Welcome back to Hilliard Crossing First Grade!
We are very excited to get back to learning!
Reading
This month we will be working on reading and understanding non-fiction texts. Students will be learning about the various features of non-fiction pieces. Some of the features they will be encountering in the next couple of weeks include the following: Title, Author, Table of Contents, Index, Glossary, Photos, Illustrations, Diagrams, Charts, Graphs, Bold Print, and Cut-Aways. Students will learn how non-fiction texts are the same and how they are different from fictional texts. Over this time, they will also learn to figure out how to read tricky words in non-fiction work. Students will be reading many non-fiction selections in their guided reading time as well. Mid-year assessments will be done in early February using non-fiction texts as well.
Writing
As students return to school this week, they will review their opinion writing processes as they transition into review writing. Using examples from www.spaghettibookclub.org, www.kidzvuz.com, and www.teacher.scholastic.com, students will learn about how to read and write a review. Students will also create a list of things about which they feel passionate. They will be writing their own reviews about games, movies, restaurants, etc. throughout the next several weeks.
Word Work
New words this week include: girl, best, here, over, tell, tack, rip, rug, trash, trunk. Word patterns include words that begin with t, r, and tr. Please review all word work words that have been used so far. Review the patterns as well. Thank you!
Math
In math, we will be continuing our work in addition and subtraction through 20. Especially, we will be working on doubles, doubles plus 1, and doubles minus 1. Students must be able to use pictures, numbers, and words to explain all of their math thinking. They need to understand that a 2 digit number is made of a "ten and some more." Continue to practice counting aloud as far as your child can count. Start at any number and continue. Look for understanding the patterns of tens and ones. Homework Journals need to be completed and returned the very next day. Thanks so much for your help as we return to our weekly schedules.
Science
This month we begin a new science unit involving physical changes in matter.
Following a pre-assessment on Monday, we will begin by sorting various items by properties. Properties include size, type of material, shape, color, texture, etc. Once students understand that materials have properties, they will be learning that properties can change through a variety of ways. Some of those ways include freezing, heating, tearing, mixing, taking apart, and putting together. Students will be drawing and writing about their experiences in a journal.
Other Information
January 9-PTO Meeting 7pm
January 11-Family Dance
January 17-Interim Reports sent home
January 20-No School-Martin Luther King Jr. Day