Winter has surely come, and is quite likely going to bring us some more cold temps and white stuff in the coming days. Thank you for sending your first grader to school well prepared for recess. In order for children to play in the snow, they must have boots AND snow pants. They head outside unless the windchill is particularly cold which happened this week for certain.
Ask your first grader about Higginbotham and Sophie (pictured above). They've been tucked close to the garden since early December. We are waiting to see what will happen to them come spring! So far they are fairing pretty well in the snow.
Room 10 continues to be a VERY busy place. We said farewell to our Liligrace this week who has moved to New Hampshire with her family. The children worked together to create a friendship blanket and special book for Liligrace. We are so sad to see her go, but know she is heading off to new adventures!
Reading, writing, math, social studies... and lots more. Are days are most definitely full. The children and I have transitioned from telling "small moment" stories during writer's workshop, to comparing, learning about and writing non-fiction, informational books about a wide range of topics. We are studying the various text features in non-fiction texts: table of contents, labels, captions, indexes, glossaries and lots more.
I'm glad to report that at this point in the year we have a much better handle on our new enVision math program and I'm delighted to see the ways children are thinking about math, particularly the addition and subtraction concepts taught so far. Children are utilizing a variety of tools and strategies to problem-solve, and are becoming quite skilled at communicating and applying their mathematical thinking in a range of ways, including written, oral and with the benefit of visual, hands-on tools.
We will continue to practice solving addition/subtraction via word problems, games and rote practice in the days ahead, but we are also moving forward into a new unit - representing and interpreting data. The children and I will explore concepts of data analysis involving three categories of information. Using tally marks to represent and record data will be one of the key concepts learned.
Please, as always, let me know how the math homework is going. I'm happy to troubleshoot areas of need should they arise.
Amazing work is also being done during our center and guided reading time. Children are practicing a wide range of skills including: developing a flexible, broad use of reading strategies when tackling a new book, responding to texts to demonstrate comprehension, building greater fluency, expanding vocabulary, comparing types of genres, and most importantly discovering books that they most love to read. All of this is very much a work-in-progress for most children. We have lots more learning to do for sure!
Learning to spell our 100 Grade One "Trick Words" (sight words) is also a tall task this year. I gave out the list of words at November conference time. Finding time to practice the spelling of these words at home would be greatly appreciated. We are practicing them here every day, but a double does won't hurt!
We have been studying Martin Luther King, and the many important messages embodied in his life's work, as well as from those that worked alongside him. The children, as they tend to be every year I teach about Dr. King, are puzzled and dismayed by the climate of that time period. This fosters very rich, meaningful conversations about where we've been and how far we've come. As adults, we know issues of race and equality continue to challenge our country. In our classroom, however, helping young students begin to understand these concepts (in very age-appropriate ways) is one way to begin a conversation about a very important topic that will undoubtedly be part of their learning in the years to come. I suspect your first graders may be talking about Dr. King at home too. My hope is that they will continue to gain awareness, think deeply and ask their important questions.
The 100th day of school is fast approaching, as is our Valentine's Day celebration on February 12. I will be sending a class list home soon so that children can prepare valentines for their friends. If you are already thinking about shopping for valentines, please know that it is the school's policy that no food items be given as part of the valentine.
More soon from Room 10.... As always, your questions are welcome at any time. Stay warm out there!