What We’re Learning This Week: Week of December 4th

Reading:  We will be reading “An Egg is an Egg” from our reading anthology book.  We will retell this story using key details (beginning, middle, and end) and demonstrate an understanding of the central message or lesson.  Your child will continue to come home with a guided reading book to read in their “book in a bag.”  Please remember to practice reading your child’s book-in-a-bag with them.  Ask them comprehension questions, such as, “Who are the characters?” and “Tell me what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of this story.”  **As a reminder, it depends on the schedule when I meet with guided reading groups each day.  I am not able to meet with every group every day.  If your child brings home the same book, he/she may reread that book, read a different book, or read on raz-kids. 

Writing: We will continue our opinion writing unit.  First, they will learn to review a collection and make choices about which item in that collection is the best, writing defenses for those judgments.  Second, the students will learn how to write a review about anything, such as toys, restaurants, video games, movies, etc.  Finally, the students will learn to write about book reviews.  They will summarize, evaluate, judge, and defend their judgments. This week we will continue writing opinions about topics, and we will continue to learn how to support our opinion by writing detailed reasons.  I will continue to conference with students and reinforce the application of what we are learning.

Word Study/Spelling:

-Letter Name- Consonants Blends pr, tr, dr, br

-Fry Words-  review 2^nd column from Read and Write word list

-Grammar-  use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future  

Math: Our math lessons each day will include computational fluency, fact fluency, and core math instruction focused on the first grade common core math standards. Computational fluency will help the students to use the most effective and efficient strategies.  Fact Fluency is working with both addition and subtraction facts within 10.  Our end-of-the-year goal is to have students complete 15 addition facts in one minute and 15 subtraction facts in one minute.  Our core lessons will include hands-on math activities and games that support the common core.   We will be continuing to work on if both sides of a number sentence/equation are equal and how we can prove it.  We will also be working on number sequencing, starting at any number less than 120.

2nd grading period Science and Social Studies:
Science: Basic needs of living things
Social Studies: Economics – we will learn about needs and wants.

Homework: Continue working on homework log for the month. Thank you for your continued home support!

Extras:

-Please make sure you are sending your child with a peanut-free snack!

-Last day to send giving tree donations-December 4^th

- Holiday Shop- December 11^th

- Winter/Holiday Celebration- December 20th

- End of 2^nd grading period- December 20^th

- Last student day before winter break- December 20^th

- Winter break for students: Dec. 21^st - Jan. 2^nd