September 17, 2008

What your children are learning~

Literacy~

1st Grade…
Beginning next week, children will be divided into smaller groups for guided reading instruction. Guided reading is an approach that enables a teacher and small group of children to think about, talk about, and read a book together for a specific purpose. The ultimate goal in guided reading is to help children focus on reading for meaning and learn how to use independent reading strategies successfully.

2nd Grade…
The children were administered a second grade Scholastic Reading Placement Test during the past two weeks. If any child was unable to pass the test, they were then given a DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment). DRA’s are the reading tests used in first grade to determine a child’s reading ability. The children will also be given the second grade fall writing prompt.

We are now ready to begin our guided reading groups. While small groups of children read with the teacher, others are completing literacy activities which may involve listening to a story on tape and responding to the story in written format, working with words that reinforce spelling or phonics skills, completing an art project, working on our school laptops or playing math games for skill reinforcement. When children complete activities they read independently or with a buddy.



Mathematics~
A note regarding math instruction…
Because our Everyday Math program is so structured and time consuming, Mr. Bousquet has assigned Mrs. Linda Beloin to co-teach with me. She is currently working with the 8 second graders in the library for math instruction while I teach the 8 first graders in the classroom. We will swap grade levels monthly so in October, she will instruct the first graders and I will instruct the second graders.

1st Grade…
We are nearly to the end of Chapter 1 in our Everyday Math program. The children have practiced counting by ones, thinking about one more and one less, counting pennies, making tally marks and are currently learning how to use a number grid. At home you can practice counting by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s and thinking of equivalent names for numbers. For example, different names for 10 might be: ten, X , 4+6, 12-2, etc.

2nd Grade…
Children are practicing counting by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s with numbers in the hundreds. They are also reviewing money and how to exchange 10 ones for a ten and ten tens for a hundred. Last week children reviewed place value (ones, tens and hundreds), rules for using a calculator as well as time to the hour and half hour.

Word Study~
1st Grade…
As with reading, the word study skills your child learns will depend on their level of readiness. First graders begin the year reviewing the alphabet letters and their sounds. Once the review is over, children will be introduced to the five short vowels.

2nd Grade
Due to the wonderful summer break, many children forget skills learned in first grade. I am beginning the year reviewing the short vowel sounds. To me, phonics or word skills as it is known today, consists of very important letter/sound skills that all children need to learn and internalize in order to become better readers.