Week 8

 Here are some highlights from the week...

On Wednesday we read with our fourth grade buddies! Both Mr.Graham and I were so impressed with the first and fourth grade readers :)

This was an exciting week because we added a new choice to Daily 5 - Word Work. Research has repeatedly shown that spelling tests do not necessarily improve spelling. I have seen first hand students get 100% on every spelling test yet not be able to apply or spell those words correctly in their own writing - we call it "Friday spellers." However, spelling is an important piece of both reading and writing. Exposure and practice with these words is what will help improve their understanding of spelling patterns and words. In our Word Work bin, students can choose to write the words of the week (and challenge words) using pipe cleaners or wikki stix, or they can choose to use whiteboards. As we get more comfortable using these as tools to learn spelling, I will introduce more Word Work activities (spelling with beads, scrabble letters, etc). All of the first graders did an excellent job being responsible with the materials, and it is pretty cool to see first graders writing sentences out of pipe cleaners!

In math we learned about adding "doubles and neighbors." This is a great strategy for students to use when problem solving. If they know the sum of the doubles, (2+2 = 4) then they can figure out the sum of the neighbor numbers by adding one more (2+3 = 5). This strategy is one that they can add to their problem solving "tool kit" to help increase their fluency and build their number sense. We had our subtraction fluency check-in and we will be focusing on different strategies that can help build our subtraction confidence! By using the number line, counting down/up and visuals, students can continue to build their understanding and fluency with both subtraction and addition.

The week ended with the Missoula Children's Theater performance of Aladdin. It was a great way to end the week! Congrats to all of the first grade performers -- they were awesome!

Reminders:
10/21 - 10/22 -- No School -  Conferences

* I am looking forward to meeting with all of you at conferences, and discussing goals that you have for your first graders as the year gets going!

Pictures from the week...

Week 7

It was a short, but busy week in Room 112!

Many of the first graders have been writing stories and are excited to share them with the class. We have already had a couple of kiddos in the Author's chair. Some students have donated their books to the Room 112 library!

This week we practiced writing small moments stories. We have been working on answering our reader's questions by adding more details. We also had our second writing check-in this week for the students to showcase their great writing skills!

As we continue to work on addition and subtraction I am seeing students using many different strategies. They are getting familiar with the resources in the room and have been using number lines, manipulatives and counting up to help them solve math problems. Using these strategies is what helps build number sense and ultimately creates a strong foundation for more challenging math concepts. This week we really focused on using our number line to help us. I love seeing students make jumps on their name tag number line when we are doing math!


Reminders:

10/14 -- Run for the Arts $ DUE
10/14 -- Book Orders DUE
10/14 -- Late Opening @ 10am
10/15 -- Class Picture Day
10/16 -- Missoula Performance @ 12:45 pm (school) & 7:00 pm (families)

Here are some photos from the week...

Week 6

Here are some highlights from the week...

We are continuing to build stamina and independence during Daily 5 time and it is amazing to see the excitement they have about their jobs (Read to self, work on writing and listen to reading). The first graders have been using this time to write letters, stories, recipes, and more! I have loved getting this time to conference with students one-on-one and read with all of your amazing first graders.

In writer's workshop we are practicing sharing our work in different ways (with a partner and whole group). The first graders have been working very hard and are excited to share their writing with each other.  They have been writing so much that lots of them have filled up their first journal! Room 112 is filled with some pretty amazing authors and illustrators.

We met with our 4th grade buddies this week! The fourth graders have been creating and developing imaginative characters. They introduced their characters to the first graders and then helped the first graders create their own characters -- they developed some very interesting and creative characters :)

The week ended with Run for the Arts, and Room 112 did an awesome job... wow are they fast! It was a busy and fun day that ended with a special popsicle treat for all of our runners!

Reminders:

10/9 -- No School - Inservice

Here are some photos from the week -- Thank you to Rachel (Asher's mom) for sharing some pictures from Run for the Arts!