Week of February 6 - 10

Dear Parents,

February is finally here and we are looking forward to a month full of events and new learning!  In the upcoming month we will celebrate the 100th day of school, President’s Day, and Valentine’s Day.  More information for each event will be sent home.

 

Here is a look at what we will work on next week:

Reading: We have been learning the meaning of inferring and how we can use inferring when we are reading to gain a better understanding of our stories. Students are beginning to use inferring before, during, and after reading.  Next week we will continue to practice inferring by using just the front cover of books and pictures during our picture walks.  We will begin inferring when thinking about the theme, moral, and author’s message in each story we read.  Games, riddles, and wordless books, will be used to practice!

Word Work/Handwriting: Next week we will review word parts, explore new ending blends, along with long and short vowel sounds.  Ending blends we already know will be used to help create new words.  Long and short vowel sounds ‘a’, ‘e’, and ‘i’, will be introduced using games, poems, and sorting activities.  For handwriting, a review of where to start each letter, writing capital letters, and our first and last names will begin our week.  Student handwriting will be assessed with an activity requiring students to ‘sign in’ when they come into school in the morning. Ask students to show you how they can write their full names!   

Writing: Students did an amazing job with their persuasive writing!  Letters have been mailed and should arrive in the mail any day.  Next week we will move into our next writing unit, Using Author’s as Mentors.  In this unit students will explore three main authors to learn about their amazing creations.  Students will examine each author’s work to learn how they wrote each piece, their biography, and how they are unique and different from other authors.  The authors we will be studying are Lois Elhert, Arnold Lobel, and Cynthia Rylant.  Lois Elhert and Arnold Lobel will begin our study. We will read many of their pieces as well as compare and contrast their styles through graphic organizers and even exploration of their websites.   Students will then have a chance to write and illustrate like each author! 

Math: Students enjoyed measuring and solving story problems that compare measurements.  Next week our fractions unit will conclude with a review and our end of the unit assessment.  From there our next unit, Number Games and Crayon Puzzles, focusing on number combinations along with addition and subtraction will begin.  We will explore different combinations of ten through games and story problems. 

Science: Students have learned so much about amphibians and are eager to move into the next animal group, reptiles!  Next week we will begin by sharing what we already know about reptiles and what we would like to learn.   Books and videos will be used to discover what a reptile is and how it is alike and different from amphibians, mammals, and fish.   A definition of reptiles will be created and students will create a list of reptiles they know and begin to make connections to reptiles they have seen.  By the middle of the week picture sorts and discussions of each reptile, their habitat, and what they need to survive will occur.  

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

~Your first grade teachers: Miss Field and Mrs. McIntire