The Week of March 16th & 23rd

Reading Rods

Thank you to Mrs. Chodosh for donating our new reading rods! Each cube has a word (noun, adjective, verb, etc) and we have had a fun week making sentences. Then when we turn it over it may have a silly sentence on the other side. Oh, it's so much fun!

Math: Numbers to 20

This week we began a new chapter in math. We're working closely with numbers to 20. In this chapter, children will learn how to count, read and write numbers within 20. This involves counting on from 10. They will learn to recognize the numbers 11-20 as 1 group of teen and particular numbers of ones (place value). This is key as we set the foundation for developing the idea of tens and ones and being able to make sense of two-digit numbers. Children will need to be confident in their understanding of place value in order to handle the arithmetic operations of addition and subtraction, which will require children to recognize two-digit numbers as groups of tens and ones.

Throughout the week we compared more than 2 numbers using the concepts of greatest and least. Children also learned to recognize and make increasing and decreasing number patterns which involve a difference of 1 or 2 between consecutive steps in the pattern. For example, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 1, 6 or 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

Choice

Weather!

You'll notice our Scholastic News this week is titled Hold On, It's Windy Out! This sparked our study of different types of weather. We introduced this topic of spring weather by watching the video "In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb". We discussed what our spring weather was like and found other states on our U.S. map that might have weather like us. 

After reading through the issue we pointed out the sections on hail, tornadoes and rainbows. Students turned to a neighbor and explained how those kinds of weather happen. Students did a great job retelling what they learned.

On Thursday morning we reviewed what we learned about weather, especially about rainbows.  Then each student was able to make a rainbow made of tissue paper inside wax paper. The children thought the activity had 3 objectives:

1. Create a rainbow using the 7 colors

2. Strengthen our fine motor skills by tearing small pieces of paper

3. Practicing how to do something neatly

Boy, these kids are fun!

On Friday we'll be talking more about the 3 different types of clouds. White, fluffy clouds are called cumulus clouds. They mean good weather. Thin, wispy clouds are called cirrus clouds. And flat, gray clouds are called stratus clouds. Those bring rain.