Support strategies for home

What you can do at home to help:

*Make 10 frames!
*Make fact families with 3 related numbers (2 parts and 1 whole)
*Write a paragraph using a topic "green" sentence, 3 detail "yellow" sentences, and a concluding or "WOW!" "red" sentence
*Show them a picture and have them write about it
*Have them read to you and ask comprehension questions with some depth, such as character traits or inferences (not obvious meanings)
*Encourage the kids to do their best in preparing for 2^nd grade, both academically as well as behaviorally

Suggestions for home reading and writing

During this time of year, curriculum moves much more rapidly than in the beginning. I want you to be award of what your students are learning and what they should be working on to meet standards. Let's keep our expectations high and provide as much support for the students as possible. The more we practice, the better prepared for second grade they will be.

In writing, please have your student practice using the stages of the writing process in their homework. Help them to develop an appropriate topic sentence. Brainstorm with them 3 detail sentences (but have them come up with the idea so they understand what they are writing), and they should be able to come up with a WOW sentence on their own as a conclusion.

First grade is a wonderful time to see your student blossom, but it is challenging as well. Being aware of our academic student expectations will help you to provide the support necessary to create an optimal learning experience for your student. Exposure and practice are the keys both in the classroom as well as at home. :)

Curriculum Update

In reading, while still reviewing, we are starting to move away from phonics. We are now reading stories in our anthologies that follow a theme. The theme that we just finished is “Keep Trying”. In that unit, we read Frog and Toad stories along with some shorter stories and poems. We are working on answering comprehension questions in complete sentences and writing summaries. Right now, the big push is in reading fluency (reading in a fluid voice while using intonation for quotations and punctuation).

In addition, we are working hard on finding books that are “just right” for the reader. If in doubt, don’t push the book with the higher reading level. Reading books that are too challenging really stalls the comprehension process when kids have to sound words out (more than 5 on a page).
In math, we have been working on coin recognition (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters only) as well as counting coins. We have practiced adding a group of coins together starting with the coin that has the highest value. This is sometimes tricky for kids to do and is a great thing for you to do at home. Also, we have been taking timed math fact tests almost every day and the kids are getting very good! They have now realized that they are not going to correctly complete all of the facts within 2 minutes if they are not memorized. That’s the goal! In second grade, they will be taking timed tests from the same program, but with only 1 minute to complete them.

In science, we have transitioned from weather to The Water Cycle and
then to states of matter. The kids are discovering properties of solids and liquids in various investigations. We had our first Science Club (instead of Book Club) with parent helpers on Tuesday and the kids LOVED it! Thanks helpers!

Leprechaun Traps

As you saw in your child’s homework folder this week, all first graders are constructing a leprechaun trap as part of their homework. The most important part of the trap construction is the plan. The students need to draw a diagram of their trap with labels. We've emphasized that they are the engineers and engineers solve problems (just like in our Lego engineering lessons). The kids need to bring them to school on Friday, March 14^th. The kids will share their trap and explain how it will work. On March 17th, we will check to see if we’ve caught any of those clever leprechauns! The kids seem to really be having fun with this. We appreciate your help at home!

No Bully

At Rancho, we exercise a NO BULLY policy! All of the staff members were fortunate to have a No Bully speaker come to our school and give us some great suggestions and strategies. In the office, there is an anonymous Bully Box, where the students can drop notes off for Mrs. Kawata. Also, we do Bullyproofing lessons and role-play in class. The kids have a great character foundation already, so let's keep it up. Thanks!

5 Finger Rule

As students are checking out books from the library and choosing books to read at home, don't forget the "5 Finger Rule"! As the student reads a page, if they don't know a word, they hold up 1 finger. If they get to 5 before the page is over, have them choose a simpler book.

Welcome back from break!

When we return from break, we are going to continue our hard work in reading, writing, science, and math. The first grade team (yes, the whole team) would appreciate your support in retaining high expectations for our students, both academically and behaviorally. The behavior that we have been experiencing during the last few weeks has been much worse than desired (overall). Please remind your students that we (teachers and parents) expect them to take pride in their work, work hard, and do their very best. Ask your child how the day was, what they learned, and if they did their best. Have them explain to you exactly what good behavior in school looks like. They know it, they may just need reminders! Having the children see that the school-home expectations are consistent is the best way to instill these critical practices and study habits. We have a lot to learn in the next few months to prepare for second grade and it is important to remember that good behavior and successful academics goes hand in hand. Thanks for your support, we appreciate it.