A Rainy but SUPER Fun Week!!

This week was a very rainy and yucky week. We had indoor recess 4 out of the 5 days, but we still had LOADS of fun in room 108! This week was a very special week for one of my little shorties! He turned 7 years old on September 20th. We couldn't let this day go by without celebrating a little in our classroom! Happy Birthday Cannon! :) This week we also learned about 2 more of our learning stations! I will be super excited when all 15 of our learning stations have been taught! We are almost there!!!! Here are a few pictures from our week!

Here is Mr. Cannon complete with his birthday hat, birthday surprise, and our very favorite friend...Mr. Froggy "G". Let me give you a little back ground on Mr. Froggy "G". He is our super hip frog who helps us sing happy birthday to our friends hip hop style! :) When we sing with Froggy "G", the friend with the birthday stands in the chair, and the rest of my little peeps sing "Go Shorty...it's your birthday." We all bring out our best dance moves during this time too :) It is so much fun and the kids LOVE it! Happy Birthday Cannon!

 Here are my friends at the game station. This week we are playing the game "Pop" to review our sight words. The kids LOVE this game. Each child picks a piece of popcorn out of the popcorn bucket and reads the word. If you choose a piece that has the word POP! you have to put all of your pieces back. The person with the most words at the end, wins the game!

Here are some of my friends at the handwriting station. Here they can work on letter formation and writing words.

This station is our Magnetic Mountain station. This week we have been playing a beginning consonant game. The kids have to choose a picture, say the word, pick out the beginning sound, and match it to the picture that has the same beginning sound!

 Big Book Station!!!! For shared reading the week before, we read the book Who Stole the Cookies From the Cookie Jar, and the kids have really enjoyed reading it during stations. I love to listen to them change their voices to match the characters! They are so good!!!!

Here is the Pocket Place! This is our pocket chart station. This week in the pocket chart station we have been reviewing beginning sounds. The kids have to sort through the picture cards and find the ones that have the same beginning sound. When they think they have it, they check their answers with the answer key.

Here are Anna and Cooper hard at work at the Publishing Place! This is the learning station where we write and publish our most favorite pieces! I have some really good authors on my hands!

We have a lot more stations to learn, but we are getting there! This week I will be introducing file folder games, cheese chunk, and math! We are almost there!

Just Right Books

During our reading workshop, we have been learning about how to find "just right" books. To introduce this concept, we read the book, We're Going on a Book Hunt. In this book, the bears are on a search for a book that is perfect for them. They don't want to find books that are too easy or too hard...they want their books to be just right! Then, I introduced the five finger rule! I hope that you have been seeing your child do this at home. :) The five finger rule goes a little something like this...as you are reading the first couple of pages of your book and you find 0 or 1 challenging words, the book is too easy. If you find 2-3 challenging words on the first couple of pages, that book is probably just right for you, and finally, if your book has 4 or 5 challenges on those first couple of pages, it is too hard. My little friends are so good at finding just right books. Here are a few pictures from our independent reading time...


Anna has found a book with 2 challenges. This book is just right for her!

 

Steven has also found a just right book. Way to go!

Look at Nate and Zari go!

Super Job Alexia! Clifford is just right for you!

 

Cannon has found a book that is too easy! Such a good little reader!



Yay Kristos! Your book is just right!



Meet the newest memebers of our class...APPLE BUDDIES!

My little "firsties" are so creative! They were asked to create an apple buddy at home and bring it to school for the week. We named our apple buddies, read to them, wrote about them, and shared their likes and interests. They turned out so CUTE, and I loved having them visit our classroom for the week. Here are a few pictures of our week with our apple buddies.

APPLE BUDDIES:

Cooper and his mini Cooper

Victoria and her mini Miss Lewis

Anna and her sweet butterfly



Cannon and his "apple iPod"



Emily and her princess

Kaylie Grace and her Princess apple

Kristos and his pikachu

Kinsley and Applejack the Clemson cheerleader

Breanne and Mr. Snowman

MyLeah and her sweet apple

Eli and his angry bird

Alexia and Princess Sparkle

Tabitha and her sweet apple

Caleb and his train conductor

Zari and her mini Zari

Sam and Blue Harry the spider

Katie and Princess Jasper

Brooks and his dragon

Kate and Princess Rainbow

Nate and his little soccer player

Devon and his Rio Bird

Gabbie and her apple buddy

Tristan and his mini Tristan

Peyton and his little puppy

Steven and his mini Steven

   Here are some pictures during independent reading time with our apple buddies:



My little shorties in the green group are great reading role-models



Kate the "connection queen" is sharing some of the wonderful connections she is making with Princess Rainbow

 

Alexia and Peyton are modeling great reading habits



Steven is really enjoying reading to his mini me



Breanna is sharing her story with her little snowman friend



Eli's angry bird is watching and listening as Eli practices changing his voice to match his characters



Kaylie Grace is a great reading role-model



Here are a few of our apple buddy writing pieces:

"My apple buddy's name is Princess Apple. My apple buddy is a princess. My apple buddy likes to go shopping." By: Kaylie Grace

"My apple buddy's name is puppy. My apple buddy is a puppy. My apple buddy likes to play outside."

By: Peyton

"My apple buddy's name is Sparkle. My apple buddy is a princess. My apple buddy likes to dress up."

By: Alexia

"My apple buddy's name is Apple iPod. My apple buddy is an iPod. My apple buddy likes to listen to music."   By: Cannon

"My apple buddy's name is Pop. My apple buddy is a soccer player. My apple buddy likes to watch TV with Nate."  By: Nate

"My apple buddy's name is Blue Harry. My apple buddy is a spider. My apple buddy likes to climb webs."

By: Sam

"My apple buddy's name is Applejack. My apple buddy is a cheerleader. My apple buddy likes to cheer. Go Tigers!"   By: Kinsley

My apple buddy's name is Princess Rainbow. My apple buddy is a princess. My apple buddy likes to watch Strawberry Shortcake."    By: Kate

Great job my little friends!