settling down

the year is off to an awesome start. I hope that is true for everyone else.

i'm working with ALL grades this year, K-5. it's been much more fun then I could have ever imagined.

this is the start of week 3 for us. the first week I spend completing all the beginning of the year paperwork and testing required for ELL students in ESOL.

week 3
3rd and 4th grade - reading
I have a mixed group of 3rd and 4th graders this year for content reading. all I can say is thank goodness for Common Core. I find that have those liner standards for a mixed group is EXTREMELY helpful.

we are working on DAILY 3 (read to self, read to someone, and word work) and the CRAFT strategies. thanks Ladybug's Teacher Files for introducing me to CRAFT. I'm pumped!

the kiddos go through a rotation of read to self,

word work,

and read to someone. I call it this, in reality it is really a small reading group that includes me :) hey - I'm sticking with the language here!

kindergarten - reading

we are still unrolling the daily 5 in the kindergarten class I am collaborating with.

we did our read to self chart (being my ESOL self, I had to add pictures!)

and then I created a little poem with motions that reviewed our rules (don't judge!).

grab your copy HERE.

grab your copy with the motions HERE.

this is the anchor chart I made for stamina. next to our wrinkled heart - some of your use the paper character all balled up, we do a wrinkled heart.

first grade - writing
still setting up writer's workshop, mixed with a little review of work study.

we played a quick game using the kids' names and name tags. they had to determine if their name had one, two, or three + syllables.

second grade writing 
we are still setting up writer's workshop.

yesterday we took our list of BIG ideas and started to come up with some small moments. we used the book Blackout by John Rocco to help grasp that idea. it's a fantastic book, highly recommended!

whew, i'm off to plan for fifth grade writing next week!