Many games you have at home or see at the local store involve
mathematical thinking. Children develop their skill in an almost
effortless way when they play these games with each other and adults.
The ages shown are suggested by the manufacturer, however, let the
interest and motivation of your child by your guide when selecting and
playing the games (Rf. Everyday Math, Home Connection Handbook).
Counting, Adding and Subtracting
Chutes and Ladders (3+)
Hi Ho! Cherry-O (3+)
Sorry! (6+)
Trouble (6+)
Uno (6+)
Attributes, Patterns, and Geometry
Crazy Eights - traditional card game (4+)
Guess Who? (6+)
Guess Where? (6+)
Jigsaw puzzles
Rummikub (8+)
tangrams (5+)
Strategy and Spacial Perception
The a-MAZE-ing Labyrinth (8+)
Battleship (7+)
checkers (3+)
Jenga (3+)
Connect Four (7+)
mancala (6+)
memory (many names exist for this game of matching face-down pictures (3+)
Mille Bornes (8+)
Othello (8+)
Pretty Pretty Princess (5+)
More excellent games can be found on the Internet by searching under "educational math games."
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Week 5 - September 24-28
Welcome to Week 5. Our greeting of the week is Guten Tag, from Germany. The week's word of the week in Spanish was chosen by Victoria, and is, catarata -- which means waterfall.
This week the students will be reviewing all spelling and vocabulary words, which you will find on the back of the Homework Record Sheet. I will be testing up to ten review words that they missed on today's pretest. Any student who has mastered all words can have a break from spelling this week and do some extra reading each day for homework.
By now you should have received an email regarding the conference time you signed up for. If you need to reschedule your time, please contact me to so we can arrange another time to meet.
There will be no school on conference day, Thursday, October 4th.
The students completed their first math assessment last Friday, and I will be sending these home this week. Please review this, sign and send it back to school. If you would like me to make you a copy, just let me know.
The students have been enjoying using the ipads in class and will continue learning to use different applications to enhance their learning in math and spelling this week. A favorite at the moment is an app called Rush Hour - a sliding block puzzle game that promotes problem solving and critical thinking skills.
The students have been having fun practicing for the second grade show. We will focus on practicing the Europe poem this week, reviewing The Seven Continents and South American poems. The students seem to be a very creative and musical group. Last week I taught them the Kerry Dance, which has some very basic elements of Irish dance in it. They were quick at picking up the steps and words.
Here is an outline of curriculum content for the week. The students will continue presenting their Current Events and our Parent Reader is Claire's mom (Jill E.).
* Reading: A Chair for My Mother, by Vera Williams
* Reading Workshop - Readers help themselves understand the story by figuring out the author's purpose; Partners show respect for their reading time together by following the procedures of partner time (sitting hip to hip, using one book at a time, using quiet voices); Partners can help each other read with smooth voices by echoing reading.
* Writing Workshop - Small Moment Writing - Taking a small moment and stretching it across page; adding interesting details
* Grammar Review - Sentence structure
* Handwriting - Center Starting Capitals (C, O, Q, G, S, A, I, T, J); Capital review and number practice (1-10)
* Review easy addition facts like +0, +1, +1, +2, +3
* Double facts
* Turn-Around Facts and the +9 shortcut
Have a wonderful week -
Ms. O'Mullane
This week the students will be reviewing all spelling and vocabulary words, which you will find on the back of the Homework Record Sheet. I will be testing up to ten review words that they missed on today's pretest. Any student who has mastered all words can have a break from spelling this week and do some extra reading each day for homework.
By now you should have received an email regarding the conference time you signed up for. If you need to reschedule your time, please contact me to so we can arrange another time to meet.
There will be no school on conference day, Thursday, October 4th.
The students completed their first math assessment last Friday, and I will be sending these home this week. Please review this, sign and send it back to school. If you would like me to make you a copy, just let me know.
