NewsFrom Room 107

May 24, 2013

e-mail: kmcatee@eastauroraschools.org

voicemail: 687-2491 (mailbox—1013#)

Math—We have beenworking on looking for patterns on the 100 chart and writing numerals to100.  We also are practicing counting the“say ten way” up to 100.  I am amazed athow quickly the children pick up on the patterns.  We are also concentrating on problemsolving.  I give them a word problem andthey have to draw a picture to find the solution (also to show their ideas) intheir math journals.  Yesterday’s problemwas especially difficult and took us a while to figure out.  (It was about 7 preschoolers and their handprints.) I love to have my students explain theirstrategies to each other.  It is so coolto see the different ways they think things through. 

Literacy—We arecontinuing the unit about Colonial Towns and Townspeople.  This week we learned about some newtradespeople—the spinner, the weaver, the dressmaker, the tailor, the bricklayer,the mason, and the carpenter.  The childrenhave been doing some independent research about life in the colonial era and Iam so impressed with what they know and remember. 

     We continue to work on independent readingand writing each day.  I love it when thebell rings for us to stop and they groan! I think they would read and write all day long if I let them.  One boy even asked if he could take his bookto lunch and do some writing while he ate! 

     I went to the public library last nightand they are having a book sale.  Ipurchased a few books for the classroom (and for myself, too!)  You might want to check it out and get somebooks for your kids.  The children’sbooks are 25 or 50 cents—adult books are 50 cents or a dollar.  The library is open from 10-3 tomorrow!

Sight Words—When we read big books or charts or poemstogether, I introduce, practice, and encourage students to look for sightwords.  These are words that studentsneed to learn to recognize by looking at the word as whole, they can’t alwaysbe sounded out.  Each week I will addwords to this section of the newsletter to let you know what words we havelearned.  New words for the week are underlinedand bold:    (NO NEW WORDS THIS WEEK)

a              all            am          an            and         are           as             at            away       back       be            big          but          by

came      can          cat          come      dad         day         did          do           dog         eat          for           from       get          go

going     good     got         had         has          have        he            her          here        his           home     house     how        I

in             into        is              it             like          little        look       made      make      me          mom      my          no           notnow                of                on           one         or            out         over        put          red          said         saw          see           she          so

some      that        the          themthen             there       they        this          to            too         two         up           very        was

we           went       what       will         you         your

At Home:

MathHomework—1)  Please check folders daily for a very quick homework paper!  Return to school the next day, please..  There will only be 1 or 2 each week.

BAGbooks—Please help your child remember to read his/her BAG book severaltimes and return it to exchange for a new one at least once a week.  These books can be exchanged more often, ifyou wish.