First grade continues to be a rich & fun learning experience for Miller. His class had a Teddy Roosevelt celebration after completing their biography study. Mrs. K set up a teddy bear spa during recess with hair dryers and combs for the kids to enjoy pampering their stuffed friends.
I joined my special firstie on Dr. Suess's Read Across America Day. Several moms had fun leading his Techie class through various themed centers. Miller chose a Green Eggs and Ham Math double digit addition center for me to lead. Of course, he never lets me just waltz out of the school without staying for lunch. He loves inviting a friend to dine with us at the guest table. He invited classmate and neighbor Lucas with us on this occasion.
The Accelerated Reader program continues to motivate Miller to keep up with his nightly reading log. Mrs. K awards a Mystery Prize to her students for acquiring the most points during each 9 weeks. He's racked up 62 points so far this year and has taken 129 AR quizzes. He's shining on a mid- third grade level and we couldn't be prouder. I say this tempered with our need to continue to push Miller with his basic Math facts. We all have areas to celebrate and standards yet to master. But, the reading teacher in me feels so blessed to have a boy that always has his nose in a book. We devised our plan and figured out that if Miller reads one Magic Tree House chapter book each weekend, he racks up 1 whole point instead of just half a point. He's loving the world of Jack and Annie as a firs tie. We're also working our way through the Berenstain Bears series. I love the traditional values in their books that teach character lessons. My biggest struggle is navigating Miller away from The Diary of Wimpy Kid books. This book fad seems to have really taken off with some of the boys in his class. The character is a middle school boy with issues in his life much too mature for a first grader (in my opinion). While, the books are on Miller's reading level, the material is too advanced. So, that's our little firstie dilemma these days.
I finally worked in a Friday Mystery Reader spot to visit Miller's class. I usually score the AR helper mom on Tuesday mornings while Eliza Kate is in preschool. Fortunately, Poppy picked up Eliza Kate from gymnastics so I could surprise Miller with a visit. I picked I Wanna New Room to coordinate with their opinion writings. The book is an entertaining read perfect for discussing persuasive language. Miller's choice was the fictional book If I Built a Car... since he's still obsessed with vehicles. Miller loved the special privilege of securing the bean bag chair next to the rocker for the best seat in the house.We capped off the visit with a lunch date in the cafeteria.
The Techies also squeezed in a half week of celebrating Mrs. K during Teacher Appreciation Week before the snow ruined the luncheon plans. On Monday, I had the kids write a short but sweet thank you message on the back of each flower. They are truly BLOOMING this year because of her awesome instruction! We can't believe our first grade year is now in the final 9 weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment