Our Classroom - An Overview


2019/2020 THEMES


September/October/November - Identity
December/January/February – Systems 
March/April/May – Innovation
June - Reflections


                     C U R R I C U L U M


READING


Children will be exposed to many genres throughout the year, including informational texts, poetry, fairy
tales and folk tales, picture books, and chapter books.


Daily routines:


·      Solving mystery message
·      Reading daily schedule together
·      Teacher-read picture books and chapter books
·      Quiet reading time (including buddy reading, books on CD)
·      One-on-one reading with students


Weekly routines:


·      Poetry anthology
·      Special readers


Other:


·      Assessments are done at least twice a year. I use the Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) tool. This
is a two-part assessment – word lists for sight word knowledge and decoding skills, and passages to
read for fluency and comprehension.


·      Read to Feed is a home reading project for the entire month of October. Children read to you to
earn money for a service project to help people in poverty.


·      Weekly library time


WRITING


Writing is done across the curriculum, and there is also dedicated time devoted to improving written
communication skills.


Children are encouraged to free-write in their journals, which can take the form of drawing, labeling, or
writing stories. We will also practice writing poems, lists, directions, and letters.


A big part of our writing curriculum is in the form of our “Memory Books”. I take pictures throughout the
month, and then several days are spent brainstorming and writing. As the year goes on, additional
attention is spent on the conventions of writing – using upper and lower case letters and proper
spelling and punctuation (depending on level of the child).


Several times a year a more formal “Writers Workshop” will be held. Writing instruction will focus on
developing and improving the seven traits of effective writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice,
sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. Children will take pieces of their writing through
several stages – brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.


A popular morning routine is correcting sentences. I write a sentence on the board with many errors
and students take turns correcting my mistakes (upper and lower case letters, spelling, punctuation).


HANDWRITING


Handwriting will be practiced weekly.  Pencil grips will be given if needed to help correct grasp.


SPELLING


Spelling lists will be given weekly, and words practiced using a “Spelling-Go-Round” sheet. Students
earn points each time they practice all their words using one of the methods on the sheet (shaving
cream, sidewalk chalk, letter stamps, sign language, etc.). A spelling challenge will check for progress
each Friday.


MATHEMATICS


Students in this class have either Tate or me for math. We both use a combination of working in
textbooks, and more lively, hands-on math activities.


Math is held each day, from 9:10 until 10:00.  We use the Singapore Mathematics program. Students
are helped moving between their textbooks and workbooks, and work at their own pace. After each set
of books is completed, a thorough assessment is given. A passing grade of at least 80% is necessary
for a child to receive the next set of books. If there are “holes” or issues with particular concepts,
practice sets will be given until the skill is secure.  Singapore is the cornerstone of our math program,
but it is not the entirety of our program.


After approximately 20 minutes of book time, students will work on a variety of projects and/or play
math games. Salute is an example of a fun math game that can be played at school and at home.
We also may work on logic puzzles, math-art projects, real-life math problems, making math books
(such as “how to multiply”), put on flea markets to practice money skills, etc. 


SCIENCE


We have a weekly science time with Shan each week. I also include science activities, usually
theme related, whenever possible in the classroom.  The scientific method will be taught as children
conduct various experiments. Students will practice using observation and documentation skills, do
scientific sketches, and make predictions.

SOCIAL STUDIES


Our themes are usually rife with social studies opportunities. As an example, using the first theme of
Identity, teachers plan activities that naturally lead to age-appropriate outcomes.


Our theme of Identity will lead to students:


* finding similarities with others, and celebrating differences
* identifying factors that shape their own identity
* asking and answering the question - "What Makes Me, Me?"


We also are “Environmental Superheroes” and plan special monthly projects.  Students begin to
recognize how people affect their environment. 

September - start vermicomposting station (worm bin)

October - farmers market field trip

November - vegan pumpkin bread, just in time for Thanksgiving

December - bake sale for birdies - proceeds used to sponsor a raptor 
at Leslie Science and Nature Center

January - used book swap

February - valentines for the birds - winter nature walk with hot cocoa to decorate a tree

March - make "green" cleaning solution for spring cleaning

April - earth day special event - Trader Joe's grocery bags
          field trip to MRF - Materials Recovery Center

May - field trip to Leslie Science and Nature Center to visit "our" raptor


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