PBIS Classroom Celebration: Beach Day!

Math: Comparing Numbers to 99

First graders continue to develop their understanding of place value and our base-ten number system. This week, they are working to compare and order 2 two-digit numbers based on the values of the tens and ones digits and to record the results of these comparisons with the symbols >, <,  or =.  They are noticing that if a two-digit number has more tens it will be greater than a number with fewer tens, no matter how many ones there are. This is true because we know that the value of the digit in the ones place will always be less than 1 ten because the place value system only allows up to 9 ones. 

Literacy: More Vowel Teams and Suffixes

During word study,  Ffrst graders are learning to segment, blend, and spell words with five sounds and continuing to read words that contain vowel teams including oa, oe, ow, ou, oo, ue, ew, au, and aw. Soon, they will be adding suffixes -ed and -ing to closed syllable base words.  Heart words for our current unit include: any, many, how, now, down, out, about, our.  Please practice reading and spelling these words at home.

In our new unit in Literacy, students launched their learning about birds by focusing on their physical features. Students are considering the guiding question, “What makes a bird a bird?" as they begin to grow their research skills investigating the different physical characteristics of birds through texts, photographs, and videos  During the first part of this unit, students read an engaging mystery riddle and explore mystery pictures to stir their inquiries about the topic of birds.

Health Series: Zones of Regulation

First graders are excited to welcome Mrs. Klocek back into the classroom for another series of first grade Health lessons. They have been introduced to the Zones of Regulation, a curriculum that builds self-awareness of and strategies for emotion management and positive behavior. Information about this program went home in Thursday folders this week. 

Valentine Exchange, Valentine Craft, and All-School Celebration!

 

Wear Red for Heart!

 

Math: Numbers to 99

First graders began a new unit in math this week focued on developing an understanding of place value for numbers up to 99. Focused on the structure of numbers in base ten, unit activities allow mathematicians to see that the two digits of a two-digit number represent how many tens and ones there are. Exposure and experience with unitizing, a critical first grade skill, is also being developed as they learn that 10 ones make a unit called a "ten" and that quantities from 11 to 99 are composed of some number tens and ones. Unitizing allows for counting larger quantities more accurately and efficiently as well as sets the scene for double digit addition. 

Literacy: Closed Syllables, Vowel Teams, and Writing About the Sun and Moon

Word Study: Students are learning about different syllable types during word study (closed syllables have a short vowel and are closed in by one or more consonants.)  Vowel teams will be introduced shortly, include: ai, ay, ee, ea, ey, oi, oy.  Please practice the following heart words at home with your child: say, says, see, between, each.  During fluency practice we continue to work on reading with accuracy and prosody (expression.)

EL: During our Literacy block students continue to reflect on where the sun and moon appear in the sky and what happens when the sun and moon are at different places in the sky.  We are reading What the Sun Sees and What the Moon Sees by Nancy Tafuri to understand the content as readers and then again as a mentor text to study the author’s craft to begin narrative writing about the topic. The guiding question that we are investigating is, How do authors use their knowledge and observations to write a story?

Second Step: Problem-Solving

First graders are learning about effective problem-solving through our social emotional learning program, Second Step. There are two main goals for this unit. The first is to develop students' ability to solve problems in safe and respectful ways. The second is to develop students' skills for making and keeping friends. Your child has been introduced to the problem-solving process.  Last week, hey learned and practiced the first two steps in the process, S: Say the problem , and T: Think of Solutions.  This week, they learned and practiced the last two steps, E: Explore consequences and, P: Pick the best solutions.  

Positive Behavior Classroom Celebration: Stop Everything and Read!

 

February 14th

We will be having a low-key valentine exchange on Friday, February 14th.  If your child wishes to participate in the exchange, please make sure he or she includes a card for everyone. A 1M class list was sent home in Thursday folders this week.

Martin's Big Words

In recognition of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, first graders enjoyed a read aloud of Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. This picture book biography prompted discussion about race, inequality, Dr. King's religious inspirations, and his death.  First graders might have questions about the life and work of Dr. King at home this weekend!

Literacy: Informational Texts and Glued Sounds

First graders are delving more deeply into their study of the sun, moon and stars.  They are exploring observable patterns in the sky.  In our new unit, students are moving from narrative to informational texts that continue to grow their undertaking of patterns in the sky.  Our guiding question for this unit is:  “What patterns can we observe in the sky?”

This week we are  finishing up a unit in word study on glued sounds: -ang, -ing, -ong, -ung, -ink, -onk, -ank, -unk. Please take time to practice the following heart words at home with your child: why, by, try, my, two, too, also, put, come, some. Students are expected to read and spell these words. Thank you!

Winter Workshops Are Up and Running

 

Math: More Addition and Subtraction Within 20

 Addition problem investigations require students to add two or three numbers, with a total within 20. They start with problems in which two of the numbers make a ten (for example, 6+8+4$6+8+4$) and learn that they can add numbers in any order, which can make adding easier. They discover the usefulness of grouping numbers to find a sum of 10 when adding. Students find the sum of two addends, using methods by which they count on or use related facts they know.

For example, making a ten is helpful when finding the value of 9+5$9+5$. Students can take 1 from the 5 and group it with the 9 to make 10, and then add the 4.

Subtraction problem investigations require students to use the relationship between additon and subtraction and their understanding of the usefulness of a ten.

For example, if given 15 - 8, students may take away 5 to get to 10 and then take away 3 to find the difference of 7. 

They also may start with 8 and count on by 2 to get to 10, and then add 5 to reach 15. They see that the difference is 7. 

Second Step: Emotion Management

Our social emotional learning program, Second Step, began a new unit recently that focuses on emotion management. In this unit, students are taught proactive strategies to help prevent strong feelings from turning into negative behaviors. When intense feelings are allowed to escalate, strong physiological reactions hamper students' ability to reason and to solve interpersonal and other problems without aggression. The ability to keep strong emotions from escalating and driving behavior allows students the chance to employ many of the other skills practiced this year, such as effective communication, assertiveness, negotiation and compromise, and problem-solving. During today's lesson, first graders learned to identify their own feelings by noticing the physical clues in their bodies.  Using disappointment as the example, activities and discussions revolved around the idea that everyone has strong feelings sometimes.