Reading:
In reading, we have been continuing our guided reading rotations. We have been focusing on who is the main character and identifying character traits in both our Read Alouds and leveled reading books. Currently, our students are focusing on answering key details in a text to build comprehension skills. Thank you for helping your child remember to turn in their reading logs every Monday. Please make sure you are reading at least 70 minutes a week. Differentiated sight word lists have been sent home. Please make sure you are spending time at home to review the sight words. Sight word lists that are signed will be checked every Monday. Lastly, we have started Friday Fluency! Our goal is to try to independently read a passage under 60 seconds. Starting this Friday, you can check Seesaw to see how your child is doing with their Friday Fluency passage!
Writing:
Students are still busy working on Narrative Writing (Small Moments). They are now learning how to edit, revise, and publish their work. Students are using checklists to help them reflect on their writing. They are also working on their writing goals as they are conferring with me. Soon, students will have the opportunity to share their published Small Moment as we celebrate the end of this unit. Our next unit of writing study will be Informative Writing. We are also busy practicing differentiated word lists that reinforce different spelling patterns. Every day, the first graders have a different activity to help practice their words (example: sorting their words by sounds, using SeeSaw to record the sort, magnetic letters on the iPad, gluing the sort, etc.).
Math:
The last few weeks, we have started our brand new math curriculum, Bridges! Students have been exploring different math manipulatives, like dominoes, pop cubes, polydrons, and geoboards during our math centers. We continue building our knowledge of numbers using our homemade number racks. We have found ways to quick count using fives and tens, show numbers on a ten frame, and take data using spinners. This week, we were number rack detectives, showing different parts of a whole number and writing addition and subtraction sentences. By next week, we will begin our next unit where we will develop addition and subtraction strategies using dice and dominos. Practice counting at home, especially counting on from a number that is not one, counting by fives and tens, and identifying patterns.
Inquiry:
We have started learning about weather. The students are recording the daily weather, and also looking to see the time of sunrise and sunset. We have identified different types of clouds and all classes will be going on a cloud walk this week. We also learned about measuring temperature on a thermometer.
Reminder:
Please make sure your conference forms are turned in by Friday, October 20th. We will let you know your confirmed conference time. We look forward to collaborating with you!
