extra strength sound power

Reading

The children's reading strategies (powers) grow and strengthen as the words they are reading and writing become more complex. While we continue to listen for and show the sounds in words with three sounds, we are also exploring words with more than three sounds. These words have beginning blends. 

As readers, we use sound power to get our mouths ready for the first sound in a word and now we use extra strength sound power to get our mouths ready for beginning blends! 

We grow our extra strength sound power when reading and engaging with the morning message, through find-your-match greetings, by showing the sounds we hear with tiles, when reading our little paper books (My S-Blend Book) and when going on a beginning blends hunt!

When searching for beginning blends around the school children drew a picture and recorded the blend of what they found; a clock in the hall (clock has an l-blend at the beginning and the ck digraph at the end!) or a picture of being in the green zone. 

Can you find five things in your home that begin with an s-blend? 

A step and a snack or a screen or some slime?

Can you find five things in your home that begin with an r-blend or an l-blend?

Challenge; can you think of a word that ends with a blend?

Writing

We connected our exploration of force and motion as scientists to our work as writers of How To Books. The children worked together to plan and write a class book; How To Make a Zig Zag Marble Roll! 

Their book was part of their display at the Science Fair along with many pictures.
You can watch a short video of their play and learning here; RAMPS!

Community

The children have continued to love opportunities to read together- further supporting their growth as super readers! 

We also loved adding on to a favorite book character's costume on the Friday before April break...

Remember that all reading and practicing of the letter sounds, digraphs, blends, and paper word family books we sent home count towards read-a-thon minutes!