Post 27

IMPORTANT DATES:

Thursday, May 11, 2017 - 12:30 Release

Thursday, June 8, 2017 - Field Trip - Boston Children's Museum

REMINDERS: 

CAP: Please send back signed CAP forms (see email sent today for forms). You child needs a signed form to participate.

Water bottles: Please make sure to send your child to school with a sport top water bottle (i.e. one that will not spill when tipped over) each morning that s/he should bring into class each morning to keep on his/her table to have easy access to water throughout the day. Thanks! 

Wow words: Please continue to help your child gather new words each week through their reading and your conversations at home and bring them in on Wow Word Wednesday. Here are links to an online dictionary (Merriam Webster for kids - Word Central) and our wow word worksheet in case you need a new one. This is an ongoing reminder for the year. Please make acquiring new words part of your home routine.

CURRICULUM UPDATE:

In reading: 

• We worked in our folktale unit. 
• We compared elements of realistic fiction and folktales.
• We began learning about fables. We determined fable elements and charted them, have been fable moral detectives and compared ancient and modern fables. 

At home, read fables together. Work to be moral detectives and try to determine the morals together. There are many fables online.  

Next week, we will continue reading and learning more about fables.

In fundations (word study): 

• We began working in unit 11, which covers the long e sound. 
• We used the spelling options procedure to practice writing words with long e.  

At home, please refer to the Units 1-11 family letter to learn how you can support our word study work at home. Also, look though the fundations/word study section on my website. There, you will find all of the first and second grade trick words. If your child needs practice with these words, please practice through activities such as playing bingo, memory or through reviewing them on flashcards. Here is a link to a great website with different sight word games that you might like to try. 

Next week, we will continue working in unit 11.

In social studies: 

• We learned about Confucius and read proverbs.
• We compared routine events in our lives with those of a child in China.
• We compared life in rural and urban China.

At home, ask your child what they have learned and still wonder about China. Guide them to find answers to their lingering questions.       

Next week, we will continue our unit on China.

In writing: 

• We wrote letters to share our opinions about characters and books.
• We practiced editing for punctuation.
• We wrote stories for National Tell A Story Day 

Next week, we will continue working in our opinion writing unit.

In math:

• We reviewed fractions using different materials, such as folded paper and pattern blocks.
• We measured different parts of our classroom using inches and centimeters.

At home, continue to look for ways to include math in your daily conversations. Here is a website called Bedtime Math, whose mission is to "help kids love numbers so they can handle the math in real life." They also have an app with daily problems that are often linked to a quick movie or picture. It's a great way to weave math into your daily routines.
  

Next week, we will work in our measurement unit.

Have a great weekend!

Post 26

IMPORTANT DATES:

Friday, April 14, 2017 - NO SCHOOL - Good Friday

Monday, April 17 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Vacation

Thursday, May 11, 2017 - 12:30 Release

Thursday, June 8, 2017 - Field Trip - Boston Children's Museum

REMINDERS: 

CAP: Please send back signed CAP forms (see email sent today for forms). You child needs a signed form to participate.

Water bottles: Please make sure to send your child to school with a sport top water bottle (i.e. one that will not spill when tipped over) each morning that s/he should bring into class each morning to keep on his/her table to have easy access to water throughout the day. Thanks! 

Wow words: Please continue to help your child gather new words each week through their reading and your conversations at home and bring them in on Wow Word Wednesday. Here are links to an online dictionary (Merriam Webster for kids - Word Central) and our wow word worksheet in case you need a new one. This is an ongoing reminder for the year. Please make acquiring new words part of your home routine.

CURRICULUM UPDATE:

In reading: 

• We began our next unit on folktales. 
• We listened to Anansi the Spider and The Enormous Turnip during read aloud and discussed character, setting, problem and solution within these folktales.
• We buddy read folktales of our choice and charted characters, setting, problem and solution in our own folktales.

At home, read folktales together. Take a trip to the library and head to the folktale section. Perhaps you can choose different versions of the same folktale from different countries (such as these Cinderella stories).   

Next week, we will continue reading and learning more about folktales.

