applying place value understanding- with the Place Value MAB iPad app

Supporting the Butterflies understanding and application of place value to read and write numbers, the first grade students utilize the Place Value MAB iPad app by Little Monkey Apps.

The activity choices within the app provide opportunities for students to use base ten blocks to "make" a verbally provided quantity (Listen and Make), manipulate provided base ten blocks to identify and record a quantity (How Many), and to manipulate base ten blocks to "make" a determined visual quantity (Make The Number).

Three levels of difficulty are available within each activity choice and encourage place value application within the student's individual stage of understanding and development.

a Butterfly uses base ten blocks to create a given quantity (provided orally)
in the "Listen and Make" activity in the Place Value MAB app

a first grader manipulates a given set of base ten blocks
to identify the corresponding number in the "How Many" activity
in the Place Value MAB iPad app

developing mathematical understanding- with the Love To Count by Pirate Trio iPad app

Individual iPads provide the opportunity for students to actively engage in learning activities that are relevant to their individual needs.

Creating an individual Love To Count by Pirate Trio account for each student on the iPad, the Butterflies engage in learning activities that focus on understanding "numbers" in relation to time, order, weight, and quantity.

The app includes the capability to view and monitor student progress.

first grade Butterflies actively engage
with the Love To Count by Pirate Trio app

Spellosaur with individual iPads

The First Grade Butterflies were sooooooo happy to get to the class set of 1:1 iPads!

After receiving their individual iPad, each student created a "new" (Spellosaur accounts on the original 13 iPads were deleted) Spellosaur account on their individual iPad.
Each student referenced his/her individualized Write Words (spelling words) for learning list and created a word list of 10 words in the Spellosaur app.
-see previous Spellosaur post for information on how individualized Write Words for learning are identified and how the Butterflies utilize the Spellosaur app for Write Word learning and review

a first grade Butterfly checks the accuracy of the words
she added to her individualized word list in Spellosaur

first graders create individualized word lists in Spellosaur
on their individual iPads

YEAH!

The First Grade Butterflies with their individual iPads!

We are so thankful for The Mason Schools Foundation and the Wilks and Glinski families for their support of our greatest learning!

iPads In Learning... a 1:1 student iPad ratio in first grade

With the initial grant received for a half-class set of iPads and the generous donation from the Wilks and Glinski families for a half-class set of iPads, the first grade Butterfly classroom is now a classroom with a... 1:1 student iPad ratio!

The Butterflies and I are ecstatic!  With the receipt of the additional half-class set of iPads today, the students are anxious for the iPads to be "ready" for use!

The support of the Mason Schools Foundation and the Wilks and Glinski families are so greatly appreciated- beyond words!

using base ten blocks on the iPad

The first grade Butterflies are developing their understanding of place value, as mathematicians.

Utilizing the Base Ten Blocks iPad app, by Ventura Educational Systems, the first graders cooperatively worked with an iPad math partner to represent quantities with base ten blocks and illustrate quantities with base ten block symbols (for example- a "square" to represent a flat of 100, a "line" to represent a stick of 10, and a "circle" to represent a unit of 1).

iPad math partners cooperatively represent a quantity with base ten blocks

first grade iPad math partners record visual representations for quantities
-with base ten block symbols

developing place value understanding- with the iPad

The First Grade Butterflies explored place value with base ten blocks using the Hands On Math Base Ten Blocks by Ventura Educational Systems.

After exploring and manipulating base ten blocks manipulatives, the first graders continued their exploration of base ten blocks to develop their understanding of place value with the Base Ten Blocks iPad app.

Referencing the "numeral" feature on the app (that correlates the number displayed to the base ten blocks within the frames), the first graders identified patterns in numbers relative to "ones", "tens", and "hundreds".

After the initial exploration and questions to prompt students' thinking and identification of patterns, the first grade iPad math partners cooperatively discovered the "meaning" of ones, tens, and hundreds through teacher directed instructions (ex: add 8 ones to the ones column of the frame), inquiry based questions, and prompts for discussion.

first grade iPad math partners explore base ten blocks
-utilizing the Hands On Math Base Ten Blocks iPad app

Butterfly Math iPad Partners cooperatively explore base ten blocks
to develop their understanding of place value

word study- with the Reading Eggs Spelling app

Using the "Beat The Bomb" game option in the Reading Eggs Spelling 1 (Grade 1) iPad app, the first grade Butterflies cooperatively attempt to identify an unknown word.

