Reading at a Crossroads

What a delightful way to spend a day! Reading and talking about books with 7-year-olds! Our district affords each teacher the opportunity to spend a day reading with students to try to determine what they have mastered as readers and what their next steps should be. Thursday was my day. Though I have been reading with children and observing reading behaviors all month, this chance to spend time reading and talking with children one-on-one without the distractions of the classroom gave me new insights

Second graders often find themselves at a crossroads. For most children, this year will mark the difference between learning to read and reading to learn. Some have already made the shift. Stormonth teachers have two tools for gauging reading abilities. The first, the Fountas and Pinnell benchmark system, is perfect for students who are still learning to read. Students read aloud from 16-page picture books as the teacher tracks their accuracy and reading rate. Students are then asked questions to check comprehension.

The other tool, for those students who are more fluent readers, is the Serravallo Independent Reading Assessment.  For this test, students are asked to silently read an entire chapter book on their own. They pause periodically to write responses to questions about plot, setting, character development, figurative language, and themes. This tests helps teachers to ensure that children are bringing to longer, more complex texts the deep thinking they demand.

Besides reading assessments, our reading work this week focused on paying attention to the ideas that flow as we read. The children noticed questions that made them wonder, connections between their own lives and text, predictions about what might happen next, and lessons that authors share. The boys and girls discovered that being "thought-full" readers set them up for more meaningful partner conversations.

In Writing Workshop this week, we practiced revision and editing. Trying to get second-graders to slow down for anything can be tough, and this work is no exception. Most children would prefer to dash off a new piece than go back and re-work something they've already written. But as a former copy editor, these skills are dear to my heart. I am convinced that revising and editing are essential to good writing - and I will work hard all year long to help the boys and girls see the light.

Math lessons featured various forms of word problems. Most children have become adept at recognizing the language that signals addition or subtraction. They know how to translate a word problem into an equation and how to use math drawings, like math mountains, to prove their solutions.

We had two technology lessons this week. Mrs. Ahles and her class taught us how to log in to our Google accounts and Mrs. Orth shared a lesson on digital citizenship. We've begun using Chromebooks for Dreambox at some math times. We'll continue to add to our repertoire of digital learning bit by bit.

It's hard to believe that when we return to school on Tuesday it will be October already. The weeks have sped by as we've gotten to know each other and established routines that help us make the most of the our time together. Happy Fall!

Mark Your Calendars:

Fri., Sept. 30 - Thank a Police Officer assembly

Mon., Oct. 3 - No school

Wed, Oct. 5 - Early release day for students; Book Fair begins; Picture Day - Remember to return your order forms, please.

Thurs., Oct 6 - Book Fair continues. Sub in classroom while I attend a curriculum meeting.

Tues., Oct. 11 - Second-grade field trip to Bookworm Gardens, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Thank you for returning permission slips and the fee.

Wed., Oct. 12 - No school

Wed. Oct. 19 - Fire Safety program

Thurs., Oct. 20, Wed., Oct. 26, and Thurs., Oct. 27 - Parent-Teacher Conferences. Thank you for returning your confirmation sheets. I look forward to meeting with you.

Choice Reading

The boys and girls have been reading books in the classroom since Day 1 of second grade. But for the first time this week, they went book shopping. Instead of reading from bins of books that I'd pulled off the Stormonth library shelves, they are choosing their own books from our classroom library, filling their personal books boxes with books that matter to them. Having a say about what they read keeps children reading longer. And as we say in our classroom, "The more you read, the better you get." 

Along with book shopping, I introduced reading logs, a tool for helping the boys and girls track their reading habits. We're still working to make book shopping and recording seamless operations in the classroom. I know we'll get there. To help you better understand, I've prepared a question and answer sheet that addresses book shopping, reading logs, text bands, and other intricacies of second-grade reading. You'll find it in your child's binder today. 

In Writing Workshop this week, we continued to work our way through the writing process. We focused on writing a draft, and especially using craft moves that can bring a story to life. Some of these moves, such as incorporating action and dialogue, telling a story in small steps, and including thoughts and feelings, were introduced in first grade. It is impressive to see how much more sophisticated most students are at using them now. We also practiced a new skill: using sensory details to enliven stories. A piece of candy got the boys' and girls' attention and had them quickly reeling off descriptions about how it looked, smelled, felt, tasted, and even how the wrapper crinkled. Now, they are transferring what they learned from this shared experience to their own topics. 

