Picking a "just right" book

As readers, our crew has been using the Five Finger Rule to find a "just right" book. Choosing a book that is just right for our readers is challenging, yet all students have a tool they can always use....their fingers!



This week, our crew has been reading books and determining if the book is just right for them by counting the number of words on each page they cannot decipher.  If a student cannot figure out more than five words on the first two or three pages,  the book is too challenging. If a student knows every word in the book, it is too easy. If a student is trying to decode two to four words on each page, the book is just right! This is a great strategy to use when reading at home, as well as when visiting the library or bookstore. We will use this strategy throughout the year to gain independence and confidence as readers.

We're going on an expedition!

Last week our crew as we kicked off our Fall expedition: Surviving and Thriving! In this expedition, the students will spend the semester answering the question "How are organisms connected to the habitat around them?" On Friday, our students were field scientists as they explored the organisms that live in a wetland community.


The students began fieldwork by learning the physical features of a beaver. Our expert, Ranger Beth, dressed one of our crew members as a beaver and explained all the physical features a beaver uses to survive. Our crew was fascinated by the fact that a beaver uses its tail as a kickstand while chewing wood, and also slaps its tail on the water to signal danger to their colony!

After, Ranger Beth asked the students to reflect on all the different organisms that live within the pond and created a mural with the student's ideas. Then, the students headed to Ladybug Lake to create a beaver lodge and discover the different organisms that live in the pond. The students had a blast catching nymphs, crayfish, and a special insect called the aquatic walking stick!

This kickoff allowed our students to truly believe in themselves as scientists. We are eager for our next fieldwork opportunity on Septemeber 13th!

We are Readers, Writers, and Mathematicans!

Over the past two weeks, our crew has been very busy! The first week of school we spent time getting to know one another and creating a classroom community. As we have gotten to know one another, we have created a set of norms that our crew has agreed to follow to ensure we have an environment that everyone feels welcomed. Here are the norms our crew has decided on:

1. I can say kind words and do kind actions.

2. I can treat people, our classroom, and materials with respect.

3. I can be safe.

4. I can be an active listener.

5. I can keep trying my best even when I make mistakes.

6. I can be helpful.

7. I can tell the truth.

Each of us has signed these norms and these norms will hang in our classroom to hold each other accountable.

In reading, we have reviewed the purpose of a Reader's Workshop and also discussed the behaviors of a reader. Our crew has voiced that readers:

• Read, read, read!
• Try to understand the book
• Focus on their own reading
• Show the behaviors of a reader.

Our readers also shared that when they observe readers in their life, they notice that readers look interested, comfortable, and have a hard time putting the book down! They also noticed readers sound quiet, silent, and may giggle or get emotional at times. 

As writers, the students have been persevering to do their best (high-quality) work. We noticed that writers write inside the lines, use capital letters and punctuation, include space between words, and write neatly. When writers include illustrations they noticed that the illustrations need to be neatly colored, use more than one color, have details, and need to be completely filled in. 

As mathematicians, the students have been learning the thinking process of a mathematician. They have been grappling with higher-order thinking problems and are asked to think, draw, talk, and revise their solution. Next week, the students will take this thinking process of a mathematician and apply it to the second-grade math curriculum. 

It was important for us to take these two weeks to make sure our crew feels they belong and views themselves as readers, writers, and mathematicians. We cannot wait for all the future learning in store!