News From Mrs. Fig

October 13, 2008
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Five Senses Unit Has Gotten Off to a GREAT Start!

We have been very busy with our studies of the five senses! We shared as a group what we know about the senses, read stories and discussed when a sense was being used to describe something and we have tried using our senses in our writing. Using describing words like yellow or crunchy help “paint pictures” of leaves with words.
Each day I have devoted some time to  the sense of the week. I began with sight and we will work on hearing this week. We learned that sight is the most important one; how it sends information to the brain; how the eye sees; its’ parts and how we protect the eyes. They loved using magnifying glasses and prisms, looking at big books about eyesight and doing the experiment with a partner that shows how the pupils in our eyes adjust to light and darkness. Be sure to ask your child about the *mystery sound tape; acting out,  “Too Much Noise”; using homemade tuning forks and stethoscopes to hear one another’s heart beats this week. They are so enthusiastic it is awesome.
We link these senses with our reading and writing. It ties in nicely with fire prevention week too! I am amazed at what some of these little ones know. Someone knew about the optic nerve and how it sends the message of what we see to the brain! COOL!!!
Our school nurse has started vision and  hearing screenings in the school. We will be checked out on Tuesday  a.m. for our hearing and on the 28th for our vision. Next in our studies of the senses will be touch.  Then the very fun study of smell and taste. How appropriate near Halloween!
We will explain smells we like and don’t like! We will also learn that there are hairs in our noses to help filter the air we breath. After learning how it works so closely with taste some students I anticipate will share  how they plug their noses to eat some unpleasant veggies.- Too funny! I hope they have been coming home and telling you what they are doing in unit and will continue in the coming weeks!!!

WORDBOOKS & PHONICS

The boys and girls have reviewed many more letters and their sounds so far– We are doing numerous activities with words beginning and ending sound with these letters ; playing with their sounds with rhyme and word building. Their favorite time is when Leo the lion  puppet comes out. Each day we practice the letter sounds in our morning news, guided reading groups, as well as in our phonics. With vowels, like Ii this week, I reminded them that they make different sounds. We talked about the long and short sounds vowels make. I continue to make meaningful work with poems, stories, chants and such that match our letter of the day. I would love it if you would continue the fun in reviewing these letters and their sounds at home while you are reading with them or to them.  Go over papers they have completed in school and discuss what they did or had to do. Does it look like they would benefit from peeking at the directions again or practicing the formation of a particular letter or number ?! I would really appreciate the help. Please refer to the letter formation ABC chart from their homework folders.

Math: Working with numbers and Learning the Language!

            In math, the boys and girls continue to build their understanding of numbers through simple addition. Most of the boys and girls have a pretty good understanding of part + part = total . We hope you enjoy a class book that has started to circulate called, “20 Ways to Total 10.” I think the boys and girls did a fabulous job.
            So much a part of the math unit we are on is about the language.  We are constantly reviewing and working further with:

*more than
*less than
*comparing a number to 10
*equal to; altogether; makes; is
            Ex.  5 dogs and 2 more makes 7.
            5 dogs plus 2 dogs is 7 dogs.

            We use manipulatives as often as we can to make the learning of the concept a hands on experience. The more they see it, hear it and touch it the more it makes sense. How’s that for a tie into our senses unit?!  It’s true though…
            I hope you will look over the separate math newsletter coming home today closely and find time to try the mentioned activities to supplement what your child it learning in the classroom. I will send one of these letters home after each topic is completed.
            Many thanks to those of you who so closely look over your child’s math papers and have them do the homelink pages. I really appreciate it.

Reminder:  If your child is still making reversals of their numbers you should make them practice them the right way. This is the year to decrease their frequency even though reversals are still appropriate to catch in second grade.

Readers Workshop- I’m catching them reading !

I just finished doing my reading assessments last week. I will form reading groups based on this information and start meeting with kids each day. I have nine reading groups meaning there is a huge range of levels in my room. We are all learning about what we do as readers. It is the strategies that we utilize that helps us read, understand what was read and find pleasure in reading.  I remind them that we all leave in June as readers. The process that gets them all there is often different for some than others. Just like riding your bike or learning how to do a back hand spring the first time– it takes time and practice and patience!!! I encourage them to keep reading at home!!! Get off the videogames and plug into reading!!!
I need your help– keep reading to your child as often as you can.

Here are some reading/writing  notes           FYI...

1. We are finishing up “Stuart Little” during snack.

2. Enjoying a Steven Kellogg Book each day after recess. 

3. Working on tracking (matching the spoken word to the printed word) ; using picture clues and getting our mouth to make the first sound when we come to a hard word.