Similar to the game of Hangman, the students choose letters from the app "keyboard" in an attempt to identify the unknown word before the "bomb" counts down to zero.  (The "bomb" counts down by one with each letter chosen that is not in the unknown word.)

The first grade partners alternate choosing letters and attempt to utilize known information about how words "work" (for example- recognizing that each word has a vowel and applying blends and digraphs) as they cooperatively discuss their thinking, reasoning, and recognition of features of the unknown word.

The five "game" options within the "Beat The Bomb" game are focused on specific spelling patterns and/or word types and provide opportunities to encourage thinking and application based on students' development as spellers.

Butterfly word work partners cooperatively attempting to "Beat The Bomb"

solving math word problems on the iPad

Math word problems are an essential component in supporting students' mathematical thinking and reasoning, number sense, arithmetic skills, and problem solving.

The Word Problems app by Classroom Focused Software provides students with word problems that support the students in making sense of mathematical concepts and applying mathematical concepts within a context that encourages meaningful connections to authentic problem solving.

With the capability to "listen" to the problem, the capability to choose problem "types", and the capability to utilize a variety of "tools" to identify the unknown in the problem- the Word Problems app is an essential and valuable app for students' mathematical learning and development!

The First Grade Butterflies utilize the Word Problems app independently and cooperatively (with an iPad math partner) to develop, support, and extend their skills, strategies, and behaviors, as a mathematician!

a first grade Butterfly solving word problems
-on the Word Problems iPad app

encouraging phonetic understanding and application- with iPad apps

Supporting students' spelling development, the First Grade Butterflies cooperatively engage in iPad apps that promote their phonetic understanding and application.

Cooperatively, the Butterflies attempt to identify the sounds in the word of focus and apply the corresponding letters in sequential order to accurately spell the word.
With each word of focus, the Butterfly iPad word work partners coopertively identify the sounds in the word and alternate moving the corresponding letter (or letters- for identified "word parts"... for example: moving the "s" and "t" letters for the "st" sound or moving the "a", "n", and "d" letters for the "and" word part in the sord "stand") and explaining his/her thinking and understanding.

The first graders cooperatively utilize the Rocket Speller iPad app and the Cimo Spelling Sound Out iPad app on the student iPads for skill development.

first grade iPad Word Work partners cooperatively apply their phonetic understanding
while using the Rocket Speller app on the iPad

iPad Word Work partners cooperatively hear, identify, and apply sounds
to spell unknown words in the Cimo Spelling iPad app



first grade Butterfly iPad Word Work partners explain their phonetic understanding and thinking
while using the Rocket Speller iPad app

individualized spelling- with the Spellosaur app

Encouraging students' greatest development of Write Word (spelling word) mastery, individualized Write Words for focused learning are identified.

Write Word (spelling word) assessments are administered every 4 weeks and student progress is documented and monitored. 

• Assessments administered are relevant to each student's demonstration of Write Word mastery.  Word List assessments, administered to each individual student, incorporate the word list(s) identified as "mastered" from the student's previous assessment (to monitor continued accurate spelling of previously "known" words), the word list(s) identified as "instructional" from the student's previous assessment, and continued word list(s) as needed to identify words for learning.
• Write Word assessments are shared with parents.  Parents are encouraged to utilize the assessments to identify words for focused learning and words for review at home that are individualized to the child's needs as a speller.

Referencing the most current Write Word assessment, the Butterfly Spellers create a "Write Word learning list".  The students use their assessment to identify (with a highlighter) his/her individualized words for learning on his/her "Write Word learning list".

• Students alternate days utilizing the Spellosaur iPad app for individualized Write Word learning.  On the days a student does not utilize the Spellosaur app, she/he chooses and records (with an "X" in a proceeding box) 5 highlighted words from his/her "Write Word learning list" and makes a "Write Word Learning Choice" (ex: Write-Stamp-Write) for the five individualized words of focus.

After creating their individual "Write Word learning list", 10 words are identified (by the teacher) for focus in Spellosaur (the "S" in the box before each of the 10 words on the student's word list is circled with a colored marker and the date is recorded at the bottom of the paper), and the student creates a "new" word list in Spellosaur with the 10 indicated Spellosaur words on his/her word list.

