Our First Mystery Reader!

Last Friday we had our very first Mystery Reader! The kids were so excited and listened intently as I read the five clues so they could guess who the reader might be. Once I read the final clue that said, "I'm a 5th grader in Mrs. Cain's class," the kids began squealing, "It's somebody's sister!" Our 5th grader did an amazing job! I think her younger brother was especially surprised! If you're interested in being a Mystery Reader this year we would love to have you! Mystery Readers typically join us on Fridays, but if another day works better for your schedule, just send me an e-mail and we'll figure out a date/time that works for you!

Our 5th grade buddies also visited us this past week! We have been working hard to learn our basic addition combinations, so they stopped by to challenge us with a few rounds of "Addition War." I think several of our 5th graders were a little surprised by how well the 2nd graders knew their addition combinations! Rohan's buddy actually said to me, "I can't stop for even a second or he'll totally beat me!" Committing these facts to memory really helps your child as we begin to work on more advanced math concepts. Buying a set of flashcards and going over a handful each evening is a great way to support your child in learning his/her facts.

Right before our long weekend, we had our first Bingo party! The chart above shows what our classroom Bingo chart looks like. The kids work as a class to earn Bingo numbers for a variety of things, including everyone turning in homework, great behavior at specials, everyone being on "Ready to Learn" or higher for the day, etc. It encourages positive behavior and the kids have a terrific time working together to earn numbers. We took a vote and the majority of our class voted to have a sundae party for our first Bingo celebration. We're currently working hard to earn numbers for our next Bingo party!