Greetings All,
The past two weeks in Grade 1 have focused on our new unit of study on the Science and History of Nature. Students selected their area of study based on interest in the following three areas: Plants, Animals, Rocks and Minerals/Other. To date they have researched in the library, written their ideas, listed the questions they have, and created a group poster. The next step in this unit will be to take a historic look at the ways people have used and interacted with nature.
Our field trip to Church Tree Farms in Royal Oaks went really well. We were the first class to experience Glen Church's new format where he has the children interact with the tools. All students had the opportunity to use a hand drill, two handed saw, and old washboard. Upon our return to school we created a word wall with field trip words and drew the picture that would go with our field trip writing.
In math we have moved into applying our fluency, with number bonds within ten, to mentally hold and manipulate numbers up to 40. We are working particularly hard on organizing our data in a neat and efficient way. We are figuring out when we can leave the tens alone and just deal with the ones place. Alternately we are learning to break a tens when needed while holding the remaining tens and calculating the ones place. Please have students practice their basic number bonds within 10 until they have reached automaticity.
In reading we have been assessing using Running Records. This process allows us to test for fluency, comprehension, accuracy, and rate. Please be sure students are reading 10-15 minutes a night as this practice is pivotal in their progression through the Grade 1 levels. Letter blends in reading are coming along well and we are now working on spelling words that contain letter blends such as cr, sl, sp, etc. This week a Fry Word List was sent home. Children will study these words for both reading and spelling. We will conduct a second spelling inventory over the next several days.
In Social Thinking and Toolbox training, we have been studying the various aspects of friendship. At this age many children believe that their perspective makes something right or wrong and makes someone nice or mean. It is critical at this stage to provide children with a broader perspective that allows them to understand things from another person's perspective. In a school setting when there are 20 different perspectives and 20 different ways of being it is crucial that students understand they will not always get their own way. We are providing strategies to deal with others and ways to handle the common patterns of behavior that raise up at this developmental stage. We recommend the book The Whole-Brain Child by D. Siegel M.D. and T. Bryson, Ph.D.
Thank you again for all of your work with your children. We enjoy each and every day we spend with them.
Thank you,
Jen
The past two weeks in Grade 1 have focused on our new unit of study on the Science and History of Nature. Students selected their area of study based on interest in the following three areas: Plants, Animals, Rocks and Minerals/Other. To date they have researched in the library, written their ideas, listed the questions they have, and created a group poster. The next step in this unit will be to take a historic look at the ways people have used and interacted with nature.
Our field trip to Church Tree Farms in Royal Oaks went really well. We were the first class to experience Glen Church's new format where he has the children interact with the tools. All students had the opportunity to use a hand drill, two handed saw, and old washboard. Upon our return to school we created a word wall with field trip words and drew the picture that would go with our field trip writing.
In math we have moved into applying our fluency, with number bonds within ten, to mentally hold and manipulate numbers up to 40. We are working particularly hard on organizing our data in a neat and efficient way. We are figuring out when we can leave the tens alone and just deal with the ones place. Alternately we are learning to break a tens when needed while holding the remaining tens and calculating the ones place. Please have students practice their basic number bonds within 10 until they have reached automaticity.
In reading we have been assessing using Running Records. This process allows us to test for fluency, comprehension, accuracy, and rate. Please be sure students are reading 10-15 minutes a night as this practice is pivotal in their progression through the Grade 1 levels. Letter blends in reading are coming along well and we are now working on spelling words that contain letter blends such as cr, sl, sp, etc. This week a Fry Word List was sent home. Children will study these words for both reading and spelling. We will conduct a second spelling inventory over the next several days.
In Social Thinking and Toolbox training, we have been studying the various aspects of friendship. At this age many children believe that their perspective makes something right or wrong and makes someone nice or mean. It is critical at this stage to provide children with a broader perspective that allows them to understand things from another person's perspective. In a school setting when there are 20 different perspectives and 20 different ways of being it is crucial that students understand they will not always get their own way. We are providing strategies to deal with others and ways to handle the common patterns of behavior that raise up at this developmental stage. We recommend the book The Whole-Brain Child by D. Siegel M.D. and T. Bryson, Ph.D.
Thank you again for all of your work with your children. We enjoy each and every day we spend with them.
Thank you,
Jen