Snow Day Case Files: Inferencing Investigators

We have been working on a new comprehension skill called, "inferencing" this week. Students have learned that inferencing is when we have to take our best guess when a story does not give us all the information we need to know about an event.  Therefore, we must 'infer' what is happening in the story by using clues from the author.

To help my students learn how to infer while reading, we had a mystery to solve in our classroom. Below you will find the background information about the mystery. :)

A student named Tim woke up one morning to six inches of snow. He was ecstatic to learn that his Grandma Sue would be staying with him on the snow day.  When Tim's mother came home from work that evening, Tim and Grandma Sue were nowhere to be found!  Tim's mom collected some "evidence" from around the house to help figure out what Tim and Grandma Sue had done on the snow day. This is where my class got involved! We were given 5 case files filled with evidence collected by Tim's mom. Each group was asked to remove one piece of evidence, write it down on the paper, and use their inferencing skills to decide what Tim and Grandma Sue had done that day.

Case file group working together to solve the problem!

Here is an example of the case file inferencing sheet. They wrote their evidence in the left column, and their inference in the right column.

Hot chocolate is evidence???

The Inference Investigators are working together to solve the problem!

Some evidence! What do you think Tim and Grandma Sue did on the snow day?

This is the case file each group was given (they all had similar evidence).

Once each group observed their evidence, we created a timeline of what we infer Tim and Grandma Sue did on the snow day. We were able to answer questions about their day based on the evidence that was collected. The best part was that my students truly believed they were solving a mystery! They had so much fun and didn't even realize they were doing school work. I just love to watch them learn! :)

Daily Five

You may have heard your child say they are doing "Daily Five" every day while they are in their flexible reading group. You are probably wondering what Daily Five consists of and means. Well, Daily Five is a reading structure to help teach students how to be independent. There are five different choices they have been taught and can make every day. Each choice is an authentic learning experience, and allows them to be responsible for their own learning. While students are making their Daily Five choice, I am either reading with a literature circle group, working with a small group on a certain skill, or reading with individual students. Here is a brief description of the Daily Five choices:

Read to Self:

Students are expected to read independently to themselves for that round of Daily Five (approximatley 25 minutes). They may read books from their book bags (books they are reading daily like chapter books) or books from our classroom library. Students may also choose to read their literature circle book. They will find a quiet spot in the room to curl up with their favorite book. Many of them are reading chapter books, and enjoy reading on in their books each day. Students also practice comprehension, accuracy, and fluency strategies during this time.

                                          Max is practicing "Read to Self" with his chapter book.
Read to Someone:

Students practice reading with a partner. They each take turns reading by reading one page at a time. They keep each other accountable by "checking for understanding" at the end of the page. They ask each other comprehension questions and help their partner to solve unknown words. They really enjoy this Daily Five choice because they are working together with a partner. I have seen lots of reading growth with the kids because they are helping each other to decode the words. Sometimes a peer can help more than a teacher!

Listen to Reading:

Students listen to a book on the computer during this choice. Two students share a computer and listen to the same book. The words are printed on the bottom so they can follow along with what they hear. This promotes fluency because they are able to hear an experienced reader read the text. The kids especially love this choice!! The books they listen to are similar to movies, but are based on quality children's books. Their favorite is Knuffle Bunny!!

Work on Words:

Students are allowed to use a variety of materials to practice making words. They choose words from the word wall to practice spelling. This helps them find spelling patterns and sounding out words. Some of the materials they are allowed to use are: magnetic letters, dry erase boards, dried beans, play dough, Wiki sticks, fuzzy sticks, and alphabet stamps. These things are very inexpensive and are a great choice to practice spelling words as well!

Kharis is using Wiki sticks to make her words. Wiki sticks are wax sticks that can be used to form shapes.

DeAnna is using play dough to make her word. She is using the "snake method" to form her letters.

Work on Writing:

Students practice their writing during this choice. We brainstormed a list of writing topics, and they can use their imagination to work on writing. They are expected to write the whole time. If they come to a word they don't know, they should sound it out and underline it. Then, move on! They are allowed to spell words incorrectly, but should focus on writing down all of the sounds they hear in the word. Please have them practice this at home. They are not expected to be perfect spellers!

We just learned Work on Writing last week. Cameran was so excited about it that she decided to teach it to another friend during indoor recess. It was so precious I just couldn't resist taking a picture. I love to see how excited they are about learning!

Each day we have 3 rounds of Daily Five. If a student is not working with me or another adult during this time, then they will be making a Daily Five choice. They are allowed to choose one of the five options for each round. I record their choice, and they must do all five before they may start over again. Daily Five has helped my students become independent and self sufficient. I love to see them grow and learn!

Welcome to Our Flexible Reading Group Blog!

Hi Parents!

Welcome to our blog! This is an informal blog where I will post what we are learning in our flexible reading group. I will post information weekly about what we are learning, homework assignments, and pictures of students learning. I am very excited to be teaching your children in my reading group! Although communicating homework expectations has been challenging since our groups have started, the kids have done a great job of adapting to the changes! They seem to be growing every day as a reader, and I can't wait to see how much progress they will make this year!

Below you will find a description of what we will learn in our reading group and homework expectations. Please feel free to email me with any questions/concerns you may have about reading. (lindsay.poer@fayette.kyschools.us)

In-Class Work:

Literature Circles: All students in my reading group will be working on reading chapter books. They will be in groups of 6, and will each have a role/job to perform with every chapter they read. They will be allowed to read their chapter book in class and work on their role/job for that chapter. They will be expected to take their job packet home if they do not finish it in class. They will need lots of parent assistance to complete their roles/jobs when we begin literature circles. Please discuss their roles with them and read over their work. They will be presenting their work to their groups, so please help them prepare!

Homework:

Spelling: They will have 10 spelling words per week and a "bonus" or challenge word. They will all have the Spelling Star work mat to choose an activity from each week. Please keep this mat in their folder each week (they will keep the same one week after week).

Reading Log: They will have a reading log to complete each week. They are expected to read 4 times per week for at least 15 minutes. They are also asked to respond to their favorite book they read that week. They may choose a book to read from the library, home, or literature circle (as long as they read it at home with you).

Thank you for your support in your child's learning!

Ms. Poer