Words matter a lot. Once they're out, you can't take them back can you? My good friend would always say "they're like toothpaste, once that stuff's out, there's no getting it back in the tube".
As adults, we know that when we read, we use those words to construct meaning. Of course, kids know this too, but it's up to us to explicitly teach certain clue words and strategies to help that process along when it comes to being both consumers of media and problem solvers.
This week, by coincidence, we're talking words in both our reading and Math lessons. In reading, we're learning about the author's purpose (what is the author trying to tell you through the words he or she has written?).
And in Math, we're getting ready for our first big unit by asking: what are the key words that tell me if I add or subtract? Students will learn there are some common "math language" words that will always point them in the right direction, but what if you don't know those words yet? What if you need to kind of make a movie in your mind to help you to determine which operation you'll need to use? We looked at these five examples today and talked about how words like "dropped" or "spent" suggest subtraction, while words like, "bought" or "more" tell us to add.
So between this week's Text of the Week called, "Nate's First Day" (why did I write it: to persuade, entertain or inform?) and thinking of a math problem like a story or a mystery to be solved, words have somehow become our theme this week!
I wonder what kind of dessert one serves at a word party? Oh my goodness...it's "pie" isn't it? 😂
