Recently we began a new science unit focused on forces and motion. In this unit we are exploring and identifying different pushes and pulls as well as the effect of different strengths and different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of objects. We began by reading the book "Give it a push! Give it a Pull! A Look at Forces", by Jennifer Boothroyd. We then brainstormed various pushes and pulls in our everyday lives, noting that a push moves an object away from the force, while a pull brings the object closer. 

We have spent time exploring how characteristic such as weight, size, shape, and surface texture affect the amount of force needed to move an object as well as how it moves. We also experimented with ways to make objects change direction when in motion. Children have been encouraged to pay particular attention to these concepts at recess, where there is a lot of motion and lots of forces at play. The ever changing conditions of our playground have provided great opportunities for experimenting with forces and motion, especially with sleds!

 Just before our vacation we finished learning all of the letters and their corresponding sounds and we are now putting this knowledge to work in both reading and writing. During our morning literacy time we have been working on blending sounds to read short words. We tap the sounds on our fingers saying them slowly, (first sound- index finger, second sound- middle finger, third sound- ring finger) and then blend them together to read the word. We also practice building words using magnetic letter tiles, saying the word, tapping the sounds, and then moving the corresponding letters to make the word. While this sounds simple, when the letters and sounds are new it is hard work! Children have been applying this knowledge along with several sight words we have learned to begin reading short decodable books.

During writing I have challenged the class to be as independent as possible, stretching words (saying them very slowly) and writing any sounds they hear. Children can write about anything and we typically have a wide variety of topics on a given day including events in our daily lives, imaginative stories, and football game play by play. Right now our biggest focus is getting words on paper by writing the sounds we hear.  It is really exciting and motivational for children when they begin to write things I can read. (I have lots of practice...don't worry if you still find it challening to read your child's writing!) Children are also inspired and motivated by each other's growth and we always end writing time by sharing our work. 

I would never expect students in the class to be in the same place with their acquisition of reading or writing skills and we have talked a lot about not comparing our work to classmates, but instead focusing on our own growth each day.