Fabulous February in First Grade
SPECIAL EVENTS
First grade is going to have a fabulous February! We are proud of how our students are learning and growing. Many special events occur this month. The 100th day of school will be here! There will be a STAR student assembly. We are looking forward to our Valentine’s Day parties on the 13th! Please remember that no younger siblings are allowed to attend the parties. A BIG thank-you goes out to all of the parents who are helping or donating supplies! Jump Rope for Centerville will take place this month as well.
This is what we have been working on recently and will be working on in the month ahead:
LANGUAGE ARTS
Word Study
We will continue to work with words that have long vowel sounds. We’ll also be learning about contractions (I’m, he’s, she’ll can’t, etc.) and compound words (rainbow, toothbrush, doghouse, etc.)
It is very important for students to apply the high-frequency words and decodable patterns in their writing.
Reading
We will enjoy reading folktales and fairy tales! There are great multicultural fairy tales and folktales that you may want to read to your child, and that have also been made into movies that would be fun to watch. Discuss the elements of these stories as well as the traits of the characters.
We will also be reading informational texts and telling the difference between facts and opinions.
Students should be beginning to self-monitor and apply strategies whenever the reading does not make sense. Our first graders will also practice retelling and answering questions about texts. We continue to work on reading with fluency and expression.
Writing
We are finishing our nonfiction “expert” teaching books and will be starting our opinion unit. To kick start the unit, we’ll bring in collections of objects. More info will be coming soon about that. Have your child practice telling his/her opinions (favorite part of the story or movie, ice cream flavor, restaurant, game, etc.) and giving reasons to support it.
By this time in the year, using correct spacing, capitalization, and punctuation should be becoming automatic. Again, correct spelling of the high-frequency words is also expected.
MATH
We’ve worked on collecting and representing data in the form of charts, tables, and graphs. We have practiced comparing numbers using the math vocabulary greater than, less than, and equal to. We continue to work on story problems in which students need to read, represent, and solve problems. We have reviewed 2-D and 3-D shapes and fractions. We will soon move into two-digit addition and subtraction. Please keep practicing basic addition and subtraction facts. We’d like our first graders to improve their fact fluency and accuracy.
SCIENCE
Keep observing the phases of the moon even though we are finishing our space unit.
We will be starting a new science unit on Light and Sound. It has lots of fun, hands-on activities. Your child may want to do some experiments at home, too.
We’re very excited that we will get to incubate and hatch chicks again this year! We will get the incubators in our classrooms in early February and will hopefully have chicks 21 days later. It is a wonderful way that we enrich our organisms unit. Children witness the miracle of life and the chicks are soooo cute!
OTHER
If your family is going on an extended trip, the policy is that teachers are NOT expected to provide assignments. Students are expected to read daily with materials provided by the parents, keep a journal, practice math facts, and look for curriculum connections as they travel. Expect some makeup work upon your return.
Please continue to make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the cold, whenever we do get to venture outside for recess. (Sometimes it is chilly in the building as well!) Keep working on independent zipping, tying, and buttoning independently.
We have had much sickness going around the school, such as flu and strep. Please do not send your children to school if they have a fever or symptoms. We are encouraging frequent hand-washing and use of tissues here at school in order to try to prevent more sicknesses.
Ask your child to check their school supplies and let you know if there is a need for any tools, such as pencils, glue sticks, dry-erase markers, composition books, scissors, or crayons.
During the Winter months we spend a lot of time inside for recess, so if you would like to donate play-doh, board games, puzzles, Lincoln Logs or Legos, we’d appreciate a little variety of activities! We could also use donations of tissues, dry-erase markers, zip-lock bags, and treasure box items, if possible.
Thank you!
Team One