1st Grade Superstars

Monday, November 10, 2008

November 10-14

On Monday we read the book America is... and talked about Veteran's Day. There was some confusion over veterans and veterinarians! Many students mentioned having a puzzle of the 50 states at home. Please let me know if you'd consider sharing one with the class for a few weeks so those who don't have one at home can get more familiar with the various shapes of each state.

We also had a student teacher from Cortland teach a health lesson about strangers to the class. We discussed having a "code word" in your family and role played what to do if offered a ride home by a stranger who didn't know the right code word (get away and tell a "helper adult" like a relative, teacher, police officer, etc.). Everyone also seemed to understand how to call 9-1-1 to get help in an emergency. I encourage you to help your child learn your home phone number and address if they don't already know it, and to keep that information posted both by your household phone and in your child's backpack.

The class has had many opportunities to explore the calculators on their own. This week we introduced using calculators to skip count by 2s by pressing [+] [2] [=/R] and then repeatedly pressing the [=/R] button. To clear we pressed [ON/C]. We also skip counted by 5s, 10s, and 3s in this way. Some of the students spent their choice time experimenting and recording the large numbers they calculated on scrap paper.

We started studying the "ing" spelling pattern and made a class book with many examples of words that use "ing" like playing, rowing, etc. Please encourage your child to use this spelling pattern in his/her writing.

While we are still using invented spelling, I expect students to use the word wall words and to include the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words, or at least one sound per syllable in multi-syllabic words. Short vowel sounds (as in alligator, elephant, inchworm, octopus, and umbrella) in the middle of words are typically the hardest for first graders to hear and write accurately.

I hope the cumulative word wall list uploaded to this blog and enclosed with your weekly blog print-out will be helpful as you support your child's developing writing skills.

Since this is such a short week,

next week we will continue to study:

again, out, rain, up, when.

Report cards went home on Thursday. Let me know if you did not receive your child's or if you need another copy. Please sign and return the empty report card envelope; the enclosed copies of the report card are yours to keep. I do not go over these with the students at school and I leave it to the disgression of each family how much to review it with your child at home. I can address any of your questions or concerns about the report card at your child's conference and I'd be happy to meet with you any other time if need be. I look forward to seeing you at your child's conference!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

November 3 - 7

This week we introduced the term "half past" when telling time to the half hour (e.g. 4:30 = half past four). We noted that on an analog clock the hour hand is halfway between numbers at that time (e.g. it is halfway between 4 and 5 at 4:30). This is a concept we will revisit throughout the year as we learn more about telling time.

After all of our research on insects we made realistic ladybugs, noted whether they had an odd or even number of spots, and explained why that number was odd or even (if it could be divided into two equal groups). They are currently on display in our room but will be coming home soon.

At the Make a Book or Card choice I added 3 stamps that have generated a lot of interest: Happy Birthday, Get Well Soon, and Thank You. You may have seen some of the thoughtful creations these have generated coming home. You can thank the $1 bargain bin at Michael's!

Finally, we introduced the format of Frames and Arrows that will appear often in the Everyday Math curriculum. It is basically a way of showing/creating number patterns. We talked about how the "frames" were the shape where the numbers went, and the "arrow" shows that the rule is being applied to make a pattern.

Typically both the rule and the first number in the sequence will be given and the students will be expected to apply the rule to continue the pattern. You can challenge your child by having him/her determine the rule based on the numbers provided.

This is not mental math - we use number lines (0-25) and 100 grids (0-120) to solve these problems at school. Please let me know if you find another strategy that works well for your child. I encourage you to play similar number pattern games at home with numbers ranging from 0 - 120!

This Saturday is the Family Reading Partnership's Annual Kid's Book Fest from 10:00am - 4:00pm at Boynton Middle School. Each child in our class received a free copy of the book My Father's Dragon, which we will begin reading in class next week. The local author, Ruth Stiles Gannett, will be available to sign books and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the book. Hope to see you all there!

Next week a SUNY Cortland graduate student will begin teaching the first grade health curriculum to our class. Topics include germs and how they are caught, the immune system and the body's other natural defenses against diseases, and AIDS: that HIV virus doesn't live in the air like other viruses, and how you cannot catch HIV.

For more information about car seat safety, please visit Tiffany's (Leila's Mom) website!

Report cards will go home early next week. I will be able to address any questions or concerns you may have at your child's conference. Typically children do not attend conferences at this grade level but if you need to bring your child that is fine. They will be able to participate in part of the conversation and then entertain themselves in another part of the room if we need to have an adult-adult conversation.

*** Next week's sight words ***

again out rain up when

Enjoy this performance of A Ghostly Tale that some readers in our class did on Monday! (I will set-up the lighting better for the next recording)