This Friday, April 30th is Arbor Day. Please remind your child to wear green that day!
Reading: Before break, we finished talking about wonderings that readers have while they read. When reading at home, continue to ask your child to tell you the wonderings he or she has before, during, and after reading. It's a great way to get your child to truly 'think' and analyze what he or she is reading.
Last week, and continuing into this week, we started a new reading workshop unit - visualization. Visualizing is not just about creating a picture in your mind about what is happening in the text you are reading, but about using all of your senses (touch, taste, smell, vision, and hearing). As you read with your child, ask them to describe his or her visualization of a certain part of the story. (You can guide them by asking them what it looks like, smells like, sounds like, etc).
Writing: This week, we will publish our All-About books by inviting a kindergarten class to our classroom! After that, we will start a poetry unit. I hope you all received my email a couple of weeks ago to 'save the date' for the first grade poetry reading during the afternoon of Friday, May 14th! (More information will follow.)
Math: Recently, we've spent quite a lot of time going over money and making change. In regards to 'making change,' we have only gone over the method of counting up. (Meaning that if an item is 72 cents, and you give the cashier 75 cents, the child should 'count up' by counting the number of 'hops' on a number line or number grid between 72 and 75.)
This week, we'll spend time talking about fractions. The students always love this unit!
Social Studies: We've learned a lot about Mexico so far! In fact, we're doing a project in computers based upon Mexican facts that we've learned.
Last week, we started our paper mache pinatas. The students had a lot of fun and did a FANTASTIC job. I am very proud of them. This week, we'll work on decorating the pinatas for our Cinco de Mayo celebration.