Independent Workers in Training

For the last two weeks, my students have been in training-mode.  I teach reading in the morning for about 2 hours.  But during those 2 hours, the students are doing many different things.  Right now, they are training to become independent workers by completing reading/spelling choices so that I will be able to meet with Guided Reading Groups with out interruptions.

The students are learning to choose a reading/spelling choice from their Reading Choice Packet, collect the materials they need, and start working quietly and without assistance.  All of the reading/spelling choices are connected with our reading skills and spelling words for that week.

Take a look at my independent workers in action! 

Magnadoodle Words



Stamp Words



 



I-Pad Spelling

 



Read the Theme Book

Read a Big Book

 

 

 



Chalkboard Words

Listening Center

 

Once the students are fully trained, I will be ready to start meeting with Guided Reading Groups to help my students become better readers on their own reading level. 

Here is a schedule of my Reading Instruction:

Word Work Whole Group Lesson (10 minutes)
Guided Reading/Reading Choices (20 minutes)
Reading Whole Group Lesson (10 minutes)
Guided Reading/Reading Choices (20 minutes)
Independent Reading Focus Lesson (10 minutes)
Indepent Reading Time (15-20 minutes)
Reader's Share Circle (5 minutes)

Klein West-Open House

Thank you to everyone who came out Thursday night to Klein West to visit your child's classroom!  We are off to a great start this year!  All of the kids have transitioned extremely well to our new location and we are focused on learning! 

The kids are loving Rocket Math!  At Open House, you were able to see how your child practices everyday at school.  I gave everyone a packet of blank rocket math papers.  You can use those to make copies at home if you'd like.  The more practice your child gets with Rocket Math, the more math facts they will know in a 'snap'.

There was also a Holiday Volunteer Sheet in the packet that was given out at Open House.  Please fill it out and return it to school if you are interested in helping out in any way! 

Thanks again for coming to Open House!  I have a great group of First Grade Families!! 

                                     

       

Blasting Off with Rocket Math!

We are blasting off with our addition facts in first grade!  Students have learned how to practice with a partner and take a 1 minute test to help them learn addition facts!  Research supports that students who know their math facts will be more successful when solving harder math problems. 

Practice makes perfect!!  We practice Rocket Math everyday!  Students start on Level A (simple addition facts) and move up the Rocket everytime they pass their goal!  On Fridays, we take a 3 minute practice test that has 50 mixed addition problems.  Your child's goal is to be able to complete 50 problems in 3 minutes by the end of first grade.

Passing their Rocket Math goal helps your child to be fluent with their addition facts.  If they bring home a rocket math paper and didn't pass, you can orally practice at home! 
Here is how you practice:
*Sit with your child and listen to them say the addition facts around the perimeter of the rectangle. 
*If they get one wrong, say to them:
Stop
Check your answer.  The answer is _____.
Say it three times. 
*Then have your child go back three problems and start again. 

We are Readers!

This week, we started to practice our independent reading time.  During this time, students sit in a quiet, comfy spot around the room and read books that they selected from our classroom library. 

We learned that there are 3 ways to read a book:  Read the words, Read the pictures, or Retell a familiar story.  All the kids did a fantastic job building their reading stamina this week! 

On Monday, students will pick new books from our classroom library.  They learned that the Five Finger Rule can help them choose a book that is just right.  You can also try this at home!
Our Five Finger Rule:
step 1:  Open a book to any page.
step 2:  Read the words and put up a finger for every word you do not know.
             If you know all of the words--Too Easy
             1-2 fingers up--- Just Right
             3-5 fingers up----Too Hard