Readers in Room 123 have been thinking about a big question: how can I be the best I can be? To help answer this question, they read several fiction books.
They used a number of strategies before, during, and even after reading to help them understand these books.
By taking their thinking deeper, first grade readers identified important themes from these texts. They also thought about when they might need to consider these themes in their own lives!
In Room 123, we call the frequently-used words that readers need to be able to read quickly and accurately “snap words.” These are the words “you have to be able to read in a snap.”
First grade students use flashcards to practice reading a growing list of snap words each week. Sometimes students read the words in whisper voices, sometimes in deep voices, sometimes in sleepy voices. But their favorite way to practice them is to sing the snap words to the tune of the Alphabet Song:
What are the most important character traits that a hero possesses? Which hero that we have studied best exemplifies those traits?
Readers in Room 123 used all that they have learned during our study of American heroes to answer those questions. First, they reviewed the character traits they identified—our Wondrous Words over the last few weeks. Then, each student determined which traits s/he thinks are the most important. Each student then decided which hero best matches the traits s/he identified.
Finally, they created posters to display their their choices. Take a look at their thinking!
It’s probably easy to imagine what a small-group reading lesson with the teacher looks like. It may be more difficult to envision what the rest of the class is doing during that time.
During Reader’s Workshop, students read “good fit” books that they have chosen from our classroom library. Some days, students read on their own. Other days, they can choose to read with a buddy. Some students prefer to read at their desks; others enjoy stretching out on the floor. Whatever their choices, readers in Room 123 are engaged with books during Workshop!
Learners in Room 123 added a great deal of schema about American history as they read biographies of American heroes. Now, they can use that schema in many ways. Here’s one:
Readers in Room 123 are in on a secret, one that not even all college students know: It’s not enough to just notice important information when reading nonfiction; readers have to think about the information in order to understand and remember it. They may make connections to new information, or visualize it, or ask questions about it.
Thinking is the velcro that helps important information stick in readers’ brains.
Readers have been practicing this as we continue our study of American heroes. This week, our focus is on the Wright Brothers. Check out some of their thinking:
On Wednesday, readers in Room 123 celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday!
Students first chose their favorite books by Dr. Seuss and then created a graph to determine which book was the most popular. Room 123 will share the results with Mrs. Roberts, our media specialist. Mrs. Roberts is polling the entire school to find out which of his books is the most beloved. We also solved some math problems which were based on the graph.
The clear winner was Green Eggs and Ham:
Then we read Green Eggs and Ham together, with great enthusiasm and expression!
We’ve already shared how we celebrate lost teeth in our classroom. Now, we’re taking our show on the road!
Room 123 will be participating in the International Tooth Tally Project this year. In its tenth year, this project allows students from all over the world to share how many teeth they lose over the course of three months. Along the way, students can learn more about life in other countries as well as hone their math skills.
To insure the cyber-safety of students, this project is hosted on a private wiki via Wikispaces; only registered participants can access the wiki. I also will follow WFB guidelines with our postings.
The first activity Room 123 completed for this project was visualizing what the Tooth Fairy may look like. To do so, they had to listen to a possible description of the Tooth Fairy. Then, they used those details to create their own images. Here are their interpretations:
Watch for updates on the Tooth Tally Project over the next three months!
As students watched the snow falling from our classroom windows, I read aloud Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” several times. Students listened, imagined, and created special winter gifts to share with their families.
As I read the poem for the third time, some students began reciting along with me. Over the next few weeks, we continued practicing until the class could recite the entire poem with expression from memory. Excited by their accomplishment, students decided they wanted to share their recitation on our blog. So students created our first podcast. Special thanks to Ms. Kreul for her podcasting coaching and the loan of her microphone!