Adding Details

  

This week my kindergarten learners are adding details to their narrative writing.  They are excited to have the opportunity to share with their classmates and receive feedback from them and our blogging community.

Check out their post for April 8th - Adding Details

Crab Salad, Pickles, and Cookies while Listening to Ralph Fletcher and Lindsey Moses!

     

Excited to be heading to Eau Claire this weekend to help my oldest daughter, Bailey, and her husband move into their first home! I decided to make a few items to bring with. While I was cooking I continued to play PD Summer Bingo and one of the choices was to listen to a podcast and share your new learning or wonders. You should definitely check these out!

My first podcast was Joy Write with Ralph Fletcher. Ralph shared that he feels in today's academic writing world teachers are just checking things off a list based on the genre expectations. He adds that's not much fun. Ralph said, "I don't want those kids to be saying the same thing. When you start to see letters like that, you realize it's not about the kids really saying what they want to say, they're following a format that's been given to them, and it's not really authentic anymore. I mean I'd like to know what the kids think and not following the format."

Things to remember:
Choice is not just a matter of what to write about but also how to write about something. I am hoping to take Ralph's idea of a writing greenbelt and provide a comfortable space for my learners to compose.

  A writer's workshop that flourishes in today's classroom!

My next podcast was with Lindsey Moses. I love how she secured my thoughts that reader's workshop is not WORKSHEETS or busy work. It needs to be purposeful. 

One important thing Lindsey says is that anything your learners might need they should be able to know where it is and have access to it without help from us. During the podcast she also suggests having a place for students to review strategies or ways to talk with partners.

Lindsey said, "So in order to facilitate independence we have to provide additional visual supports, reminders and spaces where students can interact freely, and they know what the purpose is."


Things to remember:
Personal Learning Experiences (PLE) need to be purposeful and to support our learners independence teachers need to give them CHOICE.

Looking forward to meeting and listening to both Ralph Fletcher and Lindsey Moses at the WSRA 2018 Convention!

x

Literacy in the Morning!

How Can You Read a Book?

Today when I asked my students how I could read The Hello, Goodbye Window one student said with your glasses. I told them they were correct but then I asked them how they would read the book if I gave it to them. One of the little boys said with a DVD. I informed him we didn't have a DVD so he then said well then you need to look at the pictures. PRICELESS!

Doing a rich picture walk is the first step to reading a book! After we explored the mentor text the students received their own book. The book Animal Costumes is a wordless book. The students shared with each other what they thought the photos were about in the book. They also chose their favorite photo and told their partners why they liked it.

 

 

Fall Picture Day and Small Moments!

We are beginning to write personal narratives focusing on Small Moments in our lives.  In this unit, the students are taking everyday events of their lives and making them into focused stories. 

Something to Hoot About Today!

 My name is Kara. I like the playground because it is colorful  .

 My name is Kali.  I like to go  fishing with  my dad because I like to spend time with my dad. I love fishing because it is awesome.

 

My name is June. I like to go to grandpa and grandma’s because they let me hop on the trampoline and in the mud. I love gator riding!

Hi I am Abe. A pal is someone who says please and thank you. I can be a pal to Emma.

It Is The Beginning of a New Week!

These Kid Bloggers will be happy to share their stories with you tomorrow morning so be sure to check back soon!

Today we began our Math Unit - Addition Concepts. The students will be:

• Looking at the different ways to add numbers through modeling, exploring, explaining and problem solving.
• Creating and solving addition number sentences.
• Practicing and applying strategies using both vertical and horizontal addition number sentences

Some online resources are as follows:

1. 
2. Math Fluency - Online Flashcard Games
3. Sum Sense
4. 

During Writer's Workshop the students heard the beginning of the story Harriet's Had Enough!  

The students will be practicing how to make connections with a story and add details to strengthen their writing through meaningful conversations.  

They practiced today and shared that in order to have a meaningful conversation you need:

• TWO PEOPLE
• SOMEONE TO TALK
• AND SOMEONE TO LISTEN

Finally in WORD WORK the students are using conjunctions to respond to text through conversation and writing.

http://d4wps.weebly.com/conjunctions.html

Something to HOOT About Today!

KPMDoodles 

This year in 1st grade one of our jobs include Kid Bloggers. Through my research I have found that students can start to establish a positive digital impression of themselves by communicating with digital tools.  As the students go to Work on their Writing or during Writer's Workshop they have a sense of pride knowing that they will share their work with their classmates and now also with a larger audience.  I feel that when kids blog it builds the communication between home and school.  Kid Blogging also gives students the opportunity to use a variety of web tools. The best thing about having my students blog is the pride that I see them developing in themselves as writers, readers and digital citizens! 

Today's Kid Bloggers are Emma and Vivian. The students introduced themselves and told us something that they liked!

 My name is Emma. I love my brother because Peter makes funny faces at me. It makes me laugh. 

My name is Vivian.I like to play sports because I get to have fun with my friend at swim club and at gymnastics.

Jumpstart Read for the Record!

I Am a Writer!