Hello Room 4 Families! Today we started the week with much warmer temperatures and a strange schedule as we had Ms.Tara come in to start working with us on an Anti-Bullying curriculum. Students worked on the 3 R's: Recognize, Report and Refuse. They did a great job! We will be having our 2nd lesson on Wednesday. Look for lesson follow up's to come home in folders! Please remember to send folders in daily with your child. If your child's is in poor shape, you can replace it, but just make sure your child's name is labeled on the exterior. Here's a quick look at the other learning we have going on this week:
ELA:
I will be working this week and next to do the BAS assessment with each student. I have done almost half the class thus far. YOur child may come home with a new leveled book to read. let me know if you have any questions. We continue to work on memory words: oh, any, day, good, very and want and on cvc vs, cvce words. Next week, will be a review week where we will dive back into the -ing and -ed endings and knowing when to doubles and when to not double the consonant before adding the ending.
Math:
Students work on balancing equations (both subtraction and addition) and solving for 1-2 missing numbers. For example: 10-5=7-___ or 18+3=___+11 or 21=17+____ , or ____- 14= 12+ ____. Student work is differentiated depending on their level and I will also be starting the AVMR assessments this week and next, when I can find time. Next week we will start fact families and look at the relationship between numbers and addition and subtraction.
Writing and Unit Study:
Today we learned about temperature and looked at a thermometer. Tomorrow we will look at clouds and learn about 4 cloud types:Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Status and Cirrus. Students continue to record in their science journals, working on recording facts and observations. We also continue to record the weather.
Reminders:
Please return permission slips asap.
Please continue to read each night with your child and continue to send in folders daily.
Wish List:
Dry erase markers
Extra snack
Table wipes
Kleenex
Monday, January 8, 2018
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
2018: New Year, New Learning
Happy 2018! I hope you had a fantastic winter break and had the opportunity to spend some time with your first grader and family and friends! Here's a look at what the start of the new year looks like in room 4, this week:
Reading:
This is the part of the year when the pace picks up a good deal and students start to learn trickier word patterns. We are working on Super E and the cvce word pattern (consonant-vowel-consonant-e), which makes the vowel long and say its own name. Students will use this rule when they are reading and writing. By adding an e to the end of a word, it completely changes the word and the way it sounds (examples: rat vs. rate, hop vs. hope). Students continue to work in their small differentiated reading groups as well. Later this month we will be using the BAS assessment to check on their current reading level. Some students have already or are very close to reaching the cap for first grade. Everyone is working hard and making great progress! Keep up all that great reading you are doing at home!
Math:
In math students have started a unit that is more challenging than the material we have covered up to this point. We first explored the equal sign in depth and balancing equations. Students will begin to understand how addition and subtraction are related and fact families or fact triangles, where will will use the familiar part-part-total model but with addition and subtract. How are these three numbers related?
Writing & Science:
We continue our air, weather and wind unit which is tied into our writing unit. Students learn to write as scientists through their observations in their science journals. This week students discussed weather and started to look at wind. We will be using wind flags to measure the wind. Students will be looking at clouds next. Toward the end of this month, we will start learning about opinion writing, which will tie into our field trip to downtown Amherst to write some YELP reviews of restaurants. Please return your permission slip asap!
Reminders & Wish List:
Reading:
This is the part of the year when the pace picks up a good deal and students start to learn trickier word patterns. We are working on Super E and the cvce word pattern (consonant-vowel-consonant-e), which makes the vowel long and say its own name. Students will use this rule when they are reading and writing. By adding an e to the end of a word, it completely changes the word and the way it sounds (examples: rat vs. rate, hop vs. hope). Students continue to work in their small differentiated reading groups as well. Later this month we will be using the BAS assessment to check on their current reading level. Some students have already or are very close to reaching the cap for first grade. Everyone is working hard and making great progress! Keep up all that great reading you are doing at home!
Math:
In math students have started a unit that is more challenging than the material we have covered up to this point. We first explored the equal sign in depth and balancing equations. Students will begin to understand how addition and subtraction are related and fact families or fact triangles, where will will use the familiar part-part-total model but with addition and subtract. How are these three numbers related?
Writing & Science:
We continue our air, weather and wind unit which is tied into our writing unit. Students learn to write as scientists through their observations in their science journals. This week students discussed weather and started to look at wind. We will be using wind flags to measure the wind. Students will be looking at clouds next. Toward the end of this month, we will start learning about opinion writing, which will tie into our field trip to downtown Amherst to write some YELP reviews of restaurants. Please return your permission slip asap!
Reminders & Wish List:
- Please return your permission slip for our field trip to downtown Amherst asap. We are looking for chaperones if you're interested. The cost has already been covered from your last permission slip (Nutcracker), which was cancelled my the ballet.