• As a student demonstrates "mastery" of the 10 words within the Spellosaur app, 10 new words from his/her individualized Write Word learning list are identified (by the teacher) for focus in the Spellosaur app (the "S" in the box before each of the 10 words on the student's word list is circled with a different colored marker and the date is recorded at the bottom of the paper with the corresponding marker color), and the student creates a "new" word list in the Spellosaur app with the 10 new Spellosaur words indicated on his/her word list. 

The frequency of "new" word lists created in Spellosaur is dependent on each student as an individual speller.

a First Grade Butterfly Speller references his Write Word (spelling word) assessment
to identify (with highlighter) his individualized words for focused learning on his "Write Word learning list"



Butterfly Spellers reference their individualized "Write Word learning lists"
to identify the 10 Spellosaur Words for focus
(identified on the list with the "S" in the box to the left of the word)
and create a "new" list of ten focus words
in their individualized Spellosaur app on the student iPads

subitizing on the iPad... using the Quick Images app

Subitizing is an important mathematical skill in a student's development of number sense and arithmetic abilities.

Subitizing is visually recognizing the quantity of a set without "counting".  Subitizing supports a student's understanding of the relationship between numbers.

Subitizing requires students to manipulate numbers, identify patterns within numbers, and recognize a set as a composite of parts and as a whole.

To support the first graders development of the skill of subitizing, the first grade Butterflies utilize the Quick Images iPad app (by Tom Patten).

The Quick Images app provides various structures for developing the skill of subitizing.  Students can subitize sets within a "group", on "fingers", within a "ten frame", within two "ten frames", on a ten bead  Rekenrek, and/or on a twenty bead Rekenrek.

The app includes the capability to control the length of time for image display.  This capability allows for individualization and encourages fluency improvement.  The images can be set to display for 1, 2, 3, or 4 seconds.

The Quick Images app is utilized by the first grade Butterfly Mathematicians independently and/or cooperatively with a math iPad learning partner.
When utilized with a math iPad learning partner, the partners subitize each "image" and verbally explain how the quantity was subitized.  The partners alternate "touching" the quantity for each "image".  

celebrating ourselves and others as How To writers

The Butterflies recognized and celebrated each other as "How To" procedural writers!

The Butterflies viewed each other's How To "audio" publications, created on the Educreations iPad app, and wrote a compliment to each writer on a "proud sheet"!

Butterflies viewing and listening to How To "audio" publications created through the Educreations app

writers noticing and recognizing skills, strategies, and behaviors used by Butterfly writers

publishing a "How To..." audio book- with the Educreations app

Celebrating the First Grade Butterflies as "How To..." procedural writers, the first graders choose one of their How To writing compositions to create an "audio" publication of.

The Butterfly writers used the Educreations iPad app to "draw", "write" and "record" their chosen How To writing piece into an audio (and visual) publication.

The "audio" publication was saved and emailed to my (teacher) email for viewing.  Each writer's "audio" How To publication was shared with the writer's parents through email.

To recognize and celebrate ourselves and others as How To authors, the Butterflies will cooperatively view (with an iPad partner) the How To audio publications of each Butterfly in the class and independently create a "proud sheet" (recording a positive notice that the writer should feel proud of) for each Butterfly after viewing his/her audio publication.  The "proud sheets" will be collected and each first grade writer will receive a set of proud sheets containing a positive note of recognition from each of his/her peers.

a first grade writer publishes
a How To procedural writing piece on the Educreations iPad app

a Butterfly writer creates an "audio" publication
of one of her How To writing compositions

learning about a student's mathematical thinking- with Educreations

The First Grade Butterflies learned how to use the Educreations app to record their thinking and problem solving, as mathematicians!

Previously, the Butterflies had been importing a CGI math problem, from a class shared DropBox account, into the Notability app and "showing" (visually) they solved the problem.  After completing, each Butterfly would then export their work into an individual DropBox folder (titled with the student's name and "math journal")... creating a digital math journal.  This allowed me to "see" how their process for solving the problem.
Parents were invited to their child's individual DropBox folder with access to view the contents.

"Seeing" (visually) how each student approaches a (the) CGI problem (or any math problem) of focus is beneficial in learning about a student's mathematical understanding, thinking, and development.

However, even after attempting to have students record their thinking process in writing, accurately identifying and understanding the student's thinking was subjective and limited (due to stages of writing development).

