We worked together to create this beautiful mural. It serves as a visual representation of our classroom. We read a few forest books, which described how the many different parts of a forest work together. The trees, animals and plants are great individually, but together they create something amazing. All of the students in the class are unique and important by themselves, but together we are an amazing community of learners!
This is going to be a great year! Please register and come back soon for pictures and class updates!
I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything new! Here are a two highlights from the last few months! Continue reading Catching Up on the Blog!
We worked together to create this beautiful mural. It serves as a visual representation of our classroom. We read a few forest books, which described how the many different parts of a forest work together. The trees, animals and plants are great individually, but together they create something amazing. All of the students in the class are unique and important by themselves, but together we are an amazing community of learners!
Welcome to the Forest Room! I’ve enjoyed getting to know your children and know that it is going to be a great year!
Please follow us on twitter @theforestroom. I’ll try send a tweet when the blog is updated so that you’ll know when to check back!
I hope to see all of you at the Annual Ice Cream Social on Thursday, September 10th from 5:30 to 7:00!
Here are a few highlights from the past few weeks!
Here are the game party pictures! Sorry it took me so long to post them! We had a great time at the party and I was so proud of the kids for how well they played together! Continue reading Belated Game Party Pictures
Here are a few online resources that may work for your child. Please email me any great resources that you have discovered and I’ll add them to the list!
Math Games Online:
I know that it can be challenging to find fun ways to practice math facts. There are several free games available online to support kids as they practice their facts, money, fractions and other concepts. The Bridges Math Website has put together a great list of games with links. The website has a lot of great information, so feel free to explore if you are interested in finding other ways to support your child.
High Frequency Words:
High Frequency words are the most commonly used words in the English language – both in written and oral communication. These are the most important words for kids to be able to read and spell in order to be fluent readers and writers. There are several versions of this list, but they all have basically the same words. (Dolch, Fry, Rebecca Sitton, high frequency words and sight words are all used to refer to the same set of words).
Please keep in mind that kids need to be able to progress through this list at their own pace. My general goal is for 2nd graders to know how to read and write at least the first 200 words by the end of the year. HOWEVER, this is a general goal. I am much more concerned with seeing progress over time!
This is a free game designed to help kids learn to spell these words.
Another Great Website:
ABCya is a great website full of free learning games. You can differentiate for your child by selecting a grade level on the home page. Please go up or down in grade level to find games that match your child’s specific goals.
My apologies for the long break since the last post! Life has been crazy and it is hard to keep up with everything! I’m hoping to do some catch up on the blog after conferences!
Speaking of conferences…they are next Wednesday and Thursday. Please look for the reminder and goal sheet in the Friday Folder. Take a moment to fill out a few goals and successes for your child and bring this to share at your child’s conference. I prefer to have students attend the conference, but I know that this can be difficult for some kids. Please use your judgment as to what will work best for you and your child. I always warn the kids that they might have to go out in the hall for a bit, so that they aren’t worried if this happens. If you need to change times, please let me know as soon as possible. I’m looking forward to seeing you next week!
One of the best parts of the week (for both the kids and the teachers) is choosing! We typically have choosing for about 45 minutes on Friday afternoons. This is a great time for the kids to use their imaginations, exercise their creativity and practice their social skills. Continue reading Choosing!!!