THIRD GRADE BUDDIES WITH MRS. SMITH’S CLASS

Three years ago Erin Smith and I got our classes together once a month for little gatherings. What started out as  book buddies and some old fashion shared reading has now blossomed into meetings typically once or twice a month for activities, reading, projects and more. It was such a hit that we are keeping with our plan! We plan on meeting for the first time with our third grade buddies real soon. I’m so thrilled because it is such a treat to see those that had me not long ago! It is so wonderful to see their progress and see them in as positive role models. We carefully match buddies up and give them an interview on their first meeting. The third graders do the writing and interviewing and together the Buddy teams create what will soon be a  hallway extravaganza!

Kidbits and Things to Treasure

We are collecting BOX TOPS in our classroom. We are doing quite well in a building wide contest so far. The boys and girls are trying to remember to bring in any BOX TOPS they find on their cereal. Get other family members involved; have a night when you trim them on the dotted lines; count them in groups of five, tens, twos ; and be sure not to include Betty Crocker points– they don’t count.

• Class books have just started circulating!!! Enjoy these precious works of art. They are in different stages of writing sometimes– often first drafts or as I call it, sloppy copies or final versions after conferencing has taken place. We hope that you will enjoy them and celebrate your child’s  work with them.

• A neat thing to try if you  haven’t already is… if you or your spouse is planning on being away for fun or business it is always neat for your first grader to listen to a story tape that mom or dad made from a favorite book. They will get to track and listen to that parent read a story and they will get to hear your sweet voice while you’re away. Have them pick a story or two from the library or from their favorite collection. Then read each story into a tape recorder. Turn page signals are easy to make with a spoon hitting a glass. Now your little reader is ready for some fun with reading. This is also great to get grandma and grandpa involved.

• Practice the art of letter writing. Have your child write a note to someone and mail it. How about a thank you card or an email with your help. When someone writes back it will motivate them to write again...

• Every now and then tape record your first grader reading a story. This not only makes a great keepsake but is a great way for them to hear how their reading is progressing.

• Our Book Fair is going on next week. You are welcome to meet up with us Monday at 10:10-10:35 a.m. for our browsing time. If you can’t we will help your child with their wish list.

• I will write notes on your child’s paper to inform you of something like ( small group / with me 1 on 1) ( please try to be neater cutie / No name is driving me crazy these days.... I like to let you know how things are going. I  typically correct that day or that evening. I will also correct in different colors in case they revisit a paper more than once. I hope these help you. Let me know if you ever have a question about these.

Writing Everyday…

We celebrate good writing each day. Once we have a mini lesson and an invitation with good literature has sparked an idea, the boys and girls go off and write. Then we come back together as a group and listen to volunteers share their piece from the day. This often leads to future mini lessons and almost always sparks new topics for the next day’s writing.
I am stressing lately when I conference with the boys and girls to use “more details.” I am asking that they stretch out a topic now. Instead of saying, “ I played ball with my dad.” I am insisting that they tell me more.
                        What kind of ball game did you play?
                        Where did you play?
                        How did you do?

As they write and as I model with my morning message, they are improving their handwriting techniques and have a better idea of proper spacing between letters and words.
 I encourage them to use their “ear spelling” and get down the initial and final sounds that they are hearing. They are making more attempts and getting much better with their medial sounds. Your child might also be hearing me remind them to only use caps correctly like at the start of a sentence or for someone’s name not where ever they feel like it. I am also encouraging them to read their work over to see if something doesn’t sound right, look right, or make sense.                             

Parent Conferences on the phone are taking me longer than anticipated!!!

I am still trying to give each of you a parent conference call. The purpose of this call has been to inform you of how your child has adjusted to first grade these past 20+ days and to give you an opportunity to ask questions. I’m so sorry to those four of you who are still waiting so patiently for me. I hope to get to you this week. With assessments, and after school commitments and my three kids’ activities I’m finding it trickier and trickier to find quiet talking time at home.  I have completed assessments, and continue to monitor your child ‘s progress through samples of their work and participation. If I ever feel I need to notify you I’ll contact you again.
Ms. Beebe has been extremely busy these past few weeks getting our Phonological Awareness / ABC Groups and a Story Group up and going. These are regular education support services that we have been providing Ryerson students over the years. She will provide these services M-Th in the hall or another quiet location other than the room for student’s benefits. She and I constantly share what we are working on and Cindy Armour our Reading Language Arts Teacher & I help guide her instruction based on student needs and performance in the class. She sees first hand what they need to review or have re-taught. If you ever receive a call or a note indicating that your child would benefit from some extra support in reading consider yourself or rather your child– LUCKY!  I will decide what children need and will  benefit from one of these  supports daily in addition to my reading groups  within the class.
Other readers who don't  require support are being challenged at their reading level with books that are appropriate to help them develop further in their reading, fluency and comprehension.
When we meet together again for your conference in early December I will speak more specifically to you about your child’s reading. Should you have any specific questions before then please do not hesitate to contact me.