Thank you to Mrs. Goldstein for being our very first mystery reader this year! We had so much fun guessing who you were and listening to your story about the apple pie!
Brrr! It is definitely getting colder outside! Please make sure that your child is dressed for the weather. Remember, we go outside for recess daily unless it is raining or dangerously cold. Your child should also be learning how to independently dress themselves for the cold including zipping, buttoning, snapping, etc. their coat. We have about 5 minutes to get unpacked and packed everyday so we don't miss valuable learning time!
Brrr! It is definitely getting colder outside! Please make sure that your child is dressed for the weather. Remember, we go outside for recess daily unless it is raining or dangerously cold. Your child should also be learning how to independently dress themselves for the cold including zipping, buttoning, snapping, etc. their coat. We have about 5 minutes to get unpacked and packed everyday so we don't miss valuable learning time!
Literacy
We discussed the characters and character traits after continuing our "close reading" strategies with our support text: The Recess Queen. We learned that character traits can change during a story and that a person’s character greatly impacts their relationship. We also learned the difference between an inside trait and an outside trait and that the character traits are focused on the inside traits. To the right is the flip chart we filled out after reading our book together. Students will be encouraged to become more independent in identifying “inside traits”. To reinforce this skill at home, help your child talk about or fill out this character traits sheets after reading at home: Character Trait PDF. Additionally, students worked on drawing, discussing and using new vocabulary words from the story. Here is a link to our vocabulary words from this week: The Recess Queen Vocab PDF.
Students learned a new Cafe goal this week to add to our reading goals: Visualize- Make a picture or mental image. Making a picture in our mind helps us to recall events more clearly.The same is true when reading a story. When readers listen to or read text, they can create pictures in their mind or make a mind movie. This helps a reader to remember more of what they read or heard. As a class we have been working on this during our chapter book read aloud time right after lunch and discussing the images we a visualizing as we hear the story. To help reinforce this skill at home, read to your child and model how you make pictures in your mind. Then, give your child a chance to try it. Read a selection to your child and ask: Can use use sensory details to describe your image (what does it taste like, smell like, feel like, etc.)? What do you see in your mind as I read this selection? Can you see yourself in this selection?
We were also able to learn our final Daily 5. This week we began working on “Read to Someone”. We learned that when we “Read to Someone” we sit EEKK (elbow to elbow, knee to knee). The following poem helps us remember how to “Read to Someone”:
We discussed the characters and character traits after continuing our "close reading" strategies with our support text: The Recess Queen. We learned that character traits can change during a story and that a person’s character greatly impacts their relationship. We also learned the difference between an inside trait and an outside trait and that the character traits are focused on the inside traits. To the right is the flip chart we filled out after reading our book together. Students will be encouraged to become more independent in identifying “inside traits”. To reinforce this skill at home, help your child talk about or fill out this character traits sheets after reading at home: Character Trait PDF. Additionally, students worked on drawing, discussing and using new vocabulary words from the story. Here is a link to our vocabulary words from this week: The Recess Queen Vocab PDF.
Students learned a new Cafe goal this week to add to our reading goals: Visualize- Make a picture or mental image. Making a picture in our mind helps us to recall events more clearly.The same is true when reading a story. When readers listen to or read text, they can create pictures in their mind or make a mind movie. This helps a reader to remember more of what they read or heard. As a class we have been working on this during our chapter book read aloud time right after lunch and discussing the images we a visualizing as we hear the story. To help reinforce this skill at home, read to your child and model how you make pictures in your mind. Then, give your child a chance to try it. Read a selection to your child and ask: Can use use sensory details to describe your image (what does it taste like, smell like, feel like, etc.)? What do you see in your mind as I read this selection? Can you see yourself in this selection?
We were also able to learn our final Daily 5. This week we began working on “Read to Someone”. We learned that when we “Read to Someone” we sit EEKK (elbow to elbow, knee to knee). The following poem helps us remember how to “Read to Someone”:
Much of this process was learned by my modeling this week. Next week students will be able to engage in "Read to Someone" independently.
