After out usual morning festivities, we had Reader's Workshop. Today the mini-lesson focused upon a strategy that readers use to figure out tricky words that we come across. We have already talked about sounding out words (we use the stretching method – drawing out the sounds as they sweep their finger across the words – as opposed to using short, choppy sounds; it works better for most kids). Today we practiced using context clues (the words around the tricky word) to figure out what the meaning is. When the kids went off to do their independent reading for the day, they had books that were purposely a little bit too hard for them, and they had to practice using the strategy to figure out the words that they did not know. At our end-of-workshop share, each child told about the strategy/ies that they used today in their reading to figure out tricky words.
After reading, we moved on to Writer’s Workshop. I taught the kids about how authors like them “zoom in” on a small moment that is a part of a larger event to write about, and then they take that small moment and stretch is out with great details (like Vera B. Williams does in A Chair for My Mother). All of them went off to practice zooming and stretching. I also showed them a series of slides that illustrates the “zooming in” principle. It’s cool – zooming in on planer Earth from space. Check it out here, if you like.
After writing, we went to lunch and recess, and then back up to our room for more of The Wind and the Willows. After a chapter, we headed upstairs for art class with Mr. Fairbanks.
When we got back down to our room, we had Math Workshop. We worked on solving math problems with addition – using number bonds and number sentences. The kids are really starting to get the concept of addition down – pretty soon we’ll be on to subtraction!
After math, we had Science Lab. Our young scientists today started experiments with rocks – they had a collection of six rocks, a magnifying glass, and black and white paper and they had to ‘discover’ as much about those rocks as they could. They made some really interesting discoveries – ask them about the different senses they used (every one except for taste…J) and what they found out (as well as the conclusions that they drew!)
After clean up it was time to pack up and head home!
