Can I skip my 20 minutes of reading tonight?

Can I Skip My Twenty Minutes of Reading Tonight?
Student A reads 20 minutes every night.
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night. . . or not at all!
Multiply minutes a night X 5 times a week.
Student A 20 minutes X 5 = 100 minutes.
Student B 4 minutes X 5 = 20 minutes.
Multiply minutes a week X 4 weeks a month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.
Multiply minutes a month X 9 months.
Student A reads 3600 minutes in a school year.
Student B reads 728 minutes in a school year.
Student A reads the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.
Student B reads the equivalent of only two whole school days a year.
By the end of 6th grade Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits . . . .
Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days and Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days. One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably so, undoubtedly, will school performance.

How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?
Which student read better?
Which student would know more?
Which student would write better?
Which student would have a better vocabulary?
Which student would be more successful in school and life?

How does your child learn?

Multiple Intelligence Survey


Linguistic Intelligence

Does your child:

Enjoy listening to other people talking?

Get annoyed with people who use improper English?

For example, He don’t know the answer.

Like to learn new words?

Give good directions to others so they understand.

Like to tell stories?

Enjoy reading books?

Have a good memory of names, dates, and trivia?

If this sounds familiar, then your child might someday write a bestseller or become fluent in several languages.


Logical- Mathematical Intelligence


Does your child:

Enjoy math class?

Likes to work with computers or calculators?

Easily ads numbers in his head?

Enjoys doing science experiments?

Asks a lot of questions about how things work?

Enjoys chess, checkers, or strategy games?

If so, perhaps your child could one day design sky-scrapers or program computers.

Spatial Intelligence

Does your child:

Prefer to draw pictures rather than tell stories?

Find his/her way around a place easily?

Like to take things apart and then try to figure out how to put them back together?

Read maps, charts, or diagrams more easily than text?

Daydream more than peers?

Build interesting three-dimensional constructions (like LEGO buildings)?

Doodle a lot on notebooks?

If this is your child, then he/she could grow up to paint a masterpiece.

Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence

Does your child:

Find activities like riding a bicycle, skating, or walking on a balance beam easy?

Use a lot of hand gestures and body movement when talking to friends?

Run, swim, and exercise without getting tired?

Learn to play new sports easily and quickly?

Like to touch something she has just seen?

Report different physical sensations while thinking or working?

Cleverly mimic other people’s gestures or mannerisms?

Move, tap, or fidget while seated for a long time in one spot?

If yes, then your child could develop into an expert skier or someone who amuses her friends with hilarious impersonations.


Musical Intelligence

Does your child:

Enjoy playing a musical instrument?

Listen to music a lot?

Hum or sing a lot?

Cheer herself/himself up with songs when she/he is sad?

Tell you when music sounds off-key?

Have a good singing voice?

Remember the melodies of songs?

If this is your child, then she/he may one conduct a symphony.

Interpersonal Intelligence

Does your child:

Like to play with other kids?

Understand how friends are feeling by looking at their faces?

Have two or more close friends?

Give advice to friends who have problems?

Have a good sense of empathy or concern for others?

Seem to be street smart?

Seem to be a natural leader on teams?

If you answered yes to most of these, your child might become someone’s favorite teacher or the CEO of a big company.

Intrapersonal Intelligence


Does your child:

Often need a quiet place to work or just be alone?

Like to make collections of things that have special meaning to her/him?

Remember their dreams?

Display a sense of independence or strong will?

Have a realistic sense of their strengths and weaknesses?

Have an interest or hobby that she doesn’t talk much about?

Accurately express how she is feeling?

Sound familiar? Then your child could someday write great poetry or resist negative peer pressure and do the right thing for him or herself.
Naturalist


Does your child:

Enjoy collecting bugs, flowers, or rocks?

Like to closely examine what she finds in nature?

Keep detailed records of her observations of nature?

Like to watch natural phenomena like the moon?

Becomes fascinated with one particular thing from nature and wants to learn about it thoroughly?

Want to become a geologist, biologist, or some other type of scientist?

If your answer is yes, then your child could become an expert on paleontology or discover new ways to save the whales.

6 Traits of Writing

Writing is a huge part of our curriculum because as the old saying goes...

"Good readers are good writers, and good writers are good readers."

My goal this year is to familiarize our students with the terms and concepts of these traits in an attempt to help our students become better writers.

The traits are listed below with a description of each trait.


Ideas
Ideas make up the content of the piece.

