From the moment I finished my first Nancy Drew mystery, I was hooked! I am very passionate about reading and love sharing that passion with my students. In our room we have books on tape, play-away mp3 audio players, audio books on  iPods and iPads, and basket, after basket, after basket, of books. I love watching my students get hooked into reading. Just look at Jake-he is so focused on the book in his lap. He is listening to a mp3 play-away of four audio books on one player. No cd's to fool with, and no cd player that limits where you sit. You can curl up with these books anywhere in the room and fall in love with reading.

 

Henslee is also listening to a Play-Away

Ally has her own personal book bucket filled with books she chose and is reading with such devotion! What awesome readers I have!

 

We are discovering that two different texts written about the same topic, can present different information. After a whole group reading of "Frogs" by Gail Gibbons, students worked in groups of four reading the book "Frog and Toad".

 

As one person read the story, the others listened for new facts about frogs and toads. Students worked together to create a chart showing their new understandings. Each group will present their information to our class.

I heard some fantastic conversations as I visited with each group. They did a fantastic job working together and discovering new information.

 

Starting the year teaching second graders to use their senses to learn about the world around them is one of my favorite units to teach. Students observed a gobstopper in water and recorded the changes over time, they made a Lava Lamp, conducted an experiment to see if they could make a raisin dance, and mixed solids and liquids to see what would happen. These pictures show excitement in learning!

Ally-weekly reporter

This is Ally and she is our reporter this week. She wants you to know what we have been studying this week. Her video sums it up in one word.


Here are her words about our week:

My name is  Ally.  are class is lurening more about Anumle,s and are having fun with it.

And how go ware doing .

Can You Make a Raisin Dance?

Can You Make a Raisin Dance?

The following are letters written by students to Dr. Patterson to thank him for reading to our class. These letters were not edited and are their first draft. The last names have been covered to protect student identities.

Several students did not finish their pictures and their letters will be added as soon as they are finished.

Dr. Patterson came to read to our class this week and the students loved it! He read the book, 'The Day the Crayons Quit" by Drew Daywalt. It was a big hit!

The story features several letters written by individual colors to a young man named Duncan. They want him to know they have had enough! Each crayon has an important message to Duncan (and the readers) about problem solving, working together, and individual strengths. 

The students really loved the part of the story when one of the crayons complained that his paper was torn off and he felt "naked". 

Sorry it's blurry, but we were all laughing!