Peek at my Week---Down on the Farm

This week we are moving onto “What is a Setting?” in Reader’s Workshop.  Just a heads up….here’s what we have planned…In our 8th month of school, nearly at the end of the year, we come back to characters and settings. That is when the learning gets even deeper! This month we are just laying story foundation with characters and settings.
In Writer’s Workshop we are moving onto small moments. This week we are modeling how to come up with 3 small moments from the same big idea. So just what does that mean? Well, if you go to the farm, that is the big idea. The small moments might be feeding the cows, riding the tractor, eating watermelon…While we are teaching kinders, small moments is a writing genre that will serve them well as they develop as writers. This is where they become more descriptive in their writing. It is where the writer is able to make you feel like you, as the reader, are right in that moment.
We are finishing up our short vowel sorts in Sound Off. Next week we are moving onto the long vowels.

So we are in our 10th week. And I have to say that Megan’s kids are “killin’ it”! They are so independent in their centers. We have introduced a variety of types of centers and a variety of  skills so now the centers are very familiar to them. So now it’s time for fluency practice.
In our science time we are going to talk about the life cycles of chicks, the different coverings of animals, and the difference between wild and tame animals. 
Our kids are lovin’ our Science Experiment Fridays. These experiments are simple and easy to prep. They really aren’t rocket science! Just simple experiments where the kids can experience the scientific process and have exposure to non fiction text.

This week we are finishing up Unit 2: Counting in our small groups. Megan told me the other night, that ALL of her kids were proficient on these skills. Why? Well, we think it is that repeated practice. Seeing  the same standard cluster over a period of time, practicing it in different formats, moving from concrete to abstract, having time to develop deeper understanding. Whatever it is….we are thrilled with their progress.
On the other hand, our centers aren’t teaching anything new. Instead they allow for repeated practice of already mastered standards. It is a time to develop that fluency---automaticity with mental image.
Now head on over to Deedee’s blog to take a peek at her week!