Tuesday, October 3

Another beautiful day and it was so hard to stay inside and do work! Our time on the playground was absolutely perfect....nice temps, clear skies, nice breeze. A really gorgeous October day!

We looked at the distributiv property again, but this time instead of looking at it as an array, we looked at it as number bonds. It was nice to see the repetition help students to make it "click". I also emphasized that if we work on our basic math facts and know them, then this strategy is just that....another strategy in our tool kit. We need to know our facts and when we do, all the rest of the math is much easier. All students were given a copy of the multiplication fact cards which they should use nightly...or in those rare moments that you don't have something to do! I know it can be tedious, but once they know them, they know them for life!

We continue to work in math centers after the lesson is over giving me time to work with students on the skills with which they need extra help. IStudents rotate between using i-pads, solving review worksheets (ususally + and - computation problems), place value games, SCOOT, or Bump games. All of these games keep them engaged and focued on skills.

In reading groups we are getting a little laxed in our "independence". Today I had to pull back a bit and reinforce that students needed to get the work done and not sit and stare at a book for an hour. They must rotate to each of the stations, even if they don't get full time at that station. We are working on getting that self-monitoring down and I know it will take a while.

Don't forget that the Walk-a-Thon is Friday, as well as go home early drill (dismissal at 3:15) It will be a wonderful weekend so enjoy it!