Week 7
Wow! This week I could really feel a difference in our classroom. Routines have been established and the curriculum is really taking off!
Writer's Workshop:
This week we began a new unit on illustrations. Students have been focusing on making decisions about their illustrations while writing.
Reading Workshop:
Science:
Math:
We continued our practice with using number lines. Students learned how to "undo" a number line jump, becoming familiar with the relationships between numbers. For example; Starting on 4, jump +2, landing on 6 can be "undone" by starting on 6, jumping -2 and landing on 4.
Students also met Alli the Alligator! He is very hungry and helped introduce the concepts of "greater than" and "less than" and "equal to".
Handwriting:
We completed our review of writing numbers. We will focus on writing numbers from the top to the bottom and without reversals.
Next week we will begin reviewing uppercase letters.
I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
Ms. Haese
Writer's Workshop:
This week we began a new unit on illustrations. Students have been focusing on making decisions about their illustrations while writing.
- Illustrators make decisions about their pictures.
- Illustrators use color to help the reader.
- Illustrators use details to give the reader more information.
Reading Workshop:
- This week the ABC center was introduced! In the ABC center students practiced various phonics skills, such as, first and last sounds, rhyming sounds and number of syllables in a word.
- Reading logs will be sent home weekly and can be filled out throughout the following week. These logs are not required but to represent the hard work you already do :o) Happy Reading!
Science:
- This week we focused on the scientific inquiry process. This week our inquiry was about pumpkins.
- Scientist observe what is around them. (In groups students shared what they noticed or observed about a pumpkin.)
- Scientists ask questions. (As a class we made a list of what we already know and what we wondered or were curious about pumpkins. Then the class chose a question to answer: How big is our pumpkin?)
- Scientists plan how to answer the question. (We discussed possible tools, steps it will take to answer the question and how to record our answers.)
- The last step is to collect our data. This will happen on Tuesday and then groups will share answers/data with the class.
Math:
We continued our practice with using number lines. Students learned how to "undo" a number line jump, becoming familiar with the relationships between numbers. For example; Starting on 4, jump +2, landing on 6 can be "undone" by starting on 6, jumping -2 and landing on 4.
Students also met Alli the Alligator! He is very hungry and helped introduce the concepts of "greater than" and "less than" and "equal to".
Handwriting:
We completed our review of writing numbers. We will focus on writing numbers from the top to the bottom and without reversals.
Next week we will begin reviewing uppercase letters.
I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
Ms. Haese
WEek 6
First Morning Share was a success! 1H really enjoyed being able to share all the hard work they have been doing! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to visit our classroom!
This past week we...
Writers Workshop:
Practice, practice, everyday
We are brand new authors.
Using pencils on our papers,
Writing words with letters.
Author of a story -yay!
Now it's time to read some,
Hope you enjoy the books
We've shared with you today!
Reading Workshop:
Science:
Math:
We began a unit about number lines. 1H focused on the parts of the number line and how to move on it. We practiced jumping with single, double, and triple jumps. We went forward and backwards.
New Vocabulary:
Ms. Haese
This past week we...
Writers Workshop:
- 1H worked hard all week to "fancy-up" a book they had written.
- Writers' reread their sentences, check to make sure all the details are in the illustrations, and may add labels to help the reader.
- On Friday we had our first Story Social! Students shared their stories with multiple partners in class!
- We even have a theme song:
Practice, practice, everyday
We are brand new authors.
Using pencils on our papers,
Writing words with letters.
Author of a story -yay!
Now it's time to read some,
Hope you enjoy the books
We've shared with you today!
Reading Workshop:
- This week the poem center was introduced! We are practicing our reading fluency and comprehension skills as we learn our poems.
- Reading logs will be sent home weekly and can be filled out throughout the following week. These logs are not required but to represent the hard work you already do :o) Happy Reading!
Science:
- This week we focused on our observation skills with the aide of a hand lens!
- Each child collected a leaf to observe and looked at it through the lens.
- We learned that scientists share their work and then compared observations with a partner.
Math:
We began a unit about number lines. 1H focused on the parts of the number line and how to move on it. We practiced jumping with single, double, and triple jumps. We went forward and backwards.
New Vocabulary:
- jump
- forward
- backward
Ms. Haese
Week 5
First Open House was a success! It was wonderful to see those who were able to make it! If you didn't get a chance to come, don't worry! Conferences will be next month and as always please feel free to set up a meeting if you have questions.
This past week we...
Writer's Workshop:
Reader's Workshop:
Science:
Math:
Handwriting:
1: Big line down
2:Big curve, little line across.