Observing (visually) and listening (auditorily) to a student as she/he solves a problem is ideal in more accurately understanding their mathematical thinking and problem solving.

However...in a classroom of 26 students and 1 teacher, the ability to observe and listen to each student's individual process for solving a problem is not possible.

But, with the Educreations iPad app... it is possible!

Saving a CGI problem (or any mathematical problem) as a "photo" in the class shared DropBox account, students can import the "problem" into the Educreations app.

After importing the problem, students push "record" and verbally explain their thinking process as they visually "show" their thinking.

The app records the process and can then be viewed similar to a "movie"... allowing the teacher to "see" and "hear" the student's mathematical thinking in it's sequential entirety.

The "lesson" is saved and can be "shared" in multiple ways (including e-mail).  Unfortunately, it does not currently have the capability to export the "lesson" into DropBox.

The use of Educreations provides me with the opportunity to "see" and "hear" individual student's mathematical thinking and problem solving when I am unable to individually observe and listen to the student on a day.  YEAH!

mirroring the Educreations app on the SMARTboard
-introducing the students to the features of and use of the app

a Butterfly Mathematician "showing" and "explaining" his thinking
as he solves a JRU CGI problem

a Butterfly Mathematician recording her process for solving a CGI JRU problem
"visually" and "verbally" on the Educreations iPad app

a Butterfly math partner monitoring
his partners thinking process and solution for a JRU CGI math problem

using quantities in + and - equations- with the Math Pops iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies continue to develop their understanding of addition and subtraction, recognition of operational symbols, and their understanding of composing quantities and decomposing quantities as mathematicians.

The Butterflies cooperatively use the Math Pops iPad app to apply their understanding.

Utilizing the "addition" and "subtraction" operations through the settings menu, the first graders alternate "identifying" the missing parts of and addition of subtraction equation and "applying" the missing parts to the equation.

 With each problem...
1. The "identifying" partner reads aloud the equation with the two "balloon" quantities needed to complete the equation accurately. (for example- "5+7=12")
2. The "applying" partner moves the identified "balloon" quantities into the equation as she/he reads aloud the completed equation.

first grade math partners complete an addition equation on the Math Pops app

first grade math partners complete a subtraction equation on the Math Pops iPad app

Butterfly Mathematicians cooperatively identify and apply quantities to complete a subtraction equation

identifying combinations- with the Numblox iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies are developing their understanding of numbers and operations in base ten and their algebraic thinking as mathematicians.

Using the Numblox iPad app, the first graders cooperatively use number rods to identify combinations of a quantity.

After the initial introduction of the Numblox app and number rods, the Butterflies cooperatively explored the Numblox app with their math partner (while in the learning circle) to identify combinations of ten.

As various Butterfly math partners shared combinations and strategies used with the class, a "shared" chart of the combinations identified for ten was created on the SMARTboard and students participated in a discussion of the strategies shared.

Utilizing the Numblox app, the math partners apply strategies to identify combinations of a quantity.

Supporting students' development of recognizing and using the mathematical symbols for addition (+) and equality (=) to create, solve, and/or explain thinking, the Butterfly partners record combinations for a determined quantity in equations (for example- 7+2=9).

Butterfly math partners explore number rods on the Numblox iPad app

math partners cooperatively identify
and record combinations for a quantity of 8

a screen shot of a Butterfly Math Partners' use of the Numblox app
to identify combinations for the quantity of 9

applying symbols of operations- addition and subtraction

The First Grade Butterfly Mathematicians are developing their understanding of the operations of addition and subtraction, their understanding of the mathematical symbols of operations (+ and -), and their addition and subtraction fact fluency.

Utilizing the Math War app on the student iPads, the First Grade Butterfly Mathematicians cooperatively identify the appropriate symbol of operation (+ or -) to complete an equation.

With each problem, the math partners alternate between "solving and explaining" and "monitoring and completing" the equation.

With each problem...
1. The "monitoring and completing" partner reads the equation.
2. The "solving and explaining" partner determines the operation needed to complete the equation and restates the equation with the determined operation.
3. The "monitoring and explaining" partner monitors the accuracy of the identified operation needed to complete the equation and restates the equation after moving the corresponding operational symbol into the equation.  (If the "monitoring and completing" partner disagrees with the operation identified by the "solving and explaining" partner- he/she prompts the "solving and explaining" partner to explain his/her process and thinking-reasoning.  The partners cooperatively determine the accurate operation needed to complete the equation,) 

math partners determine the operation and operational symbol needed to complete an equation
on the Math War iPad app

identifying the unknown "part" of a "whole"- with the Friends of Ten iPad app

As mathematicians, the First Grade Butterflies have been developing their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction through composing and/or decomposing quantities.

