As the weeks progress in first grade, we are striving to provide a warm, positive environment with great structure to our school day. This past week our class worked on establishing a routine with phonics instruction. We use a multi-sensory approach to teach simple sound/symbol relationships and progress logically to more complex concepts. Each week we present the children with lessons that use their visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning pathways. The children really seem to enjoy this success-oriented, direct instruction and we feel it leads to a balanced overall reading program.
The first graders also seem to love math this year. They have been busy counting pennies, singing "The Money Song", identifying a number between two numbers, graphing a picture on a pictograph, dividing a solid in half, and even eating half an apple! They are eager to participate and explain what strategy they used to arrive at a particular answer. Between the mimio (white board) and manipulatives (geoboards, linking cubes, dot cubes, etc.), the children are focused ready to learn!
In social studies, the first graders continue to explore their community and what it means to be a good citizen. They are working on the concept of where they are in the world with regard to their city, state, and country. Likewise, they are learning to identify the leaders in our city, state, and country. The children will be ready for their first social studies assessment by the end of this coming week.
Our spelling words for this upcoming week are:
- log
- dot
- top
- hot
- ox
- lot
- do
- is
- to
- see
The first graders braved the heat this past week and continued to keep up their great behavior. The Super Improvers Wall and Scoreboard are in full swing, and the positive attitude is contagious!
In social studies the children are learning about having respect for the rules by which we live, including the Golden Rule. They are recognizing the need for rules in our home, school, and community. In addition, they are identifying authority figures and the need for fairness in rules. The first graders are also beginning to construct simple maps, understand map symbols, and identify places on a map by using a map key.
The children are really enjoying math this year with the strong foundation they have been given in kindergarten. They successfully completed their first math assessment and are ready to take on more challenging concepts. This past week the first graders worked on ordering sets from smallest to largest, identifying most and fewest, ordering numbers from least to greatest, matching a number to a set, collecting and sorting data, using data to construct a bar-type graph, using logical reasoning to solve a problem, and identifying first, second, and third.
In reading, the children and I are having so much fun learning strategies that readers use to become more accurate readers. The specific strategies they learned and applied were: focusing on both the beginning and ending sounds when decoding a word, skipping a word in the text and coming back to it when they have reached the end of the sentence, and cross checking the text to make certain the pictures and words look right, sound right, and make sense. Basically, I am teaching the first graders to self-monitor their reading by stopping when it doesn't make sense. There is such joy in teaching these great strategies to children who are excited about reading!
This past week marks the end of our first read aloud novel Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins. Our class really loved this very first grade friendly novel. I encourage you to continue the series at home with your child by reading aloud Toy Dance Party and Toys Come Home written by the same author.
Have a wonderful week!
This first week of first grade just flew by! We had so much fun getting to know one another and learning the routine of our day. We've laughed. We've cheered. We've been building a strong community for a successful year together.
In language arts/reading we learned the importance of choosing and reading "good fit books". Our class also learned how much fun it is to read song books. We read BINGO, The Lady with the Alligator Purse, Down by the Bay, Five Little Ducks, and more! Reading these types of books instantly engages and motivates young readers. In addition, song books increase phonemic awareness and build sight word vocabularies.
In math the children worked on making towers for given numbers, placing objects on a graph, ordering numbers, identifying circles and squares, and identifying right and left. So far the first graders love math and have been very successful with their efforts.
Our spelling words for the week:
(Aug. 31 - Sept. 4)
am
at
sat
man
dad
mat
all
and
any
are
Our first grade journey is off to a great start! The boys and girls in 1H are excited to begin a new year, make new friends, and work hard together. We have had a wonderful time these first few days of school getting to know one another. The children are getting acquainted with our classroom rules and high expectations for behavior. They are also learning about ways to improve themselves academically and behaviorally throughout this year. The first graders will be continually acknowledged for their efforts and achievements through our Super Improvers Wall.
As a class, we have already begun reading up a storm! The children have really enjoyed singing and reading Peanut Butter and On Top of Spaghetti. They have listened to First Day Jitters, Walk On, and trip-trapped to The Three Billy Goats Gruff. We have discussed taking care of our classroom library and all the books within it. Beginning next week the first graders will bring home a book from our classroom library every Wednesday to read and return to school the next day. We call this bit of weekly homework "I Borrowed a Book". First graders generally like to take a special book home to read each week.
I look forward to meeting with all first grade parents at Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 3rd. I hope to further discuss this year with all of you and answer any questions you may have.
