First Grade Newsletter
January 31st-February 4th
Reading Street: Unit 3 Week 5
Main selection: I'm a Caterpillar
Weekly Question: What changes can be seen in nature?
Amazing Words: cycle, develop, insect, rearrange, flurries, emerge, fragile, vessel
High-Frequency Words: done, know, push, visit, wait
Phonics Target: Contractions; Vowel r-Controlled er, ir, ur
Comprehension skills: Fact and Opinion
Comprehension strategy: Text Structure
Genres: Literary Nonfiction
Reading Street Parent Connection:
- Unit 3 Family talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6-week overview of the unit. (Sent home January 3rd)
- Practice reading words (see red or green sheet sent home Monday) for Unit 3, Week 5 (fifth column). Review any of the marked works in Column 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5. Please return sheet by Friday, February 4th for students to be tested on Week 4 words.
PHONICS
Spelling
- Skill(s): Suffix -s (rocks, bags, mats)
- Review: Glued sounds (-an, -am), Bonus letters at the end of a word: ff, ll, ss (and sometimes zz); Use digraphs (sh, wh, th, ch, and -ck)
- Sentence:
- Trick Words:
- Review trick words and practice using in writing: the, of, and, a, is, his, as, has, in, into, we, he, she, be, me, or, for, you, your, I, they, was, one, said, from, have, do, does, were, are, who, what, when
**Trick words are irregularly spelled words that each child is expected to be able to spell in their writing.**
Lively Letters (Sounds)
- Review stories and sounds for each letter pair: No new pairs
- Last week’s letter pairs: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, qu, m/n, s/z, j/ch, r/l, x/y/c, w/h, a/o, u/i, e, ng, wh
- Review all letter formations and writing letters NEATLY
- Alphabetical order
Handwriting Without Tears
Math in Focus
Chapter 6
Numbers to 40
Objectives
- Add by counting on
- Add by making a 10
- Add by using doubles and doubles plus one facts
- Understand that addition can be done in any order
- Subtract by counting back
- Subtract by grouping into a 10 and ones
- Recognize related addition and subtraction sentences
- Make fact families from number sentences
- - Subtract using addition facts
- Determine if number sentences involving addition and subtraction are true or false
- Solve real world problems involving addition and subtraction
Sound & Light Unit
Last week students learned about sound waves and the meaning of 'vibrations' through experimenting using a drum and rice.
Last week students learned about sound waves and the meaning of 'vibrations' through experimenting using a drum and rice.
This week students will expand on their knowledge on sound and the movement of sound waves.
Social Studies
Our social studies learning this week is embedded in our reading program. We will be focusing on communities and change through our readings. This week the children will work to answer the question "What changes can be seen in nature?".
In Second Steps, students will continue to practice identifying their own emotions and ways to help calm their strong emotions.
Specialists
MONDAY: Music
TUESDAY: P.E.
WEDNESDAY: Art
THURSDAY: Music
FRIDAY: P.E.
Writing Workshop
Groundhog Day Prediction
Students will learn about Groundhog Day and write a prediction on whether or not Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow or not.
Creative Writing Prompts
Throughout the week students will be given the opportunity to practice writing creative writing stories. They will also be given the option to practice writing about opinions and persuading others to want to have the same opinion.
Genre Writing-Opinion
This week students will continue to write their first draft of their class pet writing piece.
Parent Reminders
2. No before school help this Tuesday morning.
3. Please be sure your child returns their green school-to-home folder and their homework folder to school everyday. Also, please check your child's school-to-home folder each day for important handouts. I will write about specific handouts that you should be looking for throughout the week in this section of the newsletter. Students should also have their red homework folders in their backpacks every day.
4. Children should bring in a small healthy snack (separate from their lunch) to have in class at 9:50 a.m. Please make sure that it is nut-free and has no glass products.
5. Math Homework: This week students will practice all of their addition math facts. Please also practice all of the cards that are "friends" of 10 (all of the addition sentences that equal 10). There is a game sheet in your child's red homework folder that will help your child practice their "friends" of 10. Thank you!
Have a great first week of February!
Mrs. Ash
Homework
Your child will bring home their red homework folder on Monday. Inside the folder is a reading log, math activity with materials, and individual login information for all of our online platforms. This week students should be reading for 10 minutes, write a letter in their journal, practice the addition math facts ("friends" of 10) and play the math game.
Your child also will bring home their Dialogue Journal (penpal journal). Please read my letter and have your child respond to it in 1 penpal letter. If I did not write your child a letter, your child can write to me about anything s/he wants. Once your child has finished his/her letter, return it to school. If I did not receive your child's journal last week, please have your child write a letter to me this week and I will check both letters once the journal is turned in.
Behind the reading log, there is our word lists for the next 6 weeks on red or green paper. Please practice the words in Column 3.3 on the sheet every day this week. I will check in with each child at the end of the week. Please also read and practice the fluency passage due on Thursdays. The homework folder should always be brought to school in your child's backpack, but only returned on Fridays. (Keep completed work in the homework folder.)
