News You Can Use!

Enjoy reading about all our learning adventures from this week!

Reading

This week, we continued to build our classroom reading community. At the beginning of the week, the children were introduced to their responsibilities and expectations to follow during reading workshop. We will continue to work on these responsibilities and expectations during our launch unit.

The children were also 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 today! 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 created posters to share their favorite reading spot. The children chose to illustrate pictures of their favorite reading spot at home or at school. We would love for you to tweet us a picture of your child’s favorite reading spot at home. We will share these with the class next week. Tweet your pictures to @mrsmjohnson11 or email them to me! We can’t wait to celebrate our home/school reading connections. 

Today, the children 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.

Writing

This week, we continued our Autobiography unit. The children each started their own mini autobiography. They chose to write about either their favorite pet or animal. Then, they wrote a page about their favorite toy or game. The children continue to practice using the writing process that authors go through: Think, Draw, Label, and Write.

Math

In Math, the children continued working with number sense. They compared numbers, practiced writing numbers correctly, and practiced representing numbers using tally marks. The children were excited to create a Tally Chart to organize data. They created a class pet tally chart on the mimio. 

Today, the children used the laptops to log into everydaymathonline.com. The children practiced logging in using their username and password. Once on line, they were able to practice navigating the site to play some math games. The children may play these same games at home to practice their math skills. I sent home directions and your child’s login card in your child’s yellow curriculum night folder.

                                        

Social Studies

We finished our first social studies unit this on community helpers. The children learned about how letter carriers help our community. They listened to a book and then brainstormed ideas about how they help our community. The children completed their community helpers packet and brought it home to share with you. We are looking forward to our STEAM Career Day next Friday morning. The children will have the chance to rotate through 3 job presentations given by our very own Dryden Community members. We are excited to have a few of our 1-1 parents presenting! 

Next week we kick off our Maps Unit. If you have any family members or friends who live out of the state or country, ask them to visit our blog. The children will be very excited to view our different pin drops from all over the world on our blog map! Thanks for your help!

International Dot Day

On Thursday, the children had a wonderful time celebrating International Dot Day. They listened to, The Dot, by Peter Reynolds. We talked about how each of us can make a mark. The children shared ways that they will make their mark this year by doing something brave or something creative. The children also enjoyed creating their own dot art. They started with a blank canvas and used crayons and markers to create their own dot.  We have some remarkable artists in our room!

Notes:

-We started spelling this. Thank you for helping your child practice their words throughout the week. They took their posttest today. It will come home corrected on Monday. I will post spelling lists to the class blog starting Monday by chance your child’s list gets misplaced.

-Today, the children added their first poem to their Purple Poetry Folder. They will bring their folder home on Friday, please have your child read the poem with you over the weekend. Send the folder back to school on Monday. We will add many poems throughout the year.

-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. 

This Weeks Highlights

1-1's Weekly Highlights!

Curriculum Night

It was nice to see all of you last night at Curriculum Night, thank you for coming out! I hope you enjoyed hearing about all the wonderful adventures that we are going to have this year! The children were very excited to read the notes you had left on their desks. If you missed the presentation I have posted a link on the right side of our web site titled, Curriculum Night Presentation.

Reading

This week, the children were introduced to Reader’s Workshop. The children were excited to learn that together we are going to become a reading community.

We discussed What Good Readers Do. As we read the book, Library Mouse: A world to Explore, we created an anchor chart to help us remember the important things that good readers do. 

What Good Readers Do

-Listen carefully

-Learn new words and information

-Link what we read to our own lives

-Share ideas and feelings

The children also learned about the important parts of a book. They learned that all books are organized in a special way so that readers are familiar with their structure and know where to look for certain information. The children worked together to identify and locate the different parts of a book.

At the end of this week, the children were introduced to their responsibilities and expectations to follow during reading workshop. We will continue to work on these responsibilities and expectations during our launch unit. 

