In October, kindergarten students look forward to our reading and writing workshops and drawing upon their growing knowledge of letter-sound correspondence to add letters and words to their writing pieces. In math, students will compare numbers to 5 and then begin to explore numbers to 10 using manipulatives, games, and pencil and paper. In science, we will begin our unit on the needs of plants and animals and also work in the KES garden.
In October, first graders will be in the reading unit, Building Good Reading Habits. Students are learning how to choose a book that feels just right for them. We will continue to practice reading routines (ex: book shopping and attending small group). Our first writing unit is Small Moments. First graders will work on generating ideas for small moment stories (personal narratives). They will write about things that have happened to them or things that they do. In math, our students will begin to learn about addition and subtraction through math activities. These are important foundational skills that will allow first graders to communicate their ideas and mathematical thinking. We began our first social studies unit on School Community. First graders are learning that rules are created to keep us safe. Each classroom participated in creating classroom rules and learning the PAWSome Pledge. We will be taking our first field trip to Ward Pound Ridge which will connect our learning to our social studies unit Families now and long ago.
In October, the second graders will be building their reading muscles by learning strategies to help them decode new syllable types. Learning new vocabulary and deepening comprehension is also a focus as we work toward becoming “Big Kid” readers. In writing, the second graders will be teaching us about themselves through their narrative stories. Handwriting and sentence structure will continue to be a focus. Strengthening number sense will be keeping our mathematicians very busy. We’ll explore how to break apart numbers to help us add fluently while also learning strategies for double digit addition. In social studies, we will have fun exploring rural, urban and suburban communities with an emphasis on what makes Katonah a special and unique place to live!
In October, third graders will begin the Mystery Unit in reading workshop. We will read mysteries closely to notice clues and “Who Done It?” Mystery readers will need to wonder when characters are really telling the truth. We will be on the lookout for any Red Herrings. In writing, students continue to craft true stories. They are busy being fast and furious writers, writing about special people and places. During math, students continue to explore multiplication and division by making bar diagrams, building arrays and using repeated addition and subtraction. In Social Studies, third graders will continue to learn about the importance of citizenship in the classroom as well as in the world. They will also discuss how people adapt to their community’s geography.
In October, fourth graders are continuing to think deeply about characters and themes in texts. Through our class read aloud, Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate, readers are asking themselves, “What does the author want me to understand about the issues coming up in this book?” We are also wrapping up our realistic fiction stories and familiarizing ourselves with the writing process. In math, we are working on adding and subtracting numbers into the hundred-thousands. In Social Studies, 4th graders are learning about New York State and some of the indigenous inhabitants. We are launching our science unit, on Energy Conversions, where we are thinking like scientists and engineers to examine why the fictional town of Ergstown keeps having frequent blackouts!
In October, fifth graders during ELA will be drafting, revising, and editing personal narratives to capture meaningful small moments in their lives, and they will be starting book clubs, exploring how authors use character’s actions and relationships to reveal themes. Estimating and calculating decimals—adding and subtracting— using models and the standard algorithm, will be a focus in math. The fifth graders will be starting a mini-research project supported by Jeanne Hand, our librarian, on a topic from American History. In social studies, fifth graders will be studying early peoples of the Western Hemisphere, while in science students will continue their study of the stars and constellations.
