Week 23
Our students are reading and growing!
Reading:
The results of our last STAR Reading test showed that our class average is 1.9 (reading at a first grade, ninth month reading level). If your student is reading on the lower side of that average, please continue to read the white books each night, and instructional phonics videos can be viewed here:
http://phonicsreview.blogspot.com/
All of the sounds and spellings have been taught, so our students should be able to decode every word they see. Practice makes perfect.
Six of our students have demonstrated such competency in reading that they have earned the 'Chapter Book Club' award. The students get recognized with a certificate and some treats. They may now read chapter books, and they may partner read with a friend. All of our students are excited about earning this award. Parent volunteers are needed now more than ever!
Writing
We are currently working on expository/informational writing. Our students have learned the 'Step up to Writing' process and have completed 2 assignments using this method. This week we will begin to learn and write about owls.
Printing
Please encourage your student to print neatly. We review letter formation regularly, but many students still form letters bottom to top, and sometimes words are illegible.
Math
Topic 10 was a tough one. The average score for the test was 1.85. These tests will come home on Monday. I will continue to teach these concepts at school and we will review the test at school. I encourage you to go over each test with your student so they can learn from their mistakes. Many of the problems our students encounter have to do with understanding the question. While I read everything aloud on a math test, many students don't understand what the problem is asking them to do. Reviewing this at home will help.
We have started Topic 11 - Subtracting with tens and ones. Please remember that you can use the Pearson website to review and preview math.
Science
We have seen gas expand when heated. We've learned about different light sources. We've learned about penguins. Look for info about our field trip coming up on March 21 - The Discovery Science Center.
Valentine's Day
We will have a party on Feb 14th beginning at 1:15. Students will have an ice cream social, play valentine bingo, and exchange valentines. If you send valentines with your student, be sure to include one for every child. Thank you.
If you can send $2.00 to help with the cost of the party that would be greatly appreciated.