August 24th-29th

Hello families!

Second week down. We did it!

We do not have school on Monday as it is a holiday. Please do not forget this!

Math Workshop: We have had several mini lessons for math this week before we break out into math tubs. We played "Start With Get To" where children receive a starting number and ending number and they have to count from the starting number until the reach the ending number. Example: Start with 25 and stop at 41. This is hard! We discussed counting accurately and went over many strategies. We also played a staircase game where students had to count on, use addition/subtraction and determine how many cubes to add to the bottom cube. Our math tubs still consist of race to 20, roll a tower and roll and cover. A new tub will be added where students are ordering unifix cube staircases from least to greatest according to size.

Reader's Workshop: We have been working all week to set up our reader's workshop. Each day we take our book boxes (which consist of 1 book chosen by Mrs. Schultz and two books kids choose) and practice reading quietly to ourselves. We had a few mini-lessons on choosing books, ways to read, building stamina, and decoding words.

We learned that there are 3 ways to read a book in first grade:
1.      Read the words…following the words that the author put on the page.
2.    Read the pictures: using the pictures to guide you as you create your own version of what is happening in the story
3.     Retell the story from memory: reading a book you already have heard and using your memory and creativity to recreate the story. We demonstrated each way and will continue to demonstrate them as the kids become more fluent in each method This is the time where Mrs. Schultz will pull reading groups and meet with children individually for reading. After we practiced reading quietly we went to reading stations. These stations were: free writing, scrabble, alphabet soup, stamping word study words, reading out of book boxes, spelling matching puzzles and a spelling matching game. In the future these stations will be more structured but for right now we are just getting used to the structure. After this was over we were able to practice writing letters correctly in our handwriting without tears books each afternoon.

Thematic Centers:
Our first unit of the year is fairytales. This week we are studying Rapunzel. We are reading several versions of this story and comparing them (including Tangled). We are also learning what components make up this genre. There are 3 Rapunzel centers. One center is comparing the length of your hair to Rapunzel's. Each child gets to make their own Rapunzel locked in a tower using construction paper, yarn, glue and art utensils. Another center is graphing. Each child receives a pack of character cards from the story and they have to graph how many cards they have of each character. The last center is sequencing the Tangled version of Rapunzel. We may have to continue these centers into next week as they are taking much longer than we anticipated.

Quick Note About Word Study:


Why Word Study?
In word study we look at each letter of the alphabet more closely and study the various sounds that each letter can make.  We are not doing “traditional” spelling words, instead we are looking at the phonemic system we call English.
My Kid Can Spell “Mississippi” So Why Is He/She Having To Spell “have?”
In the word study program we are not just looking at how to spell one single word.  Instead we are helping the kids to see the whole picture by studying smaller words and using them to explain the rules of our system.  When we study the word “have,” for example, we are stressing to the kids that English words do not end in the letter ‘v’ and that the ‘e’ at the end of the word is doing one of its many jobs  (in this case it is the ‘supporter e’  for the ‘v’).
Why Does My Child Only Have 5 Words Each Week? My Neighbor/Nephew/Older Child Has 20 Words Each Week.
With our program we aren’t just memorizing a list of words that we’ll possibly never see again, but are learning the rules of English spelling.  Word Study is one part of our literacy program and isn’t the only time that we are working with words and spelling.  We also use spelling in our writing workshops, in our literacy block and during word work.
Why Are There Three Columns On The Green And White Paper?
1.       Column 1: In class we instruct as we write the new words in the first column.  After this first week you will notice that some letters and word will have some word study “markings” in the first column.  In this column we are showing the kids how to write the words and then we mark specific letters and talk about the job that letter is doing.
2.       Column 2: “The Better Column”: In class the kids are then to write their words neatly, focusing on letter formation and spelling.  They are not to make the markings on the letters.
3.       Column 3: “The Best Column”: at home, the kids are then to write the words in their best handwriting as their first assignment with the words.
What Should We Do At Home Each Week?
The first job each child should complete each week is to neatly write their 5 words in the third column on the green and white paper.  After that, we have included a list of suggested activities for kids to work on during homework time.  This is a suggested list, so be creative and come up with your own ideas, too.  If the homework is sized appropriately, put it behind the “homework” tab.  If not, you can put in a sheet of paper and explain what you did.  For example, this week a parent wrote a quick note that said, “We wrote the words on our hands to practice.”
A few ideas from this list and off the top of my head: write the words on white boards, write the words with colored pencils, write the words in sand, paint the words, spell the words while in traffic, write them on mom’s iPad or make the words with magnetic letters.  Have a competitive child?  See how many times they can write the words neatly and correctly in a minute. Bounce a ball and spell a letter for each bounce.  Jump for each letter.  Hop for each letter.
My Child Needs a Challenge…
Have your child brainstorm other words that match our spelling pattern.  Search in their books for other words that have the same rule and words that look the same BUT DON’T follow that rule. Have them explain the rule and why words fit or don’t fit.


We got together with our book buddies for the first time today. We gave each other interviews and then enjoyed reading a book. This is really great for building school community.

Look for volunteer opportunities sometime after Labor Day.


Have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Mrs. Schultz