Spring Update

Reading:
First graders have also become experts at identifying cause and effect in fiction text. They are naturals at this comprehension skill! We also have been working on alphabetizing words. You may ask your child to put things in alphabetical order at home. We talked about how to alphabetize when the first letters of two words are the same; they amazed me at how quickly they mastered this concept. We have also spent a lot of time reading and exploring non-fiction text. We have learned what headings, captions, glossarys, and table of contents are. We have also learned how they can help a reader comprehend the text more! Most recently, we learned what a fact and an opinion is. We also learned some clue words that can sometimes help us identify if a statement is a fact or opinion. The kids were able to realize that, “My dog does great tricks” is an opinion, and that the word “great” is what makes it an opinion. They have truly grown so much as readers these past couple months!

Writing: 
Students are continuing to write Realistic Fiction stories. They are creating characters, generating a problem that the characters get into, and then finding a way to get their characters out of trouble. They are making these books into series, where they are creating multiple stories about the same character. They have also been writing about their families. Be on the lookout-you will be receiving a very special Family Book in the next few weeks!  

Math: 
This month the first graders are continuing to develop their understanding of numbers to 120. They are estimating, counting, comparing, adding and subtracting two-digit quantities using different models. We are using the story of Hansel and Gretel to demonstrate numbers on a number line. Encourage your children to practice making 10s and 5s in creative ways. 

Inquiry: 
We are starting a new unit on Plants and Animals. Students planted ryegrass and alfalfa seeds. We will observe the plants grow and make observations in our Science Journals.