2nd tri high frequency words.pdfClassroom Updates w/o 2/1/10
In Language Arts we have been learning, and will continue to work on, many different long vowel spelling patterns. At this point all of the long vowel spelling patterns have been introduced. In the coming weeks we will move on to variant vowel spellings (oo, ou, ow, oy, oi, aw, au). Once these spelling patterns are introduced, we will review and practice the many spelling patterns learned this year in order to cement them in the kids' brains. A lot of new patterns are introduced in January/February, then it slows down. So, if you child is having difficulty with the paper readers coming home these days, just be patient and keep practicing them. In Reader’s Workshop, we are learning how good readers think about the stories they read by using sticky notes to mark different parts. If your child asks for some sticky notes at home to use during reading...this is what thinking readers do! We have published our second round of personal narrative stories in Writer’s Workshop and have moved on to the final personal narrative unit. In this unit we will learn a few more writing strategies as well as how to revise, grow and polish our stories. Math has moved on to place value (tens/ones). For many students, this is a very difficult concept to grasp. It is a developmental thing. Continued discussion, practice and reinforcement will pay off. We will soon be moving on to time and money (while continuing to practice place value and addition/subtraction facts.)
Valentine's Day Celebration
Valentine's Day is just a couple weeks away. We will be having our classroom Valentine's party on February 12th at 12:40. One of the party's activities will be a Valentine exchange. This is an optional activity. Kids are not required to bring in Valentines for classmates. However, should your child chose to participate, please make sure a Valentine is given to each classmate (not just closest friends.) This helps prevent hurt feelings. Our room moms are currently hard at work on the class auction project, so details on the party will be sent out at a later date.
Homework Helpers
- The reading response portion of homework this week is making predictions. Since many students are now reading chapter books, I have provided two types of paper for this. Your child should chose the one type of paper that is most appropriate for the book he/she is reading. Please read the directions carefully as a prediction needs to be made before the entire book is read.
- Many kids might ask how to spell words while doing their homework. When asked this question, please encourage your child to try sounding it out first. It is important that they get in the habit of trying to figure it out for themselves before simply relying on someone else to do the work for them. Here are a few responses you can try:
- Say the word and feel the sounds in your mouth. What sound do you hear at the beginning/middle/end.
- Is that a long or short vowel sound you hear?
- What are some ways you've learned to spell that sound? (For unique vowel spelling patterns, it is ok to provide the correct spelling.)
- Is that a word wall word? Check your personal word wall.
- I have added the list of 2nd tri-mester word wall words that I will be using for report card assessments in March. Please print this out and review any troublesome words with your child. It is important that kids build a bank of sight words so they can spend their reading energy on other tricky words. As they build their bank of words they instantly recognize their reading becomes more fluent.
