Winter

I firmly believe that it is easier to write about something that you

know about or have some experience in.  One of the areas that the

students are working on writing about is 'how to' or sequencing.

They had never been in the staff room before, thus all the looking about!

We came in to make some hot chocolate!

The students had to listen carefully and watch all the steps to know

what they would be writing in their own 'How To...." booklets.

There was the added bonus of getting a cup of hot chocolate in the deal.

It was yummy, they tell me!

The students have been writing quite a bit this month.

It is a long process for them, and the work is divided into smaller,

more manageable chunks.  For the final product, it is important

that they are able to read their own writing.  They are often

surprised that they don't know what they were trying to say!

As you can see, I have a real bunch of students who

are climbing the ladder of success.

They loved their opportunity to try out the various equipment during

their first gymnastics lesson.  It is easier for them to be successful

because of the safe environment they are in.

On Friday, the Grade One students 'buddied' up with their

friends in Grade Three and each student created a Valentine card

for a veteran who has served, or perhaps a current member of our

Canadian Military.

The Grade One students had a few sentences to choose

to add to their heart.  This kiddo added them all, I think!

The Grade Three students wrote directly from their heart

sharing their thoughts about the service our military personnel gladly give 

so we may live freely.

We're going to be writing another "how to" piece, this time about

making a snowman.

As we spent some of our class time outside, the students learned that

not all snow is created to stick together.

Try as they might, the snow would not form a ball and roll along

gathering more snow.

We might just have to watch a video instead of having a hands on experience!

Working at the Snowman Village

There are a series of books by Caralyn Buehner

all about snowmen.  Thanks to an idea by Molly Schwab,

I created a fun day of centre activities all based on

the idea that we could visit the Snowmen Village and

work on some of the jobs that they worked at.

We didn't quite all become snowmen dentists, but we took on

a whole lot of other exciting occupations!

At this centre, the students were working as TV weathermen.

The sheet had a winter scene.  The student rolled the dice six times,

adding the 'snow' to the scene that matched the number of pips seen

on the dice.  The more snowflakes, the worse the storm!

Here the students are construction workers building new snowmen

houses.  It is difficult work to add snow blocks just so!

Of course, every village has a school!  In class today the snowmen

children were trying to figure out what 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 letter words they could

make using the letters S. N. O. W. M. A. N

What words do you think the students thought of first?

Here are some workers in the Accountant's office.

They were working with numbers as they played the games

"Snowman Bump" and "Roll and Cover"

I didn't catch the activity at all the stations because I was working

in the Doctor's Office.  These interns were learning how to ensure that 

snowmen are nice and healthy.  Thanks for all the rice as it was the main

ingredient in the making of roly poly snowmen!

The students helped hold the sock open as the rice was poured in.

It is so interesting how girls know how to use an elastic and boys

find this task so challenging.  The students choose the eye colour, the Pom Pom

for the top of the hat as well as the buttons.

The original idea that I have been using for many years

came from Raegan Tunstall.  The students have another

surprise waiting for them next week.  These cute (and healthy)

snowmen are going to be their writing inspiration for 

a descriptive paragraph!

Each one does demonstrate it's own personality..

much like the interns who made them!

For the weekend, they are all out keeping watch!

Just a reminder that the literacy bags came home for the first time today.

They are to be returned to school on Monday please.  There is a 

laminated sheet inside each bag that lists all the items that are meant to be

inside to assist you in ensuring everything comes back ready for the next

student who will be using it.

There is a 'family journal' inside.  Parents are encouraged to share how the

activities went, which ones the students found easier or more challenging,

if there are items missing or something that is being noticed.  The students are not

expected to be able to read all of the books on their own.  Enjoy these bags.

Over the years so many families shared that it became a wonderful way to

connect with their kiddo and see their learning and progress firsthand.

Stay Warm!

The cold continues....

Alberta is in a deep freeze.  Students are staying inside and are going

just a little stir crazy.  What's the best way to combat the 'inside blues'?

The best way is to keep all of the lessons exciting and different!

(and focused on enjoying the cold, winter snow!)

Dream Snow by Eric Carle is a fun book.  The students were introduced

to the idea of clues.  Within the first 2 pages, they had to use the

illustrations to figure out what the five animals in the barn could be.

