"Peek at the Week" October 15-19

What a great week in first grade!  These are truly some amazing kiddos...I am excited to see what this year has in store for us!  Here is a look at what we were up to!

(let's go backwards this week!)

Math

 This week I launched a more structured and formal Math Workshop model.   Our time consists of a group mini lesson, guided practice, and center activities.  The children have a choice of which activity they want to visit each day, and there is differentiation at each activity based upon children's needs.  During these activities I am able to pull groups to work on extension activities, problem solving, or intervention. 

Finding coin values on the iPads!

Penny Cup Everyday Math Game

Scoop and Total Coin Game

Exchanging pennies for nickels!

We did a great job finding groups of 5 pennies!

I would love to have volunteers help out during math!  I am looking for some help beginning the week of October 29 on Mondays and Thursdays from 2:50-3:30.  Once our 10 week Guidance lessons conclude at the end of November I could also use somebody on Wednesdays.  Please let me know if you would be interested!  

Word Work

We learned 5 new popcorn words this week:  play, with, went, one, and day.  In addition, we also began our study on vowels.  We will be studying a new vowel each week throughout October and November.  After winter break, we will begin our 'formal' spelling lessons from Words Their Way. 

This week we studied the short a and long a sounds.  We began by sorting long and short a pictures. 

As an added challenge, children could try writing the long and short a word on the back of the picture cards before sorting!

 

 

We also worked to complete a long A word ladder!

As you go up each 'ring' of the ladder, you change one letter to make a new word!

Writer's Workshop

We focused this week on s  t  r  e  t  c  h  i  n  g small moments.  We want to zoom in to one specific part of our story, and then stretch it out to include all the detail we can!  A great example of this concept is in the Kissing Hand.

 

 This story is not about Chester's ENTIRE day, but rather just about the part where he feels nervous to go to school.  The author takes his nervous feelings about school and stretches the story out over several pages.

In addition, we also began to realize that many writers were spending so much time drawing detailed pictures that they weren't getting any words written!  We were dying to read their stories- but there weren't any words.  In order to help with this we decided to sketch, write, and then go back to add details.

     

Meeting with our writing partners to share our stories!

Reader's Workshop

We are wrapping up our study on 'tools' readers use to help with unfamiliar words.  This week we focused on looking for chunks we knew and thinking if words made sense.  Here we are working on some tough words in a sentence.  

We also learned another component of Daily 5- Listen to Reading!  We have 2 ways to listen to reading in our classroom.  

Books on tape in our listening center.

Tumble Books! 

It was a BIG week in Reader's Workshop because we also began guided reading!  Thank you so much for helping your children build in time to practice reading each night.  I am enjoying hearing how the kids are using the strategies we are learning in the classroom at home. 

Don't forget....conferences begin next week!  I am very excited to share how your child is doing so far in first grade!  If you didn't return the special concerns sheet, but would like to discuss something specific, please let me know so I can be best prepared to answer your questions.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Ms. Havig