First Week Books Becoming Our Favorites!

 My class loves singing and dancing to the "Rules Rap" by Dr. Jean.  We have the coloring book that goes along with this new favorite.  My students have added this book to their book box  that they read from everyday.  They know all the words and enjoy reading it together or quietly to themselves.

 

 This was the class' introduction to the wonderful author Mo Willems.  This book is a great favorite with its simple words in word clouds and the mice marching around saying "please" on so many pages.  They are looking forward to more books by Mo because of this funny book.

 

 Skippyjon Jones was not on my beginning of they year list but one of my students told me these were his favorite books.  I had gotten my Skippyjon stuffed animal this summer at Kohl's and so I just had to read this one this week.  I downloaded the ipad app and we listened to the author read her own story.  It had lots of little fun interactives to add to the story.  By the end of the day we were all saying "Holy Guacamole!"  I found this new informational text about chihuahuas and plan on reading it soon to the children.

 We read this old rhyme and then played the game with our Smartboard.  I added each child's picture to a slide and we repeated the rhyme and they answered the class when it was their turn.  They loved it.  At the end I had a slide that allowed the computer to randomly select a slide of the "real" cookie thief.  It was such fun and they can't wait to check this book out of the library to read it with one another.

 This was a book about being frustrated with  some things at school and how to "move on" and find new friends.  We practice this skill a lot in first grade when feelings get hurt by others on the playground. "Moving on" and finding someone else to play with for a while helps them to problem solve in social situations.

This is a big book in our room.  I have the song by Raffi that is identical to the book.  We listened to the song several times during the day before I introduced this book.  When I read it the next day the class was so pleased they knew all the words to the book.  I am sure this will be a new favorite and much read (and sung) by the students.

This book will also be added as a math station.  The children will create word problems using the story.  They will use counters as the ducks and use words and illustrations to show what math was happening in the story.

We also read this math story.  It is about a snake that collects mice in a jar to eat for dinner.  Of course the mice get away.  This will also be added to one of our math workstations to create words problems of addition and subtraction.  They will put the problems and illustrations showing their work in a blank book I will provide.

This is to become another class favorite.  They can read most of the words and can related to David.  Everyone had a smile on their face as they watched and listened to  David's antics.  After reading the story we did a "follow the directions" picture to draw David.  They did a nice job.  I have them hanging in the hallway and you will get them home soon!

First Day of School

The first day of school was a great one.  The children were happy to be here.  No one came in crying.  I always like that kind of start.  We began finding our hooks in the coatroom.  We brainstormed rules for our classroom.  We had fun with our "Adventures in Fitness" brain break.  We discussed some of the vocabulary we heard while exercising  during the activity.  We talked about  the west, cowboys, Indians, rattlesnakes, and dens.  We will continue our adventure tomorrow during one of our morning brain breaks.  We listened to the story "Mouse's First Day of School".  We learned that there are 3 ways to read a book.  The children decided the first way was to read the words.  The second way was to read the pictures.  I told them tomorrow we will learn the third way to read a book.  (You can retell a story you have heard before while looking through the book.)  We went outside and learned the rules for the playground.  We got to practice the rules while we played!  Next it was lunchtime and recess.  We came back in and listened to the story "Bear Your Manners are Showing" and colored a picture of Bear.  We got to get our book boxes and explore what was in them.  We have many "good fit" books, a file folder to hold papers, a whiteboard to write on, and a sock to erase the whiteboard.  We practiced how to use the whiteboard, makers and sock.  We liked writing on them.  Next it was time for gym.  Mrs. Morris said we were a really good first grade.  She taught us a new game called "Flip Flop", we played a new kind of tag, we talked about being safe in gym, wearing the proper shoes and cooling down.  It  was time for our second recess after gym.  When we returned we went to the gym with the rest of the school and listened to Mr. Shreve, Mr. Syner and Mr. Smith talk to us about being a student at McKinley.  We went to the library next.  We then came back to the room packed up and when home!  My, we had a busy day!