First, thanks to everyone that was able to make it out for Back to School Night.
I know that all of you are busy, and for those who couldn't make it,
the folder that was handed out that night came home Friday.
This past week we accomplished a lot...here is a quick snippet from each subject area...
LANGUAGE ARTS
This past week we continued to build ideas for writing, and this coming week we will begin Writer's Workshop...a program that helps children find the ways to improve their writing and work towards a published piece. We have read quite a few books to inspire writing and I am looking forward to seeing their ideas blossom!
We are building routines in our LA rotations, and while doing so, we've been working on comprehension strategies...we have used making connections, visualization, and sensory imagery. This coming week we will be asking questions while we read. The kids took a Global Scholar test on Friday, and I will be able to use those scores to help guide my instruction and groupings for the upcoming weeks.
MATH
We have been working with large numbers, place value, rounding, estimating, and problem solving. On Friday we did a "Place Value Marathon" where the kids moved around the room solving problems related to their own big number. To win the race, they had to work on ACCURACY, not speed. :-) The pictures below will give you a quick view into this activity. I will be regrouping the students this coming week to better meet the needs of all the levels in the classroom. We will be moving into the modeling of subtraction of large numbers and mastering the algorithm next week while continuing to refine our problem solving...especially being able to PERSEVERE when met with a tough challenge!
By the end of second grade, students are supposed to have mastered their addition and subtraction facts...50 facts in three minutes. Some of the kids have not yet mastered this...OUR focus will be multiplication and division, but every student who hasn't mastered their +/- facts yet, should be working on facts at least 5 minutes a day. Your child corrected his/her own addition fact test last week (subtraction is tomorrow), so they know how well they did. Ask them about it!
SOCIAL STUDIES
Everything geography is our focus...from our large Maryland county to our very small place on Earth. Continents, oceans, hemispheres, lines of latitude and longitude...we're covering it all. To be continued....
Hopefully your kids got some rest this weekend...I worked their brains hard and I'm sure they were tired. I hope you enjoyed your families and got some rest, too...I did!! ;-) Tomorrow begins a three day week...I will see them tomorrow, Wednesday, and Friday this week. They are off on Thursday in observance of Rosh Hashanah. Have a good short week! Enjoy the pix!