The students have been enjoying using the ipads in class and will continue learning to use different applications to enhance their learning in math and spelling this week. A favorite at the moment is an app called Rush Hour - a sliding block puzzle game that promotes problem solving and critical thinking skills.
The students have been having fun practicing for the second grade show. We will focus on practicing the Europe poem this week, reviewing The Seven Continents and South American poems. The students seem to be a very creative and musical group. Last week I taught them the Kerry Dance, which has some very basic elements of Irish dance in it. They were quick at picking up the steps and words.
Here is an outline of curriculum content for the week. The students will continue presenting their Current Events and our Parent Reader is Claire's mom (Jill E.).
Literacy
* Phonics, spelling and vocabulary review* Reading: A Chair for My Mother, by Vera Williams
* Reading Workshop - Readers help themselves understand the story by figuring out the author's purpose; Partners show respect for their reading time together by following the procedures of partner time (sitting hip to hip, using one book at a time, using quiet voices); Partners can help each other read with smooth voices by echoing reading.
* Writing Workshop - Small Moment Writing - Taking a small moment and stretching it across page; adding interesting details
* Grammar Review - Sentence structure
* Handwriting - Center Starting Capitals (C, O, Q, G, S, A, I, T, J); Capital review and number practice (1-10)
Math - Unit 2 -Addition and Subtraction Facts
* Make up, represent and solve addition number stories* Review easy addition facts like +0, +1, +1, +2, +3
* Double facts
* Turn-Around Facts and the +9 shortcut
Social Studies - North America
* North American Landmark research and project work
Science - Lesson 3 - Where Did the Water Go?
Students discuss how the water in the petri dishes has changed since last lesson; they discuss where they think the water in the uncovered petri dishes has gone; students will set up an investigation of evaporation and condensation and read about changes in the state of water.Have a wonderful week -
Ms. O'Mullane
Monday, September 17, 2012
Week 4 - September 17-21, 2012
Our greeting of the week is "privet", which is hello in Russian. Thanks to our classmate, Nick, who helped us choose this one.
Friday, September 21st, is The International Day of Peace. The Lower Division community will gather on that morning at 8:15. Families are welcome to join us in the courtyard.
Parents, we need your help with the rock garden. Please have your child find a rock that will fit in the palm of his/her hand. Have your child decorate the rock, keeping the purpose in mind. We suggest acrylic paints, permanent markers, colored pencils, or any combination of those. Mrs. Rowe has agreed to varnish the rocks if they are turned in by Tuesday, 9/18.
Parents, we need your help with the rock garden. Please have your child find a rock that will fit in the palm of his/her hand. Have your child decorate the rock, keeping the purpose in mind. We suggest acrylic paints, permanent markers, colored pencils, or any combination of those. Mrs. Rowe has agreed to varnish the rocks if they are turned in by Tuesday, 9/18.
Library check-out is every Tuesday. Please remind your child to return their books on this day, so they are able to check out more books to read. Parents are there to help with check-out only at this time.
Conference day in on Thursday, October 4th. A confirmation of your conference time will be sent out later on in the week. If this time no longer works for you, please contact me so we can arrange another time to meet.
Current Events continues this week. Please refer to the calendar in your child's Take Home Folder to see the day your child is scheduled to share.
Spelling words this week will be made up of five words that follow the spelling rule for the week and five high frequency words (which your child does not know how to spell). Each child will have their own list of words, depending on their individual needs, so I have not created a list on Spelling City this week. Your child can type in their own list of words, if they want to use this website to help practice their spelling words.
The children will bring home the first Home Link in math this week and sit for their first math assessment. We will be doing lots of practice in class to help build up their confidence and proficiency in telling time, adding coins, counting on a number grid and line, as well as using tally marks.
We will practice our second poem for our show titled: South America. Please have your child read over this poem each day as part of their reading homework.
Conference day in on Thursday, October 4th. A confirmation of your conference time will be sent out later on in the week. If this time no longer works for you, please contact me so we can arrange another time to meet.
Current Events continues this week. Please refer to the calendar in your child's Take Home Folder to see the day your child is scheduled to share.
