We had a great second week of school! The children are getting accustomed to procedures and expectations as we review them each day. Thank you for being on time in the morning and thank you for sending the daily folders and the Tuesday folders back to school promptly. I appreciate all your help and support.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
· Parent Information Night is on Monday, September 14th at 6:30 (location: our classroom, 302) followed by PTA meeting at 7:00. Please refer to Kathy Caraway website for more details.
· Please return signed Tuesday folders every Wednesday morning.
· Please make sure you check your child’s daily folder each night and initial it.
· It is a great idea to keep a change of clothes in your child’s backpack. We often have lunch spills and the occasional restroom accident.
This week:
READING
We have started to learn about the procedures of reading workshop. Reading brings joy to our lives and in order to become strong readers we need to practice everyday. Whether we are using the classroom library or the school library, we have discussed how to choose a "good-fit" or "just right book". These are the books that have only a few unknown words on each page and we can read with fluency and ease. As we teach comprehension and thinking skills, it is also important that we can understand the book we are reading.
This week we will work to read independently a little longer each day. We will also learn how to use our classroom library and handle the books carefully and responsibly. We will talk about the importance of respecting everyone's reading time and how to use kind reminders when we are disturbed.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S READING AT HOME?
Please make sure your child has access to a variety of "just right books" at all times. Public libraries offer a great selection of leveled readers as well as easy-to-read chapter books.
Make the reading time a special time where you and your child can sit together comfortably. Pick a time in the day that you know your child is not too tired to read. Maybe your child likes to read after school, or before bedtime. Sit beside your child, turn off the TV and have your child read to you. If your child is stuck on a word, read the word to your child quickly so she/he won't lose fluency. It is also important that you read to your child every night. Children need to hear fluent reading with expression from a parent. Do a picture walk (talk about the pictures) together before reading. As you read, stop periodically and see if your child has understood the story so far. Read together, laugh together and make this a special time.
WRITING
In writing, we will learn two skills: One is the importance of illustrations in our stories and how to make our illustrations match our words. We will look at many different picture books and discuss how illustrations can enhance a story. The other skill we will focus on is segmenting- say the word slowly or stretch the word, listening for the sounds. Then write down all the corresponding letters that were heard. Your child will have independent writing time where he/she will be conferencing with me and working the writing process.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING AT HOME?
Provide a writing journal at home. Your child can decorate the front cover however she or he likes. Have your child think of a memory, a place that they have been before, a time they could remember, an activity they enjoyed... Something true that they have experienced. It could be just a short ride in the car to HEB, when you both saw a deer on the street!
Have your child draw a picture of that memory first, and then add words to write about it. When writing, remind your child to start the sentences with capital letters, put one finger space between the words, and end their sentences with a period or exclamation mark. Show excitement, encourage and celebrate every attempt! Share their writing with family members and friends! Let them see that they are real writers!
MATH
We will work on grouping items such as cubes and beans in groups of 10. With any given number, we will discuss how many groups of 10 we can make and how many items are leftover (meaning they are less than ten and can't be grouped as 10). While working with groups of tens and ones (the leftovers), we will discuss the placement of digits in numbers and how each digit has a different value based on its place in a number. We will compare the teen numbers and apply our knowledge in problem solving activities.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING AT HOME?
Provide some counters such as beans, macaroni, pennies, buttons, or other objects to count. Your child will probably start counting by ones first. Some children may count by 2s. After that have your child record the number on a paper. Let's say, your child counted 14 beans. Ask your child, how many groups of 10 can you make with these beans? How many left overs do you have? Let your child see that there is one group of 10 and 4 left over. Ask: Is 14 greater than 10 or less? Practice with different numbers and counters and make this as fun as possible.
SCIENCE
Last week in science, we explored and discussed what scientists do. The students were introduced to science journals and we discussed the importance of recording scientific observations. We learned about science safety, how to ask questions about science, make predictions, record observations and data about investigations, and explain our thinking about what we have learned.
This week, we will learn how we use our five senses to explore the world around us. We will also learn about tools in science that could help us to extend and protect our senses such as hand lenses, goggles…
SOCIAL STUDIES
In social studies we will learn about the leaders and authority figures in our community of school, city, state and country. We will learn about the important jobs of our principal, mayor, governor and president.
Thank you for being a partner in your child's learning!