Reading Groups & Sense of Hearing

After spending all last week learning about our guided reading routines today was the first day we officially met with our reading groups!  Students did a fabulous job and are very excited about becoming readers!!

During guided reading time students work through three different rotations every day: 

1.  Meeting with Mrs. Mohamed or phonics work

2.  Center (phonics, writing, reading, math, iPad, listening, science/social studies, or art)

3.  Seat work

Each rotation is 15 minutes long.

Here's a group of students using whisper phones to read to themselves when meeting with Mrs. Mohamed.

Another group of students was working on phonics work.

Students working at centers around the room.

Some students working on their seat work at their tables.

This afternoon we explored our sense of touch.  First we added materials that felt different in our five senses journals.

Then Mrs. Mohamed hid the objects below in paper bags.  Students had to use only their sense of touch to try to figure out what was inside each bag.

Having lots of fun using our sense of touch!!

Recent Happenings & 6th Grade Buddies

At the end of last week we finished up learning about fall.  The photo below shows our whole class by a beautiful autumn tree out on the playground.  

Last Friday, we recited a poem together called, "The Leaves are Falling Down" and had lots of fun throwing fake leaves up in to the air!

We worked on several fall projects that are now hanging up on the big bulletin board in our classroom.

This week we started a brand new unit on the five senses.  On Tuesday we went on a "hearing walk."  We walked both inside and outside to see what sounds we could hear.

Afterwards we came back to the classroom and students recorded everything that they had heard in their five senses journal.

Here's everyone working hard!

We ended our short week with getting to meet our 6th grade buddies for the very first time!  Each kindergartner is paired with a student from Ms. McCormick/Mrs. Wendlandt's class.  We will meet up with our buddies several times throughout the year.

Students worked with their buddies to complete an autumn scavenger hunt out on the playground.  We had SO much fun!!

Picture Day & Syllables

Today was picture day at Brimhall!  We had our class picture and individual photos taken first thing this morning.  Here's a class picture back in the classroom afterwards.  I can't believe we got every smiling and looking at the camera!!

 

Here's our best silly faces!!

 

Everyone with their picture day smiles!! :-)

 

 

Later this morning we learned about syllables.  Students used our special clapping tools to count and sort the syllables in words.

After we practiced together students had a chance to practice counting syllables in fall words on their own.

 

This afternoon we will have a chance to observe leaves and take scientific notes.

All About Fall

This week we're learning all about fall.  Yesterday, we went outside and observed a tree.  Students recorded their observations in their science and social studies journals.



 

 

Today we discussed the characteristics of fall.  After reading a few books and watching a short BrainPop Jr. video students worked with a partner to sort pictures of things in fall from things not in fall.

 

 

 

After students finished their sorting project we learned about why leaves change color.  We made the leaves below using special paper, markers, and water. 

 

 

Peek at our Week

All week long we've been learning about safety.  On Tuesday we read the book Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann.

Students then worked with their table groups to make posters with safety tips for different areas at school.  When they were finished they presented them to the rest of the class.

This week we've also been learning about school helpers.  We visited the nurse's office and the principal and then drew the tools they use to help us.

Here we are visiting Mr. Weber our building engineer.  He took us into the basement of the school to see the boiler and the rest of his tools!

On Wednesday we did our Write the Room activity for the first time.  Students searched throughout the classroom looking for words with our letter of the week (M) in them.

Today students read the book Is This My Classroom? with a partner.

Then we went on a tour of the whole school!

Here's our whole class, including a new student who joined us today, out in front of the school.

 

A little choice time fun!