Non-Fiction Readers Explore Their World

Did you know that 80% of the reading we do as adults is non-fiction? Even from grades 3+ students are expected to read in order to learn (non-fiction). Understanding how to read to learn is a key component to your child's success as a student. In order to prepare students for the upper grades 3+ we explicitly teach strategies for engaging the brain in non-fiction books. The good thing is that students LOVE it! We teach them how to navigate text features of non-fiction, how to determine the important ideas, and how to engage the brain by asking questions while reading.

Conversation Heart Candy (still) Needed!

For our Valentine's Day party, we will be doing 6 different activities that use these little heart candies, so we will need a lot! Please send in a bag if possible! Thank you!

What super-power does your food have?

Healthy food fuels the body. We know this as adults, but how do we get kids interested without boring them with the science behind vitamins and minerals found in food and their benefits on the body? Well, I've been trying out a new phrase with kids... 

What super power does your food have? 

In the lunch room I am always encouraging kids to add vegetables and fresh fruit to their plates, telling them what "super power" each food has. Soon kids have realized that some food (healthy food) has super powers, while some food has nothing (sugary/ white foods). They love to show off their healthy foods, and I love reminding them what each food can do for their body.

Here are a couple of great articles about getting kids to love healthy foods:

http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/turn-superfoods-into-superpowers-for-kids/

http://summertomato.com/11-proven-ways-to-get-kids-to-eat-more-vegetables/

Vocabulary Words this Week

Past
Present
Future
Century
Entertainment