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HOW WE SPEND OUR DAY
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Writer's Workshop
*How to write for a specific audience or author's purpose
*Using dialogue
*grammar and usage
*learning to write in paragraph form
*critiquing anonymous third grade writing samples
*using figurative language
*adding details or
*letter writing
*using various graphic organizers
*identifying sentences and phrases
*how to write in the various genres
*strong beginnings, solid middles and wow endings
*how to peer edit
*using the writing rubric
AND MORE!!
After the mini lesson, students are working independently on their individual writing pieces. Each student meets with me or a peer to edit, talk about additional ideas or correct mistakes.
Author! Author! is our sharing time, where students may feel free to share what they have been working on that day. This can also be a time of reflection, or asking the whole group how they might improve their writings.
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WORD WORK!
Our Word Work session of the day usual starts us off in the morning! During this time, students work with spelling patterns, use the dictionary and thesaurus and investigate topics such as prefixes, suffixes, analogies, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms and others. Each child has a Word Booklet that they create to eventually become a writing resource for the the remainder of the year.
Reader's Workshop
In RW all students are reading or responding to what they have read. Some students are meeting with me at the reading table. This is where students have engaging book talks about the leveled stories they are reading. Other students are responding to what they are reading in their portfolios and another group will be reading just right books that they have chosen on their own. We also work on comprehension projects, practice oral fluency with poetry and plays and give presentations about what we are reading.
Mini lessons include:
Cause and Effect Text Connections
Characterization Comparing and Contrasting Context Clues Features of Informational Texts Inferencing Just Right, Challenging, and Too Easy Books Main Idea/Supporting Details Schema Sequence/Order Plot
How to answer comprehension questions/test taking tips
Text Features Questioning the Author
Visualizing Students also are able to work on projects such as Book Bistro when assigned.
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WHOLE GROUP READING
During this time, the entire class is reading or discussing the same chapter book or story from the reading series. This allows students to learn from each other no matter what reading level they may be on. Students create a Thinking Journal, where they write about the plot, discuss text connections, give predictions and ask questions. We also identify and define new vocabulary.
Science and Social Studies
Students work on many hands on activities that require reasoning and cooperation. Much of our learning is done in centers, groups or with partners. Students are often engaged in web quests and researching topics on the ibooks. Students love to share their knowledge of the topics taught in Science and Social Studies, so we are always learning something new!
Our content includes:
Rocks and Soil
Animal Adaptations
Healthy Body Systems
Force and Motion
Stow History
Local Government
Maps and Geography
Economics
Math
Math Steno Problem of the Day
This problem is on the board in the morning when the students come in. The problem can either be review from the week before, or one that will relate to the day's lesson. At the beginning of the year, each student's problem is check by myself. Eventually, I choose 2 students to be the "Checker". These two students complete the problem(showing all work expected) and then show it to me. Once I have "ok'd" their work, they are able to check the other students' answers. Everyone reviews the problem during math on the overhead, when I call another student to "show what they know".
At times, a reflective question is given to allow students practice with responding in sentence form.
We also have a review sheet nearly every day that connects with the 3rd grade Ohio Achievement Test. Many of these questions come from past tests, web sites that deal with Ohio standards or Study Island.
Students also work on fact fluency review through a variety of ways.
During our Math Lesson, students are presented with problems, concepts and activities. Every day, you can see students working independently, in partners or groups as they share ideas about what they are working on.
Closing
To end our math session, students may be asked to write reflective responses to a question or simply to explain what they learned that day in math and what questions they may still have.
Mrs. R. Miller's Marvelous Minds!
Rebecca Miller
Third Grade
Room 9
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