A Crew of Readers and Writers

To most people, this would look like a lump of snow...
but to the teacher of this crew, it looks like a home for Hedgie the hedgehog, one of the most frequently used characters in Jan Brett's picture books. (it looks like a little house with a front door just the size for a hedgehog!) I saw this on a snowshoe hike I took over winter break and just had to snap a picture to share with the crew.  Please show it to them!
Our crew has been studying Jan Brett as an author/illustrator for weeks now and through my modeling the children have learned how to wonder, question, predict and make connections as they begin reading as thinkers.  We have had a ball with this!  They love it.

So...we began Author Book Clubs, which have looked like this:

• pairs of students reading a basket of books by an author
• learning to read the inside of book jackets to learn more about the story and author
• using sticky notes to mark their thoughts and questions
• making venn diagrams to compare and contrast books 
• doing research about our authors on the web (I-pad and computers) 

I wish you could have been with us...
the room vibrated with the excitement of their discoveries.  Nothing short of heart-warming and both Ms. Dana and I agreed that all of them learned lots during our first round of book clubs.  We will end them this week and go back to learning centers, but we will have another round of book clubs before too long. 

Math assessment on Tuesday... 
Skills that can be tricky:
1.  counting coins when the dimes, nickels, pennies are in a different order
2.  quarter before and after on the clock
3.  New concept:  in and out box, what's my rule.  This was introduced this week.  The children need to figure out the rule, and be able to fill in missing parts of both the in or out side of the table...This is not yet to be mastered but is a very important concept going forward.
At home you could:  practice addition facts.  They have learned about turn-around facts and doubles.  Ask them about these!
  
We have Music this week and a five day week.  All of us will need lots of rest each night so we can be our best during the day!  Have a wonderful week ahead, and thanks for sharing your learner with me.

Mary Beth