Winter Plans and Picking Nonfiction Topics for Writing

Picking a nonfiction topic is often a challenge for kids.  After a quick peek at our week, I shared how we teach our kids to use their fingers to pick nonfiction topics. We have included video clips that show the kids in action picking their topics!



Happy New Year! I can’t believe that we are in 2015! I love going back to school after the Christmas Break. It just seems to all fall into place! The kids are ready, I’m ready…..
So….in Reader’s Workshop we are in our second week of Unit 5. This week we are going to hit those reading strategies that remind the children to pay close attention to the letters in the words:

• Look at the beginning letter.
• Switch it Up.
• Look all the way through the word.
• Stretch it out.

We have already worked on really paying attention to the beginning sound, so now it is time to really call attention to the rest of the letters in the word.

In Writer’s Workshop we are starting our unit on Non-Fiction Writing. This week we will really work hard in helping children to determine if they are an expert on a topic. Here’s how we do that: We show children how they can use their hand.

• First, point to your thumb and name your topic.
• Then, point to the second, third, and fourth fingers and tell something you know about that topic.
• Last, point to your pinky and name your topic again.

I really love doing it this way because if helps children in later years know how to plan out an essay! Yep, that’s right…in kindergarten! Booyah!
Here is a video clip of one of our kiddos determining if he is an expert on a topic.

Here is another video that shows what it sounded like during active engagement while all children were practicing.

 In Guided Reading this week we are going to review How To Writing and the purpose of the “You Need” list. We are also going to revisit a Table of Contents and how reader’s use them.

Another reason I love this time of year…they can use so many of the things we have learned…to learn.  Does that make sense? In other words, we have learned about tree maps, bold text, diagrams, cut a ways. So now….we can use those things to help us learn content! During our science and social studies time we are doing just that!

This week we are finishing up Unit 4 for our math small group. We got a little behind during the holidays, but no problem. We are not going to rush it! Developing number sense is tooooooo important to rush or skip. Plus, maybe it is kinda a good thing….We will review combinations for 1-5 before heading onto combinations for 6-10 next week. If children understand the “math behind” number combinations 1-5, 6-10 are easy peasy! It is just a matter of developing automaticity!

Here is the link to download the lesson plans! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7ubnOnZF__xWjVvYkR3MmYtRTA/view?usp=sharing