Writing Workshop Books

Here are a few of our favorite writing workshop books from this week!

This Week...

September 23- September 27, 2019

Reading:  We learned strategies to help us when we become distracted readers.  Some of these strategies included rereading, pointing to the text, and summarizing each section as we read.  We also reviewed what to do when meaning breaks down.  While reading an article about insects, students found challenging vocabulary words.  They used context clues and background knowledge to help them figure out the words’ meanings.

Reading Logs are due Monday, September 30.  (100 minutes)

Math:  We spent time reviewing rounding to the nearest ten and nearest hundred.  Students also learned about a new method: front-end estimation.  In this method, students used only the leading digit to round.  Just a reminder, students will not be taking a formal assessment for unit 2.  At the end of the week, students previewed unit 3!  A family letter outlining the key concepts went home today.  We will begin our first lesson on Monday!  Please encourage your child to continue practicing their basic addition and subtraction facts…thank you!

Science:  This week, students learned the difference between climate and weather.  They learned that climatologists study weather patterns for a particular area for a long period of time.  Students also made observations about the various climates across our country.  We will begin our severe weather projects next week in the LMC!

Writing:  In writing, students enjoyed reading various nonfiction books about oceans! We studied the author’s style and used that to jumpstart our own ideas for nonfiction pieces.  Oceans and Seas followed a traditional nonfiction format with many facts.  Atlantic wrote about the Atlantic Ocean from its perspective.  I Wonder Why the Sea is Salty followed a question/answer format.  Students practiced using these different styles during quick write activities.  In grammar, students continued working on differentiating between fragments and complete sentences.

Word Study:  Students analyzed words and spelling patterns that contained long vowel sounds.

Miscellaneous: Students practiced finding books in the LMC this week!  They used the call number to help locate books in various sections of the library.  We also began “personalized learning” by creating our heart maps!  Students brainstormed areas of interest that centered around curiosity, problems, and learning how to do an activity.  We also had another zones lesson, “Stop, Opt, and Go”, where students developed a healthy set of options for problems they encounter.  Finally, conference letters went home today.  They include the time and date of your child’s conference.  As always, please let me know if you have any questions…have a wonderful weekend!