14-20 February 2011
Sorry about the late post this week. Let me 'catch us up' on all the learning activities this week.
Thank you for sending in the permission slips and 8 Euro for our walking study trip to San Giorgio's next Wednesday, 23 February. We'll depart from the school NLT 10:30, so if you're a chaperone don't be late. Parking is such a problem here at the complex. Those chaperones coming (thank you very much!) are Eaves, Hall, Jackson, Lovelace, Weymer, Brown-Williams, & Young. We're sure to have a great time and students will be attending a mini-chef school of sorts! Yummy--
Our Reading Selection this week is our 1st PLAY-"Where Are My Animal Friends". Yes, that's a new genre for us and we're excited that today we'll be given parts (5 characters) and each group will 'read' their part with phrasing, fluency and expression for each of their characters: Goose, Bear, Squirrel, Raccoon, and Hummingbird. Here are the additional skills covered in this unit:
Genre: Play
Comprehension Skill: Sequence
Comprehension Strategy: Prior Knowledge
Study Skill: Bar Graph
Spelling/Phonics: Compare (-er, -est)
Language/Vocabulary: Multi-meaning words
Grammar: contractions with not
Writing: Song
Spelling Words: bigger, biggest, faster,fastest, slower, slowest, shorter, shortest, sadder saddest, good-bye, before. 12 words/comparisons -er, -est (doubling the consonant on short vowel words before adding the suffix.)
We'll also be taking a Unit 3 Benchmark Test with 40 questions. This test is a review of all the High Frequency Words, selection words, comprehension skills, grammar, and phonics skills covered in Unit 3 selections, but a cumulative for the entire year, as well.
We talk each day about how much their reading has improved, ways they can improve, and the 'thinking' part of taking a test; which includes visualization, fixing-up tricky part, reading for meaning (what's happening in the story), predicting and checking predictions along the way, and making personal connections to the text. This is critical as their level of reading increases and true comprehension (the purpose for reading) occurs because of the brain activity which includes all of the above. Orchestrating all of these items, especially in a test scenario is critical. Does this sound like a post-high school lecture? It's not, it's just 1st grade!!!!
Keep your child reading at home. There is no lack of books for them to borrow in our own classroom! Remember to have them tell you what happened in the story, then ask questions about Main Idea (what was the story mostly about), Plot (sequence of events; beginning, middle, end, and identify what the problem and solution was), then don't forget Theme (what are we supposed to learn from the story). These questions are best suited for fiction selections. For non-fiction reading, have them tell the facts about their text and notice the differences with them about informational, non-fiction, or TRUE text, rather than fiction, where there is a distinct beginning, middle and ending.
We began visiting the Math Lab in Ms. Breault's room on floor 1. This is a center-based, small-group activity time where students work together on the standards-based activities to support mastery of math skills assigned to this quarter. We attend for 10 days, with a few delays because of other scheduled activities. Ask your student what they did today? I'm certain they'll be able to tell you.
There are a few links changed on the homework sites, so remember to make certain that you visit RAZ-kids Reading, Sampson's Classroom, and IXL Math. Yesterday six students were awarded Drops for their bucket because of their participation on IXL during the last week. Great job, students.
We'll be finishing our first 5-day week of school this Friday, finally! I knew it would happen sometime.
How are the Reader's Response Logs coming along? Thanks for assisting your child and having them complete a minimum of 2 per week.
Mrs. Petty
