Week of January 25-29, 2016

The first half of the year is complete! The third marking period is underway. Please take note of any areas your child may be struggling with and try to practice those skills a little more.

Reading: This week’s story is the classic fable, “The Lion and the Mouse.” We will use this story to focus on the concept of Main Idea. (Identifying the important things that are happening in stories.) The amazing words to learn are: jungle, nibbling, trembling, beast, snarled, and entangled. The sight words emphasized will be: they, you, and of. During the week we will also practice how to correctly write sentences. Children should know that a sentence is a complete thought. It starts with a capital letter, has spaces between words, and ends with a period. Rhythm and rhyme in poems will also be discussed.

Phonics:  This week is a continuation of the /o/ sound, spelled with letter Oo. Remember: this is a vowel, it has two sounds! We will be practicing /o/ in the beginning, as well as the middle of words.

Math: Topic 5 (Numbers to 20) will be tested. Topic 6 will begin. This unit will discuss numbers to 100. It will start by counting to 30, and estimating items. Our estimations will determine if objects are closer to 10 or 20.

Reminders:

~ Remember to have your child wear a winter coat to school daily. We go outside for recess as often as possible. It is too cold to wear only sweatshirts. 

~ Please practice sight words daily. Also go over class work that is sent home. This helps to reinforce the concepts learned throughout the day.

Have an optimistic week!

Week of January 19-22, 2016

Reading: The title of this week's story is "Then and Now." It is a non-fictional story that emphasizes how things we use today are different from things used long ago. This selection provides great opportunities for developing lists, composing meaningful word groups, and demonstrating words for opposites. We will also practice how to draw conclusions in a story. The amazing words presented will be: gears, webcams, phonographs, headphones, handwritten, and newspapers. The sight words we will focus on are: they, you, and of.
Phonics: The letter of the week is Oo. The children will work with the short /o/ sound, as in hop, as well as the long /o/ sound, as in hope.

Math: We will begin Topic 5, "Numbers to 20." In this unit we will count, read, and write numbers 11-20.

Reminders:
~ Monday, 1/18/16, is a teacher in-service day. There is no school for students.
~ Please remember to practice all sight words daily. You can go beyond the flashcards.
Specials:
Tuesday- Music,   Wednesday- Computers,   Thursday- Library,    Friday- Art

Have an outstanding week!

Week of December 14-18, 2015

The anticipation is building. Christmas is right around the corner, and we are getting very excited! While holiday thoughts are in our minds, we still need to focus on the learning process before our well-deserved break.

     This week’s Reading story is an animal fantasy called “Little Quack.” We will concentrate on the plot (what important things happen in the story). Verbs happening now and in the past will also be discussed. The Amazing Words presented in the story are: duckling, pond, paddle, plunges, proud, and brave. The sight word target will be on: me, with, and she.  Our Phonics skills will focus on the consonant Rr, with an /r/ sound, as in rabbit.

     We will complete Topic 3 (Six to Ten) in Math this week. After testing how to count, read, and write numbers 6 through 10, we will begin Topic 4. This theme will compare and order numbers 0 to 10.

REMINDERS:

~ Please remember to have your child dress appropriately for the half-hour outdoor recess we have daily.

~ Keep practicing all sight words daily. Also review letter sounds, and counting to 100. I am seeing great improvements!

Have a remarkable week!

Week of December 7-11, 2015

It is that busy time of year for all of us. We are continuing to work hard as our lessons become more challenging, and our spirits are in the season.

In Reading we will begin Unit 3, which discusses changes all around us. The first story in the unit is “Little Panda.” This nonfictional story explains how a panda changes in its first year of life. During the story, we will practice how to compare and contrast ideas, such as how are a panda and her mother alike and different. Grammar will focus on verbs. Our amazing words are: weigh, measure, healthy, bamboo, curious, and explore. New sight words will be introduced: me, with, and she.

Phonics: We will be learning two letters this week, Nn, and Bb. The sounds to focus on are /n/, as in nest, and /b/, as in boat.

Math: Six to Ten is still our topic. Counting, reading, and writing the numbers 6-10 will be the focus. We will also look for “growing patterns.”

