It feels good to be healthy and back in the classroom. Thanks to those of you that sent me "Get Well" wishes as they were much needed. I battled off a pretty intense case of tonsillitis and am now at last back to full speed.
As Unit 5 continues in both Open-Court Reading and Everyday Math students are asked to apply many of their skills in new contexts. Phonics and reading have combined in what Open-Court labels "First Readers." These are small thin books given to the students to read and follow along individually. This format is in opposition to the Big Book format experienced until this point. Some of you may receive the next set of Sight Words (101-125) to begin practicing. The words are: over, new, sound, take, only, little, work, know, place, year, live, me, back, give, most, very, after, thing, our, just, name, good, sentence, man, think. Again these are words that should be recognized upon sight and may not necessarily be phonetically spelled.
Everyday Math continues down the path toward addition fact perfection. Basic addition facts will be covered and manipulated in a number of ways. Students have been learning ways of adding double digits with the assistance of base 10 blocks and counting coins. Number stories are also becoming commonplace in the math arena as students work on both comprehension and listening with a purpose, in this case numbers and operations.
Science continues with exploration of our solar system and the assortment of unique bodies within its realm. The universe and space have been captivating both the students' minds and interests as they are encouraged to wonder, ponder, and dream of the interesting features and endless possibilities offered up in outer space.
Social Studies continues down the path of the world we live. Children are being introduced to geographical features and ecological bodies and their purposes. Some keys terms thus far are land, continent, ocean, lake, and resources (non-renewable, renewable.) Please entertain your child's questions and interest in any or all of these areas.
** Parent Teacher Conferences **
Conferences are right around the corner. Please pay attention to your child's Mail folder and your e-mail inbox for your scheduled time. The schedule will remain the same as the fall with a few exceptions. Please contact me if you know there will be a conflict.