Utilizing the "How Many More" and "How Many Less" activities in the Little Monkey Friends of 10 iPad app, the first grade mathematicians work cooperatively with a partner to identify the "whole", identify the "known part", determine the "operation" (of addition or subtraction), and determine the "unknown part" for each problem.

To encourage students understanding and use of mathematical thinking, language, and mathematical symbols of operations (addition and subtraction), a Friends of Ten app recording sheet (I created to correspond to the language of the app) is completed.  With each problem in the app, the math partners alternate between "solving and explaining" and "recording and monitoring".
With each problem-
1. The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "known whole" in the problem.
2. The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "known whole" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "known whole"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "known whole" before recording.)

3.  The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "known part" in the problem and verbally and visually explains his/her thinking-reasoning through manipulating and/or referencing the chips.
4.  The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "known part" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "known part"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "known part" before recording.)

5.  The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "operation" (addition or subtraction) and the "unknown part" to solve the problem and verbally and visually explains his/her thinking-reasoning through manipulating chips on the app.
6. The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "operation" and the "unknown part" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "operation" and/or "unknown part"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "operation" and/or "unknown part" before recording.)

math partners manipulating chips on a tens frame
to identify the unknown part in a whole

math partners identify and record the known "whole" and the known "part"
and determine and record the corresponding operation and the unknown "part"
 using the How Many More and/or How Many Less problems on the Friends of Ten iPad app

operations and number sense- with the Motion Math Hungry Fish iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies are learning, growing, and developing as mathematicians!

As mathematicians, the Butterflies have been developing their understanding of mathematical operations and their number sense. 

Focusing on the First Grade Math Operations and Algebraic Thinking Common Core Standard 1.OA, the Butterflies have been engaging in learning activities to support their understanding and application of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction.

The Motion Math Hungry Fish iPad app encourages the Butterflies to think mathematically and apply operational understanding to compose a quantity (or decompose a quantity).

Butterfly Math Partners cooperatively engaged with the Motion Math Hungry Fish app to compose quantities in "addition" or decompose quantities in "subtraction".

Encouraging students' number recognition and use of mathematical language, iPad math partners alternate verbally stating the combinations (or decompositions) for a quantity, with the operation (for example- "3 plus 2 plus 5 is equal to 10"), and identifying the numbers referenced by the partner and manipulating the corresponding "bubbles" on the app screen to demonstrate the equation.

Butterfly Math Partners identifying combinations for a quantity

thinking about and identifying combinations
on the Motion Math Hungry Fish iPad app 



Mathematicians "sharing" thinking for
decomposing numbers for a quantity

combinations of 10- using the Tens Frame Fill iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies cooperatively utilize the iPad app, Ten Frame Fill by Classroom Focused Software, to subitize sets within a ten frame, support their understanding of the base ten number system, develop fact fluency to ten, and build their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction.

Utilizing the Ten Frame Fill app on the student iPads, the First Grade Mathematicians alternate recognizing the "known" part and identifying the "unknown" part within a whole of ten while verbally explaining his/her mathematical thinking and reasoning to the iPad math partner.

Partners listen attentively to monitor understanding and are developing their use of questions to support their partner in explaining his/her mathematical thinking and reasoning and/or to support their partner in monitoring the effectiveness of the strategy (or strategies) used.

first graders explain their mathematical thinking and reasoning to their iPad math partner

Making Words on the iPad

Cunningham's Making Words activities provide an instructional approach and application experience for students to develop an understanding of and recognition of words and word features.

Making Words lessons are guided discovery lessons that provide structures and opportunities for students to develop their phonetic understanding and application of strategies to read and write words.  In a Making Words lesson, students are guided in recognizing, identifying, and applying strategies to read and write words through the manipulation of a set of letters.  Understanding is further encouraged through word sorts and application is promoted through post lesson transfer activities.

