Final 2022-2023 Blog

Final Andrew Sibbald Blog

Thursday, June 29, 2023

    As the 2022-2023 school year comes to a close I would like to say thank you to the Andrew Sibbald School community. It has been a pleasure to work with each of you and will look back at our time together with a smile. 

Grade Three "Wordle Wednesday"

   I encourage you to read daily over the summer. I have also included some fun things to do to continue to enhance your literacy skills.

• Play word games such as Roll and Read, Scrabble, Boogle and Wordle.

• Explore our natural world. Take the time to ask those deeper questions. Why do you think this happened? How does it make you feel? What would happen if…? 

• Read together! Find a new favourite (author, illustrator or genre)

• Create a book club with friends or family.

• Spend time doing things that involve reading instructions like trying a new recipe.  

• Write often! (Writing stories, post cards / letters, journal entries, and even drawing comic books.)

• Keep a reading log to record all the fantastic books you read.

• Play "20 Questions!"

• Visit your local library.

• Join a reading challenge.

Calgary Public Library Summer Challenge

Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing summer!

Mrs. P.

Friday, June 23, 2023

Friday, June 23, 2023 

Blog # 28

 Reading A Variety of Texts

"I can comprehend, and make connections between a variety of texts such as fiction, non-fiction, infographics, magazines, newspapers, comics, and legends, etc." 

Adapted from the Grade Six Alberta Learn Curriculum

    Through the use of multiple types of texts, all students have the opportunity to learn new information and make meaningful contributions to small group discussions.

" I didn't expect for it to have any new information."

 Grade six students expanding their knowledge through a non fiction picture book.

"Forces of Flight" infographic

Magazine articles can provide condensed information.

    Varied texts on the same topic can provide multiple perspectives that help students rethink events and issues that impact everyone and deepen their knowledge.

After reading a historical fiction newspaper article,
students were encouraged to determine which information is based on fact and 
which portions were clearly fiction.

In addition to the public libraries, Andrew Sibbald students have access to Epic Books an online reading platform that has a plethora of fiction and informational texts. The link below will take students into the Epic login page. Students will know there login information.

Epic Books

Friday, June 16, 2023

June 12-16, 2023

Word Work

(Grades Three and Four)

    Word Work is a hands-on time to explore the spelling and/or meaning of words (vocabulary). Planned tasks help spelling patterns, sight words and term meanings to be enforced into a student's long-term memory.  In turn, enhancing reading, spelling, and writing skills. Here are a few of the grade three and four Word Work tasks we have enjoyed throughout the year.

Read and Roll: Students roll a dice, read a word from the rolled column (for example 6- adventure) and then cover. Free versions of these games are widely available on the internet.

Word Sorts:  Look at a group of words and then sort accordingly. Examples of word feature sorts could be sound, spelling pattern (word family) and meaning. We often did these on white boards.

Read each word and then sort the following words into 

“ai” and “ay”

May, rail, snail, day, stay, paid, play, braid, tray, brain, plain, gray, tail

“ai” “ay"

Build It: A favourite task is building terms with a variety of materials. 

Scrabble tiles,  plastic letters, pipe cleaners, play dough, and letter beads

Choice Boards: Word Work is not limited to reading or spelling words. Students may also work with science or social studies terms. Below students are asked to choose a desired task for the vocabulary provided.

"Write the Room": Get on your feet and circulate around the room preforming purposeful vocabulary tasks.

Grade Fours -Learning "Simple Machines" terms through a "Write the Room"

Assorted Vocabulary Tasks:

  

                                             

A grade 4 student using pictures and words to define "Simple Machine" terms.

Friday, June 2, 2023

Tips for Finding the Right Book

Is the book interesting to you? 

See Friday, Feb 10th Blog about "Genres".

Ask a Friend: "What is your favourite book or series?"

Here is some recommendations from Sibbald students in the grade 3 hallway....

• Dog Man Series
• Babysitters Club
• Lego building books
• Weird But True.....
• Wings of Fire Series
• Who Would Win?
• I Survived..
• Owl Diaries
• Animorphs
• Harry Potter
• Sound for a Whale
• Animal and bug nonfiction books

The grades 4- 6 students suggest...

• Chicken Soup for the Soul: Positive Thinking
• 100 Things to Know About: Food
• Bone
• Wild Robot
• Football Triple Threat
• Where in the World? Dinosaurs
• 14th Goldfish
• Crenshaw
• Wish Tree
• Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief
• City of Ember
• Babysitter's Club "Young" and "Old" versions

Is the book a "Good Fit"?

    Regardless of your age if a book is too "easy" or "hard" it runs the risk of losing your interest. Students are encouraged to use the following strategies to quickly to quickly decide if the book is a "Good Fit". 

"Five Finger Rule" 

1. Open the book (picture, chapter or informational etc.) to any page. 
2. Start reading and lift a finger each time you can not read a word.
3. Five fingers or more up? This book is too hard. BUT if interests you, DON'T put it back. Find someone to enjoy it with you.  

  Questions to Ask Yourself

• When I read it aloud, does it sound smooth or choppy and slow?
• Do I understand what I am reading?