News You Can Use!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We hope that you enjoy reading about our activities from last week!

Reader’s Workshop

Last week, we continued to build our classroom reading community. The children were introduced to the best place to read. They practiced picking the best place to read in the classroom. The children were encouraged to think about these questions:

-Is it a comfortable spot?

-Is the atmosphere good?

-Is it a quiet area?

-Is it an area where I won’t be interrupted frequently?

-Is there proper lighting?

After, the children chose the best place to read, they practiced building their stamina. The class is very excited that they made it to 8 minutes by the end of last week. We will continue working on building our reading stamina. The goal is for the children to be able to read independently for 20 minutes.

The children also worked on sharing strategies. We discussed what it looks and sounds like when you share with the class versus when you participate in partner turn-and-talk discussions.

On Thursday, the children worked on identifying the fiction features in a story (characters, setting, problem, and solution). They practice identifying these story elements during their independent reading time as well. 

To end the week, the children practiced making connections to what they read. They thought about how they could relate to something from the book or how the book reminded them of something they had done before.

Encourage your child to apply all of these skills and strategies to their reading at home!

Guided Reading

Last week, the children began learning about their independent activities for guided reading time. These activities allow every child to be independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks during our guided reading time. These research-based tasks are ones that will have the biggest effect on each child's reading and writing achievement, as well as help encourage children who love to read and write. The children receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of children.

The children are engaged in the following independent activities:

-Read to Self

-Work on Writing

-Read to Someone

-Listen to Reading

-Word Work

I have now had time to meet individually with all of my first grade readers and assess them using Fountas and Pinnell running records. The running records along with their AIMSweb scores help me to understand where each child is as a reader and to create meaningful guided reading groups. We will begin guided reading groups very soon.

Writing

Last week, we continued working on our first writing unit, Autobiographies. The children wrote about their favorite toy or game, their favorite thing to do, and their favorite place to go. They are working very hard at using the writing process: Think, Draw, Label, and Write. I am proud of our authors for using their “brave spelling” to stretch out sounds in tricky words. 

The children also began practicing Work on Writing and Word Work this week. These are two parts of their independent guided reading time activities. Last week, they learned about journal writing, the children received a journal prompt and then decided how they wanted to respond. The children wrote about something special about themselves. They will keep their journal writings in their writing binder. In word work, the children learned about rainbow words, spelling code, and write 3x. These are some of the ways the children will practice their spelling words in class.

Math

In Math, the children continued working on number sense. They used the calendar to answer questions about days, weeks, months, and dates. The children were also introduced to math explorations. They learned about base-10 blocks, pattern blocks, and geoboards. 

The children also played Top-It in groups of 3 or 4.

We will wrap up our first math unit this week. The children will review all of the math concepts we learned in this unit. They will enjoy using Mimio Vote as our review tool. Our classroom will turn into the set of a game show during our math block time as the children apply their math knowledge and answer questions using their very own clickers. On Tuesday, we will have our first math test. The children will have all problems read out loud to them. This will ensure that I am testing their math skills and not their reading skills. The tests will come home via backpack mail a few days later. 

Social Studies

Last week, we began our Map unit in Social Studies. The children learned about the seven continents and oceans. The children enjoyed two projects this week, Me On The Map and creating a map of the world using a paper plate and cut out continents. 

Happy Birthday
Last week, we celebrated Gavin's birthday. Happy Birthday Gavin!

Notes:

-Please be sure to check your child’s red take home folder nightly.  Encourage your child to show you the work they are bringing home. 

-Scholastic book orders need to be placed by this Friday, September 25th. Feel free to order online or fill out the form I sent home and return it along with your payment, I will submit these orders. Scholastic book orders are a great way to build your child’s reading library at home. Plus, every order you place helps us earn books for our classroom library! Happy shopping and reading!

-On Friday, September 25th, all of our students in grades 1-5 will be jumping rope outside during their lunch recess time for the PTA fundraiser, Just Jump! Please read over the red flyer I sent home for more information! Let me know if you need a new flyer. This is a wonderful fundraiser for our PTA. It helps to provide valuable experiences for our students: clubs, assemblies, birthday books, and so much more!