We had a very busy month in first grade, and we'll be keeping up the hard work for the next 3 short weeks until winter break! Then we'll be halfway done with our year- I can't believe how quickly it flies! Here are some things we've been working on...
Writing:
During Writer's Workshop, our authors have been hard at work publishing their second narrative pieces of the year! We call these our "Small Moments" because the students zoomed in on a memory, then focused on adding lots of descriptive details to paint a picture in the reader's mind. We use our peers a lot in the writing process, to share ideas and give and receive feedback. I am SO impressed with how our students talk to each other about their writing- I have heard really amazing conversations during this time, and students are getting great practice really listening to each other in order to provide useful feedback on a piece of writing. Often, I'll hear students read their work to each other, and the listener will say, "Hmm, I'm not sure that ending gives closure. Can you change the last sentence so I know its over?"
Snake Time!
Every time we have a few extra minutes at the end of the day, I have kids come up and hold Stella. While we have time to observe her every day, it's great to be able to hold her and get really up close and personal. We also got to examine her first shed up close! All our students have done a great job being respectful, gentle zoologists.
Math:
We are just starting our unit on measurement! We spent some time exploring "nonstandard" ways of measuring things- meaning different body parts. This is a great way for kids to experience the need for standardized units of measurement- clearly all our feet are not the same size and this makes things tricky! Measuring things is a great thing to practice at home. Involve your kids in cooking and helping with home improvement projects!
Thanks for reading! Remember to keep looking for those ASK ME stickers!
Hi Parents and Families!
Here's what we've been up to in Room 203 during October!
Reading:
We are hard at work in our reading groups learning our sight words! Parents, please work hard with the cards your student brought home a few weeks ago. Knowing these words right away will help enormously in your child's reading progress. There are many ideas under the "Links for Parents" tab. Practicing sight words should be fun- we use play dough, shaving cream, games, anything that helps to make our practice more enjoyable.
Science!
We also finished up our first Science unit two weeks ago with our trip to the aquarium! Our kids did a great job observing, investigating, asking questions, and explaining their thinking during our animals unit. Thanks so much to parents for paying admission to the Aquarium, we had a great time and saw so many amazing animals!
Fall Festival!
So many parents helped with our annual Fall Festival! This is one of my favorite events of the year. I had so much fun seeing the costumes and making the Dia de los Muertos crafts! Thank you to everyone who came!
We also had a great Halloween making crafts! Thank you to Meggin and Bliss who provided treats!
Math:
In math, we are really focusing on patterns. Anytime you see patterns in your life, point them out to your student and ask if they can find what you're looking at. We really want to increase the times we find and use mathematics in our daily lives, as this really helps student engagement and excitement about mathematics. We'll be exploring more and more patterns, especially moving towards noticing patterns in numbers.
Finally, I want to show you something you may have seen coming home on your students! We call these "Ask Me" stickers, and they are a great way for kids to share their learning with you. If you see a stick on your child, make sure to ask them about what it says! It helps them review new vocabulary, as well as feel so proud of their learning.
Thanks for reading! I'm trying to gauge how many parents are able to access the blog and read it, so if you read all the way to the end of this post, will you leave a comment below? I don't need names or much response- just a simple "I read it!" will let me know if this blog is useful to many of you. However, if you have any questions or comments about what we've been doing, you can mention that in a comment on any post and I can reply!
Just click on the blue text that says "comments" at the end of this post.
Then click on "comment as" and choose "anonymous". You won't have to create an account or sign in.
Hello Parents and Families!
I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've had a chance to update the blog with pictures and stories about what's been going on in first grade for the past few weeks. We've been so busy, and now that our kiddos have gotten really good at learning all the rituals and routines for our classroom, we are really taking off with our learning. Here's what's been happening lately:
A few weeks ago we started our first Science unit! To help us get started observing the world using our senses, and writing about our observations, we took a field trip to Wash Park! We observed from several spots in the park, and though it was too wet to go sit by the flowers, we got to watch as the sprinklers made rainbows!
Back in the classroom, we started our Zoology unit! I'm sure you've heard about our new class pet. She's a gorgeous Ball Python named Stella! Stella is helping us learn all about the fascinating world of reptiles.Our kids have done a great job having open minds and welcoming in an animal that normally doesn't get the best press! One big focus of our Zoology unit is learning to respect and admire every single animal on the planet. Our python is very sweet and docile. Several students have already been able to hold her and all those who want to try this will soon have a chance.
Every day, students have the chance to observe our snake, our fish, and our aquatic frog. We are practicing using scientific language for our observations, and writing what we see instead of opinions like "the fish are cute." Kids have been doing a great job with this, and are really using their observation time to look closely at things and come up with their own wonderings and questions based on careful examination of the animals.
In math, we are beginning to work with more and more tools that help us organize our thinking around mathematics. Some of these tools are rulers, dominoes, base 10 blocks, geoboards, pattern blocks, balances, and playing cards. We use these tools in many ways, so we always take some time to have kids explore the materials on their own. You'll see some of these materials coming home in the future as part of the math games.
This past Friday, we took our second trip to the Library. Those students who brought back their books from the first week were able to check out TWO books this time! Because we go to Library every other week, books won't be due until that day. Last Friday's check outs are due Oct. 10th. Students won't be able to check out a new book without bringing the old ones back, so please help your first grader practice responsibility with keeping track of their books.
Finally, you may also have heard that two Fridays ago we filled our marble jar! This is our class incentive tool, and whenever our whole community does something good, we add a marble. When it's full, the kids vote on what their reward will be. This time, we did a popcorn party. We are already earning marbles towards our next party, so stay tuned for what that will be!
Thanks for reading! I'm trying to gauge how many parents are able to access the blog and read it, so if you read all the way to the end of this post, will you leave a comment below? I don't need names or much response- just a simple "I read it!" will let me know if this blog is useful to many of you. However, if you have any questions or comments about what we've been doing, you can mention that in a comment on any post and I can reply!
Just click on the blue text that says "comments" at the end of this post.
Then click on "comment as" and choose "anonymous". You won't have to create an account or sign in. (Like this:)
Thanks again!
