The months after Christmas in Grade One for many students is the time all the skill building starts to come together and students growth seems to blossom. I love this time in the school year as we really seem to make the most gains! Following please find some information on our current learning objectives.
Language Arts
Please continue Home Reading. As a benchmark, your child should have read a minimum of 100 books at this time.
In Reading your child should know all consonant and short vowel sounds and be able to use them to read and spell with confidence. Our current focus is consonant blends and clusters and the digraphs; /th/, /sh/, /ch/ and /wh/. In February we will focus on long vowels and begin looking more closely at word endings. The fourth set of Key Words will be coming home this week. Please review all key words regularly as these are high frequency words that your child should read fluently, with little hesitation. Much of our work is done at Centres so not a lot of "product" comes home, but you should see the growth in your child's reading and writing done at home.
In Writing we will be working on organization and writing a sequence story.
Math
There is a lot going on in Math! Our focus is numerals and sets 10 - 20; estimating, combining and separating, problem solving and reinforcing "The Power of Ten". Please ask your child about the power of ten. (At this time students recognize sets of "ten" and add on without having to count the ten; 10 + 4 = 14).
Other strategies we are working on include "counting on" 1 and 2 ( 8 + 1 = 9, 8 + 2 = 10). After that we will master "doubles" ( 1 + 1 = 2, 2 + 2 =4 ...). Then "doubles plus 1" ( if we know 6 + 6 = 12, then we know 6 + 7 = 13). Our counting practice at this time is counting by 2's to 50.
Science
Topics are Winter and The Senses; How we use our senses to learn and keep safe.
Social Studies
We are doing lessons to develop interpersonal skills; working and playing with others.
Art
We will dabble in some different mediums; water colours, oil pastels and plasticine and paper mache; not necessarily in that order. A letter will be coming home on February 4th about an upcoming trip to The Alberta Gallery of Art, February 22nd.