Spelling words this week will be made up of five words that follow the spelling rule for the week and five high frequency words (which your child does not know how to spell). Each child will have their own list of words, depending on their individual needs, so I have not created a list on Spelling City this week. Your child can type in their own list of words, if they want to use this website to help practice their spelling words.
The children will bring home the first Home Link in math this week and sit for their first math assessment. We will be doing lots of practice in class to help build up their confidence and proficiency in telling time, adding coins, counting on a number grid and line, as well as using tally marks.
We will practice our second poem for our show titled: South America. Please have your child read over this poem each day as part of their reading homework.
Here are some themes/concepts covered this week in class.
Language Arts
* Phonics - long vowel e/ee, ea; Inflections -ed, -ing
* Spelling - seaweed, please, teacher, beneath, nearly, plus five high frequency words
* Vocabulary - anxious, ached, crooned, scent
* Reading - Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
* Reading Workshop: Readers help themselves understand the story by asking themselves questions as they read (What am I wondering? What questions do I have?); Readers help themselves understand the story by stopping and thinking after reading chunks of text; Readers help themselves understand the story by figuring out the author's purpose; Partners show respect for their reading time together by following the procedures of partner time (sitting hip to hip, using one books at a time, using quiet voices)
* Grammar - Parts of a sentence. A sentence has two parts - a naming part and a telling part. To find the naming part of a sentence, you can ask yourself, who or what the sentence is about. You can find the telling part by asking yourself what someone or something is or does.
* Grammar - Parts of a sentence. A sentence has two parts - a naming part and a telling part. To find the naming part of a sentence, you can ask yourself, who or what the sentence is about. You can find the telling part by asking yourself what someone or something is or does.
* Writing Workshop - Editing and publishing reflections; Topics from the Heart; Small Moment Narrative writing
* Handwriting Without Tears - Pencil grip and slanting paper; Frog Jump Capitals (FEDPBRNM)
Mathematics - Unit 1
* Comparing numbers using the relation symbols greater than, less than, equal to
* Introducing Home Links (Math Homework)
* Exploring Temperatures, Base 10 Structures and Dominoes
* Review Unit 1 and assessment
Social Studies
* Research facts about famous North America landmarks using World Book for Kids (Log-in : Shorecrest; Password: chargers). Student will put facts about their chosen North American landmark in a web and add to this throughout the week. They are learning to read and take notes.
Science - Changes - Freezing and Melting
* Students will observe and record the properties of ice;
* Students design and implement a method for melting an ice cube
* Students set up an investigation of evaporation
I wish you a wonderful week.
Ms. O'Mullane
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Week 3 - September 10th-14th
Our greeting of the week is "G'Day" from Australia. Each week I am teaching the students how to say hello in a different language. Last week our greeting was Buenos dias, which is hello in Spanish.
Welcome to our third week of the school year. I hope you had a terrific weekend, as I did. September is a busy month, with the beginning of Current Events (this week) and Showcase Student (the following week), Picture Day is on September 11th, and our classmate, Victoria celebrates her 8th birthday.
Thanks to all who signed up for Parent Reader, which is held at 8:10 on Fridays. This week's Parent Reader is Kimberly B (September 14th) and next week will be Kristin L (September 21st).
Current Events
Current Events begins this week and I can't wait to hear what interesting news the students have found. I showed the students two great online news websites last week: http://dogonews.com/ and also http://www.timeforkids.com/news which can be used for current event's sharing. Please refer to the calendar in your child's Take Home Folder to see the day your child is scheduled to share.
Second Grade Show
The students are starting to learn the first poem, The Seven Continents, for our second grade show. I have put a copy of the poem, along with the three other poems, that the students will be required to recite for the show, in your child's Take Home Folder. Please have your child read over The Seven Continents poem each day as part of their reading assignment this week. My goal is to introduce one new poem each week in the month of September. The second grade show, I am a Small Part of the World, will be on Friday, November 16th at 8:30am. Please mark this date on your calendars.
