Fables and More!

Classroom News

Reading: Our unit on fables has taken off with much success.  Students have read and discussed a number of Aesop’s Fables including The Tortoise and the Hare, The Lion and the Mouse, The Ant and the Grasshopper, Belling the Cat, and The Sheperd Who Cried Wolf.  After reading each fable, students discussed the central message and our own interpretation of the central message.  We are learning many valuable life lessons such as slow and steady wins the race, even a small creature can be helpful, and our favorite, there is a time for work and a time for play.  Please probe your child about a few other messages we’ve learned.

Math: Three-dimensional geometry has been a fun change of pace for students.  We have used colorful manipulatives to help reinforce our knowledge of shapes.  We anticipate a chapter test on Tuesday.

Grammar: We continued to work on adjectives for how many.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Aesop’s fables will continue for one more week.  We will continue to read a new fable each day, discuss the central message, and our own interpretation.

Math:  Three Dimensional Geometry will continue for a couple more days.  We plan to assess on Tuesday.  Our next unit is Chapter 12 Two-Dimensional Geometry.  Geometry is often described as the study of objects in space.  So, two-dimensional geometry is the study of two-dimensional space.  Children can explore two-dimensional geometry by working with drawings, concrete models, or electronic tools.

Grammar: Adjectives That Compare

Add –er to an adjective to compare two people, places, or things.

Add –est to an adjective to compare three or more people, places, or things.

Ex. The cat is smaller than the dog.

The mouse of the smallest of the three.

Phonemic Awareness:

Suffixes –ly and –ful

Some words consist of a base word and the ending –ly which can tell how or –ful which can mean “full of.”

Vowel sounds in moon

Important Dates:

4/16 Early Dismissal

4/18 No School

4/21 No School

It's As Easy "PIE"

Classroom News

Reading: Students have spent time learning about Natural Disasters and weather patterns.  We have read books about tornados, lightning, floods, and our least favorite, blizzards.  After reading about each of the topics, students were asked about the author’s purpose for writing the book.  We used a great visual to help us. PIE has prompted students to remember that authors write books to Persuade, Inform, and Entertain.

Math: Our chapter on graphing has continued with great success.  Students seem to have really grasped the concept of graphs representing data.  We have learned how to read and also graph picture graphs, bar graphs, and tally charts.

Grammar: We continued to work on adjectives for what kind.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Our focus will be on Aesop’s fables.  Students will have numerous opportunities to read classic fables and identify the central message of each selection.  (The central message is another term for moral).  After students read a fable, we will document the central message as well as any talking animals.  Students will also learn to identify themes written in a fable which include the following: appearances can be deceiving, lying will catch up to you, you are judged by the company you keep, don’t underestimate the ability of others, do the right thing even if it is hard to do, and selfishness will bring you misery.

Math:  Chapter 11 Three Dimensional Geometry

In this chapter, children begin to focus on defining attributes of three-dimensional shapes.  They describe and sort shapes according to their attributes.  The shapes we will learn about include: cone, cube, cylinder, rectangular prism, and sphere.

Grammar: Adjectives for How Many

            Ex. one baby

                   three dogs

Phonemic Awareness:

A compound word is made up of two or more shorter words.

Vowels eu, ue, ui

Ex. grew, clue, suit

Important Information

Room 103 will attend the Book Fair on Tuesday.

4/11 Reports Cards will be sent home

                       

In the Final Stretch...

Hi All,

Hope you all had a great Spring Break!  I can't believe how fast this year has been flying by.  We are in the final stretch of the school year.  Hopefully the weather will start to get a little bit warmer and the students can start to enjoy being outside more.  We need it to feel more like spring! Here is the newsletter.  Have a great week! :)

Classroom News

Reading: Students have spent one final week reading fairy tales.  We have also continued to identify fairy tale elements and work in our Fairy Tale Journal.  Students enjoyed reading Pinocchio and a classic we all know and love, The Three Little Pigs.  At the end of the week students were given a summative assessment.  This assessment was used to determine how well students can compare and contrast the experience of character in differing selections.

