Popcorn, Pillows, and Poetry

This week we celebrated poetry in Writer's Workshop!  There were 23 poets in my classroom during the month of April.  They learned how to write awesome poetry by using different techniques and different forms of poems. 

On the last day of April, all of the kids brought in their favorite pillows, we ate popcorn, and we listened to everyone's favorite poem!

PSSA Week at Klein Elementary

This week our 3rd through 6th graders began taking their PSSA tests!  Even though we are only in first grade, we still have a lot of involvement in helping the older students be successful on the test!




On Monday, We had a PSSA Pep Rally to pump up the older kids and get excited about trying their best on the PSSA's.  All the younger grades stood up and stated a test-taking tip!  Then, we had a Rock, Paper, Scissors contest against the 3rd-6th grade teachers and ended with a Wii Just Dance dance off!  Even Mrs. Hess boogied down with one of our talented 6th grade students!

We adopted a 4th grade classroom this week.  First, we decorated their door and hallway with encouraging posters and banners, then in the mornings we took down treats for them to enjoy like suckers, cards, letters, pins, and pictures!

Good luck to all of our test-takers at Klein Elementary!! 


Friday Outstanding Behavior Raffle Winners: 


Last Week

This Week

Measurement March Madness!

In math, we are learning how to measure!  Here are some great pics of some fun measuring activities we did in the month of March!

Our Friday Outstanding Behavior Raffle winners were (5/22/13): 

Ky and T.R.

Happy Easter!

 

All About Reading

We love to read in first grade!  We also love learning how to be an independent reader!
Here is a look into our classroom during reading instruction: 

Whole Group Instruction
I do 3 whole group mini lessons during our reading block.  Each mini lesson is less than 10 minutes long.  We do a word work lesson, a reading lesson, and an independent reading lesson.  In between each mini lesson, the kids are making reading choices and I am meeting with guided reading groups.

Here are the kids during a word work lesson.  We are learning and writing the meaning of our vocabulary words.




Whole group=discussing and writing our vocabulary words!

Guided Reading
This is my favorite part of our reading block!  I get to meet with a group of kids and help them become better readers!  We read books that are slightly more difficult than what they can read independently and I teach them important reading strategies to use while reading a book!


Reading Choices
While I am meeting with a guided reading group, the other children are completing various reading activities that they were able to choose.  Here are some great examples of the kids hard at work! 

Reading a Big Book

Magnetic Letters



Reading Magazines

Practicing Spelling Words

Read to Self
During the last 20 minutes of our reading block, the students are able to independently read their books from their book boxes.  Before they begin reading, I always give them a purpose to read!  They are also able to jump on one of the computers and take an AR quiz if they are ready! 

Taking AR tests

Read-to-Self

Read-to-Self

There are so many great things happening in first grade!!  I am very impressed with all of my students and their amazing abilities!

I hope to see everyone at Bingo For Books this Thursday, March 21st!