October 21st-October 25th Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

October 21st- October 25th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 1 Week 4

Main selection:  Fox and a Kit

Weekly Question:  How do wild animals take care of their babies?
Amazing Words: observe, wild, parent, canopy, screech, million, native, reserve
High-Frequency Words: eat, five, four, her, this, too
Phonics Target: Inflected Endings -s and -ing

Comprehension skills:  Main idea and Details
Comprehension strategy: Important Details

Genres:  Literary Nonfiction
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 1 Family Talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6 week overview of the unit. 
• Family Times gives various activities that can be done at home that connect to the concept we're learning this week.
• Practice reading phonics and sight words for Unit 1, Week 4 (fourth column only).   

PHONICS

Lively Letters (Sounds)

• Review stories and sounds for each letter pair: x/y/c, w/h
• Last week’s letter pairs: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, qu, m/n, ng, a/o, j, s/z, ch, r/l, u/i, wh, e

Spelling 

• Skill(s): Tapping out sounds in words with CVC patterns (Consonant, Vowel, Consonant; such as 'cat') 
• Trick Words: a, was, to
• Taught Trick Word List: the, of, and

**Trick words are irregularly spelled words that each child is expected to be able to spell in their writing.**

Handwriting Without Tears

• Review formation of the following letters…c, o, s, v, w, t, a, d, g, u, i, e, l, k, y, j, p, r, n, m, h, b, f, q, x, z
• Alphabetical order  

Math in Focus

Chapter 3

   Addition Fact to 10 

  Thinking Skills
- Analyzing parts and a whole
- Deduction

Problem Solving Strategies 
- Act it Out
 - Draw a diagram

                           Objectives

                                                            - Count on to add 
                                   - Use number bonds to add in any order

-                            - Write and solve addition sentences
-                            - Tell and write addition stories about pictures

*

Science

Decomposition of Pumpkin
This week students will be recording what they see and what they predict will happen to the pumpkin as time goes on.  
Space Unit
Patterns in the Sky
     Last week students began to learn about the Moon. They brainstormed facts that they already knew about the Moon and its patterns, and watched an informational clip about the Moon and it's patterns. This week students will learn more about the phases of the Moon. 

Social Studies

We will be focusing on communities over time and transportation through our weekly readings. This week the children will work to answer the question, "How do wild animals take care of their babies?"
Character Education—This week the class will be continuing to put into practice the four Skills for Learning throughout the day. We will begin Unit 2 of Second Steps on Wednesday by discussing empathy.

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music

TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: P.E.

FRIDAY: Art, Music; Library

Writing Workshop

Framing Your Thoughts 
    Last week students chose their barebone sentence for our fall barebone book. This week students will learn about the connector ("and") and continue to practice using subjects and predicates to construct sentences using partner shares, creating sentences from pictures and writing sentences. Students will also add their sentence to our fall barebone book paired with a detailed illustration.

Genre Writing~ Narrative
      This week we will begin our a pre-write with brainstorming characters, the setting, and discuss problems vs. solutions of students' stories. 

Six Traits of Writing~ Ideas
     When writing the stories, each student will be looking at their heart inventory paper to find ideas of what topic they would like to write about. Once the students have a topic, they will write five important details they want to share in their story about the topic. These details will be in one or two word phrases on the Five Finger Detail organizer. By giving students the organizer, the focus will be more on five solid details about the topic than writing a proper sentence.

This week’s mini-lessons will include…

• Choose a topic 
• Use important details to tell about a topic
• Use spacing in between words 
• How to write an introduction and closing

                   Parent Reminders

   1.  Scholastic Reading Club- October catalog orders have been sent out. I will let you know when the books are in. 

   2. Our class' library time is Friday at 12:15 p.m. Please have your child return their library books to school on Friday morning at the latest.

   3. Halloween Parade- Our Halloween Parade is on Thursday, October 31st beginning at 2:25 p.m. Please be at the school by 2:15 p.m. to watch the parade. We are in need of 3 parent volunteers to come into our room (Room 116) at 2:00 p.m. to help students get into their costumes before the parade. If you would like to volunteer, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you!

4. Ten Fram Math Game- I sent home the directions to the newest math game. Use the number symbol cards (ex: 1, 2, 3, 4..) for your child to choose from. Each child can choose what they would like to build the number with (ex: Legos, buttons, Goldfish, etc.)

5. Unit 1 Reading Card- I recorded how many of the phonics and high-frequency words your child read correctly. I also starred the words you did not read correctly. This week you’ll practice the fourth column of words. Please note I am looking for the students to be able to read these words with automaticity (within 3 seconds). If your child needs a new list, please let me know. (Reminder: please return these on Fridays.) 

6. Parent Conferences & Confirmation Messages- The first round of conferences will be held this week on Thursday, October 24th in my room (Room 116). If your child's conference is this week, please be thinking about questions and/or concerns you may have about your child as well as academic and social goals you have for him/her. I sent conference confirmations last week on Bloomz or in green homework folders. If I have not received a conference slot time from you, I attached a updated late sign up sheet. Please send back in ASAP. Thank you!

Have a spook-tacular week!

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Log (with discussion questions)
Number/Letter Formation

Math Number Sense Games

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)
Ten Frame Math Game [Sent home on Tuesday]
Dialogue Journal #4 (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]