September 2-5

Happy Friday, parents!  Here is a quick update on the happenings in our classroom:

Reading
This week has focused a lot on making predictions.  We learned to make a prediction that we need to:
1. Read the title/cover.
2. Look at the pictures.
3. Read a little of the story.
4. Think...what do I already know? What have I already learned?
5. Make a prediction: "I know___________, so I predict ________________."

We have also discussed making sure our reading makes sense, and we have also practiced making connections with our books.

Question:  What do you do if your reading does not make sense?  Why is it important to predict with evidence?

You have also seen your child's reading folder come home for the first time this week.  Please make sure that your child is reading nightly for 20 minutes, and that you are consistently filling out our reading log.



Writing
We have been working hard this week to make sure that our writing is readable by making sure that we have enough space between our words and that we use punctuation and capitalization.  In addition, we have also practiced recognizing when we end and begin sentences.

Question:  What does spaghetti and meatball spacing mean?  What kind of end punctuation did you learn about this week?


Word Work
This week we introduced the routine of word work with Words Their Way.  We have worked on what to do when we get new words, how to sort them, and how to work with them in our word work notebook.


Math
This week we have continued to work on addition story problems and discuss addition strategies, such as drawing pictures and counting on.  We have introduced a new game, Roll and Record, and we continue to work in our math stations.

Question:  What are some helpful strategies you can use to help solve word problems?


Social Studies
We have wrapped up our What is a Citizen unit this week.  Topics of our lessons have included teamwork and problem solving.  Next week we will begin our first science unit over weather.

Question:  What did you learn about teamwork this week?

Homework:

Weekly homework will begin today (9/5) and come home each Friday.  The main part of your child's nightly homework will be reading.  Beginning this week, home reading folders will be sent home each night.  This will contain a reading log and a leveled book.  Please have your child keep the book and the reading log in the folder and return it to school each day.  

A Note about Reading levels:

Your child will bring home a leveled book each night.  Most of the books that your child brings home will be at your child's independent reading level.  Your child's independent reading level is a level at which your child can read with 97% or above accuracy and with deep comprehension.  At times, your child may bring home a book on his or her instructional reading level.  Your child's instructional reading level is the level at which your child can read with support.  Often, these are books I introduce to the children during guided reading.  I typically preview the book with the children and help them through tricky spots.  Your child's instructional reading level will most likely be one or two levels above his/her independent reading level.