As the story goes on, the animals are covered up with snow, so

there is an opportunity to guess which animal is under the snow mound.

At this time of the year, you will notice less 'perfect' spelling.

That is because the students are not always just copying the words

as I have written them on the SMARTBoard.  Instead, they are 

using the words that we have been working on (sight words) along

with the sound that they know and are attempting to print the words

on their own.  This doesn't mean that I don't help.  It does mean that I

have them work on finding words in their mind, and within the room.

There is almost always a list of words that the students have generated written 

on the SMARTBoard as well.

They each chose an animal that lives on the farm, which could have been

one of the five from the book along with about 5 others that were discussed.

Each wrote 3 clues which had to use these sentence starters:

I have....

I can.....

I live......

Their clues were displayed along with the three clues.  What's behind the 

painted snow mounds?  If you read these clues could you guess?

I have hay.

I can run.

I live in sep.

(sometimes the words are a bit muddled!)

I have hair.

I can run.

I live in barn.

(learning to read the words again to make sure they make sense

 is on our list of things to do!)

I have a tail.

I can chase sheep.

I live in a barn.

(Which one did you get?)

The Snowy Day is a classic and a Caldecott winner.  It tells

the story of Peter and his exploration of snow in his city neighbourhood.

There were a variety of activities that were completed but by far

the favourite one was creating the setting for one of Peter's

adventures in the snow.

The children so enjoyed moving the puffy snow mixture around

to create one of the scenes from the story.

The best part is that the puffy snow paint dries puffy so that the adventure

is captured in 3D!

Happy COLD New Year!

Flashlight Friday was a hit!

The students pulled out their book boxes, found a comfortable place 

to sit in the room,

and enjoyed the fun of reading a good book!

As the year goes on, the students are working to add

more strategies to assist them when they are 

'stuck on a word.'

The old 'sound it out' strategy just doesn't work.

Try sounding out 'enough' or 'because'

The first strategy that the students learned was to 

use their 'Eagle Eye.'  The students are encouraged

to look at the pictures to help them figure out an unknown

word.  For example a little girl was reading to me

about a cat who was sleeping on a _____.'

She didn't know the word couch, but she could look

at the picture and be successful in knowing that the

word would match the picture.

Once the students know the sounds made by individual 

alphabet letters, they work on the 'Lips the Fish' strategy.

If the picture looks like a dog, but the word starts with

a /w/, the students are encouraged to say the sound...and 

perhaps find out that the word was 'wolf.'

Stretchy the snake helps the students stretch out the

sounds of the letters and then put them together to make a word.

It would look like this:

/s/......./a/......./t/

/s/.../a/.../t/

/sat/

Before Christmas break we were focusing on CVC words

three letter words that start with a consonant, have a vowel in the

middle and end with another consonant.

They would be words like /cup/. /mat/. /bed/. van/. /red/

In the new year the students are now practicing using the

strategy of 'chunking the word parts' with Chunky Monkey.

This would be the closest strategy to sounding it out.

The students are now working on the Phonics Dance for

Hunks and Chunks.  This program was developed by Ginny Dowd.

Here's the first two we learned /sh/ and /ch/

SH ...sh, sh, sh. with fingers to the lips

CH...ch, ch, ch with chicken wings!!

There are two sounds for /th/

Once is made with the tongue behind the teeth and one with the tongue between

the teeth.  We say 'That is a thorn and this is a thistle' so that both are made.

WH wh, wh, wh

It's a question word....who, what, when, where, why and which!

(By the way, /sh/ /ch/ th/ and /wh/ are all digraphs....you'll hear

that term as your kiddos get older!)

OW makes two sounds as well.

Here the students are using their fingers to make the /o/ and the /w/

and then they make a fist and hit the other hand to say 'ow!'

They do the same actions but then say the long sound of O (it's own name)

and make their fingers be snowflakes as they chant "Let it snow!"

It's difficult to get clear pictures in the gym, but the kiddos loved

being joined by some Grade Four students as they are learning how

to skip.  They are learning the 'bounce-bounce' pattern of skipping

There's a lot to remember....keep the hands out, keep the back straight,

keep the feet together, and bounce twice between each turn of the rope!

A few are starting to get it!!

Here was our proud boy showing off what he brought for

our 'We Belong' sharing activity today.  He is a member of the

Green Lanterns Soccer team!