Math
This week we continued our computation unit by focusing on the common core standard OA.1 by focusing on addition strategies. Students were able to work in small groups based on mathematic needs to practice addition strategies at their instructional level. Here are some of the strategies that we have learned that help student improve fact fluency:
This week we continued our computation unit by focusing on the common core standard OA.1 by focusing on addition strategies. Students were able to work in small groups based on mathematic needs to practice addition strategies at their instructional level. Here are some of the strategies that we have learned that help student improve fact fluency:
- Zero the Hero: When you add zero to a number... the number stays the SAME! Students are learning that there is very little thought to these kinds of problems and they are becoming very automatic in solving addition problems that include adding 0.
- Counting On: Students start at the larger number and count on what is being added. We focused on “counting on” when adding two numbers together while playing Number Compare Addition Top-Draw. This was a different version of the domino game that the students learned last week. Students learned how to identify the strategy that they used to solve the problem, wrote their equation and their partners equation down, and finally used the greater than, less than, or equal to signs (<, > or =) to show which sum was the largest.
- Doubles: Some small math groups worked on learning how to add doubles. We learned that doubles are memorable and easy to memorize to help us add with automaticity. Students were able to play a domino game where they had to find a matching domino and then say the double they added together to become more automatic when they see doubles in addition.
- Near Doubles: Once students are confident in their doubles I have been introducing students to the strategy of "near doubles". The near doubles build on student proficiency with the doubles facts, along with an understanding of near numbers (+1 facts). When faced with a fact like 6 + 7, students can think double 6, plus one more.
Additionally, we began to focus on related facts which helps first graders develop a deeper understanding of addition and subtraction. We learned that the biggest number is the last number of an addition sentence and the biggest number is the first number in a subtraction sentence. We also learned that the other two numbers can be switched around to created related facts. We practiced fact families by using dot flap cards. Students have started to create their own dot flap cards at school for further practice/understanding. Here is an example of how students are writing out their fact family equations:
9,5,14
9+5=14
5+9=14
14-5=9
14-9=5
9,5,14
9+5=14
5+9=14
14-5=9
14-9=5
Social Studies
We continued to learn about our classroom community and how we are all learners. Students were focusing on having a growth mindset to support their learning. We learned that we need to have a growth mindset in order to be able to challenge ourselves and to learn new skills an strategies. We watched the following Growth Mindset Video called, "The Magic of Mistakes". To help reinforce these skills try asking these questions at home with your child:
We continued to learn about our classroom community and how we are all learners. Students were focusing on having a growth mindset to support their learning. We learned that we need to have a growth mindset in order to be able to challenge ourselves and to learn new skills an strategies. We watched the following Growth Mindset Video called, "The Magic of Mistakes". To help reinforce these skills try asking these questions at home with your child:
1. When I make a mistake I feel _____ because _____. How does it feel when you make a mistake?
2. What do you do about those feelings so that you don't get discouraged?
3. How can we support one another when facing challenges that result in many trials?
2. What do you do about those feelings so that you don't get discouraged?
3. How can we support one another when facing challenges that result in many trials?
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, October 23rd: Picture Day
Wednesday, October 31st: Halloween Parade is at 1:50 PM. Please send your child to school with his/her Halloween costume in a bag that day, so we can change in the afternoon. Your child will need to be able to assemble their costume in the classroom in about 5-8 minutes. To help your child do this please dress them in clothes they can easily wear their costume over. (Our classroom bathroom is only one stall so there is not enough time to have 23 students completely change their clothes.) Students’ costumes should be safely designed and age appropriate to allow for adequate vision, mobility, and warmth. Masks cannot be worn. NO TOY WEAPONS of any type will be allowed at school.
Tuesday, October 23rd: Picture Day
Wednesday, October 31st: Halloween Parade is at 1:50 PM. Please send your child to school with his/her Halloween costume in a bag that day, so we can change in the afternoon. Your child will need to be able to assemble their costume in the classroom in about 5-8 minutes. To help your child do this please dress them in clothes they can easily wear their costume over. (Our classroom bathroom is only one stall so there is not enough time to have 23 students completely change their clothes.) Students’ costumes should be safely designed and age appropriate to allow for adequate vision, mobility, and warmth. Masks cannot be worn. NO TOY WEAPONS of any type will be allowed at school.