Asking Questions

Our current reading focus is on Asking Questions. Students are working to recognize how questions can help us when we read. Students are using these words to stop and ask themselves questions about what they are reading. When we stop to ask questions while we read we are learning more information, adding more details and understanding how to retell what happens in the story.

Please continue to use these words for your Word Wall Homework for the week. In addition, when reading with your child this week, stop and model a question you have about the story. This will help them to use this strategy on their own when reading independently.

In class we are working on this strategy before, during and after we read. We read The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg. We had many predictions and questions about who the stranger was and what his purpose was for visiting the farm. Below are some Book Talk tweets we shared. We used the #blktlk hashtag during this activity.

We read this story and have many questions. Grade 3, can you tell me what makes the stranger father nature? #blktlk pic.twitter.com/bumlMmqFw8

— Mrs. Ciampa (@MrsCiampaClass) January 19, 2016

@MrsCiampaClass we don't think he is father nature because.... we think that he's a guy from heven .God sent hem down. BY: ds & BRM

— Mrs. Ciampa (@MrsCiampaClass) January 19, 2016

@MrsCiampaClass sc cc say: he is not father nature because he is God. He chage the wather. what is the Stranrger Name?

— Mrs. Ciampa (@MrsCiampaClass) January 19, 2016

@MrsCiampaClass TC and JM: We know that it is Father Nature because he changed the trees colour to green and made it warm

— Mrs. Ciampa (@MrsCiampaClass) January 19, 2016

@MrsCiampaClass IB says: He made nature. He also changed colour of the trees.

— Mrs. Ciampa (@MrsCiampaClass) January 19, 2016

@MrsCiampaClass EB says: That he blew on the leaf and it just made the tree turn red and yellow when he left.

— Mrs. Ciampa (@MrsCiampaClass) January 19, 2016

Self+Peer Assessment and Retelling

Our reading focus continues to be focusing on the important details when retelling. We are focus on the important details when we learn about retelling to help us write recounts as well. Students are focusing on only the important details when we read and retell stories both orally and when writing.


We are focusing on peer-to-peer assessment. Students are getting the opportunity to be "teachers". They are referring to the Retell success criteria checklist to see if students are including all parts of a retell. They are also looking for capital letters, finger spaces and punctuation. Good writers use a checklist to keep on track. As little teachers, we are using post-its to helps our friends edit their work. Excellent job grade 2!!
We also continue to self-assess our work. We continue to refer to the checklist to help keep us on track. We also tested out a new app called Dragon Dictation. This app allows us to read and then the words that appear on the screen. Students got the chance to re-read and check to see if they spelled their words correctly.
Another way we are assessing our understanding is through Twitter. This week we introduced a new part of our class called Book Talk. During Book Talk, we sit in a small group and talk about the books that we read. We are answering questions to extend our understanding. Students are also looking on Twitter on the iPads for a Book Talk question asked by me, and they are replying with answers to the questions. Have a read at some of our Book Talk Tweets below.

We also included some Book Talk AudioBoo responses. Have a listen to some retells so far:

FF: https://audioboo.fm/boos/1957079-ff-retells-the-very-hungry-bear

PE: https://audioboo.fm/boos/1957149-pe-retella-the-hungry-bear

HH: https://audioboo.fm/boos/1957057-hh-retells-hungry-bear