There's No Replacing a Good Book!

Friday's Guest:  A Visit from the Public Library!

Ms. Laura from Phillip S. Miller

If your child bugged you about going to the library this weekend it is all my fault and I'm happy about it!

The children are so jazzed about the library books I bring in each week.  The books have really helped me jump-start the reading in our crew this year.

I wanted to inspire them and motivate them to get their own library cards and learn about the great things that are available to them.  They were so shocked that the library card is "FREE!"  

Along with the books, books on tape and CD-ROMs, and movies, we learned about something cool that can be checked out for 3 weeks like a book.  It is called a "play away" and it has a book on tape but is small like an I-pad.

They provide the batteries and everything!  Very cool! 

We also found out that Phillip S. Miller has a library do that comes in to be read to....AND (drum roll please)  a Lego day which is coming up!  

Monday they will be bringing home a library card application.

Hope you can find time to take your child to the library very soon!

Learning to Count Efficiently

As a crew we are doing lots of counting.  We choral count each day, forward and back by one's, starting at different numbers.  We practice counting forward by 2's and 5's to 100.  

One project we have worked on is learning how to count large collections.  As we work on this, we are realizing that counting by 5's or 10's can be much more efficient than counting by 1's or 2's.

Camp Elim 2014!

What a great Voyage!  We stayed dry, we challenged ourselves, and we made memories for a life time.

Read / Write / Explore Time

I wanted to give you a peak into the classroom during Read/Write/ Explore time.  The children are offered choice in reading, writing, word work and math.  We will be adding iPads and laptops to the mix this week.
We also have a popular Create/Science station. If you have anything that we could use during this time I'd love to borrow them or hear about them!

For the first month or so I am out with the children observing and getting to know them as people and learners.  After this, I will be teaching Guided Reading during this time and Ms. Dana and hopefully parent helpers will assist the children's learning. Check out the pictures below.

Clara is our owl expert.

The boys are showing their heartbeats like the EKG's they saw in the hospital! 

 

Sorting letters by font

Create Center:  Building, balancing, using math skills.

Puzzles develop our math brains.

Practicing writing our numbers with no reversals!

Our Personal Space

The Hoola Hoop Lesson

We are learning the importance of keeping our hands to ourselves and to mind our own business.  This is the lesson that I taught the children to help them with this.  I use the visual of a hoola hoop.

1.  We all have a hoola hoop around us. (I let them think of what theirs might look like...maybe purple with sparkles or maybe decorated with soccer balls:)
2.  Inside our hoop is our own business.  What we think, what we say, what we do.  Our only job is to take care of our own business and hoola hoop.
3.  We do not get into someone else's hoola hoop unless invited in.   

Now all I have to say to the children when problems arise is this:  "Are you in your own hoola hoop?"  Works like a charm.
You might want to use this at home too! 

Jack and Eddie

Eddie and Jack

I want you to meet part of my family! These two boys are my constant companions when I'm home.  The little one, Eddie, is a Yorkie.  I adopted him when he was 1 years old and now he is 7, just like most first graders will be at the end of this school year.  One of Eddie's legs does not have a knee, so he has to swing it rather than bend it.  You would never know it by how fast he can chase the squirrels in the yard!

Jack, the bigger dog, is a Wheaten terrier.  I got him when he was a puppy and now he is 10 years old.  I'm sad about that!  He is a very loyal friend to me, always by my side.  He loves to go on walks and he takes care of Eddie when I am at school.  

You can see my plan book at the bottom of the picture.  I'm writing this blog from my back porch today.  I love summer but it's time to think about school now. Ms. Jill and I have done the school supply shopping. I will have the room ready for you when you come on the first day.  I hope you have been reading!

I am SO EXCITED to meet you!  See you soon, Ms. Mary Beth

Summer Reading

Summer reading will benefit your child so much.  Make it fun and mix it up.  Solo read, share read, and talk, talk, talk about what you read!  

Here are some of the crews favorite chapter books.

I recently introduced the kids to graphic novels.  They are similar to the comic books I read as a child.  You can ask the librarians at the public library to help you find these.

And..math books!  Your child might love to dig into more of these!  They can also give you ideas for summer math.