In fundations (word study): 

• We continued working in unit 10, in which we focused on the vowel teams ai and ay. Students used the spelling options procedure again to determine the conventional spelling of these words. 
• Trick words: America, thought, school  

At home, please refer to the Units 1-11 family letter to learn how you can support our word study work at home. Also, look though the fundations/word study section on my website. There, you will find all of the first and second grade trick words. If your child needs practice with these words, please practice through activities such as playing bingo, memory or through reviewing them on flashcards. Here is a link to a great website with different sight word games that you might like to try. 

Next week, we will finish our work in unit 10 and move onto unit 11.

In social studies: 

• We learned about the Yangtze River and how it impacts the people of China.
• We learned about the Forbidden City and wrote about what we learned about Chinese culture and history.
• Kiran presented a powerpoint about the Great Wall of China and we wrote about what we noticed in photos of the Great Wall and why the Great Wall was built.

At home, ask your child what they have learned and still wonder about China. Guide them to find answers to their lingering questions.       

Next week, we will continue our unit on China.

In writing: 

• We wrote letters to share our opinions about characters and books.

Next week, we will continue working in our opinion writing unit.

In math:

• We used inches and centimeters to measure arm spans and standing jumps.
• We created a tally chart, line plot, and bar graph based on our class arm span data.
• We solved story problems involving difference.

At home, continue to look for ways to include math in your daily conversations. Here is a website called Bedtime Math, whose mission is to "help kids love numbers so they can handle the math in real life." They also have an app with daily problems that are often linked to a quick movie or picture. It's a great way to weave math into your daily routines.
  

Next week, we will continue our unit on subtraction, data and fractions.

Enjoy your week! 

Post 25

IMPORTANT DATES:

Friday, April 14, 2017 - NO SCHOOL - Good Friday

Monday, April 17 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Vacation

Thursday, May 11, 2017 - 12:30 Release

Thursday, June 8, 2017 - Field Trip - Boston Children's Museum

REMINDERS: 

Water bottles: Please make sure to send your child to school with a sport top water bottle (i.e. one that will not spill when tipped over) each morning that s/he should bring into class each morning to keep on his/her table to have easy access to water throughout the day. Thanks! 

Wow words: Please continue to help your child gather new words each week through their reading and your conversations at home and bring them in on Wow Word Wednesday. Here are links to an online dictionary (Merriam Webster for kids - Word Central) and our wow word worksheet in case you need a new one. This is an ongoing reminder for the year. Please make acquiring new words part of your home routine.

CURRICULUM UPDATE:

In reading: 

• We practiced making inferences as a comprehension strategy while reading. We defined inference as: 

              clues from text (words or illustrations) + background knowledge = inference

At home, ask your child what questions they have before, during and after they read. Also see if they can find places in their reading in which they can make an inference.   

Next week, we will begin a unit on folktales that includes fables, trickster tales and pourquoi stories.

In fundations (word study): 

• We worked in unit 10, in which we focused on the vowel teams ai and ay. Students used the spelling options procedure again to determine the conventional spelling of these words. 
• Trick words: country, great, away  

At home, please refer to the Units 1-10 family letter to learn how you can support our word study work at home. Also, look though the fundations/word study section on my website. There, you will find all of the first and second grade trick words. If your child needs practice with these words, please practice through activities such as playing bingo, memory or through reviewing them on flashcards. Here is a link to a great website with different sight word games that you might like to try. 

Next week, we will continue our work in unit 10.

In social studies: 

• We watched a video and read chapters from non-fiction books about China to learn more about Beijing. We discussed what we would like to see if we were to visit Beijing.
• We discussed buyers, sellers, consumers and producers. 
• We learned about the Yellow River and how it impacts the people of China.

At home, ask your child what they have learned and still wonder about China. Guide them to find answers to their lingering questions.       

Next week, we will continue our unit on China.

In writing: 

• We wrote letters to share our opinions about characters and books.

Next week, we will continue working in our opinion writing unit.

In math:

• We played a game called Hit the Target that dealt with finding the difference between two numbers.
• Practiced solving addition problems with 4-6 addends.
• We solved a problem involving wubbles (fictional characters that double every night!!)

At home, continue to look for ways to include math in your daily conversations. Here is a website about why it's important to talk with your kids about math. 
  

Next week, we will continue our unit on subtraction, data and fractions.

Have a wonderful weekend!