Around Town and More

We started our next unit in our SRA Reading series, Around Town.  With this unit we learn about our comminuty and everything that goes along with it.  They love coming up and writing on the board and on the interwrite pad, which is hard for them, hence the fact that I NEED the SMART board!!!  But this is a game we play and they come up one at a time and write their idea on the web and then they choose someone who is sitting quiet to come up next.  They are so quiet during this activity... I can't imagine what it will be like if/when we get a SMART board! 

They all came up with excellent brainstorming ideas.  The story we did last week was "Red Light, Green Light, Mama and Me."  It was a story about a girl going to work with her mom at the library.  We read many books about the library, my favorite was "Library Mouse."

One of the many webs we made last week!

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We also got to our Pumpkin Seeds...

They counted them in small groups of 3 and 4 students.  They started counting by ones and found out that they just couldn't keep the numbers straight.  So we stopped counting and I had everyone come up with ways we could count that might be easier.  Guess what they ALL said?  Let's put them in GROUPS OF TEN!!!  Yay class!  Within in about 5 minutes, the 6 groups all had them counted and sorted with a grand number of 644 seeds!!!

I know... I know... I have an amazingly smart and awesome class!

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The kids were having free time on the interwrite pad. 

Chris is using the interwrite pad showing the students a writing lessons.

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Look at these ROCK STARS rockin with AR!  Let's get going with AR!!!!

AR!!!  AR!!!!  AR!!!

Watch out class!  We are doing a wonderful job with AR this nine weeks, but I know we can do better!  I know we are all going to do a rocking job and get their goals.

I have been trying to motivate all the students to get their goals with only 4 weeks left.  I thought that if they see how many points they have, they might try harder to reach their goal.  So with every point they get on AR, they will earn a bead on their necklace.  I can't wait to see how they do with it! 

I think they will LOVE it!

I do want to give a SHOUT out to these students who have made their goal already...

Noel

Nicholas

Taelyr

Tyler

Way to go kids! They even had their names announced on the morning show!!!

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Saving the best for last! 

 This has been such a life saver for our class!  I have found that tattling takes up so much time with all kids. 

They are loving this TATTLE MONSTER and are really writing great "tattles." 

All kids want to be heard and understood, but unless it is 9-1-1, go tell the "Tattle Monster!"  I read them all and talk with the child if they are not making the right choices.  It has been working out well in my classroom!  The first day we did it, they went through the whole stack of paper! It is slowing down now, but when someone comes up to "tattle" I tell them to tell the Monster! 

Try it at home and see how it works for you!