Wild about Reading in Second Grade

CES kicked off our first Town Hall Meeting of the year on September 15th by launching a new initiative called  “Wild about Reading."  A variety of staff members read the story Wild About Books by Judy Sierra to the students.  This story is about a librarian who brings books to a zoo and finds out that the animals are “wild” about the books. The hyenas like joke books, the scorpions write “stinging” reviews of their novels, the llamas like dramas, and much more!  On a recent visit to Nanci Brochinski's second grade classroom, I saw how "wild" her students were about reading during a fantastic Reading Workshop lesson!

Nanci's Reading Workshop is a place where students can truly thrive as readers. The purpose of her mini-lesson was to teach students how to "read through the pictures." She read aloud the story The Stray Dog by Marc Simont. It is the perfect picture book for modeling how to "read with pictures." Nanci engaged in a "think aloud" as she modeled this strategy, and then encouraged her students to try as well. The mini-lesson ended with Nanci restating the lesson's objective and challenging the students to try this strategy in their independent reading time.

Nanci has established clear routines for the Reading Workshop in her classroom and this was evident in how quickly her second graders easily transitioned to the independent reading portion of the workshop. They gathered their "just right book" boxes, found comfortable reading spots, and dove into their stories. Each child was completely engaged and, as Nancy Atwell would say, "in their reading zones."

I spoke to one student about her book choice. She told me that she was rereading this particular book because she "loved the characters so much" and found them so "funny." She also let me know that "Mrs. Brochinsky likes to reread her favorite books too!" Nanci's willingness to share her reading life with her students has clearly made an impact on them in this very short start to the year. Another student read two pages of her new story about puppies to me and exclaimed, "I noticed the pictures! Look! The mom is smiling when she is holding the new puppy. This shows she is happy!" Two children in the back used whisper phones to read quietly to themselves, while two students discussed their favorite part in a book they were reading together. Nanci was quietly having individual reading conferences with different students, and Ann Stratton was listening to another child read aloud. Each child in the classroom was deeply engaged with his/her book.

Nanci Brochinski's enthusiasm and passion for literacy has already helped her second graders become "wild about reading." I can't wait to keep reading with them throughout this school year!

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors,
and the most patient of teachers.”
~ Charles W. Eliot ~

The Digit Hunt

How many digits are in our number system?  The answer is now known to all Kindergarten, first, and second grade students at CES due to Karen Toth's innovative Digit Scavenger Hunt.  Karen created a Scavenger Hunt that is composed of a series of rhymes to help students identify and find digits all across the school.The purpose of this Scavenger Hunt is for students to identify the ten digits in our number system and understand the difference between a digit and a number. It begins like this:

"Let's go on a scavenger hunt around school,

We're looking for DIGITS, now isn't that cool?

You'll learn a new clue as you finish each rhyme,

I wish you good luck; now have a good time!

Your favorite color could be yellow or blue,

Go to the Art room to find the digit __________."

Students use the clues to identify all ten digits in the number system.  At each location, there is a small packet taped to the wall with digits inside.  Each class gets to take a digit with them as they continue on the scavenger hunt.  

I was fortunate to participate in the "Digit Hunt" with Emily Boyle's first grade class.  Mrs. Boyle would read the clue to her students and then have them make predictions as to which digit each clue represented.  Then the class would search for the digit in the designated location.  However, the learning did not stop once the digit was found!  Mrs. Boyle would then make different numbers with the digits and ask her students to name each number. 

Emily Boyle making a number for her class to identify.

The students in Mrs. Boyle's class were so excited to name all different numbers as they added more digits to their collection!  In addition to these activities, Karen Toth suggested that teachers could use these digits in their classrooms to:

• Identify even and odd digits and sort them accordingly
• Build different numbers 
• Order digits and numbers

Thanks to Karen Toth for creating this exciting opportunity for our primary teachers to integrate key math learning into their classrooms!

Karen Toth and Emily Boyle with clues to "The Digit Hunt."

Building Community in Kindergarten

Walk into any Kindergarten classroom at the start of the year and you will find students and teachers immersed in building community.  Walk into Jessica Lack's Kindergarten classroom and you will meet two essential members of the "Lack Pack" who help foster a community spirit within her class.  These key members are Mack and Jack, two ducklings who are the official "Lack Pack" mascots.

How do Mack and Jack fit into the community?  Within the first two weeks of school, the students in the Lack Pack enter the classroom one day to find a duck's footprint with a special message on it.

This footprint contains the first clue that leads the class on a scavenger hunt around the school.  On their travels they will meet other important members of the CES community such as their specials teachers, the administration, the library media specialist, and the nurse.  Students get to collect the duck prints as the Lack Pack searches for their owners.  Eventually, the prints lead them back into the classroom, where they get to meet Mack and Jack!

Who are Mack and Jack and how do they relate to the community?  Jack is a duckling who sits in a nest near the thinking chair.  Sometimes Kindergarten students need to sit in the chair because they miss home or they want to tell a secret to someone, and Jack is always ready to listen.  Mack hangs out in the Peace tree on the other side of the room.  He often helps Kindergarten students when they are problem solving a situation with a friend.  Both Mack and Jack are valuable members of the Lack Pack and the students learn to rely on them throughout the year.

Building a strong community is the foundation for success in any classroom.  The members of the Lack Pack are well on their way to establishing a strong, caring, and successful Kindergarten community this year.

First Faculty Meeting

First Faculty Meeting from Janna Bell on Vimeo.

We held our first faculty meeting of the year on Tuesday, August 31.  Our goal was to build community and learn a little bit about our personal learning preferences.  We modeled the faculty meeting after a TED talk presented by Tom Wujec on "The Marshmallow Challenge."

It was amusing to watch the creative ways that the staff members responded to this challenge.  We had a variety of different structures built (some legally, some bending the rules a bit), but I felt the morning was a success.  Some learning points that we discussed:

-When working in a group, being aware of others' learning styles can help the group function more cooperatively.
-Mistakes are a huge part of the learning process.  It is okay to fail and to keep trying.

I learned a lot about the staff today and continue to be impressed by their spirit, dedication, and innovation when faced with a challenge.  I can't wait to see what this school year brings!