Here is an update of our learning…

Reading:

This past week, we focused on information that we have learned from our nonfiction books. When we learn something new, sometimes it opens up a new question for us. We decided that these new questions encourage us to read more! We also reviewed our decoding strategies to help us figure out tricky words in our nonfiction books. We found that Chunky Monkey (Look for chunks) is a very helpful strategy for breaking up some of these longer technical words. In addition, Eagle Eye (Look at the picture) gives us additional information so that we can figure out the meaning of unfamiliar terms.

Writing:

In Writer’s Workshop, we are adding more details to our How To writing. Here are some things that we know how to add to our writing… Title (How To Make Your Bed), Introduction (I will teach you…), Materials or Ingredients, Steps (First, Second, Next, Finally), and Teaching Pictures with Labels. Next week, we will learn how to wrap up our How To’s with a great conclusion.

Social Studies:

As part of our study of geography, we discussed things in our environment that man made and natural. We discussed different landforms (plains, mountains, and forests) and bodies of water (rivers, lakes, oceans). This week we also practiced writing and saying our address, making sure we know our first and last name, our house number and street, and also our city, state, and zip code. Please continue to help your first grader learn this important information. 

Math:

Our first grade mathematicians studied some LARGE, TWO-DIGIT numbers this week. We noticed that every 2-digit number has a place to show the tens hiding inside along with a place to show the extra ones. We represented these numbers using ten sticks and circles and wrote an equation to match our work. We practiced using ten sticks and circles, the number path on our whiteboards, and boxes/jars of objects. Our first graders learned to count the tens first and then “freeze” before counting up the extra ones. Taking the time to “freeze” is an important strategy to help our students recognize when it’s time to switch from counting by 10s to 1s.