Here is our curriculum at a glance for this third week of learning:
Language Arts
Phonics: long vowels a/a-e, i/i-e, o/o-e, (y)oo/u-e, CVCe Pattern in Longer Words
Spelling: mistake, refuse, bedtime, misplace, homemade, racetrack, classmate, cupcake, notepad, amuse
Reading: Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes;
Reading Workshop: Readers help themselves stay focused by making plans for themselves; Readers improve their fluency by rereading books; readers improve their fluency by reading at an appropriate rate (not too slow; not too fast); Readers improve their fluency by noticing places with dialogue and make their voices match the voice of the character who is speaking
Vocabulary: precious, envious, discontent, humorous
Grammar: Commands and Exclamations. A command is a sentence that tells someone to do something. It begins with an action words and ends with a period. Strong commands end in an exclamation point.
Writing Workshop: Routines and Procedures; Discovering one Small Moment; Stretching one Small Moment
Handwriting: Preparing to write; Posture, Paper, And Pencil Skills
Mathematics - Unit 1
* Exploring place value patterns on number grids
* Equivalent names for numbers and reviewing the calculator
* Counting and looking for patterns on the calculator
* Comparing numbers using the relation symbols (great than, less than and equal to) and introducing Home Links
* Reading and displaying temperatures, combining values of ones, tens and hundreds using base 10 blocks and exploring addition facts on dominoes
Social Studies - North America
* A journey to North America
* What are some famous North American Landmarks? Exploration in the computer lab using Google Earth
Science - Changes
* Scientific Method (Ask a question; Make a hypothesis; Conduct an Experiment; Collect Data; Analyze Information; Report Results)
* Changes: Students will begin the unit by thinking and talking about a familiar concept; how things around them change. Through a hands-on exploration, students look at the changes that result when they drop an effervescent tablet in water. This activity serves as a pre-unit assessment and sets the stage for our next two lessons in which students look at how water can freeze and melt into a liquid again.
Welcome to our third week of the school year. I hope you had a terrific weekend, as I did. September is a busy month, with the beginning of Current Events (this week) and Showcase Student (the following week), Picture Day is on September 11th, and our classmate, Victoria celebrates her 8th birthday.
Thanks to all who signed up for Parent Reader, which is held at 8:10 on Fridays. This week's Parent Reader is Kimberly B (September 14th) and next week will be Kristin L (September 21st).
Current Events
Current Events begins this week and I can't wait to hear what interesting news the students have found. I showed the students two great online news websites last week: http://dogonews.com/ and also http://www.timeforkids.com/news which can be used for current event's sharing. Please refer to the calendar in your child's Take Home Folder to see the day your child is scheduled to share.
Second Grade Show
The students are starting to learn the first poem, The Seven Continents, for our second grade show. I have put a copy of the poem, along with the three other poems, that the students will be required to recite for the show, in your child's Take Home Folder. Please have your child read over The Seven Continents poem each day as part of their reading assignment this week. My goal is to introduce one new poem each week in the month of September. The second grade show, I am a Small Part of the World, will be on Friday, November 16th at 8:30am. Please mark this date on your calendars.
Here is our curriculum at a glance for this third week of learning:
Language Arts
Phonics: long vowels a/a-e, i/i-e, o/o-e, (y)oo/u-e, CVCe Pattern in Longer Words
Spelling: mistake, refuse, bedtime, misplace, homemade, racetrack, classmate, cupcake, notepad, amuse
Reading: Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes;
Reading Workshop: Readers help themselves stay focused by making plans for themselves; Readers improve their fluency by rereading books; readers improve their fluency by reading at an appropriate rate (not too slow; not too fast); Readers improve their fluency by noticing places with dialogue and make their voices match the voice of the character who is speaking
Vocabulary: precious, envious, discontent, humorous
Grammar: Commands and Exclamations. A command is a sentence that tells someone to do something. It begins with an action words and ends with a period. Strong commands end in an exclamation point.