The First Grade Butterflies engage in Making Words lessons during Word Study in the classroom.

preparing for a Making Words lesson
For each Making Words lesson, a SMARTboard notebook is created with each word in the lesson on a separate page (as a "word card").
A page containing the relevant "letter cards" is created for the final "mystery-secret word" of the lesson.
For each word sort, a page is created that includes all of the "word cards" from the lesson for student manipulation of the "word cards" on the SMARTboard.

a Making Words lesson
The Butterflies engage in the Making Words lesson on the iPad with their Word Work Partner.

Utilizing the "movable alphabet" on the Word Wizard iPad app, the Butterfly Word Work Partners cooperatively use the letter tiles to create the words in the lesson.  The individual letter sound capability is turned "off" and the word sound capability is turned "on" for Partners to monitor the accuracy of the word attempted and revise or confirm the word attempted.

Interactive Modeling is used to support the Butterfly Word Work Partners in manipulating letters and making words "cooperatively" with a partner for the active engagement, participation, and optimal learning for each Butterfly.

For the final "mystery-secret word" of the lesson, the Butterfly Partners organize the relevant letters across the top line of the app page.  The letters are manipulated to create the "mystery-secret word" in  one of the middle rows.

For the word sorts, the SMARTboard is used inclusively.


Butterfly Word Work Partners cooperatively
manipulating letters on the Word Wizard iPad app
during a "Making Words" activity

shapes on a geoboard- with the iPad

The Butterflies' understanding of shape attributes was supported through the use of the Hands On Math Geoboard iPad app.

The Geoboard app was mirrored on the SMARTboard from my (the teacher's) iPad to introduce the app, explain "how" to utilize the app, and as a common visual reference for reinforcing the students' understanding as shapes were created, attributes identified and discussed, and...

The Butterfly Mathematicians created shapes on the Geoboard app cooperatively with a partner on the student iPads.

The Butterfly Mathematicans collaboratively identified and determine defining and non-defining attributes of shapes and collaboratively determined a shape, created a shape, and described a shape relevant to shape attributes.

The Geoboard app mirrored on the SMARTboard
from the teacher iPad

    

Butterfly Mathematicians collaborating
to identify and describe a shape based on attributes

Addition Top-It

Reinforcing the Butterflies' learning of adding two quantities and of comparing quantities, the Butterflies played Addition Top-It with a math partner on the iPad.

The Butterfly Math Partners alternated "dealing the cards" for each play.
During each play, the Butterfly Math Partners alternated finding the sum of their two dealt cards and explaining-justifying their thinking to their partner.
The Butterfly Math Partner with the greatest sum identified their sum as the greater of the two sums and pushed the corresponding arrow on the iPad.
The Math Partner who had the lesser of the two sums "read" aloud the quantity comparison displayed on the app (for example: with the displayed comparison of 12<15, the partner read "twelve is less than fifteen).

Math Partners explaining their thinking when adding two numbers
playing Addition Top-It on the iPad

Butterfly Mathematicians adding two quantities and identifying the greater quantity
using the Addition Top-It app

partner reading on the iPad -with the Storia app

As readers, the Butterflies grow and develop through daily independent reading and partner reading.  

The First Grade Butterflies have learned how to "read with" a partner using "I Read You Read" (alternating pages), "Copycat" (rereading each page), and "Jinx" (reading simultaneously).  The Butterflies have learned how to "talk with" a partner before, during, and after reading by making predictions, making connections, asking questions, checking for understanding, retelling, and reflecting on the reading.

The Butterfly readers have learned the importance of "reading with" a partner, to support decoding and fluency, and "talking with" a partner before, during, and after the reading, to support comprehension.

The Butterflies learned how to access the books available in the Storia iPad app to "read with" and "talk with" a reading partner.

Available books are organized on bookshelves.  Bookshelves are titled using the language of the organization of developmental reading levels in our classroom library (for leveled texts) and/or titled using the language of the organization of books in our classroom library.  The titles of the bookshelves support the Butterflies identification of "just right" books for independent and/or partner reading.

The Butterflies used their understanding of the organization of our classroom library to identify "just right" books for partner reading and to cooperatively choose a book(s) to "read with" and "talk with" their reading partner.

The Butterflies were excited to read books on the iPad and actively engaged with their reading partner in "reading with" and "talking with" one another as readers! 

Butterfly Reading Partners reading a Fly Guy book on the iPad

a Butterfly referencing a part of the text
to explain his thinking to his reading partner

Butterfly Readers partner reading on the iPad