Celebrating Family

This week we have been finishing up our units of study in readers and writers workshops. This month in readers workshop we learned about choosing just right books. These are books that we can read independently. They aren't too hard or too easy. We also practiced several different reading strategies that make us stronger readers. Some of these strategies include using the pictures to help us figure out words, tracking the print with our eyes and fingers, recognizing patterns in books and looking at the first and last sounds of words.

To celebrate our new reading skills we invited Mrs. Dyer's class to come to our room and listen to us read our just right books to them. They were excited to join us and the first graders loved showing off how much they have grown as readers since they were in Kindergarten.

We have also begun a new unit of study about our families. We are going to be learning about each others families and families around the world. We will be thinking about who makes up a family, our jobs in a family, different kinds of families and different traditions that families have. The students brought home a letter and questionnaire to fill out with all of you and they will be bringing them back with pictures to share out to the class over the next few weeks.

Growing Readers!

This week in Reader's Workshop we learned about different strategies that strong readers use to help them figure out tricky words. By reading along together from BIG BOOKS we practiced using the picture clues, first and last sounds in words and tracking with our eyes to make sure that what we are reading looks right, sounds right and makes sense.

We also began to meet in our guided reading groups. In these groups we use strategies to read together and discuss books to enhance comprehension. You will notice that your child has been coming home with a book bag. This bag goes home after we have discussed and read the book several times, so it should seem very familiar. Their job is to take the book home and do a fluency reading. That means that they are reading at a good pace, looking at each word and using lots of expression in their voice. They should read it as many times as they can to you, their siblings or even the family pet!

For more great information about reading visit the Reading Rockets website in the Wonderful Websites sidebar or click on the widget to the right.

Happy Reading!

Healthy Habits!

This week during theme time we learned about the importance of making smart food and exercise choices to keep us healthy. The students learned about the new USDA food pyramid and had a chance to experiment with using our team laptops as they played some fun online games that required them to make healthy food choices. Check out these sites under our wonderful websites.

On Thursday we had the opportunity to have the actors from FOODPLAY come and teach us even more about healthy choices that we can make for our body. The assembly was so entertaining and we all learned a lot. You can learn more about the Emmy award winning show at www.foodplay.com

Thanks to all of the families who sent in magazines that featured healthy foods. We used them at the end of the week to test our new knowledge by creating an artistic representation of a well balanced healthy meal.

Celebrations!

This week the first graders finished up their first unit of study in both Writers and Readers Workshop.

In Writers Workshop we established the routines and expectations of writing. The students practiced writing stories that have a clear beginning, middle and end and created a list of head and heart ideas to help them get ideas for writing. We have also participated in writing conferences and author's share where the students share and offer feedback to each other about their writing pieces. To celebrate the end of the first unit of study we were invited to Ms. Roger's classroom to partner with second graders and hear some of their writing while we enjoyed a special snack of three-layered "Beginning, Middle and End" cookies. It was a great time.

During September's unit of study in Readers Workshop we also worked hard to establish the expectations of what independent reading looks like and sounds like. Our mini-lessons focused on the habits of strong readers, how readers choose books, thinking and sharing about our books and using our schema to make connections while we read. The new reading vocabulary word that we learned in Reading this week was STAMINA. Just like how athletes need to practice and practice their sport to build up their strength, readers need to practice and practice to get stronger too. That is called build up stamina and the first graders are doing a fantastic job at this.

Next week we will begin new units of study in literacy and the students will be writing personal narratives and learning about just right books and moving into working in small reading groups.

We are also finishing up our first unit in Math. This unit focused on patterning, sorting and counting. We have also been learning about some of the habits of strong mathematicians. We are practicing justifying or "backing up" our thinking by using the word "because", and being respectful mathematicians by letting people have think time before giving answers and disagreeing respectfully. The first graders are doing an amazing job at this and are sounding like stronger mathematicians every day.

We have had a busy and hardworking month and I can't wait to see how much more we grow in October.

Happy Fall!