The children also learned about stamina today. They learned that stamina is doing anything for a long amount of time without getting tired or giving up. Today we worked on building our reading stamina. The children practiced reading and training their bodies and brains to read in the appropriate way (staying in one spot, read the whole time, read quietly, work on stamina, get started right away). They did a great job! Each day we will work on increasing our stamina and building the length of time we read for. Enjoy the photos below of our class hard at work on building their reading stamina. 

I am continuing to assess the children using Fountas and Pinnell running records. I will continue working on these assessments until I have had time to read with each child.

Writing

This week, we started our first writing unit, Autobiographies. The children learned that an autobiography is a writing about the author. They each have started their own mini autobiography. The children chose to write about something important to them their family.  

The children also learned about the writing process that authors go through. We will practice and use this process throughout the whole year. The children will: Think, Draw, Label, and Write. 

Patriot Day

Today, we celebrated Patriot day in our classroom. We read the story, America Is... After, we had a discussion on what America means to each of us. The children, created heart shaped flags and on the back they finished the sentence starter, America is... Some of the finished sentences were: America is a safe place to live. America is freedom. America is beautiful. America is my home. America is my family. America is a wonderful place to live. America is a place for all of us. 

Have a great weekend!

Our First Week!

Meet Our Class!

First Day Photos

Click on the link below to view our first day photos!

https://goo.gl/photos/i1TBEBW4wSpJgJ2u6

We had a great first week in 1-1! The children enjoyed getting to know one another through the sharing of their "All About Me" bags. They were surprised to learn that so many classmates had similar interests and hobbies.

Classroom Rules

As a teacher, one of my goals is to create a classroom environment where all students feel safe and valued. Last Tuesday, we worked together as a team to come up with our classroom rules. Discussing the rules together gives the children ownership and lets them actively decide what they want our classroom community to look like. The children did a wonderful job of coming up with rules that will make our classroom a safe and happy learning environment. The children came up with such a long list that we had to narrow the rules down. The five rules below encompass all the rules the children came up with.

Our Classroom Rules:

1. Listen to the speaker.

2. Raise your hand to speak or leave your seat.

3. Always be honest.

4. Be a caring friend.

5. Always try your best.

Routines

The children did a wonderful job going through our classroom routines and procedures last week. They have now learned how to solve some simple problems on their own (what to do if their pencil breaks, what to do if they have a question, where to put work when they are finished, what to do if they need a restroom break, etc.) They are now experts at going through: arrival, lunchtime, and stack and pack routines. 

Reading

Last week, the children listened to the story, A Bad Case of The Stripes. After, they created a picture of themselves with a bad case of something they love. Their projects are hanging outside our classroom in the hallway.

Today, I began assessing the children using Fountas and Pinnell running records. This will help me get to know the children as readers. I will continue working on these assessments until I have had time to read with each child.

Writing

Last week, the children were introduced to Writer’s Workshop. After, listening to the book, Library Mouse, they discovered that they are all authors! We talked about how good writer’s: Think, Draw, Label, Write. They practiced these steps by writing about being a first grader at last! Each student wrote about what they will do this year as first graders. After writing, they created a paper first grader to glue their writing to. You can view their writing project at Curriculum Night. They did an amazing job!

Last week, the children worked together to brainstorm a long list of things that they need to be successful as first graders. After, the children each created a paper backpack. In it they placed their own personal list of what they need to be successful. You can see their backpack display hanging up at the back of our classroom.

Math 

We began our first Everyday Math unit last week. Our first lessons focused on learning about our math routines. The children were also introduced to our calendar procedures. They enjoyed using the number line to play the game, Monster Squeeze.

Today, the children brainstormed a list of what they think they will do as Mathematicians this year. Then, they created a mathematician project.

Notes:

~ Thank you for all your support at home and your help in making the start of this school year a great one! 

~Thursday, September 8th is Curriculum Night. I hope you can join me in our classroom to learn about what your child's year in first grade will look like. K-2nd grade presentations are from 6:00-6:40 pm. This is an adults only event! 

Have a great week!