Week of September 25th

This week:

Sight Words:  a
Theme:  3 Bears
Language Arts:  Setting, Characters and Retelling
Math: Numbers to 10
Science:  Rocks and Soil
Writing:  Drawing pictures, adding labels, writing 1 sentence
Phonics:  Aa, Tt
Grammar: Adjectives

Important Dates:
September 25th:  Picture orders are due
September 28th:  Make-up pictures
September 25th-29th: PTSA fundraiser (packets come home Monday)
September 29th: No school
October 4th: Minimum Day and Walk to School Day (wear pink)
October 27th: Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
October 31st:  Halloween Centers (parent help please)

Field Trip:
Our field trip will be on October 27th.  Please note that if you are not chaperoning, you may not meet us at the patch.  All chaperone names are pre-approved by Mrs. Joye and the district policy does not allow parents to "meet" at an event without approval.  This is for the safety of the students.  Thank you!  

PTSA Memberships:
PTSA membership drive goes through this month.


Things your child should have mastered:
1.  They should be able to read the sight words I have been teaching in class. 
we, and, can , the, I , see, like
2.  They should be able to write, identify and count numbers 0-10
3.  They should know all the letters in their name.  And the letters I focused on last week: Ss and Mm.  They should know the sounds of Ss and Mm as well.  

Things you want to start incorporating into your child's homework:
1.  Writing letters Aa-Zz (you can print out the Alphabet Writing Chart by clicking on the homework tab and scrolling down).
2.  Writing numbers 1-30 (this chart is also under the homework tab).  

Assessments:
I have been assessing all students on letter id and sounds and I will send those results to you in a week or so.  This will let you know where your child stands as far as letter recognition and sounds.  You can use it as a guide as to how to work with your child


Writing:
*We have been practicing "stretching out" unknown words in our writing.  Have your child reference their sound/letter chart on the back of their take home folder for help.
I want to share with you what we have been learning about writing so you can support me at home when it comes to the Share Homework.  If you have been writing a sentence for them up to this point, that's great.  I am asking that you shift your support at this point so your child can gain more confidence in writing.  Here's what I'm teaching:
1.  THE PICTURE
In class we have been writing stories by drawing pictures.  We have been learning that our pictures should tell who was there, where they were and how they felt.  We have been learning that we want to use MANY of the crayons in our crayon box to draw details.  For example, if I am telling a story about my trip to the park, I would include the following details in my picture:
a sun, some clouds, grass, the swings I went on, the picnic lunch I had, my two boys and I would use as many colors as I could from my crayon box.
2.  TAPPING AND TELLING
After our detailed picture is complete, we have been learning to tap our details and tell the story.  (If the students can't tell a story, how will they ever learn to write a story?)  My tap and tell would sound something like this as I touched the appropriate parts of the picture:
"I went to the park with Jonas and Mattias and it was a sunny day.  We went on the swings and we had a picnic on the grass.  I packed sandwiches and watermelon.  We had a great time.
3.  ADDING LABELS
After tapping and telling, we have just begun adding labels to our picture.  I'm encouraging the students to write the sounds they hear in the object they are labeling.  For example, if we are labeling the sun, a beginner may just write an 's' for the beginning sound.  That's great!! Some students may write 'sn' because they hear the beginning and end.  Some students are working at a level that they are hearing beginning, middle and ending sounds.  We want to support the child at their level and build their confidence as their phonemic awareness improves.
I am encouraging students to add 1-2 labels to their pictures in class.

Thanks for your support!  Remember, share homework is due EVERY WEEK, any day but Friday.


Sight Words:
**I'm noticing that some of the students do not know the short list of sight words I've been teaching in class.  
the
and
can
I
see
like

Please put these in flashcards and practice them if your child can not read these words.  Thank you for your support.  

Don't forget that practicing Sight Words is a part of your child's homework. Each child has a baggie with his/her name and green flashcards.  Please help your child learn these words at a pace that is appropriate for them.  I will be teach the words I and see next week but many students are ready for more than just 2 words a week.  When your child knows all the words, have them return them to me in their Take Home Folder for a quick test.  I'm looking to see that your child is NOT sounding out the word, but recognizing it quickly.  They will receive a Brag Tag and then move onto the next list.  Students who pass all 8 sight words lists will receive a prize!  
.

Trader Joe Bags
If you have any extra paper Trader Joe bags in your cupboards that you are willing to donate to me, I would love to have them.

Homework:
Please click on the 'Homework' tab to see the homework for this week