Week Three!

I saw so many amazing things in our room this week. So many brains working and so many brave moments. There were a lot of opportunities for students to get up and complete a task or read a writing in front of all of their peers and they did such a great job.

Here is our week at-a-glance!

Sentence Order

Our grammar focus this week was sentence order. Students spent time arranging the words in a sentence to make them make sense. They absolutely loved taking turns coming up and rearranging the sentence strip pieces to make complete sentences. As they did so, I played the "Jeopardy" game show music. They LOVED it!

Another sentence order activity we did this week.

Greater Than/Less Than

In math this week we worked on counting, patterns, and comparing numbers. One thing we focused mainly on was greater than and less than.

Tricky Words/Spelling Words

This week we started small group rotations. Two stations that students rotate through is tricky word practice and spelling word practice. I have been introducing different activities for students to do in order to practice these words in a more fun and creative way. For instance, simply copying the words and/or making sentences with those words on small individual white boards is fin for them. Also, this group of kids LOVE using markers. One way they can practice is copying their words on construction paper with markers. Also, seen below, they can "type" their words on my paper keyboards. They had a blast with this one.

Chromebooks!

Another rotation that your child goes through each day is using the Chromebooks. This is typically the highlight of their day. They absolutely love playing games and listening to stories on the laptops and the best part about it is that they are learning through play!

Reading/Writing

The other two stations that we will go through each day is a reading station and a writing station.

Week four is upon us and I can't wait! I learn more and ore about your children each day and it has been a thrilling experience being a part of their academic growth.

Please remember to call or email me if you have any questions or concerns. Also, this Thursday, September 3rd, is our Curriculum Night. It is from 6pm-7pm. Please come out and see me and hear about what things we have planned this year!

Have a fantastic week!

-Miss Elliott

So Many "First's"

There were a lot "firsts" happening in our first grade world this week!

1. First week with the homework packets.

-Everyone did a fantastic job working on their homework throughout the week. I was very pleased with all of the hard work the kiddos put into getting those packets done. Well done!

2. First week that we got to share our snacks!

-The children absolutely LOVE bringing in snack for the whole class. Each day the student who brings snack is also the Leader of the Day. There will be more things happening for those daily leaders as the year goes on. Also, please let me know if there are any conflicts or issues with your child's scheduled snack days. I am willing to do everything that I can to make things as easy and convenient as possible.

3. First time taking the STAR Early Literacy test (as first graders).

-If your child was in the Independence School District as kindergartners, they are familiar with these tests. More information about the STAR tests will be provided on Curriculum Night (September 3rd). Considering it was the first time for a lot of them, they all did an excellent. Tests can be intimidating, but this little group had no fear!

4. First time (of this year) writing stories, taking a spelling test, and working in our poetry notebooks (pictured below).

-There were so many new procedures and activities introduced to your kiddos this week. Its a gradual process to get everything we need into the perfect routine, but once our classroom becomes more predictable and comfortable to them, the more authentic learning will take place.

To further explain the poetry notebooks...
Mondays: I introduce a new poem. I read it to the class as they follow along. They cut the poem out and glue it into their poetry notebooks.
Tuesdays: I read the poem to the students again as they follow along. Also, each week we will be focusing on a certain sound. This week was the -sh sound. On Tuesdays students will use a yellow crayon or highlighter to highlight the sound of the week as they find them in the poem.
Wednesdays: I will echo read the poem with the class. Then, students use a green crayon to underline any tricky/spelling words they can find in the poem.
Thursday: Students read the poem with a partner.
Friday: One student will volunteer to read the poem aloud to the class as everyone else follows along. Then, students illustrate the poem.

I am looking forward to another fantastic week in Room 25! Please remember to check the "Important Dates" tab to keep up with upcoming events. Also, remember to e-mail or call me if you have any questions or concerns!

First Week of School

What a wonderful start to our school year!

Your students have worked so hard during these first few days of school. We have been getting to know each other, reviewing material they learned in previous years, and learning the rules, routines and procedures in the classroom. Building that classroom community has been the main goal throughout these first few days and your children have been doing an amazing job!

Below are some snapshots of days 1, 2, 3, and 4!

"Me-Too Game"

In  attempt to get to know one another, we spent some time playing a game called "Me-Too!" The students loved it and had a great time finding things they had in common with each other!

Review, Review, Review!

The beginning of the year is a very important time to review and refresh on things your child may have learned in the past. We spent some time reviewing numbers, colors, handwriting, letter sounds, graphs, addition, etc...

Brain Breaks!

Our recess time here in first grade isn't until 3:05pm. You can imagine how antsy and energetic these kiddos can get being cooped up inside all day. In an effort to alleviate any disruptions that can result from this energy, we take several brain breaks throughout the day. This allows time for their brains to relax, as well as get them on their feet and moving. Exercise is vital for learning and focus. Not to mention how much fun they have doing them!

Team-Building!

Another game we played in our room was a Post-It Note Race. In groups of three, students had the task of putting as many post-it notes as possible on the arms and legs of their team member within a minutes time. There was a lot of communication necessary to win the game. The students loved the challenge!

Exploring Math Manipulatives

As we begin reviewing different concepts in math, I am giving the students the opportunity to explore/play with the different materials we will be using during our math time. Getting the students more familiar with these items will enhance their ability to utilize them with math practice later on. The bast part about this "play time" is that they do not realize that they are practicing their counting, patterning, and problem solving skills as they build various things with them.

That wraps up my update for the first few days of school. Please remember to explore this blog for different games and online activities for your child. Also, please be frequently checking the "Important Dates" page to keep up with the different events coming up in our school.

Have a wonderful week!

-Miss. Elliott

Welcome Back!

Hello there! Welcome to what I call "The Firstie World!" I am so thrilled to have your child in my class, as well having the opportunity to get to know you and your family over the course of this year. Your child is going to grow and change in so many ways during their time in first grade and I cannot wait to be a part of that!

This blog is a place for me to share what's happening in our classroom. I want to give you the opportunity to see and keep current on the different things we are accomplishing throughout the year.

This blog will also be a place for learning. As you can see, there are tabs along the top for the different subjects in school. Each tab will [eventually] contain resources for you and your child. There will be games, online stories, and other fun things you and your child can utilize at home. There is such a great benefit in having the ability to practice and learn beyond my classroom doors and I want to provide you with as many opportunities for that as possible. However, you may notice that some tabs are empty. As we go through the year, I will be adding and changing things as we go. With that being said, please do not hesitate to contact me if your looking for something specific. I will do my best to help you find it.

Please take some time to explore the blog and become familiar with the pages. The "Meet the Teacher" tab is a great place to start! :)

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this blog or any other things throughout the year.

Thank you again for being here and I look forward to working with you and your child in first grade!

-Ms. Elliott