Salutations!
This week we continued to look at ourselves as learners and think about how we can help ourselves in this process of learning. We made a growth mindset booklet highlighting times we had to overcome failures/mistakes, accept feedback, and persevere to get better at a skill or reach a goal. We also did some "self talk" modeling about what we can say to ourselves when we do come up against challenges. Here is one more online article about fostering growth mindset with your child: http://www.upworthy.com/one-little-change-in-how-you-talk-to-your-kids-can-help-them-be-more-successful?c=ufb1 .
We read so many books this week! We read about real people who exhibited growth mindsets (Helen Keller and Louis Pasteur). We also began our final book in the growth mindset theme, Lassie Come Home by Rosemary Wells. We'll be reading this beautifully written book all next week as well.
We also read A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats as an anchor text for our new opinion writing topic. Students planned and wrote about their favorite things to do on a snowy day. We talked more about how to write a good introduction and have a title that gives the reader a clue for what they will be reading. We also looked at student samples from the past and scored them using the grade expectations for writing in this opinion topic. (If you're interested in what the grade level expectations are, check out the link on my writing curriculum page in the right sidebar of this blog.) By scoring an example of my writing, as well as real kid writing, it helped students get ready to evaluate their own writing to see what they are doing well and what they can still work on as we progress in this writing unit.
Second grade mathematicians have been excited to practice the last set of addition and subtraction fact strategies. They have also been working on telling time to 5 minute increments on digital and analog clocks. I introduced the complexity of time language as well (a quarter past 10 = 10:15, a quarter til 10 = 9:45) and we have been practicing this skill though mastery of time language is not expected during second grade. On Wednesday we also did "computer math" -- an online math screener WCSU uses for students in all grades K-6 each fall and winter. Afterwards students played "Giraffe Race" -- a telling time game from the math curriculum page of the blog. Have you seen my extensive list of online resources for second grade mathematicians?
First grade mathematicians worked in stations throughout the week with Ben, Mrs. Danyew and Mr. Hedler. They worked on Make 10, +10, or +9 strategies, subitizing, and number patterns using the 100 grid. First grade parents, check out info for Ben's first grade math curriculum on his math page if you haven't done so before! The link is in the righthand sidebar of this blog.
This Friday morning we are all eager for our special Fitness Friday event this afternoon! We are also excited to have our friend Sarah back again as a guest teacher at skating while I do another round of reading assessments with some of the class this morning. By the end of next week I'll have finished all of the mid-year reading assessments! I really love having this one-on-one reading time with students. It helps get a clearer picture of each student as a reader. These assessments demonstrate what strategies they have to decode unknown words, how well they comprehend what they are reading, and how fluently they read aloud--all integral parts of reading!!!
Have a wonderful 3 day weekend. Remember Monday is an in-service day for teachers, there is no school for students!
~Theresa
Important Dates:
Monday January 18 -- No School for Students -- Teacher Inservice Day
Thursday January 21 -- All School Meeting 2:30pm
Thursday January 28 -- New Construction Open House 6pm & Winter Choral Concert 6:30pm
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