The third-grade class began a new block focused on Native American creation stories. We began our block this past week with stories of how the world was created from the Onondaga and Dine (Navajo) tribes. The class also began daily dictation work based on these stories. Dictation involves listening, recalling, and writing sentences one at a time in the given passage. Each sentence is said three times, repeated by the class together twice, and then written by the students into their summary notebook. After each sentence is written, the sentence is then written on the board, and self-correction by the student occurs. This allows the process to be less stressful and therefore more beneficial for each student. More difficult words or words with unusual spelling patterns are written on the board and discussed prior to each dictation creating opportunities for daily phonics instruction. Pictures are painted based on each story and then a final copy of our corrected dictation is written on the back of each painting. The class has enjoyed this new experience. Next week, we will continue with more stories from the indigenous people of North America and continue developing our dictation skills.
On our math mornings, the class is reviewing all four mathematical processes. Daily practice is helpful for continuous skills development. Working with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division together each morning allows the children to start to see the ways in which these processes are similar and how they are interconnected.
We have finished our auction items for our For Sale table. The students enjoyed drawing pictures to decorate the flower pots and designing the pots with a collection of pictures drawn by classmates and themselves. We hope you will all join us for our first School Auction on the evening of May 7th. It promises to be fun with many interesting items to bid on along with the For Sale items that include not only our flower pot kits but also candle-making and fairy house kits to purchase as well! Registration is required to bid.
The creek fun was in full swing this past week. The students were delighted to get in the water to cool off and to splash and play together. This is an experience unique to our special school and one we will continue to enjoy all we can in and around our classwork and the weather.
With gratitude,
Melissa
