1/26/2018 0 Comments Mayer Memo 1-16-18Harmonica Instruction and Sound We've had two more sessions of harmonica instruction with Mr. Milan. The students have learned to play many songs! Mr. Milan brought in a very large harmonica to compare with our ten-hole harmonica. He also brought a large and small drum to reinforce the concept of how we can change the pitch of sound. Ask your child to tell you about this! The children planned and conducted additional tests in science. They tested how three different size nails would sound when they tapped them with a pencil. They created this test to see if their previous claim about pitch was correct. They wrote their claim and evidence about this tests, then they planned and conducted a test about what objects sound travels through best. They designed and conducted this test with a partner. They will write their claims and evidence next week. My goal is for the students to become proficient with designing, conducting, and writing about their own fair test in science. Math Last week we wrapped up Unit 3 in Investigations. The students did a great job with this unit! A quiz and assessment were sent home last week and show your . They are becoming much more proficient reading and understanding the action in story problems. They are also becoming more flexible in choosing strategies to solve various addition and subtraction problems with two-digit numbers. Next, we began working with Unit 4 in Investigations which involves the collection and representation of data. In this first investigation of this unit, students identify and sort data by common attributes, including overlapping attributes, as they play Guess My Rule with the class and with Yekttis, a fictional set of creatures with a defined set of attributes. They organize and represent data, and they learn the conventions of picture graphs, bar graphs, and Venn diagrams. In the second investigation, students work with numerical data as they collect information about the number of pockets worn by their classmates and the number of teeth lost by second graders and other elementary-age students. They organize and represent numerical data, and they learn the conventions of line plots. The children are having a lot of fun with these concepts! Reading Last week, during reading workshop we focused on reading fluency. The children learned many methods for making their reading more fluent, such as (1) read aloud in your head, (2) scoop words into longer phrases, (3) talk like the characters, (4) make your voice match the mood, and (5) read with a "just right" pace. The children practiced each day to improve their fluency, and they recorded their reading using SeeSaw. Hopefully, you've had a chance to listen to your child's fluency and comment on what you heard! This week, we worked on understanding literary language. The students learned to (1) pay attention to special language, reread it, think about what is happening in the story, and ask themselves "what does the author want me to know from this language?", (2) notice comparisons (similes and metaphors) and think about how they are alike, (3) figure out what playful language REALLY means, such as silly use of homophones. This work requires lots of thinking and partners worked together to understand the literary language they encounter. Ask your child to tell you about his/her discoveries! Writing Workshop In writing the children are writing opinion letters to their classmates about their favorite books. The students have learned they can write about characters, pictures, favorite parts, lessons learned, etc. Many students seem to struggle thinking deeply enough about books to support their opinions with evidence from the text. Partners are working together to rehearse before they write. You can support your child at home by talking about the books they are reading and helping them identify what they like about their books and why. Word Work Last week we didn't have word work, because it was a short week and we spent this time writing valentines to our classmates. This week, the children compared words that are spelled oy or oi. They discovered the /oi/ spelling comes at the beginning or middle of a word or syllable. The /oy/ spelling comes at the end of a word or syllable. Valentine’s Day in 2 Ma We will celebrate Valentine’s Day on Wednesday, February 14 with a party from 2:00-3:00. Each child has been writing a thoughtful, personalized valentine to each of the other children in the class. Students have also made an envelope to receive their valentines. Because of this, students need not bring store bought valentines or valentines made at home. However, if your child has already made valentines and would like to bring them, s/he may do so as long as s/he brings in one for everyone in the class.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
We are the Mayer Black Panthers
Mystery State!Mystery state for June 1 Did You Know...New evidence links handwriting and educational success.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. "When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated,” said Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris. “There is a core recognition of the gesture in the written word, a sort of recognition by mental simulation in your brain. And it seems that this circuit is contributing in unique ways we didn’t realize,” he continued. “Learning is made easier.” Parent's attitudes about mathematics affect their kids!
"A 2015 study showed math-anxious parents who frequently helped their elementary schoolers with homework saw their kids learn significantly less math by the end of the year than kids whose parents didn't express an aversion to math." (Heidi Stevens, Balancing Act and Chicago Tribune) According to Jennifer McCray, Principal investigator at the Erikson Institute's Early Math Collaborative, "Statements from parents are extremely powerful in terms of helping a child decide, 'Who am I going to be relative to math" How should I feel about math?'" If you're a math-averse parent, the article linked above has great tips for addressing this! Archives
June 2018
|