I love discovering new children's books and this week I found a great one! "Hello, My Name is Octicorn" by Kevin Diller and Justin Lowe is a fantastic book about an endearing character who is different than his peers and therefore finds it is hard to fit in. The students found they were able to empathize with how Octi was feeling and also connect with some of the things Octi wants in life (cupcakes, friends and a jet ski). We spent some time discussing why Octi felt the way he did and how each of us would try to cheer him up. In order to cheer him up, the kids realized it would be important to know what he likes so we made a list of what we knew about Octi on the inside and on the outside. Since the part of the story the kids most connected with was when Octi was excluded from a party, they thought the best thing to do would be invite Octi to a party where he would get to do all the things he loves (like swim, dance and eat cupcakes). Below are the invitations the kids made for Octi. At this point in the year the students are encouraged to attempt to spell words on their own but many are still seeking help (even when they don't need it...). We have been working hard on leaving spaces between words and printing legibly. Most students are comfortable using periods at the ends of their sentences and some even experimented with using question marks in this task. The proper use of capital letters remains a challenge for many but that will come with practice. We made our gratitude jars this week! The project was a success thanks to the creativity of the students AND the tireless efforts of Mrs.Cashin, Mrs. Gilbert and Karin.
Our class will have the opportunity to visit the library on Wednesday afternoons. At this time we are able to use the library resources and check a book out. Please make sure the book your child brings home is cared for and returned to school on the Tuesday before our visits.
In anticipation of our library visits the students made this video describing some of the ways we can be responsible for library books. |
Ms. Shawna WoodPassionate about teaching, learning, inclusion and kindness. Archives
August 2019
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