First Grade Update!

Hello all,

It's been a few weeks since I've posted an update but we've been very busy in our classroom. We are in full swing with Reading and Math.

In Reading, we have been working on sequence of events, plot, characters, and author's choice of words. If you can work on that while reading with your child that would be awesome. Daily 5 has been going awesome, we are up to 10 minutes of stamina on Read to Self and Read to Someone. This week we are going to incoporate Word Work and use the iPads that we have in our classroom. We have been working on subtraction in Math. Last week, we got to subtract using M & M's.

We finished up our unit in Social Studies on family, the kids really enjoy having their family pictures in the classroom. Our unit in Science was on plants and we finished that on Friday and will start learning about keeping our bodies healthy.

I love seeing how much the kids have read for the month of September, I will be sending a note home to send back the calendars and I will be sending the October calendar home this week. I am asking that you keep the calendar in your child's folder. In the next couple of weeks, the October book order will be sent home, which is a great way for students to find books they like.

The 5th and 6th graders are our Reading Buddies, they come down on Tuesday and Thursdays from 10-10:30. The kids are really enjoying it. In Art, we created self-portraits and will do it again at the end of the year to see how much we have changed throughout the year.

Sorry for the long post, but as always if you need anything, please contact me!

Third Week Update

Hello all!

We have been busy working in our classroom. We have worked on addition number sentences in Math; we can add up to nine. Ask your child to write you some number sentences for practice.

In Reading, we have been working on our first unit, we are working on phonics, spelling, high frequency words, and reading our first story.

We are working really hard on implementing Daily 5/Cafe into our classroom. So far, we have learned about Read to Self and Read to Someone. In Social Studies, we are working on family and rules. If you have a family picture you'd like to send in that would be great, you will get it back. We are also learning about plants and how they grow in Science. Next week, we are going to be planting an amaryllis bulb.

I will be sending home the high-frequency words for the rest of the year; please practice these with your child, have them spell it and say it in a sentence. I am having a wonderful time with your children, they are a great group! If you have any questions please let me know.

Reading Log/ Planners

Today I sent home reading logs for the month of the September. Our goal for this month is to read 15 days. In order for these to be meaningful, we NEED parental support. Please monitor your child's reading at home by providing a quiet environment for your child when possible and asking them questions about what they are reading. If you show that it's, it will make a word of difference for your child. We don't want students to watch the clock. Instead, we want them to enjoy what they are reading or what you are reading to them in younger grades. Therefore, we are not necessarily requiring a certain number of minutes, but we would expect students to read what they are capable of reading. Each day your child reads, please record an approximate amount of time read and initial for that day. I trust you as parents to only initial when you know your child has a made a good effort to read.

Every week, we will have an opportunity to choose books from the library. Book orders will be sent home periodically and the bookmobile will be at the school the second Wednesday of each month so there are many opportunities for you child to find books they like.

Your child brings home a planner every day with some of what we do every day, please check them and initial and send them back with your students. Any questions, please let me know.