Writing Workshop: Routines and Procedures; Discovering one Small Moment; Stretching one Small Moment
Handwriting: Preparing to write; Posture, Paper, And Pencil Skills
Mathematics - Unit 1
* Exploring place value patterns on number grids
* Equivalent names for numbers and reviewing the calculator
* Counting and looking for patterns on the calculator
* Comparing numbers using the relation symbols (great than, less than and equal to) and introducing Home Links
* Reading and displaying temperatures, combining values of ones, tens and hundreds using base 10 blocks and exploring addition facts on dominoes
Social Studies - North America
* A journey to North America
* What are some famous North American Landmarks? Exploration in the computer lab using Google Earth
Science - Changes
* Scientific Method (Ask a question; Make a hypothesis; Conduct an Experiment; Collect Data; Analyze Information; Report Results)
* Changes: Students will begin the unit by thinking and talking about a familiar concept; how things around them change. Through a hands-on exploration, students look at the changes that result when they drop an effervescent tablet in water. This activity serves as a pre-unit assessment and sets the stage for our next two lessons in which students look at how water can freeze and melt into a liquid again.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Week 2 - September 4-7
Thanks for the great turn out at Thursday's Back to School Night. I hope you found this session helpful. I look forward to working with you and your children this year. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at momullane@shorecrest.org.
This week your child will be learning to spell another 10 words which relate to our phonics study. Please help your child learn these words, which will be tested on Friday. In addition to these spelling words, your child needs to learn the meanings of the 4 new vocabulary words, which will also be tested this Friday. These 4 words are not tested as spelling words, but meaning words.
At last Thursday's information session, you received the Current Events Calendar for the month of September. The students will be reporting on current events/news on a biweekly basis. Please help your child select an article in the local newspaper, magazine, or internet. The article needs to be related to current news and something you child found interesting. Once the article has been selected, your child should read it and then write a few sentences describing what they read, the source in which the article was found and the date it was published. They will bring in the article, along with their summary and read it to the class. The activity will help to improve the students' public speaking and note taking skills, as well as keep them in touch with what is happening in the real world. We are very excited to listen to and learn about the news that the students will bring in. Current Events will begin next Tuesday.
A reminder that Friday is Spirit Day and your child can wear their Spirit Wear to school on this day.
Picture Day will be held on September 11th, and you will be receiving more information about this later on in the week.
Thanks to you for helping your child collect Cash For Trash Items and Boxtops - which means $ for our school. Keep collecting and sending items in.
Here is our week at a glance:
Literacy
Phonics: short vowels e, o, u and inflections e and es
Spelling: helmet, puppet, rotten, subject, contest, suspect, talent, basket, dentist, bottom
Reading: Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
Reader Workshop Mini-Lessons: Readers choose books to read by finding a book that is just right (not too hard, not too easy easy, just right); Readers help themselves stay focused by making plans for themselves; Readers help themselves stay focused by taking a quick stretch break; reread the part they missed and/or stopping to envision what's going on in the story
Vocabulary: reference (book), illustrator, impossible, wondered
Grammar: Statements and Questions
Writing Workshop: Procedures and Routines; Launching Small Moment Writing; Choosing a topic you know and care about
Handwriting: Warm-up routines
Every Friday, the students shop for new books to add to the collection of books they are reading in the classroom. We are beginning to talk about how to choose books, based on interest and their reading ability. Please check out the link below about how to support your child with choosing a Just Right Book, whether you are at your local library, home or book store.
http://www.brainpopjr.com/readingandwriting/readingskills/choosingabook/grownups.weml
Mathematics - Unit 1 (Review)
* Practice with addition facts and establishing partnership principles in math
* Grouping by tens and practicing exchanging $1, $10, $100 bills
* Introducing My Reference Book and the Math Box routine
* Working in small groups and reviewing number patterns and sequences
Social Studies
* The compass rose is a symbol that helps you read a map
* A globe is handy for finding places on Earth. A world map can show all of Earth, too
* North America
Science
* Using Scientific Method
Have a wonderful week -
Ms. O'Mullane
This week your child will be learning to spell another 10 words which relate to our phonics study. Please help your child learn these words, which will be tested on Friday. In addition to these spelling words, your child needs to learn the meanings of the 4 new vocabulary words, which will also be tested this Friday. These 4 words are not tested as spelling words, but meaning words.
