Back from Spring Break

Well we have been back for a week already and the kids have been doing great. It is so cool to see how much improvement they've all been making in their reading and writing, and it's so fun to watch them get excited about learning!

I wanted to show you all our guided reading scoreboard and tell you how it works. So there are four points that the students as a class can earn for each day we have guided reading. We just started three rotations last week, so that means our guided reading time lasts for about 50 minutes. The class can earn a point noise- this means that they worked quietly and I did not have to remind them to use quiet voices. They can earn a point for clean up- this means that at the end of our guided reading time all materials have been put away, trash has been picked up, chairs put back, etc...they get this point almost every time :). They can earn a point for interruption- this means that they do not come up to the reading table while I am with a group. They know the sign to use if they need to use the restroom and that they shouldn't be interrupting during a reading group. And lastly they can earn a point for on task- this means that no work gets turned into the unfinished basket because everyone was doing what they were supposed to and getting their work done. So you can see by the poster that on this particular day, the students got two points and I got two points. The Jelly Belly jar is where they get cubes added for every point. When the jar gets completely filled they will get a special surprise. They are working hard to get that surprise :)

Our guided reading time is so important in their learning and growing! It's so nice for me to get to challenge those high readers with some harder books to read and discuss and work with the lower readers on getting their sight words learned and continuing to work on sounding out words. I love being able to read in small groups and one-on-one with the kids, and it is so nice listening to them read! I want to continue to encourage you all to be reading with your children because it is such an important thing for them to read as much as possible and to hear good books being read to them! And we have a classroom full of kids who love books. They get so into the stories that we read in class!

 So you all know that on Tuesday we didn't have power at the school. Well this is what it looked like in our classroom for the first hour and half (until we got a little more sunlight :) It was pretty crazy trying to do work. We mostly read books, did some art, and they all got to play with playdoh, which they enjoyed :)

I have started two charts in the classroom. One is for if a student knows all their sight words and one is if a student can tie their own shoe. It's helped to get the students more motivated to learn both these things so that they can get a sticker added by their name.  

I will also send home a certificate with your student when they accomplish one or both of these goals. So you can be working on those two things at home too!

 Just a little extra picture :) Here are two students who made a garden out of X's last week when we learned about the letter X. 

Enjoy your evening!
Mrs. Ray

Recent happenings in Mrs. Rays class!

Hey! So sorry I haven't posted in a while! But here are some things that we have been doing this past two weeks!

 In math, we worked on shapes. We talked about how they were different and also how some were the same. 

 When we studied the letter "V" we made vases with flowers. The students really enjoyed making the flowers out of coffee filters, marker, and a little squirt of water :)

 Last week we worked on blends during our phonics time. Students partnered up and each pair were given a specific blend. Then they had to walk around the room and find the three pictures that started with the blend that they had. They did a great job of working together and helping each other out!

 Then they picked four different blends to write a word that started with it and draw a picture that went along with it. 

 During this year, we have read several "There was an old lady who swallowed...." books. So last Wednesday we did a writing activity with it. The students voted on their favorite old lady book for us to read again (The Thanksgiving one won!) and then they wrote what they would swallow if they were an old lady!

And we had lots of fun on our roller skating field trip! Huge thank you to all the parents that were able to come, I was worn out that night, so I'm thankful for the help! I didn't get any pictures during the field trip though, I was too busy tying and untying roller skates and keeping kids from falling down on the rink :) But it was a fun day and I know the kids had a blast! 

This Thursday our class, Mrs. Brown's class, and Mrs. Kyle's class will present the character trait for the month of March at our Thursday assembly. You are more than welcome to come and watch! The students will sing a song and then some of the kids have speaking parts! It usually starts around 8:15 in the gym. 

And don't forget that Spring Break is next week! Hope everyone has some fun things planned!

Enjoy your night!

Mrs. Ray