Guided Reading and 7 Things to Remember

Today was our first day of Guided Reading. There are four groups. The teachers are Mrs. Carlson, Mrs. Weltzheimer, Mrs. Nelson, and Mrs. Bleam. Each day your student will bring home a book in a baggie. Please have your child re-read the book to you. This will help them practice fluency. After your child has read the book to you, please sign the bear slip. Please send the book baggie and the bear reading slip back to school with them daily. The students will have a "bear" party after they have 20 slips signed.

I know there is a lot to remember in first grade, but please bear with me. This gets easier once the students are in a routine. Below is a list of 7 important things to remember. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.

7 THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR FIRST GRADE

1. PLANNER: This is sent home DAILY. Please sign and return with any notes you may have.

2. WORD JOURNEYS: New words are sent home each MONDAY. Word Journeys (Spelling) tests each FRIDAY.

3. GUIDED READING: A new book is sent home DAILY in a baggie. Please return them the following day.

4. BEAR SLIPS: A new slip is sent home DAILY please sign and send back to school in the baggie.

5. MATH HOME LINKS: Home links are to be done at home with help from family and sent home the following day. These are not sent home everyday. Please keep the "Family Letters", they do NOT need to be sent back to school.

6. SIGHT WORDS: New lists are sent home as needed. Mrs. Hokinson works with the kids approximately every other day on practicing reading the sight words. They do not need to spell these, just read them.

7. SHOW AND TELL: Show and Tell is each FRIDAY.

Birthdays this week!

Happy Birthday Chris!!! September 8th

Happy Birthday Shawn!!! September 5th

Real Money for Math Class

I am sending home a note today that asks you to send 10 pennies, 5 nickels, 10 dimes, and 2 quarters with your child in the baggie provided. Each child will need their own money for math class. We will start using the real money the beginning of next week. This money will be sent home at the end of the school year.

Word Journeys

Today we started Word Journeys which is our spelling program. We have four teachers teaching Word Journeys to allow for smaller groups and will be doing this daily from 8:45-9:05. The teachers are: Mrs. Carlson, Mrs. Weltzheimer, Mrs. Bleam, and Mrs. Nelson.

Your child will be bringing home a “refrigerator sheet” with the weeks words and the flash cards to cut out and review. This is your copy and does not need to come back to school. The words will be sent home each Monday. If you notice that your child did not bring them home in their take-home folder, please write a note in the planner to let me know. I will make sure they get home the following day. I am trying to get the kids into a routine of bringing these home each Monday and practicing during the week to be prepared for the tests on Friday.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

13 Ways to Motivate Kids to Read

*See a movie that’s based on a book. Then, read the book together.
*Encourage your child to read for fun by reading entertaining books, newspapers, and magazine articles together.
*Have your child read the recipe as you make something fun, like a favorite family dish.
*Read stories out loud, either to your child or with your child.
*Encourage your child to explore new interests by signing up for a sports team, summer camp, or even a fun summer class.
*Then, find books and magazine articles about his or her new interests and read them together.
*Have older children read out loud to their younger siblings.
*Make reading together enjoyable by focusing on the meaning of what you read rather than focusing on reading accuracy.
*Talk to your child about things he or she has read in school or at home.
*Get a library card and help your child check out books related to his or her life and interests.
*Play board games that involve reading, and include siblings and friends whenever you can.
*Have your child watch reading-focused television programs on PBS.
*Make reading a family event by having 15-30 minutes of family reading time every day.

Listen to our favorite part of the 3 Little Pigs

Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin......

Today we read two different books based on the tale of the 3 Little Pigs. We then re-told the story to our friends!

Teage tells Isaac the story of the 3 little pigs.

Lydia, Sydnee, and Paige W. take turns telling their version of The 3 Little Pigs!




Tristan and Adam get their characters all ready!



Meghan and Odyssey are careful to line the parts up in order.


The first little pig built his house out of straw..the second little pig built his house out of sticks...and the third little pig built his house out of bricks...