At last Thursday's information session, you received the Current Events Calendar for the month of September. The students will be reporting on current events/news on a biweekly basis. Please help your child select an article in the local newspaper, magazine, or internet. The article needs to be related to current news and something you child found interesting. Once the article has been selected, your child should read it and then write a few sentences describing what they read, the source in which the article was found and the date it was published. They will bring in the article, along with their summary and read it to the class. The activity will help to improve the students' public speaking and note taking skills, as well as keep them in touch with what is happening in the real world. We are very excited to listen to and learn about the news that the students will bring in. Current Events will begin next Tuesday.
A reminder that Friday is Spirit Day and your child can wear their Spirit Wear to school on this day.
Picture Day will be held on September 11th, and you will be receiving more information about this later on in the week.
Thanks to you for helping your child collect Cash For Trash Items and Boxtops - which means $ for our school. Keep collecting and sending items in.
Here is our week at a glance:
Literacy
Phonics: short vowels e, o, u and inflections e and es
Spelling: helmet, puppet, rotten, subject, contest, suspect, talent, basket, dentist, bottom
Reading: Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
Reader Workshop Mini-Lessons: Readers choose books to read by finding a book that is just right (not too hard, not too easy easy, just right); Readers help themselves stay focused by making plans for themselves; Readers help themselves stay focused by taking a quick stretch break; reread the part they missed and/or stopping to envision what's going on in the story
Vocabulary: reference (book), illustrator, impossible, wondered
Grammar: Statements and Questions
Writing Workshop: Procedures and Routines; Launching Small Moment Writing; Choosing a topic you know and care about
Handwriting: Warm-up routines
Every Friday, the students shop for new books to add to the collection of books they are reading in the classroom. We are beginning to talk about how to choose books, based on interest and their reading ability. Please check out the link below about how to support your child with choosing a Just Right Book, whether you are at your local library, home or book store.
http://www.brainpopjr.com/readingandwriting/readingskills/choosingabook/grownups.weml
Mathematics - Unit 1 (Review)* Practice with addition facts and establishing partnership principles in math
* Grouping by tens and practicing exchanging $1, $10, $100 bills
* Introducing My Reference Book and the Math Box routine
* Working in small groups and reviewing number patterns and sequences
Social Studies
* The compass rose is a symbol that helps you read a map
* A globe is handy for finding places on Earth. A world map can show all of Earth, too
* North America
Science
* Using Scientific Method
Have a wonderful week -
Ms. O'Mullane
Week 1 - August 27-31
The students are off to a great start! Last week was spent going over our classroom procedures and rules, as well as having some fun getting to know one another, designed to develop students' sense of belonging to the class. The students came up with a set of class promises centered around the Shorecrest Honor Pledge and Lower Division Motto, which are now proudly displayed on a chart on the classroom wall. Dr. Bianco visited us on Friday and made the comment that the students looked very settled and ready to learn. How proud of them I was. I am looking forward to a great year ahead.
Just a friendly reminder (if you haven't already) completed and turned in the Getting to Know You Questionnaire, that I sent home on the first day of school. I would love to have this from you. This information helps me get to know your child better and best meet his/her needs in the classroom.
Back-To-School Night is this Thursday, August 30th at 7pm. During this time you will have the opportunity to learn more about our classroom routines and expectations, instruction and grade level curriculum. You will also have a chance to sign up for various activities going on in class (e.g. Parent Reader) as well as fall conference day.
Here is our week at a glance. I explained our homework routine in an earlier blog, so please scroll down the page and have a read. I would encourage you to sign up for my blog, for weekly updates. I update my blog each Monday.