In Math this week, we explored odd and even numbers. We looked at various forms of equations and considered whether they were true or not. And we solved equations with three and four addends. Building equation chains with partners was a chance to think creatively about the many different ways to reach a single total.

We did more in the way of community-building this week, too. First, we finalized the thoughts we'd been collecting around the big ideas of respect, responsibility, and safety in our classroom, and we turned these ideas into a social contract. The boys and girls understand that a social contract is a promise about how we will treat others and how we expect to be treated by them. They understand that signing the contract is a serious undertaking. Our signed contract hangs in the classroom and a copy comes home today for you to see. Just as you ask your child about how reading and math are going, I encourage you to ask about behavior. Were you a good partner today? Did you try your best? Did you help a friend? These are important lessons, too.

Finally, we've put some of our goals for the year to music with help from Mrs. Stark, Stormonth's talent development teacher. When I shared with her that I was looking for a song that could rally our class and become a theme for us this year, she took it upon herself to create new lyrics for the familiar tune, "The More We Get Together." She came to our classroom this week with her guitar to teach it to us. My favorite verse is the final one:

The more we dream together, together, together,
The more we dream together,
The happier we'll be.
'Cause your dreams inspire me,
And my dreams inspire you.
The more we dream together,
The happier we'll be.

Mark Your Calendars:

Mon., Sept. 26 - MAP Language Test, 10:00 AM; Digital citizenship lesson with district technology specialist Amanda Orth, 2:30 PM

Wed., Sept. 28 - Early release day for students

Thurs., Sept. 29 - Sub in the classroom as I do one-on-one reading assessments with students

Fri., Sept. 30 - Thank a Police Officer assembly

Mon., Oct. 3 - No school

Wed, Oct. 5 - Early release day for students; Book Fair begins; Picture Day - Look for an order form in your child's binder today.

Thurs., Oct 6 - Book Fair continues

Tues., Oct. 11 - Second-grade field trip to Bookworm Gardens, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Look for a permission slip in your child's binder today.

Wed., Oct. 12 - No school

Better Together

This week has a been a time for forging friendships and laying the groundwork for the sort of productive collaboration that will be a big part of our year together. Writing Workshop partners have helped each other with the first two steps in the writing process: generating an idea and making a plan.  Reading partners have practiced different ways of reading books together and they have re-told stories to each other as a way to check comprehension. In math, partners and small groups have played games to make a ten. And then there was our team challenge. The boys and girls had 15 minutes to work together in teams of three to try to make the longest possible paper chain from a single sheet of paper. After the competition, we debriefed. We discussed how individual

approaches (each child making his or her own links) gave way to more efficient assembly-line approaches. Teams shared how they tested different ideas through trial and error, how they got back on track if an attempt failed, and how they pushed each other to work hard. In the end, we connected all the chains to make a giant one. We've hung it in our classroom to remind us that when we put our heads together we can achieve remarkable results.

The literature I'm sharing with the boys and girls reinforces the idea of teamwork. Leo Lionni is the subject of our first author study of the year. In "It's Mine," three quarrelsome frogs learn to put their selfish ways aside and share. In "Swimmy," a brave fish unites his companions to outsmart an enemy. And in Frederick, six mice bring their individual talents to bear to get through a long, hard winter. Lionni is a master of the fable and he's given us lots to discuss and relate to our classroom.

We continue to settle into routines and build stamina for second-grade work. The boys and girls are working independently for about 30 minutes a day on their writing  (with some wonderful stories to show for it) and they are reading for about 20 minutes a day. They are taking turns stepping up as math leaders who can not only solve equations, but explain their strategies.

Thank you for helping with this "settling in" process. I know that sometimes September can be rough on families. Students who do their very best all day at school can crumble once they get home, tired and overwhelmed by all the new demands. Things will get better.

Thank you, too, for attending Stormonth's Parent Night earlier this week. I may not have said enough about homework on Parent Night as I rushed through my presentation. Here are a few things to keep in mind:  Please do not let it become a struggle. If your child has trouble with the math sheets that are sent home Monday through Thursday, it is OK to do a little re-teaching. But if there's still confusion, just send the sheet back with a note. This helps me know what I need to address. I check to make sure that the math homework has been attempted, but I do not usually correct each item nor do I return the sheets since it's my expectation that you are checking this work at home.

