Tag Archives: Small Moment stories

Learning Update

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Math Update: We are off to a great start with our wonderful math program. During the first two weeks of school, we’ve been visualizing, representing, and breaking apart numbers using a variety of math tools: counters, stair steppers, and number cards. When we break apart a number, we take a larger number and split it into two smaller numbers. We call the two smaller numbers partners because when we add them together they equal the larger number. So far we’ve discovered the partners for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Thank you for helping your child complete the math homework. This important practice reinforces what is taught in the classroom each day.

Reading Update: This week, we began readers’ workshop. We have enjoyed reading some great stories together and have started building the foundation of our independent reading time. Readers get better by reading just right books, so we’ve focused this week on choosing books that we can read and that we enjoy.

Writing Update: During Writer’s Workshop, our class has been writing small moment stories. A small moment story is a true story from our own experiences. We learned how writers plan their stories by thinking of an idea, sketching a quick picture for the beginning, middle, and end, and then writing the words. We also learned that good writers always keep working. We use the phrase “When you’re done – you’ve just begun!” because good writers go back to add details to their pictures and words or they start a new story.

 

 

 

Learning Update

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Reading Update:

These first grade readers have been working hard on growing their stamina. Our highest class record so far is 22 minutes, 8 seconds! During this reading time, students are reading from just right books (books at their independent reading level), stretch books (books that are slightly challenging), and choice books (favorite books chosen from our class library). Books are read and reread to improve fluency, comprehension, and accuracy. Each student also practices sight words in order to read them in a snap. Our reading lessons have helped to expand comprehension. We have discovered important lessons in shared stories and made connections to our own lives.

Writing Update:

We continue to work on our small moment stories during Writer’s Workshop. This past week we learned how to include details in our writing. Good writers use their five senses to add details to their stories. We added details about what we saw, heard, touched, ate, or smelled. These details help stories come alive! We also worked on stretching out each word, writing down all of the sounds that we heard. These first graders have written amazing stories about campfires, trips to the cottage, birthday parties, losing teeth, and more! A common saying in our classroom is, “That would make a great small moment story!”

Math Update:

This week, we learned how to draw pictures and circle drawings to solve story problems. We used break apart sticks and circles to show the partners. This strategy helped us to figure out the total in a snap! We also learned about equal (=) and not equal (≠). This understanding of equality is an important math concept that students will apply when writing equations throughout this year.


Mind Up:

Mind Up is an important school wide curriculum at Georgetown School. This program helps children learn strategies to self-regulate their social and emotional systems. We have learned about important areas of the brain which make decisions, protect us, and store memories. This past week, we practiced calming strategies to use when we are frustrated, angry, or upset. Taking deep belly breaths and slowing down before we act are two methods we have learned so far that can help in difficult situations.

Writing Update

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We are continuing to work on Small Moment stories during Writer’s Workshop. This week we focused on using details in our writing. Good writers add details to their stories. Some details that we can add are…

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We also focused on making sure to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out each word in our story so that we can write down each sound that we hear. When working on writing a word, we stretch it out slowly like a rubber band. We write down the first, middle, and last sounds that we hear in that word. First graders are working very hard on writing their small moment stories!