Ask Me about friday, september 18, 2020

We had a busy morning today in our virtual classroom!  We had students being pulled out to go to their ESOL class, which is a class Mrs. Thomson has in a breakout room, and we had Mrs. Robinson pulling students to do a reading screener with them to determine a very general reading level.  Students are doing well learning to use the breakout button to go to the room and to return.  Thank-you for your patience as some parents have had to help their children with the breakout room.  It will get easier!  The screener Mrs. Robinson did gave me additional data I will use in setting up reading groups.  Some groups will be fluent with children being moved to other groups from time to time.  

We studied this painting by Claude Monet looking for clues that would tell us about the weather.  Ask me to tell you the clues that helped us know it was a windy, sunny and possibly cool day. 
In reading, we practiced identifying rhyming words.  We read this poem about a puppy.  After we talked about what yappy, squirms and slumpy sounds and looks like.  Ask me to tell you what words rhyme in the poem.

We are also continuing to count syllables in words.  The students are gently pounding the syllables with the opposite hand they write with so that as they begin writing, they can pound the syllables to break words apart so they are easier to spell.  Use the opposite hand they are writing with allows them to keep writing as they gently pound the syllables, making it an efficient strategy.
We reread the story Danbi Leads the Parade, by Anna Kim, this time looking at the pictures as I read.  We identified the main characters and the important events in the story.  We made a text-to=self connection with Danbi making a new friend.  We drew a picture to show ourselves meeting a new friend.  Together, we wrote a sentence that identified the text-to-self connection.  
In math, we learned about zero and practiced writing zeros.  
In science, we reviewed what engineers do and listened to the story Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty.  This is part of a series of books that are on Epic Books.  I will assign this book, as I did Ada Twist, Scientist, but remember it's a suggestion not really an assignment.  It's a great book!

As I am writing this, I heard the very sad news that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed away.  There are several great children's books you might want to share with your child about this amazing woman, but are already sold out at Amazon.  I assigned two books about her on Epic:  Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of R.B.G. vs. Inequality by Jonah Winter, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, by Sara Spiller.  
Have a wonderful weekend!
Miss Wolfe