Math: The kids are catching on to graphing super fast!  We really enjoyed graphing our favorite time of day.  Room 103 loves the afternoon and Room 104 and Room 105 are partial to the evening.

Grammar: We continued to work on adjectives for size.

The Spring Musical was a sensation.  The first graders looked like movie stars and did a wonderful job performing.  Thank you to all who attended!

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Upon return from the much anticipated Spring Vacation students will learn about natural disasters.  We will spend a day dedicated to each of the following catastrophes: blizzards, floods, lightning, tornados, and hurricanes.  Our goal is for students to identify the author’s purpose.

Math:  Chapter 10 Represent Data continued

Students will continue to learn about bar graphs, tally charts, and representing data.  We anticipate a chapter test at the end of the week we return.

Grammar: Adjectives for What Kind

                        Ex.             bright moon

                   happy children

                   hot chili

Phonemic Awareness:

Long i: ie, igh

Students will be reminded that when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.

When i is followed by gh, the i usually stands for its long sound and the letters gh are silent.

Recent Happening's in 103

Classroom News

Reading: The Olympics have come to an end in first grade.  The kids had a wonderful time learning about the numerous events, the history of each event, and how athletes compete.  Please view our Olympic book at your leisure.  We did our best trying to note the importance of the events.  

  

Math: We learned how to regroup this week.  However, GO Math teaches the students this concept a bit differently.  The kids are encouraged to draw their tens and ones, circle a group of ten ones, and then exchange the ones for a ten.  There will be a Chapter 8 Test on Tuesday.  The practice test was sent home today (Friday 2/28) and is due on Monday (3/3).  This assignment will help your child prepare for the test on Tuesday. 

Grammar: We continued with verbs that tell about now (am, is, are) and verbs that tell about the past (was, were).

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Our much anticipated Abraham Lincoln unit will begin.  We fell behind as we devoted so much of our time and energy to the Olympics.  When studying Abe, students will read fiction and nonfiction books.  Next, students will be asked if our selected books are full of facts or written for story telling. We will use a kid friendly graphic organizer to help us explain in words and also with pictures why a book is considered one versus the other.

Math:  Chapter 9 Measurement

Students will begin learning about measurement.  To do so we will use yarn, cubes, paper clips, and classroom supplies to order objects from shortest to longest.  We will make a nonstandard measuring tool out of paper clips.  This chapter will also encompass telling time to the hour and half hour.

Grammar: Contractions with not

are + not=aren’t            has+ not= hasn’t

did+ not= didn’t            is+ not= isn’t

do+ not= don’t            was+ not= wasn’t

does+ not=doesn’t            were+ not= weren’t

Happy President's Day!

Classroom News

Reading: Our Olympic unit began this week and the kids are very enthusiastic about this topic.  Students began learning about where the Olympics is currently held.  Then, we created a mini-book about the history of the Olympics and the competitions.  In addition, we made an Olympic folder with rings and a torch to house our factual book and our writing book.  Please ask your child about the colors of the Olympic rings and what they represent.  To provide more knowledge of each competition, we have viewed short clips of competitions we’ve studied using www.olympic.org/videos.  Explore this website in your spare time.  There are really cool clips!

Math: Chapter 8 continued this week.  Students learned how to add and subtract tens.  We used illustrations of tens and ones to help us do this.  We also learned how to make a ten, also known as regrouping to many of us!  However, we will not use this phrase.  Basically, students learned when there are 10 or more in the ones sum, they must exchange the ones for a ten.  When adding two-digit numbers, many learners prefer to start with the bigger part of the number and then add the smaller parts.  Mathematically, there is no reason that children should not add the tens before adding the ones. We seem to be moving through this chapter slowly.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Students will continue to learn about the Winter Olympics in Sochi.  As we do our best to wrap up our Olympic unit, we will begin to learn about Abraham Lincoln.  We will compare and contrast George Washington and Abe Lincoln with books that tell stories and books that are full of facts.

