Batter Up

Now that Major League Baseball has officially begun, baseballs may be flying everywhere! Room 108 does not officially endorse any one team but the people inside of it definitely have their favorites! Students in the room are similar to baseball players as they want to keep their strikeouts to a minimum, their hits at a maximum but of course always learning and having fun playing the game!

Believe it or not, Unit 7 is done. Typically a unit lasts about four weeks and details all kinds of topics, culminating in a final day of assessment Room 108 knows as "Game Day." But as student development and unit themes progress, so does the curriculum layout of the academic calendar. The final Game Day is not beyond students but will instead be more of a celebration of knowledge and learning toward the end of the year. In the mean time, students will be engaged in more ongoing, as in day-to-day, activities that aren't simply captured in one lesson or activity. Instead lessons and activities may span multiple time frames, days, or even weeks! This kind of continuum offers students the opportunity to learn that not everything is done quickly or gained immediately rather contends the mind to engage and connect different subjects, contents and contexts.

Looking ahead to Unit 8 provides a spotlight on story reading and comprehension with greater emphasis on story understanding and strategies such as visualize, predict, connect, sequence, and conclude. Writing is going to round the bases with some poetry (also to honor national poetry month), four-square, and journaling; all very familiar writing experiences for students.

Mathematics is continuing to progress with focus on more abstract, and usually challenging topics, like MENTAL arithmetic, money (including making change), and fractions. All of these concepts will provide children with opportunities to manipulate numbers, strategies, and concepts with physical objects, save mental math of course. It should be quite a challenge to force all children to "do math" without the assistance of a number line, hundreds chart, calculator or even their fingers!

The biggest change of all academic stimuli will be our science topic. We have soared around the universe and are back on planet Earth to dig deep into the big world of BUGS! Insects is our new theme and there will be creepy, crawly critters all over Room 108! It certainly is an exciting time for children as the spring weather warms and the grass grows greener. Seems almost natural for children to start examining the tiny little six-legged bugs moving over everything outside, and sometimes inside too.

Let me also take this post as a chance to say an appreciative word of gratitude to all of my readers, supporters, and partipants in the Room 108 first grade experience. There has been quite a stir of excitement and energy swirling through the classroom in the recenet days and weeks. Hopefully everyone can keep up the action and efforts as we push forward into the final two months of the year!

March Toward Independence...

The final week before spring break is just about over and it seems to have blown past all of us in Room 108.  From story reading and discussions, to publishing and space walks, the experiences for everyone have kept us busy!  For the long break I want to provide you with a list of good links to keep children thinking about the classroom and what many of them can't wait to get back to.  

Jack Prelutsky - The poetic foundation for Room 108 is Shel Silverstein but the follow up poet is this outstanding wordsmith.  Prelutsky has a knack for expanding vocabularies and writing higher level wordplays than our foundational leader.  This is his homepage and it is excitingly kid-friendly.  (This is also an unofficial request for any Prelutsky books you may have occupying bookshelves or desks at home.)  Seeing as though we have read through just about everything Shel has put on paper, we need some more GREAT poetry for snack time!  

Number Twins - This overly addictive fact game was introduced in computer lab and was a quick favorite for those fact-minded brains.  The game can be reached via the Room 108 blog but sending specific web instructions with some children is like sending air mail via a hot air balloon: (interpretations left to your imagination.)  Bottom line, this game is fun and has tons of other "math" game links on the same page.  Notice the "sum" can be changed by clicking on the numbers directly above the playing board.  

Tumblebooks - Let's be honest, sometimes reading can be a chore for your child (and you!) so I bring to your mouse click one of the all-time favorite links for students: TUMBLEBOOKS.  Reading never seemed so engaging, enjoyable, and effortless.  Not to mention this strategy is a great way to build fluency.  There are books for all level readers, games and comprehension activities to match, and new books almost weekly!  If you haven't checked these things out yet, NOW is the time!

These links should keep students connected over the week long break.  If anyone needs more, look no further than the right hand side of the blog.  There is a vast array of links to choose from and they all have relevance to the learning experience of the children in Room 108!

For those of you traveling for spring break, I bid you a safe journey.  For all the locals hanging around, I wish upon you warm weather and lots of energy for outdoor spring activities!  It will seem like only a blink of your eyes until Room 108 is up and running again, all systems go, for the final two months of the academic year!