Our chicks have hatched! Room #7 was very lucky to have experienced this learning opportunity and also to have had the chance to come in contact with some very cute, chirpy, and fluffy chicks in our classroom this week. The boys and girls were over the moon with excitement! Learning about the embryos and how they develop from an egg to a chick has been a thrilling, and educational, time! We were all sad to see them go!
Math stations this week:
- How Many Eggs? – At this station, the boys and girls picked a number they wanted to work with (between 10 and 20). The recording sheet prompted the children to figure out how many white eggs he/she would have if a certain number were brown. So, for example, if I picked the number 9, and the question said: There are 4 brown eggs, I would need to illustrate those eggs to determine how many white eggs I had! Critical thinking!
- iPad – Hungry Fish! (a new game!) – At this fun and engaging new game, students picked a level where they felt comfortable yet challenged. In each level, a fish emerged with a number on its belly. The student’s job was to combine numbers, or add, to equal the number found on the fish’s belly so that the fish could eat it! Everyone loved this game and enjoyed the challenge!
- Clear the Board – As we continue to work with addition, students partnered together at this fun and engrossing game. Each student received a game board and 10 cubes. They placed their cubes on numbers that they thought they would roll. Next, the kids took turns rolling two dice. When the dice were added together and if the kids had cubes on that number, they could remove them. The first person to “clear the board” won!
- Attribute Spinner Game – We have been talking a lot over the last two weeks in Room #7 about attribute. There are so many attributes (or characteristics) by which one can sort: color, shape, size, thickness, number of sides, etc. Using 2 different spinners, one for shape and this week, one for size, students spun and then had to find the corresponding shape. This is a great way for kiddos to use their math vocabulary and practice identifying the various attributes!
- Comparing Containers – At this station, the kiddos filled 2 containers of different sizes with cubes. Next, they had to determine which container held more and which held less cubes. After they labeled the containers with more, less, or same cards, they recorded their results using our “alligator” symbols.
- Comparing Cube Train – After getting a cube train of 10 cubes, students explored the classroom to find four items that were shorter than the train and four items that were longer than the train. The cherubs certainly put their thinking caps on for this one!
In Word Work, the kiddos are learning to solve new words by making connections to words they already know. In class, we’ve been changing the last letter or letters of a word to form a new word, such as: in to if. This understanding is helping the children take words apart as they read and spell as they write. You can do this at home too! Ask your child to change the last letter of a word to form a new word. Here are some examples, but feel free to use words that work for your family: cup, hat, cat, bed, bag, bus, pig, pen, pet, hug. Challenge your kiddo and ask your child to read the word pairs to you!
Additionally, our cherubs are learning about the structure of words and how some words are related to each other. This recognition helps them break down new words to solve them. We’ve been focusing on adding s to a noun to make more than one. Practice at home! You can even make a memory game of it!
We have started a new unit in Reader’s Workshop entitled: Avid readers! After learning what the new word meant, our readers came up with many ways one can be an avid reader: having stacks of books in waiting, reading in various places, never stopping, and really paying attention to the details. We also added that avid readers sometimes feel the way their characters feel. The boys and girls started marking pages in their books where they recognized a feeling. Keep it up, avid readers!
Room #7 has been focusing on their how-to stories. We have read a variety of mentor texts and the students have identified aspects of the texts that they should include in their how-to stories. This is tricky work, but they are rising to the occasion. They created “hooks” to get their readers excited about learning a new skill, warnings, tips, and now diagrams! It’s awesome to see them label, add motion, use arrows, and then write really descriptive words. Moreover, the writers are acting out their stories to ensure that they include all the steps. Remarkable!
Have a wonderful April vacation! See you in a week!