Week 9 - maths homework/game

This week I thought we would just continue with the 2 games I have already sent home but also focus on the basic facts "Ring of facts".  I have enlisted the help of another wonderful mum for Fridays so this will be testing day for basic facts as well.  So thank you very much Amelia's mum for offering to come and spend time in our room doing this...  We look forward to this.

Now for those parent who looked at the ring of facts and thought they were 'easy' they may very well be, but they will get harder.  Also the idea is that they must be able to answer them quickly (within 3 seconds - and without using fingers or counting on).  The ones they get correct will end up with a stamp on but please keep practicing these each week, but if you are running short on time the you can focus on the ones that do not have stamps on.

Another good idea for the children with regards to these ring of facts is that they find 'family of facts', or when you hold up a card they tell you all the facts that are part of that family.  This is something we have been working on in class.

A family of facts are facts that relate to each other.  For most facts there are 4.  Here is an example.

3+4=7

4+3=7

7-3=4

7-4=3

The reason we do this is so that children can see that these facts are linked and if they know one fact then they can use that to know the others

Hockey man

Today we had Brad Pitman the hockey man came in to give our kids a taster of what hockey is about... the kids really looked like they were enjoying themselves and loved playing the mini games...

Week 8's maths game

This is a game that kids seem to love and can come back to time and time again.  The children are all good at this game  - some played it last year, and the rest have been playing it today as part of their maths warm up.  I hope you enjoy!!!

123

2 players needed

This game is a bit like playing paper, rock, scissors, but instead children choose a how many fingers they show and the winner is the first to correctly add the 2 numbers together.

Extension – 2 hands can be used when children are able to complete it with 1 hand quickly.

This is a great game to practice quickly answering basic facts.

Self portraits

Meant to post couple of weeks ago as they look sooooo fantastic.

Week 7 - ASSEMBLY !!! YAY

I must say I was very proud of our kids and how they ran our assembly this week.  They did a fantastic job, especially with me out of the class for a few days.  The BFG pictures looked fantastic, the stories you shared were great and the song was so cute (even when we all forgot the words of the last verse we were singing).

I also need to mention to parents that the wonderful mum who comes in to test our spelling on Fridays was unable to get in on Friday and so we only got through half of the kids for testing, as well as going to the library, catching up on work that was unfinished due to having relievers and of course PRACTICING FOR RUNNING THE ASSEMBLY ...

All in all a great week.

Below is a overview of our assembly for whose who were unable to make it... - sorry I didn't get time to take photos :-(

Welcome to room 47’s Assembly.  (Amelia)  We hope you enjoy it. (Lukas) Can we stand for Karakia and the National Anthem (Ryan) Karakia (Freedom) In room 47 we have been looking at our school values.  We have a few stories to share with you. (Tae) - Lani, Jessica, Cyprus, Mikara. In room 47 we have also been reading the BFG.  Here are some pictures we have made of the BFG... (show pictures).  We also have written some descriptions of the BFG (Jayden). - Willow, Lilly, Kate, Luke, Braeden, Mia, Tylah In room 4/7 we have also been looking at butterflies and we have a song to share (Max) . Can we have the Duffy Certificates. (wait for school leaders to hand out) Can we have the "Cool Kids" (wait for school leaders to hand out.  (Carlos) This week’s tidiest class goes to _(room9)__ (TeAorangi) Is there any notices.  (wait for staff to give notices) This week’s best attendance goes to (wait for Mrs Whitelaw to announce and give out)  _(room3)___ (Antonio) Mrs Whitelaw who is this week’s best class? (wait for Mrs Whitelaw to announce) (Ethan)  __(room1)__ Thank-you for coming to our assembly (Jack).  We hope you have a great weekend (Chloe)

Maths practice

For those that are interested I have shared a maths activity that children can do at home (I have also encouraged them to do this).

The idea with this game/practice task is to encourage children to correctly identify numbers from 10-99 (with 2 piles) and from 100-999 (with 3 piles).  It does seem very simple but there are still some children who will read numbers incorrectly e.g 65 is sometimes interpreted by children as 56, and with three digit numbers this confusion becomes more pronounced.

Helpful hint is to talk about how many tens and how many ones are in the numbers if they are struggling

Number flip

Equipment needed:  1 pack of card
                                 (taking out picture cards such as king, queen ... also take out all the
                                 10's - Leave Aces in the pack as they work as 1's)

Instructions

1. split pack into 2 (or three) piles and place these face down.
2. turn over one card from each pile and place these on-top of the rest of the pile.
3. children then correctly practice saying the number in front of them

Extentions

• split pack into 3 piles.
• practice writing number names (correctly)
• practice saying the number that come before/after
• practice saying the number that is 10 more/less
• HEAPS OF OTHER THINGS TO but these ones fit the purpose of what we are doing.

week 6 - and what a busy one it was

This was one of those weeks that came and went so quickly.  It was a busy one with ERO visiting us and our children being involved in telling them all about their learning at Ohaeawai school.  The children did a fantastic job of this.  I must say by the end of the week I felt completely exhausted and still couldn't talk properly.

We also had FUN FRIDAY where we got out the paints, and did a catch up on all the great stuff we have been working on in class.  Next week we start an in-depth look at "explanation writing".  Which we will base around the butterflies and caterpillars that have captivated the children's interest and tadpoles/frogs.  I also hope to have basic facts cards coming home from the end of the week so watch this space.

Next week we are on assembly so here is a poem/song about caterpillars that we might share...

Butterfly Cycle

(to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Hatch, hatch little egg,

I'm so very small.

Teeny tiny caterpillar,

You can't see me at all.

Crawl, crawl, caterpillar,

Munching on a leaf.

Crawling, munching, crawling, munching,

Eat and eat and eat.

Form, form chrysalis,

I'm a different shape;

Hanging by a silken thread

Until I can escape.

Rest, rest, chrysalis

While I change inside;

Now at last my time has come

To be a butterfly.

Stretch, stretch, pretty wings,

It's a special day;

Soon they will be strong enough

For me to fly away.

Fly, fly, butterfly,

Fly from flower to tree;

Find a place to lay my eggs

So they can grow like me.

© 2003 Suzy Gazlay

Week 5 - OHHHHH where did that one go???

This week has kind of passed in a blur.  It was a busy one, with lots happening.  I must say that when I started loosing my voice on Tuesday/Wednesday, I was sooooo not impressed.  By Friday I only had a whisper, and my own family thought it was hilarious.  This meant that the children were lucky to have a very cool reliever for Friday.  Thanks Mrs S!!!

I wanted to share however a very cool I had as a teacher this week.
As you parents who came to our parent evening are aware our class is very driven by individual goals children have within key learning areas e.g. they have goals in reading, writing and maths.  Well on Thursday I needed to get the children to complete a "writing sample" (a formal writing assessment where they are not allowed any assistance from myself or books ...).  Well the kids have gotten so into looking at their goals and their "pink for think", "blue to do", "gold for glory" comments that after writing their name at the top of the sheet, a number of children went to their books to check their goals and see what they needed to practice/think about...

It was a very OHHHHH moment where you know that the effort you put into working these out with the kids was worth it because they are beginning to use them without being asked.  Thanks guys.

For those parents who weren't able to attend the parent meeting ... I am hoping to be able to put the slideshow up on here that I went though (I was a bit worried that I wouldn't have a voice so it ended up being pretty detailed).  So watch this space.