- Report cards come out at the end of the month.
- We would love more snack, dry erase markers (black) for student use, and tissues.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Friday, December 22, 2017
Important Update
TODAY IS A 12:40 RELEASE DUE TO WEATHER! PLEASE SEND NOTES OR CALL THE OFFICE WITH ANY DISMISSAL CHANGES.
Have a safe and happy vacation!
Monday, December 18, 2017
Review Week & Air Rockets!
Hello Families!
Last week we wrapped up units in math and reading, so this week will be devoted to review and retention of the skills just learned. In ELA we will be working on long vowels, open syllables, complete vs. incomplete sentences. I will also be slipping in more read alouds and plan on reading all of my gingerbread books with the class. In math we have done a unit on addition and one on subtraction, but in isolation. Teachers have noticed some students have a difficult time switching back and forth between the two, so this week, we will slip in extra practice with raw numbers and story mixed problems (+/-). We will also have the opportunity to play review games.
In science we will be wrapping up our unit on air and students will be building balloon rockets. Look for students' science journals to come home with them before break as a way to ask your child what he/she has been learning about air, resistance, compression, gas, matter, etc.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMX7zgaLC0w
On Friday, our early release, students will see reading buddies and then have a surprise. If you would like to send something special for snack, feel free on this day.
Looking ahead... we will have a field trip on 1/31 in downtown Amherst from 10-12. We will be looking for chaperones, so let me know if you are interested. Students will visit restaurants downtown and then write an opinion piece about the restaurant.
Keep up the reading over vacation! Students are making great progress! Thanks for all of your support at home!
Monday, December 11, 2017
Winter Wonderland
Hello Families! Hope you all enjoyed the first snow of the season. Here's a look at our learning for this week:ELA:
Students will continue to work on long and short vowel sounds. Students will continue to work on open and closed syllables. Words that end with vowels will make the long vowel sound (say their own name), which is called an open syllable. A closed syllable is when the vowel is closed in with two consonants (cvc), such as "cat". There are, of course, always exceptions to the rule. We will be learning the cvce syllable pattern with a lone vowel after the winter break.
Math:
In math students will continue their work with subtraction and tally marks. We will take class data and practice recording and graphing the data. We will also practice counting backwards, which can be tricky going over the decade. I will be pulling students this week and next to do an AVMR check in, focused on "structuring". We will wrap up this unit this week and end the week with an assessment.
Science: In science students will be looking at air pressure and resistance, working with syringes and tubes. Students will participate in several hands-on activities and will respond in their science journals. We will also be doing some read alouds that focus on air and watch a short video that teaches about air and air resistance.
Wish List:
- classroom snacks (we are running low)
- glue sticks
- large white construction paper.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Learning About Air...
Hello Room 4 Families,
This week students have started their study on air. We have discussed that air is a gas and that air is made up of matter. We have also talked about how air can move things. Students used straws to blow objects. Students are building parachutes and discussing how air pushes against things and fills up space. We are combining our writing and science together, as students are participating in hands-on experiments and explorations and then recording, as scientists, their observations in their science journals.
In reading students are working on the -ing and the -ed ending. Knowing that they must have 2 consonants before adding the ending to the base or root word can be tricky. Students will also be learning about the long vowel sounds and the word patterns that create this this sound. The pace of Superkids will be picking up over the next two weeks as we will be doing less review from last year and most material will be new, with review for students who need it and differentiation as seen fit.
In math students continue to work on subtraction. This week students are working on solving subtraction story problems. We want all students fluent within 10 and are challenging students who are ready, to subtract with larger numbers and across.
We continue to work on mindfulness weekly and students are starting to incorporate mindfulness into each day. Thank you for all your support at home with reading. Room 4 would love some extra snack and glue sticks, if you are able to donate.
This week students have started their study on air. We have discussed that air is a gas and that air is made up of matter. We have also talked about how air can move things. Students used straws to blow objects. Students are building parachutes and discussing how air pushes against things and fills up space. We are combining our writing and science together, as students are participating in hands-on experiments and explorations and then recording, as scientists, their observations in their science journals.
In reading students are working on the -ing and the -ed ending. Knowing that they must have 2 consonants before adding the ending to the base or root word can be tricky. Students will also be learning about the long vowel sounds and the word patterns that create this this sound. The pace of Superkids will be picking up over the next two weeks as we will be doing less review from last year and most material will be new, with review for students who need it and differentiation as seen fit.
In math students continue to work on subtraction. This week students are working on solving subtraction story problems. We want all students fluent within 10 and are challenging students who are ready, to subtract with larger numbers and across.
We continue to work on mindfulness weekly and students are starting to incorporate mindfulness into each day. Thank you for all your support at home with reading. Room 4 would love some extra snack and glue sticks, if you are able to donate.
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