You will notice this week's pattern words (sp, sk and sm blends) in your child's agenda. This week they are a bit different, beginning consonant blends. These are words like spot, spit, skate, smooth. For this week's quiz I will mainly be looking for them to be able to properly spell the consonant blend, rather than the entire word (e.g. for a word like spare, students have not learned the "are" pattern yet). That being said, it they are to spell a word like "skate" we have been working on Magic E words so they should be spelling those correctly. We will work on these spelling patterns over the week and students will bring home work they complete for you to look at together.
Today we continued to work on counting backwards from various numbers 100 or less. In Writer's Workshop, students have been learning different words for "good." While it may seem advanced, one of the curricular requirements is for students to use different vocabulary and attempt more advanced spelling. Last week, students told short stories out loud where they had to use a synonym of good (I gave them several). This week, students will be writing short stories where they can use one of these "wow words" as I call them, in their writing.
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Below are a couple of pictures from our morning. I wrote the words "Happy Sports Day" on each board and the kids had to make as many words as they could using only those letters. This is a great activity for kids of any age but it is especially great for Grade Ones for a variety of reasons, one being that it encourages them to manipulate the letters and think about words they know how to spell, which at this point in the year, is a lot! It was so exciting to see their confidence, see them come up with words and not give up even though it was tricky. So much progress!!
This week as part of our New Year’s Resolutions, I have been trying to focus more on determination, hard work and positivity as well as thinking before you do something. -Even if something is hard, don’t give up -Sometimes work we are going to do is going to be hard -It is just like when we play a sport, we don’t give up during practice -We sometimes need to try to be happy, instead of choosing to be negative -Is what I am about to say helpful? If not, I don’t need to say it -We can be proud of ourselves when we make a good choice We also continue to work on working carefully and improving our printing. We continue to work through our Numbers to 100 unit. Below are some of the themes we will be working on. As with previous units, I will send home a mind-unit check-in.
-knowing each number individually (able to recognize, count to, and create) -can start and stop counting at any number (1-100), forwards and backwards -skip counting by 2s to 20, 5s to 100 and 10s to 100 -represent any given number in a variety of ways (e.g. by using a ten frame, by grouping by 5s, ten rods and singles) -identify numbers that are bigger or smaller It would be great if you could support your child with these skills. As I have previously mentioned a lot of Math work can be done together informally. Thank you to everyone who sent baptism mementos with their child. It added to our lesson and we all enjoyed seeing them. Today students have brought home an in-class reading update. It is a bright yellow paper attached to one or more white ones. Please look through both sheets over the weekend.
This week we continued to work on our New Year’s Resolutions, with a focus on self-control. This includes, raising their hands, asking themselves if what they are about to do or say is going to be helpful or just interrupting. We have also been working on printing. Yesterday, students did a little printing quiz, you will see this when I send home the spelling quiz book as it is just a page or two before Friday’s quiz. Next week we will be learning about the sacrament of baptism. Please send a memento of your child's baptism with them on Monday or Tuesday. I will be sure to keep it in a safe place while it is at school. Today students are bringing home a little number quiz we did on Tuesday. I wanted to see what numbers they were able to individually scribe on paper. This week, we have also worked on a few tricks to help with number recognition.
-listen carefully to the numbers (e.g. 86, EIGHTy-SIX, that gives you a big idea what numbers are in it) -we have also been looking at the hundreds chart and number patterns in it. (e.g. all numbers in the third row start with 2, all numbers in the fourth column end in 4) Students have been working hard to learn Magic E words and correct spelling. Looking forward to seeing their growth on the quiz tomorrow! Throughout the year of Grade One, most students need some sort of supplies replenishment, it is usually crayons, pencil crayons or markers. In students' agendas today, they recorded any supplies they may need. I have double checked this with them, it would be great if you could get this supplies and send it as soon as possible!
We will have spelling quiz on Friday. See agenda for lists. This week we are beginning our Numbers to 100 unit, today I introduce the hundreds chart and we did some number work with it. Students also learned and practiced the math games they will be playing in centers. I will send home a more detailed update on the objectives of this unit as we move through it. Today our agenda message is "Bring 2 opposite measurement things on Friday. See blog." We will be wrapping up our Measurement unit on Friday. I am hoping students will bring 2 items that are measurement opposites, for example, a weight and a feather, a soup ladle and a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon, a long string, short string, picture of a giraffe and picture of a mouse. Please make sure these items can fit in their backpack, so not too big, not too heavy :)
As part of our New Year's Resolutions, today we worked on positivity. We talked about how being positive is sometimes a choice, we have to make a choice to be happy and to see the good in situations instead of complaining or having a comment. Yesterday and today in Math, students have been working on counting by 2s to 20. For our New Year's Resolutions, today we focused on Reflection. Students and I discussed the importance of reflecting on our thoughts, words and actions. We also discussed different ways to show self-control and why self-control is important.
We began a new writer's workshop this week. Yesterday and today we made a list of 4 things that are important to do in every piece of writing. 1. use finger spaces 2. use your sounds and word wall words! 3. use perfect printing 4. put a period Students brought home a cue card where they did a sentence using all four elements and on the other side a sentence where they left out one or two, they were quite the funny tricksters with this side! Students brought home a wooden manger scene ornament yesterday or today that they did a wonderful job colouring. On the back I pasted a quote from Pope Francis. I told them that while nativity scenes are usually only out around Christmas, they could certainly keep this out all year round. While we did not go out for recess today, we may tomorrow or later this week, so please make sure your child dresses for the weather every day. |