School

Tuesday the children were just going to their group workshop tables when I arrived.  I worked with a group making Thanksgiving baskets.  They were to take the construction paper square, cut into the marked lines, and fold the cut areas to make the bottom of the square basket and then glue the corners.  Oh how my first graders love glue.  We could have earthquake retro fitted The Golden Gate Bridge with the glue they squeezed out.  Those baskets may never dry. 

They were to then make a handle from a pattern and cut it out.  I was to staple it to the basket for them.  They didn't trust those tiny staples, they glued before I got there with my stapler.  The students then wrote three sentences about what they are thankful for, read them to an adult, and placed them in the basket.

We are not finished with glue.  They now can decorate the baskets.  Did you know there is "Sticky Glue"? This is not a glue to put things together, it is to decorate.  It comes in many vivid colors.  The children drew designs with it and it doesn't run, it stays humped up. 

Tuesday was also an assembly day.  This is Native American month, and the school had two men from a Native Pride Dance team come to perform. One of the dances they did was the hoop dance, absolutely wonderful.  As they position the hoops, different animals are shown. Our dancer did an eagle from an egg to flight,  butterflies, riding a horse, and many others.

Amazing skill. Some you might have to use your imagination as you watch the video.  I so wished I had taken my phone to record some of the show.  But alas it was back in the class room.  Very glad for You Tube.

Then it was back to work.  I finished testing students on the Dolch List.  They either fly through it with little or no errors, or it is painful watching them try to sound out words that are sight words.  It was very clear many of the children are not getting any help at home with the list.

 Several of the children have just turned six, and should not be in first  grade.Think about it, they started Kindergarten when they were only four.  They don't have the muscle skills to use scissors nor  pencils.  They are not ready to work all day at the level of the other children. Their lack of ability to follow directions is a handicap.  This is not to say they are not very smart children.  They just are not ready to learn at the level the rest of the class is learning.  They should have been held back.  This could be problem for them for the rest of their school years.

Next week is Thanksgiving break, so no school.