The book doesn't have very many pictures so we have been practicing the reading comprehension skill "visualization" to create images in our heads as we read. We use the reading comprehension stars to help us express our thinking.
As an ongoing literacy connection to our unit of inquiry, Miss Alison has been reading a children's chapter book version of Alice in Wonderland.
The book doesn't have very many pictures so we have been practicing the reading comprehension skill "visualization" to create images in our heads as we read. We use the reading comprehension stars to help us express our thinking.
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Colour-Symbol-Image is a thinking routine developed by Harvard University's education think tank "Project Zero". Thinking routines are activities designed to support development of understanding and make children's thinking visible. Colour-symbol-image is a perfect routine for Grade 1 and language learners because it does not rely too heavily on oral or written language. It uses the simple and accessible ideas of colours, symbols, and images to push children to make connections, think metaphorically, and express their thinking in a creative way. We completed the routine around the concept of imagination. Miss Alison used it as a tool to collect children's prior knowledge and feelings about our new unit of inquiry. In each unit of inquiry, learners have the opportunity to:
An inquiry cycle guides the learning. There are many different versions of the inquiry cycle, but my favourite is developed by University of Arizona College professor Kathy Short. In Short's "Authoring Cycle", children become protagonists of the learning process. They construct meaning about themselves and the world beginning with issues that are significant to them. The picture below shows what questions students might ask themselves during each phase of the inquiry cycle: For more information about each phase of the cycle, open the file below:
From: Taking the PYP Forward, "Chapter 1: Inquiry as a stance on curriculum", Kathy G. Short (2009)
At the end of our first day in Grade 1 we all began our Reflection Journals. Reflection Journals are an art-based activity that enables children to think back on their experiences and process meaning through individual interpretation. The children's journals are their personal learning spaces. By using their journals, children reflect on their thoughts, ideas, questions, and feelings. They develop a greater sense of self, as well as metacognitive skills that enable them to self-evaluate their knowledge and understandings. Here are some perspectives on our first day of school... At the beginning of the year it is important for the class community to come together and agree to some general "rules" of how we will conduct ourselves in the classroom and general school environment. By discussing, creating, and abiding by their own set of "rules" children develop self-management skills and a sense of confidence about their own role in the school community. As a symbol of their pledge and reminder of individual responsibility to uphold the agreements, students signed their names and added their handprints. As the year goes on, we may add to our agreements if the need arises. For now, here they are -- our class agreements... We agree to... 1. Raise our hands before speaking 2. Use indoor voices when we're inside. 3. Sit quietly when someone is talking and listen. 4. Be risk-takers! 5. Don't hurt people. 6. Keep the classroom clean. 7. Not run in the halls or classroom. |
Grade 1ACWe are a group of Grade 1 students at the ISS International School in Singapore. Our teacher is Ms. Alison. Take a look at how much we're growing and learning! VisitorsWhat's happening in PE?What's happening in Art?What's our Principal up to?What's happening in Literacy?Grade 1 Classes We Follow:Ms. Cassidy's Class (Moose Jaw, Canada)
Mr. David Bullio's Class (Tokyo, Japan) Mrs. Frazier's Class (Ohio, USA) Archives
August 2013
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