What Time is it?

It's time to learn about time! This week we have been busy learning all  about digital and analog clocks. We learned how a traditional number line is different than the the numbers on a clock. We brainstormed am and pm activities and made our own illustrated clocks. We made our own analog clocks complete with an hour hand and a minute hand. We used our clocks to show the passage of time to the hour while we read, The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. We also read  The Clock Struck One by Trudy Harris and had a discussion about the minute hand and why it's easier to count minutes by fives. We created a second timeline to demonstrate time to the half hour. You can help your child at home by giving them opportunities to tell time to the hour and half hour and encouraging them to count the minutes by fives as practice. Time sure flew as we we were learning :)

Working as a group to put our timeline of am and pm activities in order.
Lots of discussion about whether to start with 12 or 1. This is how we discovered
the first difference between a traditional timeline and the numbers on a clock.

We turned our timeline into a circle and created 2 clocks! We took turns
telling time to the hour.

Telling time along with The Grouchy Ladybug.

Social Thinking 

Mrs. Goldstein was back in our room to teach us about the 3-point scale for judging problems. This is a great visual tool to help children assess a problem situation including how they should react and how to find a solution. Children can judge a problem as a 1 (a small problem that can be solved independently), 2 (a problem that requires some adult intervention), or a 3 ( a big problem that needs special kind of adult help such as an emergency.)

A visual of the 3-point scale 

Children using their fingers to judge a problem scenario as a 1, 2, or 3.

Reader's Theater
Reader's theater is a great way to practice fluency. As children re-read a story they become more fluent and can focus on phrasing, expression, intonation, tone, and stress. Each of my reading groups will be able to share 1 (or more!) reader's theater stories. 

This first reader's theater actually took place a little while back. The group practiced hard  and were really proud of their performance. We're  still working on the kinks of technology so the volume is a little iffy. I still wanted to share though, since they were so excited.

Deput Reader's Theater

http://youtu.be/jaVFv_5UW0s

We attempted a second reader's theater with another reading group. The focus was a little different this time. Instead of reading from a book, this group read a book about the Apatosaurus, (Brontosaurus), and then shared some of the facts they learned. Although I did record their reading, the volume did not come out again. Here is a picture of their performance! And somehow I'll figure out this recording thing!!!