Success in Retell!!

Successfully learning how to retell important details from any text is a critical skill that students need to master. We have to explicitly teach them the process to be able to be successful at this task. For most tasks this looks like this:
"I do, We do , You do". This is a gradual release model where we, as the instructor, Model the behaviours and skills we are trying to teach. The next step is doing it together in a shared lesson with either a whole class or small group. Finally, we give them an alternate task where they can demonstrate their learning. There is no 'magic bullet', this process is methodical and time consuming.
In these pictures you can see the anchor charts that we use to support the skills we are trying to teach. The Learning Goals chart lays out exactly the skills from the curriculum and then the Success Criteria explicitly state what the students need to do to be successful in this assignment.

Cooking with Math

Cook with Math 

Talk about special tools (cups, spoons, and scales) and methods for measuring ingredients. How do we know which measuring device to use when we read the units in a recipe? What are the steps in doubling or halving recipes? How do we set a timer? After the pizza comes out of the oven, how do we cut it into eight equal slices? If we make 24 cupcakes, how can we share them equally if there are 6 people at the birthday party? How many cupcakes does each person get if 12 more guests arrive? Think of your kitchen as a math laboratory where you are the math scientist and your child is your assistant. Think of your kitchen as a math laboratory...

Why is my Kid on the Floor?

Our focus for math instruction is for kids to experience it. We give students a guiding question and then have them attack it. Look below for a picture of the question they were asked to solve.. It's up to them to decide how to do that. Something very interesting happens with these Open type questions, there is really no right or wrong answer!! They are free to explore and decide for themselves what they want to focus on. Something very special happens--any child, regardless of math 'smarts' can contribute. We use their work later to showcase specific strategies that kids developed to address the question. The variety and scope of their answers and strategies is enlightening. Once this stage is done we move onto consolidation--stayed tuned. We will discuss this stage tomorrow.

Math is Everywhere You Are

Go Grocery Shopping

 Grocery stores are a great source of spontaneous math lessons and a great place to use the “think aloud” strategy: Many stores have scales available. As you shop for fruit, stop and estimate the weight of a bag of apples. Use the scale to get an accurate measure in kilograms. Congratulate yourself on the accuracy of your measurement, or ask yourself how you can improve your estimate. As wheel your shopping cart arouind, keep a running total of the cost of the items by recording them in a small notebook. Round the prices in order to estimate, then check the total with a calculator. How close were you to the actual sum at the cash register? Select a variety of bottles, cans and containers that hold one litre of contents. Emphasize to your child that, although the shape may change,                                                      the volume stays the same.

You Are Your Child's First Math Teacher

Think out loud ! One of the best ways for you to be a math role model is to talk out loud as you work your way through everyday tasks. Thinking out loud allows your child to hear how you think, and it helps them to develop important skills required for “thinking things out” by posing and solving problems. You are a mathematician! Children learn by imitating the people around them. They make meaning through experience and by interacting with important people in their lives. Parent imitation and modelling is essential for children to develop healthy academic skills. When your child sees you making predictions and observations, identifying problems, using problem-solving strategies, and solving real problems, they are more likely to adopt your behaviours and attitudes. Inspiring Your Child to Learn and Love Math

Taken From: Inspiring Your Child to Learn and Love Math 

Parts of the Flower

Yesterday we went outside for science. The grade 3's were looking for flowers and roots that we will need to examine for our science unit. The Grade 4's were also exploring all the small communities of plants and animals that make up a particular habitat. Today the grade 3's took a closer look at the parts of the plants. We cut a cross section out of the flowers in order to expose the Pistil, Stamen, and other parts of the flower. I have pictures below--check out our junior scientists in action!

Language Centres

We are practicing working in our language Centres. While I'm working with individual students or guided reading groups it's critical that students can independently move through several targeted language centres. Centres reinforce the skills we are learning during our language lessons and they