When the ideas are strong, the overall message is clear.

The main points or storyline are

* awareness of details

* knowing what's important or interesting
* clarity, focus, sense of purpose
Organization
Organization is the internal structure of the piece, the thread of central meaning, the pattern of logic.

The internal structure of piece has:
* a clear beginning, middle and ending
* the ability to organize and group
* a good sense of sequence
A satisfying conclusion wraps it all up, yet leaves the reader with something to wonder about.
Voice
As important as voice is to creating a good piece of writing, it is hard to define.

It is how the reader knows it is really you speaking.

Voice is how the writing draws the reader in and creates a bond between the reader and the writer.

It is the style, tone, and flavor of the writing piece.
It evokes an emotional response, tailoring communication to an audience
Word Choice
Word choice is about the use of rich, colorful language that communicates not just in a functional way, but also enlightens the reader.

In good descriptive writing, strong word choice clarifies and expands ideas.

In the readers mind it creates images so real, you feel like you are part of the story itself.
* awareness of language
* understanding that there are different ways to say things
Sentence Fluency
Sentence fluency is the auditory trait.

Fluent writing is graceful and varied.

Sentences are easy to read, well built, and seem to flow.

Strong fluency is marked by creative phrasing, alliteration, and word order that makes reading feel natural.

Fluent reading is free of awkward word patterns.
* a variety of sentence lengths
* uses more complex sentences
Conventions
Conventions deal with the editing of spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage, capitalization, and paragraphing.

Original writer/presenter: http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/

Flat Stanley

Our Flat Stanley Project

Each September, we begin a 9 month geography project using the book "Flat Stanley. In the book, Stanley is flattened by a bulletin board and has some crazy adventures, including being mailed to California to visit friends before being mailed back. After we finish the book, each child will design their own Flat Stanley. Once that is done, we will be ready to mail him somewhere for an adventure!

By September 15, I am asking that each child send me 2-3 index cards containing the addresses of friends or family (1 per card) from anywhere in the country or the WORLD! Last year, we had Stanleys that went as far as Australia, Germany, France, Canada, and Switzerland! The friends and family need to be families that will take "Stanley," who is no bigger than a piece of paper and can be folded) somewhere interesting and take a picture of Stanley on his 'vacation.' We will provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope for him to come home in. Host families can either email me about the adventures OR mail any letters, pictures, post cards, or brochures back with him. We will track where our Stanleys have been using a map outside our classroom door and will, hopefully, learn about new places in the process.

Please try to send these addresses by September 15, as the kids will be excited to get Stanley out on his first of many adventures for the year! Email me with any questions. If you would like to donate supplies, we are in need of both domestic and international stamps, and large envelopes (they should fit a piece of paper folded in half). Thanks so much for supporting this fun and educational project! I can't wait to see where Stanley gets to go this year!

Friendly Reading Helpers

Our Friendly Reading Helpers

Bumble the Bee says

"Buzz around the page and look at the picture for clues!"

Lips the Fish says
"Get your lips ready to say the first few sounds of a new word!"

Stretchy Snake says
"Stretch the word out slowly the put the sounds together!"

Chunky Monkey says
"Look for a chunk that you know (like -at, or -an),
look for word parts that you know (-ing, -er)!"

Flutter the Butterfly says
"Skip the word, read to the end of the sentence, then FLUTTER back and READ IT!"

Lucky the Ladybug

"Try to reread the sentence and try a word that makes sense... you may get lucky!"

Flippy the Cat says
"Try the other vowel sound if the word doesn't sound right!"

Stagg-osaurus says
"Ask Mrs. Stagg for help after you have tried everything else!"


These reading helpers are here for you at school and at home, helping you become the best reader you can be!

***Thanks to Lauren McDonald Guest for introducing me to these fabulous helpers!

1st grade Math Curriculum

These are the basics of first grade math in my classroom. Our math curriculum spirals so your child wil be practicing several of these skills each week through calendar time, direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice, and math stations. We spend 50 minutes a day on Math instruction and practice and take a spiraling assessment each Friday.

Number and Numeration
• Skip count 1,2,5,10
• Estimate collections
• Read, write and model to 1000
• Use manips to show fractions
• Model odd and even numbers
• Use manips, drawings, and tallies to show number expressions using +,-
• Compare and order whole numbers to 1.000

Data and Chance
• Collect and organize data into create tally charts, tables,, bar graphs, picture graphs, and line plots
• Use graphs to answer simple questions and draw conclusions
• Find the maximum and minimum in a data set
• Describe events using certain, unlikely, likely, impossible.

