Week of January 31st to February 4th

 First Grade Newsletter

January 31st-February 4th

Literacy

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


Handwriting Without Tears
• Review all letter formations and writing letters NEATLY
• Alphabetical order 

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

Science

Sound & Light Unit
        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

This week students continue the morning work assignment that requires students to about two activities that they did over the weekend, including who was there, where the event took place, and how did the child feel about this event (favorite/worst part, sad, excited, etc.). Since students need to write about two events, we will be discussing transitional words to help students move from one event to another within their writing. The purpose of this exercise is for students to practice putting their ideas on paper through words and illustrations in narrative form.

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

1.  Library on Monday- Please make sure your child has their library book in their backpack to return it and check out a new story!

 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.)