Mrs. Davis' Second Grade Blog

Monday, October 3, 2011

UMS Pep Rally

We will be having a UMS School Spirit Pep Rally Tuesday, October 4th. Please encourage your child to wear school colors (blue and green) tomorrow to school.
Thanks!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Fun Friday Apple Math Activities

Free picture slideshow made with Smilebox

We have been writing personal narratives in writing the past week. I read Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown and It's Justin Time, Amber Brown aloud to the class. Amber Brown is the main character who has a best friend Justin. Each student chose a good friend (not in our class) to write a personal narartive about. Hopefully, these will be completed for you to read at Open House. :)

We also found time to discuss the changing season here in Vermont. We did some leaf writing and an art activity for a gorgeous (I mean GORGEOUS) bulletin board in the hallway. Their writing is quite amazing!

Writers in action!

Daily 5!

During Reading Workshop a new component I am implementing this year is called The Daily 5.
The Daily 5 are:
1. Read to Self
2. Read to Someone
3. Work on Writing
4. Work on Words
5. Listening to Reading (Not yet introduced)

I introduced the first 4 components and we have been practicing, practicing, and practicing the expectations. The students are doing a GREAT job and eventually they will be able to choose which Daily 5 they want to go to each day. Right now students are practicing as a whole group. This week we practiced Work on Words.

Write, Stamp, Decorate (Red Words)

Making red words with tiles

Using spinners to make words

Guidance Lessons

Mrs. McCleary our school guidance counselor has been doing some wonderful lessons the past two weeks in our class. Last week she spoke about "expected" behaviors vs. "unexpected" behaviors. The students role modeled these behaviors and discussed if the behaior was:
1. Too much
2. Too little
3. Just right
A "just right" behavior is what is expected. Mrs. McCleary discussed how expected behaviors make others have "good" thoughts about you. She then discussed how unexpected behaviors can cause others to have "uncomfortable" thoughts about you. These are now terms we use consistently in the classroom and the students really understand it.

This week Mrs. McCleary discussed: Whole Body Listening
The students brainstormed all the different parts of the body we listen with and then enjoyed a great read aloud called Whole Body Listening Larry at Home.

Whole Body Listening - Brainstorming

Monday, September 26, 2011

Meet "Clara the Careful Clarifier"

Today in Reading Workshop, the students were introduced to a "special" character named Clara the Careful Clarifier. Clara is a character who helps out if there are ANY words or parts of a story that you don't know. She has many strategies to help us "figure" out words. Today, she modeled Eagle Eye. Eagle Eye is when a reader looks at the pictures for clues when they are reading.
(The kids giggled and LOVED that I (oops - I mean Clara) had a sophisticated accent! I think they were ALL tuned in today for the mini-lesson).

Meet "Clara the Careful Clarifier"

Clara the Careful Clarifier will be here all week reviewing reading strategies.

There are four characters called The Fabulous Four from the Reciprocal Teaching Book. These 4 characters will be introduced this year and used to help students during reading workshop and their everyday reading.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

"Hh" Brothers - Word Study

This week our SWR skill is the "Hh" Brothers (Ch, Sh, Th, Wh). We kicked off the week with Ch and baked chewy chocolate chip cookies. Then, students made their our very own Chewy Chocolate Chip Book.