Measurement and Reference Frames
• Use nonstandard tools to
o Estimate
o Compare weight
o Compare length
o Measure length
• Know and compare the value of
o Penny
o Nickel
o Dime
o Quarter
o Dollar bill
• Make exchanges between coins
• Use thermometer to measure temperature to the nearest 10 degrees
• Use calendar to identify days, weeks, months, and dates
• Tell and show time to the nearest hour and half hour on an analog clock

Geometry
• Identify and describe
o Plane figures
o Solid figures
• Use vocabulary circle, triangle, square, rectangle, sphere, cylinder, rectangular prism, pyramid, cone, and cube
• Identify shapes as having symmetry

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
• Extend, describe and create patterns
• Solve problems using function machines, “What’s My Rule?” tables
• Read, write, and explain expressions and numbers using +, -, and =.
• Read, write, and explain expressions and numbers using <> with cues
• Solve equations using +, -
• Apply commutative property of addition and the additive Identity to basic addition fact problems

Operations and Computations
• Know
o +/- 0
o +/- 1
o Doubles
o Sum = 10 addition and subtraction facts
• Use concrete and abstract forms to solve 1 and 2 digit addition and subtraction problems
• Calculate and compare the values of combinations of coins
• Estimate reasonableness of answers to basic fact problems
• Identify
o Change-to-more
o Change-to-less
o Comparison
o Parts-to-total

Daily Schedule

Mrs. Stagg’s Daily Schedule

8:00-8:10 Bell work
Students are greeted each morning, then unpack and go to their tables where an activity is waiting for them on the smartboard to complete on their ‘magic boards’.

8:10-8:30 Morning Meeting
Students meet me on the carpet, where we use the smart board to complete daily language practice, phonics, poetry study, introduction to stations, morning message, storytelling, interactive read-alouds, interactive writing, Reader’s Workshop mini lesson and more.
8:30-9:15 Reader’s Workshop
Students practice target skills and strategies taught in the mini lesson while reading self selected books independently from a ‘just right’ leveled tub. At this time, I will walk around the room conferencing with students about their text and varying reading strategies.
9:15- 10:15 Literacy Stations
Students are ability grouped for this part of the day, where they rotate every 15 minutes to stations, including guided reading, writing, pocket chart, game, art, library, science, listening, computer, technology, retelling, big book, poetry, buddy reading and more. Station assignments change daily and are leveled based on ability.
10:15- 10:45 RECESS
Students have supervised playtime on the front playgrounds (not the new one). Three teachers are on duty each day and there is one practice room where students can go if they need to finish work or practice a skill they are not mastering (walking in line, listening, etc). Practice room lasts for the first 10 minutes or recess, after which students are are escorted out to finish recess with their classmates.
10:45- 11:03 Model Writing
The students come in and join me on the green carpet where I teach writing mini lesson and model writing on smart board or chart paper.
11:03-11:45 Lunch/ Lunch Recess/ Restroom Break
We arrive at the cafeteria at 11:03. Students eat until 11:23, when they clean up their mess and head outside for lunch recess. On rainy or extremely cold days, students stay inside to read or talk quietly.
11:45-12:15 Writer's Workshop
Students apply mini lesson skills in their draft book during this quiet writing time. This is the time when I conference with writers about their work and how to improve.
12:15-12:30 Author Share
Students can share their writing with the class when we meet on the green carpet.
12:30-1:00 Science/ Social Studies
Students learn about a variety of topics using technology, literature, and hands on experiments. We alternate Science and Social Studies as needed.
1:00-1:20 Math Meeting & Lesson
Students meet on the rug for daily math practice on the smart board, followed by the Pearson mini lesson and guided practice. If time, students complete the worksheet that accompanies the Pearson lesson independently.
1:20-2:20 CAMP
Students get 30 min of PE each day and alternate weekly between Computer, Art, and Music
2:20-2:45 Math Stations/ Small Group Instruction
Students complete a job from their assigned math station, while I pull students small groups to work with them on different topics, depending on need.
2:45 Pack up/ Novel Reading
As the students pack up, I read from a novel that will be on going for several weeks. Some of my favorites include "The Story of Dr. Doolittle," "The Trumpet of the Swan," and "Stuart Little."
3:00 Dismissal
Students dismiss into the hallway and are escorted by the teacher on duty to their destination for pick up.