Have a wonderful week and hope to see you this Thursday.
Literacy
* Phonics - Short vowels a and i
* Spelling List 1- picnic, plastic, rabbit, fabric, napkin, Spanish, giggle, candid, zigzag, habitat
* Vocabulary - privacy, artistic, deluxe, expressed (the students will learn the meaning of these words and be able to use them in context)
* Reading - Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
* Reading Workshop - Unit 1 Study: Readers Build Good Habits
The students will learn that readers use all of their precious reading time by getting started right away, that readers choose a reading spot by finding a place that will help them do their best reading, that readers show they understand how the classroom library is organized by following routines and procedures for book shopping, and readers choose books to read by finding a book that is just right (not too hard, not too easy, just right).
* Grammar - Sentences express a complete idea. A sentence begins with a capital letter, and ends with an end mark, such as a period.
* Writing Workshop - Routines and Writing Assessment (An Animal for A Day)
* Handwriting - Assessment (Upper and Lower Case Letters)
Mathematics - Unit 1 - Numbers and Routines
* Introduce the Math Message routine; and to review number sequences and number lines
* Introduce the tool kits and guide children as they find the values of coin combinations
* Review months, weeks, and days of the week
Social Studies
* What is a continent?
* Draw a map of the world assessment
* Begin learning The Seven Continents Poem
Science
* Scientific Method
* Using the five senses
Over the next two weeks, we will be creating our Time Capsules, that we will fill with memories that will be sealed and opened up at the end of the school year. I wonder how much the students will grow, physically, emotionally, and academically this year.
Have a terrific week. I hope to see you on Thursday.
Ms. O'Mullane
Just a friendly reminder (if you haven't already) completed and turned in the Getting to Know You Questionnaire, that I sent home on the first day of school. I would love to have this from you. This information helps me get to know your child better and best meet his/her needs in the classroom.
Back-To-School Night is this Thursday, August 30th at 7pm. During this time you will have the opportunity to learn more about our classroom routines and expectations, instruction and grade level curriculum. You will also have a chance to sign up for various activities going on in class (e.g. Parent Reader) as well as fall conference day.
Here is our week at a glance. I explained our homework routine in an earlier blog, so please scroll down the page and have a read. I would encourage you to sign up for my blog, for weekly updates. I update my blog each Monday.
Have a wonderful week and hope to see you this Thursday.
Literacy
* Phonics - Short vowels a and i
* Spelling List 1- picnic, plastic, rabbit, fabric, napkin, Spanish, giggle, candid, zigzag, habitat
* Vocabulary - privacy, artistic, deluxe, expressed (the students will learn the meaning of these words and be able to use them in context)
* Reading - Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
* Reading Workshop - Unit 1 Study: Readers Build Good Habits
The students will learn that readers use all of their precious reading time by getting started right away, that readers choose a reading spot by finding a place that will help them do their best reading, that readers show they understand how the classroom library is organized by following routines and procedures for book shopping, and readers choose books to read by finding a book that is just right (not too hard, not too easy, just right).
* Grammar - Sentences express a complete idea. A sentence begins with a capital letter, and ends with an end mark, such as a period.
* Writing Workshop - Routines and Writing Assessment (An Animal for A Day)
* Handwriting - Assessment (Upper and Lower Case Letters)
Mathematics - Unit 1 - Numbers and Routines
* Introduce the Math Message routine; and to review number sequences and number lines
* Introduce the tool kits and guide children as they find the values of coin combinations
* Review months, weeks, and days of the week
Social Studies
* What is a continent?
* Draw a map of the world assessment
* Begin learning The Seven Continents Poem
Science
* Scientific Method
* Using the five senses
Over the next two weeks, we will be creating our Time Capsules, that we will fill with memories that will be sealed and opened up at the end of the school year. I wonder how much the students will grow, physically, emotionally, and academically this year.
Have a terrific week. I hope to see you on Thursday.
Ms. O'Mullane
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