Week of January 23rd

This Week...

We are taking the Galileo test on Monday and Tuesday this week. We will not need our usual volunteers on Tuesday for Reading or Math. There will also be no homework this week because of the Galileo testing.

Writer's Workshop:
This week we will be learning how to do research. We will take an animal from the habitat the kids learned about last week and will do some whole group research, organization of ideas, and then each student will write a non-fiction piece about the animal.

Project Group:
Each class is learning about a different habitat this week, taught by one of our teacher candidates.

Reading:
No dictation this week due to Galileo testing.

Mrs. Johns' Reading: There is no reading Monday and Tuesday due to Galileo testing. Wednesday we will have a whole group read aloud and learn a new comprehension strategy together that involves sequencing, exploring plot, and describing characters and setting. Thursday and Friday we will have centers to practice word wall words, contractions, and reading skills.

Mrs. Aguilar's Reading:
Monday and Tuesday- Galileo testing (No volunteers)
Story of the Week: Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin
Comprehension Skill: Story elements (beginning, middle, end, characters, setting, problem solution)
Word Wall Words: use, tell, mail, thank, caught, little (same words as last week)
Reading Learning Stations (Students have a literacy menu they will need to complete by the end of the two week cycle. The will do two stations on Tues/Thurs.):
1. Buddy Reading: Students will read a book with a buddy in their group. Then they will tell about it using a comprehension wheel.
2. Research Station: Students will read an animal book and tell about the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
3.Computer Station: Students will read a book at their level on raz-kids.com. Then they will take a short quiz online to check their comprehension.
4. Word Work: On the smartboard students will practice writing their word wall words.
5. Writing: Students will write a winter story.
6. Reader's Theater: Students will read Click Clack Moo to practice fluency and retell the story by acting it out

Mrs. Sullivan's Reading:
Word family - long u words: use, due, Sue, dude, rude, under, hundred
High frequency words: our (which students often confuse with are), use, off, and the compound words playground, outside, sometimes.
Dictation sentences: Our class can go outside to the playground. Sometimes we use our banana bucks to buy __________. (students fill in the blank) Where did I put the baseball?

We are starting a new two week unit on reading nonfiction books. We have centers that work on reading fluency, nonfiction vocabulary, using a website to find research and information, filling out a fact sheet on an animal, recording the main idea and supporting details of a nonfiction book. We are also making a construction paper display board on one animal to share with you at the summative.

Math:
Mrs. Johns' Math: There will be no math Monday and Tuesday due to Galileo testing. On Wednesday and Thursday we will be having Fast Fact Centers so the kids can practice the facts they need to become more fluent in, based on their fact pretest. Friday, Miss Miller will be teaching a problem solving lesson.

Mrs. Aguilar's Math: In math this week we are reviewing the strategy of counting on and counting back. We will continue to practice telling time.
Monday: Galileo
Tuesday: Galileo
Wednesday: Addition, Subtraction, and Story problem Centers
Thursday: Centers continued
Friday: Centers continued

Mrs. Sullivan's Math: In math this week Miss Zuccaro is teaching a geometry unit. Students will learn the names of shapes and how to sort them according to their attributes. They will use pattern blocks to explore and make their own creations. We will also continue to work on addition and subtraction. Last week the class did a great job creating their own "reasonable" word problems. Ask your child to create a word problem for you to solve.