Pine Class News Update
October 3
What a fantastic week. We feel like the pictures almost speak for themselves.
Please come visit us when you can!
Please come visit us when you can!
RAINY DAY RECESS
Even more collaboration than outdoor recess at this point
A relaxing time to be together
WRITING
This week we set up some structures that help us feel happy and productive in writing workshop:
Spots for writing
workmanlike at the workbench
standing up by yourself
friends are close by but compelling ideas are closer still
Writing Partners
The children chose these partners. We were very impressed that they understood a writing partner might not be a best friend, but it must be someone you feel comfortable with, someone you can trust to listen to your words with an open mind and an open heart.
We asked children to choose a partner, and then asked the partner who was chosen, "Does that feel comfortable to you?" We hope this process was empowering for our young writers. It was beautiful for us to watch.
We asked children to choose a partner, and then asked the partner who was chosen, "Does that feel comfortable to you?" We hope this process was empowering for our young writers. It was beautiful for us to watch.
Organization
We set up our writing folders. Now we can keep track of our, add to pieces or make them better. We also set up an area were children can look for helpful hints - concrete things they can do to be a better writer.
Next steps are to (re)introduce the writing process. At this point, not many children are planning before writing nor revising independently. These are areas of growth we will teach into in the weeks to come.
Next steps are to (re)introduce the writing process. At this point, not many children are planning before writing nor revising independently. These are areas of growth we will teach into in the weeks to come.
MATH
How do you know when you've found all the ways to make 10?
We played a few more math games this week and we focused more on the sharing time after the game than we did in past weeks. We discussed what facts children "just know" and what facts they are still working on. We discussed strategies for figure out the answers to addition facts. We noticed that these discussions added purpose to the game playing AND we noticed a lot more facts getting committed to memory.
We ended the week by asking ourselves, "How do you know when you've found all the ways to make 10?"
We ended the week by asking ourselves, "How do you know when you've found all the ways to make 10?"
Thursday
Friday
MORNING MESSAGES
READING
Line Breaks
We read poems as a class, with partners and on our own. We looked for line breaks to tell us when to pause.
Inspiration for poems
Next week we'll start writing poems. We looked for inspiration by looking closely and drawing natural materials.
NORMS
LISTENING
We love music in our class.
Often we listen to the same album for a whole week at arrival time, snack time, writing time, work periods, and end of the day. This way children can get to know the music better.
Week of September 7: Beethoven String Quartets, by Jerusalem Quartet
Week of September 14: John Coltrane, My Favorite Things
Week of September 21: Schubert Piano Sonatas by Alfred Brendel
Week of September 28: Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
There are some links below. Now you can listen along at home:
Often we listen to the same album for a whole week at arrival time, snack time, writing time, work periods, and end of the day. This way children can get to know the music better.
Week of September 7: Beethoven String Quartets, by Jerusalem Quartet
Week of September 14: John Coltrane, My Favorite Things
Week of September 21: Schubert Piano Sonatas by Alfred Brendel
Week of September 28: Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
There are some links below. Now you can listen along at home:
Jerusalem Quartet Alexander Borodin String Quartet N 2 Notturno
My Favorite Things - John Coltrane [FULL VERSION] HQ
Schubert - Piano Sonata in C Minor, D 958 First Movement (Allegro) - Alfred Brendel
Miles Davis Kind Of Blue Full Album