During Reading Workshop, the children were paired and given a Thanksgiving focused picture book to buddy read. After reading, the buddies used the 5-Finger Retelling strategy and worked together to figure out how to retell the story they just read. We gathered together and each buddy pair retold its story to the class.
e overarching theme of 2nd grade reading is “reading is thinking.” Our current focus is on retelling. Retelling is a strategy in which the children share a story in their own words, either in writing or orally, immediately after reading or hearing it. By retelling the story in their own words, the children are able to make connections to things they know and understand which is critical for comprehension. This week, as we began our study of Africa, each child did a 5-finger retell of A Story A Story, a classic African folktale. They then read a short nonfiction book about Africa and pulled one fact from that book. We used BookFlix, for this work, a digital resource that pairs animated books with nonfiction eBooks on a similar subject. The fiction/nonfiction pairings are designed to strengthen literacy skills by building background knowledge, boosting comprehension, and increasing motivation. This week, all of the children participated in their first recital of the year yesterday. Beginning in Kindergarten, each child participates in small group violin lessons during school two or three times a week. The children love playing the violin and we love the fact that actively learning to play an instrument can help a child's academic achievement (check out the Time Magazine article, "This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain" to learn more). It is always such a pleasure to watch the children perform -- they are making tremendous progress! Our rainy Monday that led to indoor recess after lunch and a Keva plank tower building competition. The children voted to work in boys vs. girls teams of three and four. The teams worked well together and the race was tight. Sadly, towers toppled before the end of the build, but tears were limited. When the timer sounded, the winning tower was 6’ 4” tall (be sure to check out more pictures of this activity on our Photos :-) page).
On Tuesday, the children participated in a debate between Chocolate Chip Cookie and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. They asked the candidates questions, listened to the responses and rebuttals, then voted. On Wednesday, they learned that Chocolate Chip won 10 votes to 8. During Morning Meeting we talked about how no candidate is all good or all bad, and shared positive comments about each cookie. Later, we ALL enjoyed chewy chocolate chip cookies and apple sauce. Yum! The case for oatmeal raisin cookies vs. chocolate chip cookies: A store bought oatmeal cookie has approximately 105 calories, 1.3 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbs, 0.7 grams of fiber and 10 grams of sugar. A comparable chocolate chip cookie has about 15 more calories, a little less protein and fiber, and twice the amount of fat. No matter what, oatmeal raisin cookies just sound healthier than other cookies because both oats and raisins are healthy, natural ingredients. However, the other ingredients of oatmeal raisin cookies, specifically butter and sugar are still prevalent.
The children couldn't wait for Spanish class on Wednesday, and they weren't disappointed! They had a great time with their Spanish teachers. They began class by introducing themselves using “Me llamo .” and “Como te llamas?” Then they broke into groups to practice the Spanish names of clothing items and create their own fashion character. Our Spanish teachers are Gabby, Archana and Emma, seniors in the Spanish Conversation class at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. More pictures are posted on our Photos :-) page. |
AuthorMrs. Tappen and her CategoriesArchives
April 2017
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