Math: Chapter 8 Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction will continue next week.

Grammar: Am, is, are, was, were

The words am, is, and are tell about now.  Use am or is to tell about one.  Use are to tell about more than one.  The words was and were tell about the past.  Use was to tell about one.  Use were to tell about more than one.

Phonemic Awareness:

R-CONTROLLED ER, IR, UR

A single vowel followed by the letter r has a sound that is neither short nor long, but r-controlled.

On to the Winter Olympics!

Classroom News

Reading: First grade began learning about George Washington, our nation’s first president.  The kids learned many new facts while reading nonfiction books.  After reading such important information, we listed facts that we would like to remember about Washington.  The kids seemed to easily remember Washington’s face on the quarter and dollar bill.

Math: Chapter 8-Two Digit Addition and Subtraction began on Tuesday.  Students reviewed addition and subtraction facts to 20 and the strategy that was used to find the sum.  When adding and subtracting tens, students were encouraged to draw their tens first and then find the sum and difference.

Grammar: We continued to learn about verbs with –s.

100^th Day: First grade is 100 days smarter!  We kicked off our celebration by making self-portraits of how we will look when we are 100 years old.  Next, we made a 100^th day crown with colorful objects.  Finally, we completed 100 math problems, wrote 100 words we can easily read, and made a list of 100 of our favorite things.  We had so much fun on our 100^th day of school! 100 down, 76 to go.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Students in first grade are headed to Sochi for the Winter Olympics!  The games will begin for students as we create an Olympic mini-book.  Each day, students will read factual information about each competition and work cooperatively to list newly attained facts on Olympic inspired stationery.  Please ask your child what he/she knows about the following: biathlon, bobsleigh, skeleton, curling, ice hockey, luge, figure skating, alpine skiing, speed skating, cross country skiing, Nordic combined, and ski jumping.  This unit will continue over a two week time span.

Math: Chapter 8 Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction

Students will continue learn how to add numbers with double digits.  We will use manipulatives and/or drawings to model equations such as 21+6 and 81+14.  This is important for children to learn this approach to multi-digit addition so they have a better understanding of the meaning of addition.   Learning to model to model numbers as tens and ones can help children develop mental math skills.  Children can create strategies to add the numbers in their head.

Grammar: Am, is, are, was, were

The words am, is, and are tell about now.  Use am or is to tell about one.  Use are to tell about more than one.  The words was and were tell about the past.  Use was to tell about one.  Use were to tell about more than one.

The Polar Vortex Continues Along With Our Winter Themed Reading

This Past Week

Reading: The first grade spent a few more days engrossed in Winter Theme books.  Students continued to demonstrate what good readers do before, during, and after reading a book and/or selection.  Unlike the polar vortex, the Winter Theme in first grade has come to an end.  Students have done exceptionally well identifying characters, setting, problem, solution, and genre.

Math: We have finished Chapter 7 in Math and will have a test on Monday.  Unfortunately, there will be math homework over the weekend to help your child prepare for our math test.  Our unexpected days off pushed our testing date back a few days.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Grammar: We continued to learn about verbs with –s.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: The next unit of study is Presidents.  Students will learn about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.  We will read fiction and nonfiction books on this topic.  After reading, students will be asked whether or not the books were written to tell a story or give us information.  Our goal is not only tell the difference between books on the same topic but also to explain how and why the books are different.  Key words to highlight this concept include illustrations, photographs, descriptions, and procedures.

Math: Chapter 8 Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction

Just as the chapter title states, students will learn about adding tens and ones.  We will review adding and subtracting numbers within 20 and then move onto simple addition of tens. Students will be encouraged to make an illustration of their addition sentence, asked to write their sum, and also how many tens the sum consists of.  We will repeat this process when subtracting tens.

Grammar: Students will be practicing action verbs and verbs for now (-s is at the end) and the past (-ed at the end).

Important Dates:

2/2: Groundhog Day

2/6: 100^th Day of School

2/19: Conferences

2/20: No School-Conferences