News for the Week!

Homework packets went home today! The first homework packets of the year! Inside, you should find:

• A printed Newsletter
• Phonics homework - various skills thinking about the first sounds of words. If that is not challenging enough, feel free to have your child think about other sounds they hear. Most students should have a front and back for this. There were a few that ended up not being double sided (the copier and I were at war). I apologize, in the future there will be front and backs!
• Math homework - We started our first math unit today! This is homework from TOMORROW'S lesson. As I talked about with the students - maybe wait until tomorrow to do the math (that's why it is in the back). In the future, the homework will be review only so that students will already be familiar with the concepts. This first week we just haven't had time yet. There is a front and back for all students.
• Introduction page from the math curriculum - to give you a preview of what things we will be thinking about in this section of math. There is also a game on the back. We did play the game today in class - although we modified it to use with dice instead of number cards. We talked about how to do play it both ways though. I encourage you to have your students play this game!

Here's a basic rundown of the newsletter:

Homework will come home on Mondays (or the first day of the school week), and will be due on Fridays (or the last day of the school week). Feel free to turn it in earlier. Being able to complete and turn in the homework is part of your first grader's report card. NOTE: The homework does not, and in fact should not, be perfect if your student is struggling with that concept. I do look at the homework to inform my lessons. The ONLY thing that will be graded will be if your student COMPLETES and TURNS IN the homework.

Phonics: We will be reviewing beginning sounds this week! For some students that means going back over the sounds the letters make, for others it's comparing tough sounds (such as "b" and "p" words). 

Math: We are entering our first unit! This unit is about addition - the different ways we can think about it (dividing up a number, joining two numbers together - particularly using number "patterns" to identify and add. "Number Patterns" means the arrangement of 4 dots in a square we automatically think "4" without counting. Basically, think about how you easily recognize the dots on dice without counting).

Writing: We are thinking about how writers figure out WHAT to write, and how they start to PLAN for their writing using graphic organizers. We will be talking about the "hand" organizer for planning out the "5 W's" - Who, What, Where, When and Why in a story. We will also be remembering how to "sound out" words for first grade spelling. We do NOT expect students to have perfect spelling - in fact we practice "invented spelling" which is when the student listens for the SOUNDS they hear in a word, and write down ONLY those letters. This lets students express more complex ideas without worrying about remembering the complex spelling rules of the English Language. Now, your students spelling will become better over the course of the year as we discuss various spelling patterns and words. But, for now, have your student "stretch out" or "sound out" words - so "write" might be spelled "rit."

Social Studies: We will be thinking about our hopes and dreams for the year - what we expect to learn and do this year as first graders. We will use these to create our classroom rules, and really practice those rules to make sure we know what "be respectful" means and looks like.

If you have ANY questions, concerns or comments please let me know! My email is ekelly-sell@uprep.com.

Enjoy your week!

Ms. Kelly-Sell