3:Little curve, little curve.
4:Little line down, little line across, jump back up, big line down
5:Little line down, little curve, jump back up, little line across
7:Little line across, big line diagonal
Classroom Dynamics:
This week in 1H we focused on problem solving. As we learn to work together as a community my main goal is to make this a place where everyone feels safe. Students have brought concerns to my attention and we are solving our problems together.
Ms. Haese
This past week we...
Writer's Workshop:
- This week 1H writers learned that writers use uppercase letters to begin a sentence.
- We added reference papers to our writing folders. A letter link chart to help writers identify what letter makes the sound they hear when they write. This may also help if writers aren't sure how to form a certain letter. Writers also added pages to keep track of new story ideas and how many stories have been written.
- Horizontal and vertical pages with lines were introduced and added to our writing center.
Reader's Workshop:
- We have met almost all of our 1H friends through Student of the Day. You may have noticed that the articles written at the very beginning of the school year were fairly simple sentences with very similar statements. Many of the articles now consist of very different statements with varying sentence starters.
- Next week we will introduce Reader's Workshop.
Science:
- This week we focused on details in our science notebooks.
- As I modeled a very simple drawing of a gourd students were able to guess what I might be drawing. They came up with many ideas: circle, football, clock, yarn, etc. We discovered that without details our pictures could be anything! Details help scientists remember what they observe.
- Colored pencils were introduced for a more detailed drawing and scientists were encouraged to think about how labeling pictures might help them when they review their notebooks.
- We also began learning about some of the tools scientists use. Ask your child if they know what a scientist may use.
Math:
- Last week we played Challenge, Make Ten, and Build Ten.
- This week we played Memory and Make Ten Memory with partners.
- We also used the SMART board to play a whole class game! It was so much FUN!
- Materials and instructions were sent home in Red Folders on Friday so you can continue the fun!
Handwriting:
- This week we focused on numbers 3 and 5.
- We are using Handwriting without Tears which uses consistent language to help students remember which lines to use.
1: Big line down
2:Big curve, little line across.
3:Little curve, little curve.
4:Little line down, little line across, jump back up, big line down
5:Little line down, little curve, jump back up, little line across
7:Little line across, big line diagonal
Classroom Dynamics:
This week in 1H we focused on problem solving. As we learn to work together as a community my main goal is to make this a place where everyone feels safe. Students have brought concerns to my attention and we are solving our problems together.
- Together we modeled and discussed what happens when friends cut in lines. We set expected behaviors as a class.
- Students gave input on perspective new jobs for the class.
- Students shared how leaving trash on the table makes it hard for Table Wipers to do their jobs and asked for students to please remember to clean up after snack.
- I introduced a "Just One" table. This is a place where students may go if they know they are not ready to be part of the class. A teacher may also notice that a student needs time to calm his/her body and direct them to the table.
We discussed and modeled times when this may happen and the expectations of how both the teacher and student will act. - We reflected on what each of us will do to help make 1H a place to learn.
- We sure learned a lot about our community this week!
Ms. Haese
Week 4
This week in 1H we...
Writer's Workshop:
Reader's Workshop:
Science:
Math:
Handwriting:
1: Big line down
2:Big curve, little line across.
4:Little line down, Little line across, Jump back up, Big line down
7:Little line across, Big line diagonal
Writer's Workshop:
- This week many students completed their second book as we continued practicing what it looks and sounds like to write independently.
- We took the time to organize and label our writing shelf.
- Conferencing with individual students began.
Reader's Workshop:
- Have you checked out the new Student of the Day articles in the hallway?
- We have focused on key skills for beginning readers; beginning consonant sounds, spaces between words, sight words, stretching out words, etc.
- Next week will be our last week of Student of the Day; look for your child's book to come home in their red folder.
Science:
- We had many discussions this week about what a scientist is and what they do!
- We learned that a scientist observes and listens carefully.
- We practiced our observation and listening skills as we explored the courtyard and our school grounds.
- We also learned scientists write their ideas down so they can remember them. To practice we begin to write in our own journals!
Math:
- This week we practiced making ten in new ways.
- We played Challenge, Make Ten, and Build Ten.
- At the end of next week we will continue using these games for extension practice in our Math centers.
- Students will also come home with their own set of Ten Frames to play with at home!
Handwriting:
- 1H is fine tuning our handwriting routine. We reviewed writing numbers 1 and 2.
- We are using Handwriting without Tears which uses consistent language to help students remember which lines to use.
1: Big line down
2:Big curve, little line across.
4:Little line down, Little line across, Jump back up, Big line down
7:Little line across, Big line diagonal