Next week, your child will begin bringing home a book Monday through Friday. The goal is to read at home for about 20 minutes a day. Your child may do some at-home reading on his or her own, but I encourage you to read with your child, as well, and to have conversations about what's been read. A log inside the book bag at the back of your child's Super Sorter binder has a spot for you to initial to show that reading work is being done. If your child is reading a longer book, please send it back to school each day so that he or she can continue with it during our daily in-class reading time. We will start our spelling routines soon. Watch for a letter explaining these and how you can help your child practice spelling at home, too.

Mark Your Calendars:

Tues., Sept. 20 - Stormonth Lockdown and Reunification Drills

Wed., Sept. 21 - MAP Math Test, 1:30 PM

Mon., Sept. 26 - MAP Language Test, 10:00 AM; Digital citizenship lesson with district technology specialist Amanda Orth, 2:30 PM

Wed., Sept. 28 - Early release day for students

Fri., Sept. 30 - Thank a Police Officer assembly

Mon., Oct. 3 - No school

Wed, Oct. 5 - Early release day for students; Book Fair begins

Thurs., Oct 6 - Book Fair continues

Tues., Oct. 11 - Second-grade field trip to Bookworm Gardens, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Wed., Oct. 12 - No school

High Hopes for Second Grade

Welcome to our classroom blog - a way to give second-grade families a glimpse of what's happening in Room 222. In place of a weekly newsletter, I will post news and photos on the blog. I will send an email to the address you provided on Fridays with a link to the latest post. 

The title for the blog comes with an explanation: Before long, the children will be writing non-fiction pieces about topics they know well. We sometimes refer to this kind of informational writing as "all about" books, so it seemed appropriate to use this same language for the information from the classroom that I share with you. I plan to recap the highlights of our week and give you some context for the work your child talks about and brings home. Plus, I hope to capture in pictures some of the joy and energy that are part of our school days. You just can't beat those smiles!

As many of you know, I am new to second grade this year. I moved right along with your children from Stormonth's first grade to the second floor - and a whole new level of learning. It's hard for me to resist comparing the beginning of first grade to the beginning of second. What a difference a year makes! These boys and girls are capable, confident, and ready to hit the ground running. We have spent the first days of school getting to know each other and establishing routines to make our classroom run smoothly. We've waded into our math, reading, and writing curriculums, too.

We've also discussed our "high hopes" for second grade - what we hope to learn and do

this year. Below are the high hopes that the boys and girls named in one of our earliest discussions. It's a worthy list, but we didn't stop there. We took the conversation deeper to realize that hoping alone won't make things happen. We have begun to set goals and make plans for how to achieve what is most important to us. We know that this means committing to hard work, to taking risks, and to helping each other along the way.

I hope to read about characters and to write biographies. (Lucy)
I hope to get lots and lots of BUGS. (Harper)
I hope I can do as much math as I can. (Abby)
I hope to play outside with friends. (Annabelle)
I hope to continue writing my series books. (Rex)

I hope to get 100% on my math tests. (Jack)
I hope to become a better writer. (Kayla)
I hope to get good grades and make lots of friends. (Harrison)
I hope to get better at reading, writing, and especially, math. (Kaila)
I hope to make good friends. (Stacia)
I hope to do lots of homework and reading. (Kalin)
I hope to get good grades, do better in math, and make friends. (Damien)
I hope to get better at PE. (Jae)
I hope to write a great animal report. (Tierney)
I hope to make a lot of friends. (Cameron)
I hope to become a better ice skater. (Karenna)
I hope to get better at art and music. (Ella)

And my high hope? I hope that in our classroom this year we will all be learners, we will all be teachers, and we will all be friends.

Mark Your Calendars:

Tues., Sept. 13 - Parent Night. I look forward to seeing you. Second grade parents meet first in the gym at 7 PM for an overview of curriculum and then head to the classroom for more specific information about what to expect this year.

Wed., Sept. 14 - Early release day for students

Thurs., Sept. 15 - MAP Reading Test, 9 AM

Tues., Sept. 20 - Stormonth Lockdown and Reunification Drills

Wed., Sept. 21 - MAP Math Test, 1:30 PM 

Wed., Sept. 28 - Early release day for students
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