We’ve been practicing saying words slowly and listening very carefully to hear each one of the sounds inside the word. For example, when we say dog very slowly we can hear three sounds, d-o-g.
The cherubs are also learning to solve new words by making connections to the ways words sound. In class, we’ve been saying words slowly, and the children are listening for the beginning, middle, and ending sounds of these words. They’re learning that they can write the letters for the sounds they hear. We are using a fun tool to help in learning that words have multiple sounds: latex-free therabands. The kiddos stretch the bands with each sound they say. This tactile tool really helps them to visualize and then name the corresponding sounds!
We have started a new unit in Writer’s Workshop: pattern books! The cherubs were thrilled to start this new unit and did an amazing job with it! One way to encourage the kids to write is to give them a purpose to compose by presenting to them the kinds of books they like to read - ones that are often predictable and follow a certain type of pattern. To begin, the class and I read a variety of these types of books, and the kids were quick to notice the patterns. They also remarked how the last page was always just a little bit different. The boys and girls picked several subjects on which to write: what dogs play with, themselves, their siblings, what he/she likes to play, animals, etc. I cannot express how engaged, involved, and excited they were to do this writing – it was incredibly refreshing! We will continue with pattern books for a few weeks and then put them in our very own library! So thrilling!
Most of our Math stations this week revolved around teen numbers and required our really delving into one more and one less. Keep reading to find out what your cherubs were able to do!
· Mix it Up! – Our last week with this beloved station! This fun game could be played either with a partner or independently! Given a deck of number cards from 10-20, the students mixed up the cards and put them back in number order. It was really cool to watch them problem solve to make certain the numbers were in the correct positions. Additionally, the cherubs often sang parts of our teen number song to assist in this tricky work!
· Roll and Color Teen Numbers – This week, the mathematicians of Room #7 rolled a giant die with the teen numbers 15-19 (represented in 10-frame form). Next, they found that specific number on their activity sheet and colored it in!
· Spin and Write Teen Numbers – Using a spinner with all of our teen numbers represented in 10-frame form, the kiddos spun, then practiced writing that number on their board. They always had to remember: “Numbers in the teens start with a ONE!”
· My Teen Counting Book – Room #7 has been working hard on their teen numbers! At this station, students focused on writing their teen numbers and then filling in a 20-frame with “x’s” to match the number they were working on. Kids received a lot of practice counting to ensure that they had the correct amount!
· Tricky Teens – At this center, students spun a teen spinner and then put a marker on the corresponding number on their BINGO-esque board! 5 in a row won! Kiddos had to be careful and look for numbers that began with a 1! It got tricky!
· Pattern Block Puzzles – At this station, the students had the opportunity to explore relationships among shapes and determine how many ways the shapes could be arranged in a specific space. Using pattern blocks, the children filled in a particular puzzle shape in different ways and recorded the number of blocks used each time! Everyone became very creative with this station – definitely a fan favorite!
· Shrinking Number Monster – Are you ready for a challenge, cherubs? This week, some students were completing this center without the counting aspect! Because many of the boys and girls are really understanding the concept of teen numbers and their sequence, we had to make the exercise trickier. The kiddos tried independently (and succeeded!) to figure out one less than the number they rolled! Way to go – this is hard work! If students still need to count, too, that’s perfectly all right as well! Students rolled dice to determine how many “eyes” belonged on their monster work board. They then took away one eye, recounted them, and this week, wrote the number that was one less!
During Superflex, the boys and girls of Room #7 have been working hard to identify the various zones and what each entails. Over the past two weeks, the class has worked with Mrs. Grubbs to determine what size one, three, and five problems are, what one’s reaction may look like, as well as what zone corresponds with each specific problem (e.g., a broken pencil, getting seriously injured, spilling one’s milk, etc.). The kiddos are working to develop strategies for each situation! It’s truly rewarding to hear them use this language throughout the day as opposed to just during our Superflex time. Try it at home too!
Have a wonderful weekend! Stay warm!