January has flown by! We have been so busy with lots of fun exploring new units of study in reading, writing, math, and even science! Here is what we have been up to this month:
We started a new unit in Reading on comprehension through story elements. We spent the week back after break learning about characters and setting. Then, we created our own backdrop settings and character masks for Jan Brett's story, The Hat. We practiced reading with fluency and then put on a Reader's Theater performance of the story for our 4th Grade Buddies. Next week, we will read books by Helen Lester about Tacky the Penguin. We will begin to explore character traits.
You may have also noticed that book check levels and RAZ-Kids levels have changed. I am just about finished with mid-year assessments, and am so proud of all of the growth our first graders are making! I hope you are too!
In writing, we published our How-to books and shared them with writing partners. This past week, we have been reading books with lots of persuasive letters. Over the next few weeks we will be brainstorming and drafting letters to ask for something or to make a change. This is such a fun unit that first graders really enjoy. Be on the lookout at the end of next month for letters to be arriving in your mailboxes!
In math, we are deepening our understanding of place value. Students have learned how to decompose a number into tens and ones, write numbers in expanded form, and represent one number in more than one way by breaking a ten into ten ones. Next week we will be applying our understanding of place value in order to solve story problems.
We have also begun our first science unit, Patterns in the Sky. Despite the chilly weather, we were able to get outside three times to observe our human sundial and notice how the shadows on the sundial change in size and location at different times during the day. Next week we will learn about day and night. Students are so excited to be participating in science and look forward to our science time!
In the coming week, be on the lookout for information regarding our upcoming Valentine's exchange. Also, keep checking out your child's Seesaw Journal as we are regularly posting on there each day.
Have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Penna
We started a new unit in Reading on comprehension through story elements. We spent the week back after break learning about characters and setting. Then, we created our own backdrop settings and character masks for Jan Brett's story, The Hat. We practiced reading with fluency and then put on a Reader's Theater performance of the story for our 4th Grade Buddies. Next week, we will read books by Helen Lester about Tacky the Penguin. We will begin to explore character traits.
You may have also noticed that book check levels and RAZ-Kids levels have changed. I am just about finished with mid-year assessments, and am so proud of all of the growth our first graders are making! I hope you are too!
In writing, we published our How-to books and shared them with writing partners. This past week, we have been reading books with lots of persuasive letters. Over the next few weeks we will be brainstorming and drafting letters to ask for something or to make a change. This is such a fun unit that first graders really enjoy. Be on the lookout at the end of next month for letters to be arriving in your mailboxes!
In math, we are deepening our understanding of place value. Students have learned how to decompose a number into tens and ones, write numbers in expanded form, and represent one number in more than one way by breaking a ten into ten ones. Next week we will be applying our understanding of place value in order to solve story problems.
We have also begun our first science unit, Patterns in the Sky. Despite the chilly weather, we were able to get outside three times to observe our human sundial and notice how the shadows on the sundial change in size and location at different times during the day. Next week we will learn about day and night. Students are so excited to be participating in science and look forward to our science time!
In the coming week, be on the lookout for information regarding our upcoming Valentine's exchange. Also, keep checking out your child's Seesaw Journal as we are regularly posting on there each day.
Have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Penna