Happy Earth Week!

In Honor of Earth Week, we are reminded from a previous post "Things We All Can Do To Help Our Earth."

Interactive writing is a wonderful activity to help improve children's writing skills.

Happy Earth Week!




"Things We All Can Do To Help The Earth!"
In celebration of Earth Week, some of the students in my Kindergarten Phonological Awareness Group were interested in writing about the Earth during the writing portion of our lessons.

First, we did an interactive writing activity about the Earth.  Our sentence about the Earth was "Please take care of me. " Then, the students decided what they would each do to care for the Earth.  We brainstormed these ideas and wrote them down on the white board.  I was so excited about the helpful and thoughtful ideas that were shared!
The children helped to "stretch out the sounds" while we were writing new and familiar vocabulary words.  We clapped the syllables in the new words, decided how many sounds each word has and checked that our words made sense in the story.  Finally, the children published their stories to share, complete with a picture to create an image of their sentence.  We look forward to rereading these stories as a familiar reread and class book, which will help to build reading fluency and comprehension. 

The children are wonderful authors who truly care for the EARTH!  :)

More about interactive writing:

"Interactive writing is a dynamic literacy event in which reading and writing come together."

"Interactive writing is a collaborative writing experience for beginning writers in which the teacher guides students in the group-writing of a large-print text. Students participate in the composition and construction of the text by sharing the pen, physically and figuratively, with the teacher. The composition is read and reread by the group to make the reading and writing connection. "

by, Andrea McCarrier 
from :(http://www.cfisd.net/dept2/curricu/ellang/INTERACTIVE%20WRITING.pdf)

"PAWSITIVELY" GREAT READING BEARS!!

4K to Grade 2 “Pawsitively” Great Reading Bears!

Jefferson Bears in grades 4k through 2nd have been doing a wonderful job reading and turning in their bear paws to earn a visit from one of our reading bears!  We have enjoyed sharing stories with the children with the visits!  "Beary" the bear is making tracks around the school and is on the second floor.  Lets see if he can continue his journey even further around the school before Spring Break!  Keep reading and enjoying great books Jefferson Bear Cubs!!

The following is the letter sent home to students when we began our program:

Our Jefferson bear cubs have been doing a wonderful job reading at school!  The children have been recording their reading titles using book logs and "bear paws". "Beary " our reading bear has been leaving "tracks" throughout the school as the students have been completing bear paw cut outs after reading at home or at school.

Reading at home is such an important piece in becoming a good reader! This builds your child's vocabulary, stamina, and fluency!  Sharing a book at home helps children to learn strategies such as picture clues, language and comprehension.

When your child brings home "bear paw" cut outs, please take time to read with your child at home or have your child read to you.

Then…..

1.     record your name and the title of the book on the bear paw

2.    cut out the paw

3.    Draw a picture and/or a written description on the paw of a favorite part, character, or something that they liked in story.

When your child returns the paws to school, they will be entered in a weekly drawing.  The classroom that the winning paw comes from will enjoy a visit from a traveling reading teddy bear. The bear will remain in the classroom for all the students to enjoy during class time that week. 

Lastly, reading at home should be fun!  We are working hard to develop a lifelong love of reading in your student!  Let your child SEE you getting interested in a selection and reading too. You will be so happy and excited at how contagious the enthusiasm for reading can be!

Happy reading!