Reader’s and Writer’s
Workshop
We kicked off 2014 by writing New Year’s resolutions. Students had a wide range of
resolutions such as focusing hard, becoming a better reader, learning how to
ice skate and how to do yoga! We
will be hanging them up in the classroom to remind us of our resolutions. On the first day back, students
practiced kids yoga to calm our minds and get us back in school mode after two
weeks off!
Students have been working hard in guided reading groups and
literacy workstations to reinforce literacy skills learned throughout the year
and gain new skills. It is crucial
for young readers to not only read the words on the page, but be able to
understand what he/she is reading.
We have been focusing on concrete comprehension (who, what, when?) and inferential comprehension (thinking
beyond the text i.e. why do you think the character made this choice?)
For Writer’s Workshop we began the personal narratives unit.
We discussed how writers are like photographers. While a photographer can take a picture of a whole aquarium,
they can also zoom in on just one important part. Just as a writer can also write about their whole trip to
the aquarium, or zoom in on one part.
Students brainstormed “small moments” in their life and began planning
their ideas.
Three authors shared their published work in the Author's Chair.
Math
Up until this point in the school year, students have worked
hard to understand addition and subtraction and view problems in different
ways. Students have used various
problem solving strategies to solve math story problems and focused on the
relationship that numbers have to ten.
Number relationships provide the foundation for fact strategies. Students entered 2014 ready to endeavor
new strategies and techniques for solving addition and subtraction
problems. Fact strategies provide
a bridge from understanding the meanings of addition and subtraction to quickly
and accurately recalling basic addition and subtraction facts.
What are fact strategies?
Fact strategies are mental techniques to solve facts. The ultimate goal is for children to
eventually stop using the strategies as they develop quick and accurate ways to
recall basic facts. Practice over
time will support children to move towards mastery.
One and Two More
It is helpful for children to recognize that 6, for example,
is 1 more than 5 and 8 is 2 more than 6.
Doubles
Addition doubles are addition facts in which the two numbers
being added together are the same.
Visual representations that help children grasp this concept are fingers
on two hands (5 + 5) or eggs in a carton (6 + 6).
As children understand the doubles strategy, they can then
build upon the strategy and use near doubles. Near doubles is when one of the numbers being added is one
more than the other number.
For example,
If a child knows that 5 + 5=10, then they can the idea of
doubles plus 1 to add 5+6. 6 is
the same as 5+1. 5+5 is 10, so 5+6 has to be 1 more. 5+6 equals 11.
Students have been working hard to use fact strategies and
understand the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Math Vocabulary
More than
Less than
Greater
Fewer
Equal to
Doubles
Near doubles
Here are some links for children to practice subtraction
problems at home:
On http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-1
I suggest practicing addition and
subtraction word problems and number sentences with pictures. Encourage students to use strategies
such as drawing pictures or using manipulatives.
Fundations
Students have been learning about two letter consonant
blends: when two consonants are next to each other in a word, you blend the
sounds together and hear each sound.
We had lots of fun making pretend milkshakes in
blenders! Students blended
together the “ice cream” (one consonant) and “milk” (the other consonant) in
“blenders.” Students enjoying
making milkshake menus by generating their own words with the given consonant
blend. Some of the class
favorites…
Stein Milkshake
Smelly Milkshake
Fast Milkshake
Ask your child what milkshakes they put on their menu…
Students have been learning about silent e, also known as
magic e: when an “e” is at the end of a word it doesn’t make a sound and it
“magically changes” the vowel to say it’s name/make it’s long vowel sound.
Students had magic wands and practiced their magical spell
to transform words…
“Abracadabra fidalee fee, I give you the power of the
magic e!”
Science and Social Studies
We explored the idea of air resistance as students dropped
parachutes from a chair. We
observed how the parachute fell faster when more paper clips were added. Students practiced thinking and writing
like scientists by using language such as, “I saw, I noticed and I observed.”
See the
following video from class
In light of MLK Day on Monday, we focused on the meaning of
three new vocabulary words: dream, peace, equality.
We looked at 2 eggs and discussed how eggs look different on
the outside but look the same on the inside just like people.
Students understand that Martin Luther King was a very
brave, helpful and important person.
We read a poem about helping the world and students thought of 3 ways
they can help at home, at school or in the community. Now understanding the term “dream” in a new context,
students were able to generate their own dreams.
Great work earning Career Day room 101!
Mystery Readers
