TIA with Gaby

We explored many different genres of music, from Jazz to Rock and Roll to Blues, as well as different music across Canada. We grooved to the music and even made our own music. We could also make different sounds using different parts of our bodies and our voices. Music allows us to express our feelings too. What fun!

70 ou 90?

We have become very confident in our counting, but sometimes still have trouble with 70 and 90, en français. Thanks to Mme Bellefeuille's website and her helpful trick, we are remembering our 70's and 90's better now! We thought these posters are really cool too!

Les Doubles, les doubles +1 and Read to someone

This week we have been reviewing and practicing our doubles and continuing to work on doubles plus one (near doubles). We love practicing in centres!

We have been doing a great job of Read to Self, so this week we started to practice how to Read to Someone.  Reading is so much fun!

This week...

This week we practiced our double facts.  We are getting better! We played memory (mémoire), roule et couvre (or Double Trouble) and a doubles game on the iPads.

We also continued practicing many routines, like 'Read to self'. We are working at becoming better readers.

We started our unit on Characteristics of Objects and Materials (les caractéristiques des objets et matériaux). This week we cut objects out of flyers and sorted them by what they were made of. We found objects made of paper, wood, metal, plastic, rubber and glass.

Wow! What a great week!

Scholastics

Scholastic order forms are being sent home today. Orders will be due Monday, March 14th. This will allow me to place the order and receive the books hopefully before Spring Break.

If you wish to make a purchase, please return the completed forms to school along with a cheque (made out to Scholastic Canada Ltd.) or pay by the 'new' Parent Pay with credit card online (cash cannot be sent). Please send orders and payment prior to the deadline. If you are returning multiple forms, please ensure your child’s name is indicated on each form.

Here is more information about the Parent Pay:

Introductory Letter to Parents

Step-by-step Guide

We made it through the first day!

Today, we practiced classroom routines and reviewed classroom rules. We will continue to review classroom expectations over the next few weeks. I appreciate your support in building a strong relationship to support your child's growth throughout the remainder of the year. Please send in all Home Reading books by Wednesday. Check back here on Friday for our 'Weekly Challenge'. Have a great week!

7 Tips to help your readers at home

1)  Set aside time to read at least 4-5 times a week.  Yes…this will be a struggle since they’re going to buck you. Be consistent… this should be a non-negotiable.  These are the types of kids to set page goals with, not minutes.  They will know every trick in the book to waste time.  By setting a page goal of say… 5-10 pages per day, this gives them some power.  When the pages are read, they are done for the day.

2)  Use incentives such as…

·       Trade time for something they love to do… certain number of pages read translate into minutes to spend watching TV or playing video games.

·       Or so many books read= a trip to McDonalds or a park.

·       Or just down and out bribe them…(yes I went there…) there are some summers I have paid a buck a book that was read (with guidelines).  But some times, desperate times call for desperate measures.

3) Read WITH your child…he reads a page, you read a page.  (I know at times this will be painful… just keep reminding yourself… Reading is important, reading is important… and who knows…maybe you’ll really get into the book!)

4) Have “reading parties” where every one brings a book and snuggles in a spot to read their book.  Sometimes just snuggling in next to mom or dad is enough motivation to read for a while.

5) If your struggling reader has a younger brother or sister, you have just scored big time!  Get them to read to their younger sibling(s).

If you have an older reader in your home, have them read a picture book.  This means the stories are usually shorter (and less intimidating) and probably at a lower reading level (which will make them feel successful when they read it).  They get practice reading and the younger sibling gets the benefit of being read to… also very important!

6) Make sure your struggling reader is reading books that are interesting to them.  Kids will read if they find the book interesting. Don’t worry about reading “high quality literature”. At this point, the goal is to get them reading… and the best way to do that is make sure they are interested in what they read.

7) If the book your kid is reading (and enjoying) is part of a series, try sticking to the series.  A series gives your reader the same format, the same characters, and often the same setting for several books.  These familiar things will help them understand the story more quickly.