembering what makes writing easy to read.  We even talked about writing chapter books if a topic is too big (ie: writing a chapter book about baseball with chapters such as setting up the game, hitting, and catching or writing a chapter book about all that we have learned about being a kindergarten student such as lining up, washing your hands for snack, and buying lunch).  Can you believe it?!  The children get so excited about writing and it is wonderful to experience! 

In math we practiced making combinations that have sums of 11, 12, and 13.  We also worked on decomposing numbers: breaking them down into tens and ones.  The children had to decompose numbers that I gave them, then they worked on ways to compose and decompose numbers that they chose.  We reviewed subtraction through 5 by playing the bean and spinner game with partners.

We finished our read aloud book Dolphin Tale today, then went online and saw a live webcam of winter at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  There was also a link to a short story that was done by the Today Show that had footage about Winter and her prosthetic tail.  The children were fascinated and it was a great tie-in to our nonfiction unit (proving that Winter was real).

Live webcam of winter

Have a safe and relaxing break.

This week in reading workshop we talked about activating prior knowledge before reading non-fiction. This is a way for your brain to start thinking about the topic and asking questions while reading:  Is what I thought true? Does it make sense? I didn't know that...  We also looked at details in non-fiction and why the author might include certain information.  We worked on comparing and contrasting two books on the same topic while continuing our study of text features.

In writing workshop we are continuing to work on how-to books.  We practiced writing with voice and talking directly to the reader using the word 'you.'  We talked about the way that how-to writers picture each step and then choose exactly the right words.  We started a class how-to book about getting ready for recess.  We imagined ourselves getting ready in slow motion so that we could think about each step and exactly what we should write.  We re-read how-to books and noticed that an author elaborates on the steps by adding warnings and tips to keep the reader from going wrong.  We worked on adding warnings and tips to our own writing-this was fun!

On Friday we read a book that I had made about "How to Make a Kite."  We practiced reading it together, then the children had to follow the steps to make their own paper kites.  The steps were posted for them to refer to as they worked.  This was great practice in reading, following directions, using a how-to book, and fine motor.

Our sight words for this week are: mother, then, when, do, like


In math we practiced making different
 groups to make 6, 7, 8, and 9.  We worked on writing the sum first, then the addends.  This was quite tricky last week, but the more we practiced, the easier it has become for children to grasp the concept.  We practiced making groups of 6 with bi-colored beans, then writing a corresponding number sentence.  We also practiced making groups of 6 with cubes, then coloring the paper strip to match and writing the math sentence.

On Wednesday afternoon we had a chance to see the fifth grade play, "The Knight The Castle Rocked."  The children were mesmerized and really enjoyed it.

 Station work