This week we continued our work about combining numbers. We explored combinations of numbers using colored apples as a way to organize our thoughts. I asked the kids to help me figure out how many different ways we could have red and green apples in a box. First we started with 5 apples. Then we moved on to 10 apples. We wrote number sentences to go along with our work.
We have been reading about alligators this week. We made a "can, have, are" chart to help us share our knowledge. We will take this chart and use it next week to write three page teaching books.
Each week, we use a morning message to teach no excuse words and practice reading strategies as a class. Our words this week are go and up. Here is one of our messages this week using these two words.
With this message, I began by circling a word that I knew would be tough. I had them just say the first sound when we got to the word and keep reading. After we finished reading the sentence I asked them to think about what could go in that place that would start with the word r. They used their big brains and got it! This is a word that if they tried to tap it, it would have been really tricky to figure out. We call this strategy, read on and think. This allows the kids to use their understanding of language to figure out words. It's pretty neat to see them realize when they've figured it out.
Many of you have heard your kids talk about Class Dojo. We earn class points for following directions, doing good work, making good choices etc. We are working on getting up to 500 class points. Earlier this week, we figured out that we needed 49 more to complete our goal. The kids helped me figure out that we'd need to fill four tens frames and nine loose ones. (Yes they really did that thinking! Smarties. :) I drew tens frames and spaces for loose ones on the board and we are counting them down as we earn stars. Today we earned 3. I asked them to figure out how many more we need. Some counted by ones, some counted the tens frames first and then counted on from the ones and some remember that we needed 49 and counted backwards. I am amazed at the big thinking going on in here. They blow me away every day.
General Announcements:
- No reading group books will come home this week. I was gone on Monday. So we aren't quite ready to share the new books with you. If you still have your reading bag from last week, please send it back Monday. We use these during "read to self" to practice our skills.
- We hope to see you all at Math Night next Tuesday!
- We are collecting our pennies! Thanks to all that have sent them in!
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