After Independent Literacy Time, we had Morning Meeting. When we finished with meeting, I taught the kids a new song (that many of them already knew, thanks to Raffi) - "The More We Get Together." We did a slow version, and then a slightly more rockin' version (faster and with more dramatic expression).
Then it was on to Reader's Workshop. We worked again with our big book called Crabby Cat's Shopping. The book is filled with opposites, which the starter lesson of the workshop. The main mini-lesson was about reading with epxression, and we practiced reading about Crabby Cat with expression - it was pretty entertaining. Then the kids got their book bags and practiced reading with expression with their just-right books. At the end of workshop, we all had a chance to share (if they wanted) a short passage from one of their texts that they could read with expression.
After reading, we did Writer's Workshop, in which the mini-lesson was about using speech bubbles (like in cartoons) to add dialogue to the stories that the kids are working on. I read them a book by Mo Willems (our newest writing mentor) in the Elephant and Piggie series called There's a Bird on Your Head. It's a really funny book, easy to read with expression (which we had just worked on in reading), and the book is written entirely in speech bubbles, but not like a cartoon. Many of the kids decided to try to write like Mo Willems as they went out to work on their stories. When we gathered to share at the end of workshop, each kid described how they decided to write (not what, but how) - either like Don Freeman, Richard (no-so)Scarry, or Mo Willems. Many of them actually ended up using the examples of all three today!
After writing, it was time for lunch and recess, and then back up to the room for read aloud - happily we could finish the Nate the Great that we started yesterday, and we even had time to read a new one (the original). Then it was down to the gym for class with Mr. Hill and Mr. Peterson. I know that they went over to Lynnhurst Park for class today.
When we got back up to the room, we had Math Workshop. We continued our study of basic numbers by focusing on the words that go with the numbers, and how to spell them. It was also a chance for me to assess their letter formation, and make sure that they are starting all of the letters at the top, and working downwards (we'll talk more about that on Curriculum Night).
At the end of the day, we looked at the three monarch caterpillars that we have in our classroom - the kids learned how to use a magnifying glass, and then most of them got a chance to look at the little guys up close. Those that didn't get a chance today will see them tomorrow.
After all of that, it was time to pack up and head home!
