Game Day

We had our first game day of the year last Friday.  Each person had the chance to play 2 different board games.  It was fun to have so many parent helpers.  We were lucky enough to even have a visiting grandparent join us!

 

Words Their Way

We are in our third week of our new phonics/spelling program.  The official name of the program is "Words Their Way".  In our classroom we call it "Word Work" on our daily schedule.  There are 6 groups in our class.  Each week everyone gets a new list of words which follow a spelling pattern.  Here are some photos to show the program in action.

Peek at the Week of October 11-15

There is no school for students on Monday, October 11th in honor of Columbus Day.  Enjoy the extra day off.


Thank you for sending in the book orders, field trip money and photo orders.  Our class is all set for the November trip.

Word Work:  The Words Their Way spelling/phonics program is up and running.  Our "Rainbow" groups have been meeting for 3 weeks and are used to the new activities and routines.  I will be doing a separate post with some pictures of our word work in our classroom.  Thank you for helping with the weekly assignments.

Columbus Day:  This week we will be doing some activities about the Christopher Columbus.

Math: This week we will be exploring the addition strategy of 'adding on' (or 'counting on'). 

Reading Workshop:  Last week we worked on the pre-reading comprehension strategy of previewing a book.  We talked about how the title and cover artwork give us 'clues' about what the book might be about.  We also practiced a technique called 'bookwalking'.  Ask your child to show you how to 'bookwalk'.  We are also settling into the routines of reading workshop including doing a "Wrap-up" at the end of Independent Reading.  The Wrap-up is where a couple of students show/tell about a book they are reading or demonstrate a way they used a 'strong reader' strategy on their own.  It's a great way to get the class talking about themselves as readers.


Homework
Tuesday 10/12
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Fall Word Work

Wednesday 10/13
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Math:  Sums at Sea

Thursday 10/14
1. Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Review your spelling words

Have a great week!

Highlights of the Week: October 8

• We learned about previewing books in Reading Workshop.  (KE)
• For morning work, 2 tables go book shopping every day.  (MM)  Today it was the purple table's turn.  (MC)
• We went for a quick visit to a 4th grade class.  We wanted to see how the 4th graders Independently Read.  Boy, were they quiet!  They were really strong readers.  Mrs. Ekey says that one day we can come back with our books and the 4th graders will 'tutor' us on how to read without interrupting our neighbors.  (Miss D.)
• We shop for Just Right books.  (AB)
• Miss Dineen put out Halloween books on the Look Book Shelf.  (CH)
• EW brought in the new Fancy Nancy book to show the class.  (LJD)
• We started the Hints and Strategies section of our binders.  (JF)
• In Art we finished our beds. (DG)
• In Art we will be starting painting next week.  (KS)
• Gavin was a good captain.  (LMD)
• In Music we played the xylophones.  (MC)
• In Music we also did a spider game and song.  When Mr. Allan stopped the music, we stopped our crazy movements.  (AMS)
• We played the wood blocks.  (MM)
• In Music we learned the Muffin Man.  (EW)
• In Gym we played Capture the Flag outside. (CF)
• We went for a jog.  (AK)  We ran 3 laps.  (DG)
• We get to run around in the gym.  (KS)
• Sometimes in Gym we do a warm-up and stretches.  (MC)
• We drafted small moment stories.  (KK) 
• Drafting means writing.  (HB)
• We had our third spelling test of the year.  (CH)
• Today we are going to have a Mystery Reader.  (SS)
• We are having our first ever game day this afternoon.  (GC)
• GC has Hootie at his house.  We can't wait to read what he has been up to.  (JF)  We can't wait to find out whose turn is next.  (LMD)
• GC is bringing back Hootie next week.  (MC)

Mystery Reader

AK's mom came in to be a Mystery Reader.  Mrs. K. was a great reader and we liked the books she brought in to share with us.  

Peek at the Week of October 4-8

Last week ended with the class getting ready for the new month.  Each month ends with the First Grade Pep Rally.  Each month ends with table changes.  It's nice to have a fresh start!

Class Photos:  Photos were sent home last Thursday.  Please return your order forms if you are ordering. 

Field Trip:  Most of you have sent in checks for the November trip to the Quick Center.  Checks (or $15 cash) is due this Wednesday.

Reading Workshop:  Last week we worked on shopping for "Just Right" books.  These are books that are not too hard and not too easy.  I used the story of Goldilocks as a model.  Goldilocks was always looking for the just right bowl, chair and bed just like we are looking for the just right book.  This week we will be focusing on Previewing a Book.  I like to use the term "stong readers" when we work on strategies.  So this week we will be talking about how strong readers use the cover (title and illustration) to help get their brains ready to read and understand a book.  Also, we will practice doing a 'book walk' an another pre-reading comprehension strategy. 

Writing Workshop:  Last week we filed away our first book which was called "The Fall Season".  This week we are working on a unit called "Small Moments".  Small moments are stories about a specific moment in time.  For example, maybe your child is writing about boogie boarding in the ocean instead of the entire trip to Cape Cod.  The idea is that writers zoom in on a specific event.  Of course we will be working on writing complete sentences as we plan and write our small moment stories.


Homework
Monday 10/4
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Fall Word Work

Tuesday 10/5
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Math:  More, Less, In-Between
3.  Bring in Field Trip Money ($15) by tomorrow

Wednesday 10/6
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Reading:  Book Award (use of your favorite books for this award)

Thursday 10/7
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Study for tomorrow's spelling test

Have a great week!

Highlights of the Week: October 1

• MC was a good captain.  (EW)
• Next week I will be the captain.  (GC)
• GC is bringing home Hootie.  (AK)  EW brought Hootie back to school today.  (Miss D.)
• We finished our fall books in Writing Workshop.  (JF)
• In Writing Workshop we started writing small moment stories.  (CH)
• In Art we finished making beds.  (DG)
• We had our first Pep Rally.  (KE)  HB and KE and KK were the Students of the month. (LMD) 
• We are having a Mystery Reader today.  (AB) 
• Maybe we will play Bingo today. (CF)
• We had our first birthday party.  (CH)
• We were having trouble getting focused on our Independent Reading.  (MC)
• In Music we played xylophones.  (GS)
• We picked out 'just right' books for our book bins.  (MM)
• Just Right books mean books that are not too hard and not too easy.  They are just right.  We think about Goldilocks when we shop.  (AMS)
• In our Highlights booklets we write to our parents. (MC)
• We picked new seats for the month of October.  We also put all of the Halloween books on the special shelf in the library.  (Miss D.)
• We put up some Halloween decorations up.  (MM)
• At music it was really fun because we had to run around in little steps and when Mr. Allan stopped the drum we stopped.  We made crazy shapes with our bodies.  (KS)