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  Harvest Media Center
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We are working hard on both reading for comprehension and what to do when we come to words we don't know. Students have learned how to make connections when they read as well as ask questions.  We will continue to support these strategies that aid in comprehension during independent reading and guided reading.

Guided reading is coming along.  Kids have the routines down and working hard daily to begun even better readers.  I work with groups approximately 2-4 times per week in a small group setting.  Kids are working at their level and/or working on various strategy lessons to further help them along.

Writing

Students continue to write small moment stories.  We have been focusing on making sure your writing is readable (proper spacing, clearly written with neat enough writing, using capitals and endmarks, and using our spelling strategies.  In addition, we have also been working on organizing our writing once we have that small moment or seed story.  This includes writing a lead that "hooks" our readers.  Some example we have been learning are:

1. Start with people talking "dialogue".
2.  Typical lead (statement) also known as telling.
3.  Action, meaning a character is doing something.
4. A voice or a story int he head.
5. Start with description or sound.

We are really clamping down on sequencing and making sure everything is logical and orderly as well. 

Finally, we are working on our endings.  We want to wrap up our ending so the reader feels satisfied.

This includes writing endings that:
1. Summarizes or relfects the main points.
2. Has an emotional ending.
3. Has unfinished business (we are still left wondering some things).
4. Circle story (where the end takes up back to the beginning).

Students have been very busy in their writing.  Daily there are writing, talking and giving feedback to each other, revising, and proofreading.

This is no small feat and I look forward everyday to their small steps which will no doubt be giant leaps by the end of the year.

 
Spelling is underway.  Each Monday your child is getting a mini-lesson and choosing some words from the lesson and some from their own personal words. Kids are also working on some spelling activities here at school too.  Occasionally, students are pulled into other word study lesson throughout the week.

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Social Studies/Current Events

 
We are being introduced to the five parts of social studies. 

History
Economics
Civic & Government
Geography
Inquiry

This overview will help us understand as we get into the smaller details of community.

Truth

Justice

Equality

Liberty

Diversity- we are working on this one right now1

I can't wait to see everyone's project they have been working so hard on!

Science

We have started Changes in Matter!  We have been doing hands-on investigations looking at mixing two solids with water, trying to separate solids, and noticing changes to these experiments over time.

The kids are loving this!



Math

We are cruising right along and almost finished with unit 4.  Monday we will be starting Unit 5. This is on geometry.  This is a very exciting unit and look for the parent letter to come home tomorrow.

























Ms. Klump
klumpm@saline.k12.mi.us
944-8901 ext. 5560