Intro
What an amazing first couple weeks! I wanted to dedicate this blog to clearly articulating what our curriculum will look like and highlight some of the creative ways we'll approach instruction so you're kiddos are engaged with authentic and relevant learning! You should be proud! The kids are exceeding expectations and doing terrific. Our class is starting to "gel" and we're getting to know each other well. Let's highlight what the workshops are looking like and give you a glimpse into the room.
Readers Workshop
We're launching our Readers Workshop. Students are learning routines, expectations, and I'm getting to know them as readers. We're exploring genre's of fiction and non-fiction. One awesome way we're making reading (and writing) relevant is through the Primary Blog Challenge. Through this challenge, we're collaborating with classes from Maryland, Texas, and Canada for 5 weeks of blogging. This is allowing us to integrate the Reader's and Writer's Workshops when appropriate.
For example, today we explored non-fiction genres. We learned about autobiographies. We spent some time reading autobiography "All About Me" blogs from our friends in Vancouver, Canada. We tried to make personal connections to the blogs we read.
In Writer's Workshop, we focused on commenting with proper conventions (punctuation, grammar, & spelling). They also focused on writing full sentences, making connections to the thoughts of the writer, and asked questions. We also explored genre's with a fun QR scavenger hunt.
Spelling words will be coming next week! See the action below! :)
For example, today we explored non-fiction genres. We learned about autobiographies. We spent some time reading autobiography "All About Me" blogs from our friends in Vancouver, Canada. We tried to make personal connections to the blogs we read.
In Writer's Workshop, we focused on commenting with proper conventions (punctuation, grammar, & spelling). They also focused on writing full sentences, making connections to the thoughts of the writer, and asked questions. We also explored genre's with a fun QR scavenger hunt.
Spelling words will be coming next week! See the action below! :)
Writers Workshop
We're kicking off our Writer's Workshop with a focus on conventions. Students are growing into writers who need to be aware of punctuation, grammar, and spelling. We're using the Primary Blog Challenge as an opportunity to engage students in authentic and relevant writing. We're learning about culture by exploring the essential question, "What can we learn from different cultures around North America?" You should see how pumped up they are to write well! We're integrating our digital citizenship lessons so our students remain safe and responsible global writers. We're also interweaving the growth mindset with our step-by-step blogging guide (see to right).
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Science Workshop
Science workshop is in full swing! We're building off our biomes field trip with an investigation on Life Cycles. The essential question is, "If everything eventually dies, how do we still have plants and animals?" The student is expected to develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. It should be fun! We've participated investigations by planting seeds, research with a Life Cycle Hunt, and next week we'll engineer life cycle models. We'll be integrating science vocabulary into our spelling, that begins next week. :)
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Math Workshop
Math will begin in full swing next week. Each day, we'll focus on applying concepts and computation. Our computation focus will be on addition and subtraction. We'll have "computation stations" with iPads, computers, and analog games. Our concepts and applications will focus on developing a "problem solving plan" while integrating word problems from our Life Cycles unit. We'll also be using the Khan Academy 3rd grade math challenge so each student will have a personalized math challenge throughout the year. More to come on math as it kicks off!
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Response to Intervention (RtI)
Our students are finishing up the Vision Videos and working on our Growth Mindset. School is a place that should inspire students to explore their passions, hopes, and dreams. We should also give them the mindset to believe they can accomplish anything! I believe we're getting our students in the right place to succeed and they're is a real connection between what we expect at school and in the real world!
We're about to begin our normal RTI groups. For students who struggle academically, this will give them a chance to get out of the room for small group interventions. This will be based on our AIMSWEB and classroom data we've been gathering over the last few months. We are formulating these groups next week at our team meeting. More to come!
We're about to begin our normal RTI groups. For students who struggle academically, this will give them a chance to get out of the room for small group interventions. This will be based on our AIMSWEB and classroom data we've been gathering over the last few months. We are formulating these groups next week at our team meeting. More to come!
Homework
Right now, I want the kids reading for 20 minutes a night. They may have an additional assignment such as the Growth Mindset interview. We'll be starting full time homework on the week of October 12th. You can expect roughly 30-40 minutes of purposeful homework a night in my class. Just to be clear, research shows 10 minutes per grade level is appropriate. Further, research shows that killing kids with drill and skill homework over and over doesn't equate to more learning.
I believe in balance. Yes, kids need certain skills, but they are also kids! Join a club or a team! Get outside and play! We want to foster social and emotional growth along with building academics and skills. For this reason, we'll spend most of our homework time reading for enjoyment along with 10-15 minutes of skill building. For example, if you child is weak in math computation, I'll suggest a math computation game that the family could play together. If you child struggles with word work, we'll do some phonics and vocabulary skill building. This will be personalized on a student to student basis.
I will NOT give your child 1-2 hours of homework. Anything outside my expectation that you want for your child, I will help you build and provide resources for you. I will adjust for you and help make a plan. In my opinion, just know 30-40 minutes is very appropriate for the 3rd grade age group. :)
I believe in balance. Yes, kids need certain skills, but they are also kids! Join a club or a team! Get outside and play! We want to foster social and emotional growth along with building academics and skills. For this reason, we'll spend most of our homework time reading for enjoyment along with 10-15 minutes of skill building. For example, if you child is weak in math computation, I'll suggest a math computation game that the family could play together. If you child struggles with word work, we'll do some phonics and vocabulary skill building. This will be personalized on a student to student basis.
I will NOT give your child 1-2 hours of homework. Anything outside my expectation that you want for your child, I will help you build and provide resources for you. I will adjust for you and help make a plan. In my opinion, just know 30-40 minutes is very appropriate for the 3rd grade age group. :)