Brummitt's High Ability Blog Spot: Another Gloomy Friday!!

This week was packed full of assessments. In both Language Arts and Math we completed pre-assessments. It isn’t an exciting way to start the year, but it is necessary to see where each student is at and what we will need to work on. The assessments also allow me to customize instruction based on what will fit their needs throughout the year. I don’t want to spend time on skills they have already mastered. In the next few weeks we will start to work on new things and finish up the assessments as we go. I want to make sure they have fun too. We will also take time each week to have a fun and exciting activity or game.

Throughout the year we will work on life skills as well since it is a part of learning here at Brummitt. I will talk about a skill each week or two and ask students to find others in their day to day routine who demonstrate that skill. It is a fun way for the students to give each other a pat on the back when they seeing them using caring, kindness and leadership skills.

I do believe the Halloween Brummitt Bash letters are going home today so look for those in your student’s backpack. I can’t wait for the awesome night full of frightening and fabulous activities. I am hoping Fall will be in the air soon because it is my favorite time of year.

Language Arts

Our High Ability program has really grown and changed over the years. I've witnessed a huge growth in just the last year. We keep moving in the right direction. Last year, we saw the addition of the Indiana Department of Education High Ability Language Arts Units. Students are taught through concept development. I am here to guide and support them as they make their own generalizations about the concept. As they grow, their understandings change and grow with them. Skills are not taught in isolation, but as part of the overall big picture.

First Grade:

This week we started the pre-assessments and the students had fun trying to figure out each section. They did remember some of what they learned last year and applied those skills to answering the questions in the pre-assessment.

We also had a chance to play one of their favorite games: the story cubes. I have a new set they were really excited to try out. The story cubes give the kids a chance to use their imagination to create a story based on the dice they roll. The dice are covered with cool, amazing, exciting, and funny pictures.

I look forward to hearing all the interesting and amazing stories they come up with. Next week we will start to work on making connections and take some time to finish the pre-assessments.

Second Grade:

This week was great because the students did a great job taking their pre-assessments. They knew what was coming and were ok with having to take them. I think they even were kind of excited to see what they remembered.

We took both days to complete them, and then decided to have some fun at the end of the second day with the story cubes. They were ready with their tales of adventure and intrigue. They were so excited to see the new set of dice and figure out what each picture means. It was a great and fun time.

I look forward to next week because we will take more pre-assessments but we will also take time to have some more fun with the story dice. We will also learn about homographs and see if the students can come up with some clever ways to use them.

Third Grade:

This week in language arts the students got to start the pre-assessments. It was something new for almost all of them since they are new to the program. They took it with stride. They bunkered down and got to it. They took their time and did their best.

I had them take both days to complete the assessments since it is something different for them. I look forward to grading their exams to see where they are all at. I think they are a great bunch of students and I look forward to getting to know and teach them.

We took the last part of class on Tuesday and played a cool getting to know you game. The students had fun trying to find others to fill in the spaces of who is left handed and who likes sports.Next week we will continue with pre-assessments but we will also take a break to learn about homographs.

I have an interesting activity planned for them. They will also have a chance to answer a questionnaire about themselves while they disguise their handwriting. I will take them all and create a board where they will have to guess who the suspects are. This gives them an opportunity to learn more about each other.

Fourth Grade:

This week the students took the first part of their pre-assessments and they rocked through it. They remembered the exams they took last year and were ready to get them done. They took both days to do their best answering all the parts.

Then at the end of Tuesday they each got their form to fill out for the usual suspects. The students will answer questions about themselves while they disguise their handwriting. Then they will guess who is who later. They loved it.

Math

This week everyone took pre-assessments for their grade level and moved up from there. They had a blast seeing how far they could go. Since the students had so many tests this week on Thursday we took a break for some fun. Back by popular demand, we played Sumdog.com. I checked out the IPads and the students got to use them to play the Math facts games. I will send a note home next week so the students can log in at home to practice if they want to. The letter will give you more information on the site and your child’s name and password. It will also let you know how they can log in.

First Grade:

They did great taking the pre-assessments this week. They completed them and will be able to move on to other activities next week. On Thursday they got their first chance to play on the IPads.

They had a blast going on the site to see all the cool games and everything they can do. They all did a great job answering all the math questions to earn their first pet. Next week we will have some fun with Pete the Cat and his magic buttons.

Second Grade:

They did an awesome job on the pre-assessments this week and moved up a grade level or two. It was so cool that they worked so hard trying all the math problems even if they weren’t 100% sure about it. On Thursday we had a blast going on the Sumdog.com site and looking at the profiles from last year and trying out all the math games and earning their first pet. Next week we will start working on fall themed word problems to see if we can figure them out.

Third Grade:

This week they did a great job taking their pre-assessments. They took the time to think about every problem and do their best to answer it. I look forward to seeing how they all did on them.

On Thursday they all got to use the IPads and I gave them each their usernames and passwords. For most of them Sumdog.com is a new site. They were really excited to see what the site has and what they can do.

They had so much fun trying a few games and seeing how they can earn coins and their pet. I know they will be asking all the time when they will get to play again.

Next week they will get the letters to take home so they can use the site at home too. We will also work on arrays and play a fun game teaching them all about it.

Fourth Grade:

The students took the pre-assessments on Wednesday and part of the time on Thursday. They did an awesome job working out the problems. They of course were so excited to use the IPads and get back on the Sumdog.com site.

They were glad to see that they all still have their coins and all their cool clothes from last year. They also did their best to earn their pets. Next week we will work on place value and have some fun too.