Reminders:

~ The weather is becoming much colder. We go outside during recess for one-half hour each day, unless there is rain, snow, or a severely low temperature. Please dress your child accordingly. (ex. Winter coat, hat, mittens, etc.)

~ Continue to practice the alphabet letters and all sight words daily.

~ Also keep counting to 100 by 1’s and by 10’s.

Thank you and have a blissful, new week!

~Mrs. Green

Week of November 23-27, 2015

Due to the reduced instructional time last week and this week, we will not be starting a new Reading story. We will take the time to complete the concepts presented in “A Bed for the Winter.” The Thanksgiving theme will also be incorporated into our lessons. The students will learn about the first Thanksgiving and discuss the feeling of appreciation. We will review character, setting, sequence, main idea, and comparing/contrasting in holiday themed books.

Phonics skills will still focus on the vowel Ii, while continuing to review blending, segmenting, syllables, and rhyming.

Math’s Topic 2 (Comparing and Ordering 0-5) will be tested this week before Topic 3 (Six to 10) is introduced.

Reminders:

~ It is important to practice sight words daily!

~ It is also beneficial to review the letters of the alphabet. Try to         increase the speed of recognition.

~ An early dismissal is scheduled on Wednesday, November 25^th. There will be no school on Thursday, Friday, and Monday, November 26-30^th. School will resume on Tuesday, December 1^st.

Specials for the week:

Monday- Music

Tuesday- Computers

Wednesday- Library

~ There is always something to be thankful for!

Enjoy your holiday break!

Week of November 16-20, 2015

After finishing the Reading skills in “Bear Snores On,” we will begin an informational text also discussing hibernation. The story is called, “A Bed for the Winter.” In this selection we will find out what kind of home an animal needs. Sequence is the comprehension strategy we will build upon. Captions will be presented and adjectives for opposites will be discussed. The Amazing Words for the week are: nest, meadow, stump, tree trunk, hive, and den. Two new sight words will be taught this week: he and for.

Phonics will present the letter Ii. The focus will be on the short /i/ sound, as in igloo. This includes identifying words with the beginning /i/ sound as well as words with /i/ in the medial position. We will segment, blend, and write words with the /i/ sound.

Topic 2 (Comparing and Ordering 0-5) will be completed this week in Math. We will start with comparing as many, more, and fewer. Then we will order numbers 0 to 5, as well as learn ordinal numbers through fifth. We will wrap up the week with using objects for problem solving and review the ideas from the unit.

Reminders:

~Please continue to practice sight words.

Specials for the week:

Monday- Music

Tuesday- Computers

Wednesday- Guidance

Thursday- Art

Friday- Gym

Have an interesting week!

Week of November 9-13, 2015

Wow! The first marking period just flew by us. The students are settled into the learning experience and progressing each day. I really enjoy seeing the friendships that are forming and the growth in their independence.

This week’s Reading selection is called “Bear Snores On.” This animal fantasy will help us distinguish things that are real and things that are “make-believe.” (A.K.A. Realism and fantasy). Simple rhyme and repeated sentences will provide the opportunity for students to join in the reading process. We will look for adjectives describing the size, number, color, and shape of nouns. The amazing words presented are: sleep, winter, cave, woods, storm, and blustery. The sight words like, my, and we will be practiced again this week.

The Phonics letter of the week is Cc. The focus will be on the /k/ sound, as in cat. We will work on the initial and final /k/ sound. (example: can, rock).

Topic 2 (Comparing and Ordering 0-5) will be continued in Math this week. We will recognize a group that has 1 and 2 fewer items than another group. The concept of the number 0 will be explored, read, and written.

Science will extend from the reading passage. We will discuss the concept of hibernation. This includes specific animals that hibernate, how they prepare, and what happens to their bodies at this time.

Reminders:

~ As always, please continue to practice the letters of the alphabet and all given sight words daily.

~ There will be no school for students on Monday, November 9^th due to parent/teacher conferences. I am looking forward to seeing everyone who signed up for a time.

~ Friday is the Field Trip to see “The Peanuts Movie.” (The excitement is building!)

Specials:  Tuesday- Computers     Wednesday- Library      Thursday- Art

Have a captivating week!