IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

In Reader’s Workshop, we are continuing to use different strategies to help us when we are stuck on a word.  Today we learned how to “back up and reread” when we figure out a read.  Isabella shared how backing up and rereading helped her figure out the word “important.”

During Word Study we started learning about Word Families.  We read a story called The Fat Cat Sat on a Mat and we listed all the -at family words.  Then students worked in buddies to come up with words in the -ot and -ut families.

We also started discussing homework today.  Next week, the students will have additional homework with the reading log.  This week we are practicing the homework together so that your child will be independent at home! Each homework will have two math problems, a word study activity, and a writing section.

Friends practice the first part of the homework!

We have added a new component to math instruction! In addition to problem solving, students now are engaging in activities that help them develop number sense at their level. For some students, this means sorting numbers from letters, working to fill in missing numbers on a hundreds chart, or ordering a number set from least to greatest. Students are working in groups of four or five with other children participating in the same activity.

Math notebooks were reintroduced today, so we now are working in them for part of math workshop. Students are working with different levels depending on their skills, so they have a variety of number sets to pick from. Once they are finished, they are either working the same problem using different numbers or working on number formation activities.

Don’t forget about family night tomorrow from 6-7. Looking forward to seeing many of you then!

Today as the children walked in many noticed a big map of the United States on our wall. This facilitated some great conversations between the children. Some friends noticed that there was a paper sun cut out and taped onto a popsicle stick and located to the right of the map. During free choice, friends added that we needed other weather so friends got to work making clouds, rain, wind, lightning, and fog! I am excited to see where the children go with this idea of maps and weather!

During Readers Workshop and Story Workshop we began a discussion about beginning, middle, and end of stories. During Story Workshop we talked about how people have a top, middle, and bottom (which equates to beginning, middle, and end) so a few friends drew a top, middle, and bottom of a person and then we fit them together like a puzzle. It was a great demonstration to show beginning, middle, and end which will help them with comprehension as well as creating stories with beginning, middle, and end.

This week, we began talking about bones! This morning, friends were invited to create watercolor pictures that illustrated the insides of dinosaur’s bodies. We also had a discussion about theories on why bones are important to people and dinosaurs. Friends were invited to look at some chicken bones and a raccoon skull on the light table. We also created representations of dinosaurs with pipe cleaners, and added the different bones we knew about to our model. We hope to discover more about bones and their functions this week!

Tags: design, dinosaurs, project

Today was a big day for books in room 107, for many different reasons!

First off, as many of you might have heard from your children, we are beginning the early stages of a project. Right now, it seems that we will be diving into a project about sharks, however, one of the most exciting things about projects is that they can change course at a moments notice, so stay tuned!

This morning, when the kids arrived at school, our classroom library was filled with brand new books about sharks. One of our books baskets is dedicated to shark books, as well as our book display shelf. Many students chose to spend their Morning Choice time exploring text and pictures about sharks.

Students look at shark books during Morning Choice time.

Later, after Readers Workshop, we took our first trip to the school library. Students learned how to take care of books. They also got to check out their very own book for the week. Last year, school library books stayed at school. However, this year, students are allowed to take their library books home to read with their families. All library books must be returned by the following Monday so that students can check out a new book. If a child doesn’t bring their library book back to school, they will have to wait to get a new library book until their previous book is returned.

I did not send our library books home today. I plan on having a classroom discussion tomorrow and sending them home at the end of the day on Tuesday. If students bring their library book back to school before the following Monday, they will have opportunities to go to the library on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for an additional library check out time. On these days, I will be sending small groups of students down to return their books (if they have read them and brought them back to school) and check out a new book. This will be optional, and there might be some days when we don’t make it to the “open library” time. However, it will always be our goal!

Lastly, we have started using books as a new material in our Story Workshop. At the beginning of the year, students were expected to create a story with materials. Now, students create a story with materials and then are expected to put their story in a book. The books provide a way for us to keep stories so that we can share them for longer. They create more accountability for the students and their story telling. They also give us an opportunity to work on letter work and writing of words. Students are excited about this latest addition to Story Workshop!

Madeline works on the illustrations of her book about her family.

After finishing his story using materials, Spencer transfers his story to a book.