We are writing How To books during Writer's Workshop.  Today we added more to our chart!

HOW TO write a HOW TO book

1. Think of something you can TEACH
2. Tell the STEPS of the process in order
3. NUMBER each step (1,2,3,4..)
4. Make sure each page has a PICTURE and WORDS that match
5. Use a TEACHING voice, not a STORY voice
6. REREAD your writing to make sure you have all of the details you need
7. Have a FRIEND REREAD your writing, too!

Ask me all about the new reading strategy on our reading umbrella...we know how to be a Chunky Monkey!!!
A Chunky Monkey looks carefully inside an unknown word to see if they can find a smaller word or "chunk" that they know.  
We noticed that many of our Dr. Seuss books are full of chunks that we know, which makes them fun to read!!!

Ask me all about Geometry!  We are celebrating our Shape Unit in Math this week!  
Today we worked on our geometric paintings, 3D shape robots, a special shape graph, and an interactive story called Shapes that Roll!!!
Math is so cool!!!

Ask me all about Reader's Workshop!  We started our day with some partner reading!  That way, we could all read and talk about our just right books with our friends, as well as Mrs. Brady.
We had so much fun curling up together!
At the end of Reader's Workshop we looked back at our chart about Sharing books.  Then we looked at all of the pictures Mrs. Brady took.  We looked like reading experts!!!

In Kindergarten, day 100 is a big deal!!!                        

Our morning meeting time is a very important part of our day.    Many of our math objectives are introduced and reinforced during our calendar activities.
We discuss the days of the week and the months of the year.  We create a monthly pattern.  We review our daily schedule and notice any changes that might be occurring.  We graph the weather and make observations using our math language.

We also use our number sense.  We count every day of school.  Starting with day one, we use our pennies and straws as a concrete way to mark our time here at school.  We make change when we reach 10 cents, trading for a dime and we bundle when we have 10 straws.  We use a 100’s chart to count, highlight days, notice patterns, and reinforce our number sense.

100 is a big deal to us because of all of the hard work we have been doing throughout the year.  On day 100 we will be trading 10 dimes for a dollar and our ten straw bundles will move over to the 100’s place.  We will also finish highlighting our 100’s chart.
These activities introduce and reinforce place value concepts that the children will use and build upon in the years to come.  It is so exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ask me all about Make Way For Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey.
We read the classic story book today with Mrs. Brown.  We talked about how it was based on a true story and we discussed all of the things that happened in the book that could happen in real life!
Then we went on a Google Earth field trip!  We visited YouTube and watched as Google Earth showed us all of the important sites from the book.  We clicked on the images and it gave us information.  It was so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click on the button below to go on the trip!!!

Ask me all about the difference between 2D and 3D shapes!!!!  I can name them, describe them, find them, and build them!!!
We have been investigating geometry in Math Workshop.  This week we are building shapes with straws and playdoh,  building pattern block puzzles & recording shape data, interacting with a "living book" called Shapes that Roll, on the iPad, creating geometric paintings, playing 3D shape memory on the Smart Board, and designing shape farm animals.
During Math Stations we recorded our hard work with the iPad and then shared it with our friends!!!   Math is so much fun!!!!

Ask me all about day 100!!!!   It is coming fast!!!!!!!!!!
During Learning Centers this week we are making castles with 100 blocks, wishing for 100 things, reading & writing 100 sight words, and making ourselves look 100 with old and wrinkly faces!!!!  We are having so much fun learning, counting, and celebrating together!

Ask me all about our Writing Celebration!!!
We sat in the audience with our special stuffed friends, listening to some wonderful stories!!!  We all got a chance to sit in the author's chair and share our personal narratives.  We also got to share our stuffed friends.  
It was so fun to celebrate our hard work!!!

100 is a lot!!!!!

Ask me all about day 100!!!  It is coming fast!  Today was day 94...that means there are only 6 more school days until we hit day 100!!!  In honor of the 100th day of school we have been given a special project to do.

100 days of friends,
100 days of fun.
100 days of darling, dazzling,
Winning work we’ve done!
So remember that soon,
All of you must bring,
100 of some wonderful,
One-hundred-ful things!!!

To celebrate our 100th day of school, we need to create a collection of 100 things.  In the past we have 
seen collections of beads, pennies, paperclips, clothespins, flowers, pebbles, matchbox cars, buttons, 
stickers, cereal, legos, etc….the possibilities are endless!!!
Be as creative as you can with your project design!!!  
Make a poster of your collection, a necklace, or an art project.  

Ask me all about our day!  We had so much fun being all back together again!
During Writer's Workshop we shared many wonderful stories.  Mrs. Brady even wrote about her trip!!!  We just love writing!!!