October News

Reading and Writing:
We have started working with our Harcourt Storytown series. Some of the skills we are working on include sequencing, summarizing a story, making predictions, story elements and phonics. The students are doing a great job with their Reading Logs. Thank you for your daily help. The more they read, the more confidence they will have in themselves as readers. Their sight word vocabulary will increase, as well as their fluency.

The students are also doing a wonderful job learning the different components of Daily Five. Ask them about building their "stamina" up to 20 minutes for Read to Self. They are currently practicing strategies to use when they Read to Someone. They have also learned different Word Work activities (playing word games, writing words on Dry-Erase Boards and using magnetic letters to create sight words). The first graders are also learning new ways to "Listen to Reading." They are using RAZ kids and the Listening Center to listen to new stories.

Please remember to help your child complete the weekly Tic Tac Toe Literacy assignments. The students receive this assignment on Monday and are expected to bring it back on Friday. This assignment is a great way to help your child learn high frequency words and phonics skills.

Math:
We are practicing building numbers out of tens and ones. For example, students are expected to know that the number 51 is made of 5 tens and 1 one. We are also learning how to count up to 120.

The students are doing a wonderful job learning their "fixers!" So far, they have learned these 6 fixers:

• 7, 4, 11
• 8, 8, 16
• 9, 5, 14
• 5, 2, 7
• 8, 4, 12
• 3, 3, 6

Please continue to return the math homework to school. If you find the homework is too long and frustrating, please note this on the assignment and return it to school.  

Science and Social Studies:

Our study of bees has given us many wonderful opportunities to discuss life cycles and living/nonliving things. These will be ongoing topics of study in first grade. We had a fantastic time seeing the bees at Heller Nature Center. Thank you very much to Mr. Meyerowitz and Mrs. Taitler for coming on the field trip with us.

We will begin learning about Christopher Columbus in Social Studies. 

Buddies:

Has your first grader told you about his/her 3rd grade buddy? We are buddies with Mrs. Lorenz's 3rd grade class. We will meet together to do projects, read and have educational fun!

Traveling Teddy:

Be prepared for Traveling Teddy to visit your house. Traveling Teddy goes home each Friday and needs to come back on Monday. Traveling Teddy will circulate through the entire class so please be patient.  

Book Order:

I will be sending home a Scholastic Book Order this week. This is an optional activity; however, it is a great way to build a library at your home. If you order online, our class earns materials for the classroom!