Spotlight on Math

 Our Math block has several components- a brief focus activity as the children transition from snack, Number Corner (a daily routine that reinforces counting, patterning, ways to make ten and computational fluency), whole group instruction and hands on practice.  Below you can see Miss Jane leading Number Corner and I hope it's evident by the students' body language how engaging they find this routine.  You can also see the children at tables- working hard at either shaking two-colored beans to make combinations of five or rolling a dice to recognize dot patterns and reinforce numeral recognition.  

What does it mean to focus?

The apple orchard was certainly a highlight of our week but something else that's important to share is how we've been talking about what it means to focus- to be thinking about just one thing.  As a part of the mindfulness work I do with the children we've discussed that our brains learn best when they are calm and quiet.  We've talked about thoughts being like bubbles that float in and out and sometimes you need to let go of all the thought bubbles that aren't about what you're doing "right NOW".  These photos struck me because they show not only what focusing can look like, but also the proud feeling that can result from a period of focused, concentrated effort.

Red apples, yellow apples, green apples too...

...Everyone says they're good for you!  The title and first line of this week's blog post is taken right from the poem that we've been reciting as we learn some of the science behind the life cyle of the apple.  Here's a look at our trip to Hackett's Orchard.  You will see us: listening to our tour leader about how to pick apples without hurting the tree, admiring the apples we picked, singing "Happy Birthday" to Mr. Hackett (he turned 83), marveling at a huge pumpkin and chilling after lunch.

Variety is the Spice of Life

One of the reasons I enjoy blogging about our classroom is that it allows me to show "how" we do things- the process and not just a finished product.  We are still in the very beginning sessions of Reader's Workshop but already the children are figuring out how much they can learn from one another and that "two heads can be better than one".  Take a look at some of the different ways classmates are engaging with books: with a partner, in a group, as listeners to Miss Emily, or individually completing an entry in a Word Book.

Similarly in Math, our focus on numeral and shape recognition continues and expands but through many different ways:

with big buddies, in a game with partners and through whole group instruction. And of course this focused work in literacy and math is balanced with time outside, time to play and time for art experiences like Leaf Rubbing!

A Day At The Farm

Our trip to the vegetable farm at South Village needed a post of its own.  Have a look at us: meeting Farmer Forest, taste testing from the raised beds, finding a four leaf clover, hanging out in a teepee, and teaching Farmer Forest how we "Popseeko"!

Getting Down to Business

It's hard to believe that this crew has only been together for 17 days of school!  In looking through the photos that I took over the week I am struck by the focus that the children are bringing to their work. Below you will get a look at our second session of Readers Workshop in which I modeled for the class how great readers begin on the cover and don't just look at every page in a book- they LOOK AND THINK...they ask themselves "what might this say"?  After the children tried their hand at this, I partnered them up and and they had a chance to show and tell a friend something they learned from their book. We had a room full of teachers for sure!

In addition to giving their all at Reader's Workshop, the children did a super job working together to line up the letters of the alphabet with several different materials.  We've been talking about all letters having a sound and two ways to write them- uppercase and lowercase.  

We are so fortunate to have fifth grade friends model this kind of focus for us each week at Buddy Time.  Here you can see our big buddies assisting in making a book about colors on the farm.

The Great Outdoors

This past week we took advantage of the wonderful weather and had some fun in the forest.  We are so fortunate at Orchard to have several wooded acres to explore throughout the seasons.  Over the year the children will notice seasonal changes as we walk on trails, observe, and make use of the stump circle- an outdoor learning space in a clearing.  This first visit was all explore- and unfortunately a bit of mosquito swatting.  Have a look at us walking through the South Garden, stopping to pick raspberries and exploring the woods.