Trick Word Activity

For the most recent list of Trick Words, see the Updated Trick Word post.  To practice these words, use the presentation there.  You may also want to try this fun activity.  Make a list of the words your child doesn't know as s/he reads through the presentation.  Write each one of those words on a separate piece of paper.  Crumple up each word and put it in an empty bin.  For each unknown word, write one known word on a separate piece of paper.  Crumple up each one of these words and add it to the bin.  There should be one known word for each unknown word.  So, if your child doesn't know 5 of the trick words, there should be 10 words in the bin:  5 known and 5 unknown.  Empty the words from the bin.  Have him/her toss a crumpled paper into the bin.  If the paper gets in the bin, have him/her read the word within 3 seconds.  If the word is read correctly, the paper should be in a keep pile.  If the word is read incorrectly or not within 3 seconds, then it should be crumpled again and added back into the toss pile.  If your child can read all the words, then play the game the same way, but ask your child to spell the words.  Have fun!

Sandy Hook Elementary - AMENDED ADDRESS

I am not going to discuss the event that is prompting me to post this.  However, I came across this, and felt the need to share it in case anyone wanted to participate from their own homes as a family.  PLEASE DO NOT SEND THESE TO SCHOOL.  The students have varying knowledge of the event and I want to preserve each family's decision on how to deal with the situation.  I am copying and pasting this from a Facebook post.  I am hoping it is valid.

A building has been designated to house the students from Sandy Hook Elementary School. They are in the process of transporting desks, chairs, supplies and so forth to this location.
Tonight the president of the Newtown PTA and others met discussing what we can do to make these children feel comforted upon their return to school.
Please join us in "The Snowflake Project".

We are asking your students to make and decorate a snowflake. We will hang them in the hallways at the stark, new building where the Sandy Hook students will be returning. PLEASE NO WORDS! We want just a cheerful, happy (glitter and sparkle) environment for the students entering the new building.
Please pass on to any teachers you think may want to participate.
When you send your snowflakes, please include a note to tell us where they are from (your school, class, town, etc) to display along with your snowflakes. 

SEND TO THIS ADDRESS

CT PTSA

60 Connolly Parkway

Bldg 12, Suite 103

Hamden, CT  06514

 Thank you so very much!"

Education City Results

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!  You are in first place for this month's challenge!  Keep working hard so we can stay on top! 

HOMEWORK 12-13-12

Sorry this is late getting up.  With Miss Shannon out, there was no time to get to this during the day.

Tonight, play Counting by Ten to 100.

COMMENT BOX:  Bill  has 30 boxes.  Stan has 50 boxes.  How many boxes in all?  Explain

HOMEWORK 12-12-12

We have been learning about the suffixes -ed, -s, -ing.  When reading, one "word attack" strategy we use is to identify these suffixes and cover them up to find the baseword.  Usually, once the students look at the baseword, they can read the word quickly.

Tonight, go to Education City.  Select Language Arts and play Hu-La-La Words With Inflectional Endings.  There are many Hu-La-La games, so please make sure you play the one where they have to identify the word with the correct suffix.

After that, on Education City, go to Math and play Catch a Kuko:  Order Numbers to 99.

COMMENT BOX:  Put these numbers in order from smallest to largest.

75, 32, 23, 65, 57, 56

Updated Trick Word List 12-11-12

This week we added three new trick words: so, there, put. You can use this presentation to practice trick words like we do in class. Students should be able to read each word correctly within 3 seconds. Repeated exposure helps students learn the words and read more fluently.

HOMEWORK 12-10-12

Do XtraMath. 

NO COMMENT BOX

Remember you can do Education City activities to help first grade in the monthy competition.

HOMEWORK 12-6-12

Tonight you will practice with characters, setting, and plot in a story.  You will play games on Education City to do this.  First play Rabbit Seeks a Snack.  The story will be read to you, but after it is read, please read the page yourself.

COMMENT BOX:  Make a text-to-self connection between you and the story Rabbit Seeks a Snack.  Remember that a text-to-self connection is a personal event from your life that you think of when you read a story.  Remember to include your first name.

HOMEWORK 12-5-12

By the end of the year students must be fluent with addition and subtraction facts to 10.  To be fluent, students must know the answer rather than having to use their fingers, objects, or counting on/back.  One great way to practice is to use XtraMath.  Not only does it provide excellent practice, but it also collects information about the facts mastered and those that still need to be learned.

For homework tonight, complete a session of XtraMath. 

You may choose to play games on Education City, too.  Wouldn't it be great if first grade won the monthly challenge for December?

COMMENT BOX:  nothing required

HOMEWORK 12-4-12

For tonight's homework, go to Education City and play the following games in Language Arts:

Home Run (capitals and question marks)

Wilderness Park (roots and inflections) - students may need you to use the word 'baseword' instead of 'rootword'.  Our phonics program uses the term 'baseword'. 

COMMENT BOX:  Add -s, -ing, or -ed to the word 'sing'.  Write a sentence using the word you made.

You may want to play other games, too.  You may also use XtraMath at home, too.

HOMEWORK 12-3-12

Telling time to the half hour is proving to be difficult for the students.  Please practice by playing Clock Shoot.  Play both Level 1 and Level 2.

After that, do a Language Arts activity on Education City.  In the COMMENT BOX, tell what game you played.  Please make sure it is not an activity that you have already gotten 100% on.

HOMEWORK 11-29-12

Today we introduced telling time to the half hour.  This is tricky for some students.  Many have problems understanding that the hour hand gradually moves throughout the hour and at the half hour it is located halfway between the present hour and the next hour.  Please help your child by pointing this out when you are looking at analog clocks.  Also, when asked to draw times on the analog clock, make sure that they are drawing the hour hand between the present hour and the next hour. 

Tonight's homework asks the students to match analog and digital clocks.  Please have your child complete the activity.  This activity is located on the IXL site.  It is free, but limits the amount of time you can use it in one day.  Keep this in mind as your child uses the site.

After doing IXL, have your child play one game on Education City.  It can be either a Language Arts or Math activity. 

COMMENT BOX:  Write in the comment box telling what activity your child played on Education City.

HOMEWORK 11-28-12

Tonight, practice the glued sounds -ank, -ink, -onk, -unk, -ang, -ing, -ong, -ung by naming the pictures in the presentation. Have your child say the word, tap the word, and write the word. You will want to have paper with you so your child can write the word. COMMENT BOX assignment: Write each word in the comment box. Choose two words and write one sentence for each. After doing this assignment, play one game on Education City in the Language Arts area.

Glued Sound on Prezi

HOMEWORK 11-27-12

In class we are learning about the clock and telling time.  We are naming the parts of the clock (face, hands) and recognizing the difference between the hour hand (the shorter hand) and the minute hand (the longer hand).  We know that the clock with the hands is an analog clock and that there are 60 minutes in an hour.  We have also discussed the reasons why it is important to know how to tell time. 

To practice telling time, you are going to play 2 games on Education City tonight.  You will play Wakey Wakey Tell Time to the Hour and then play Wakey Wakey What Time is It?  To get to these games, go to Education City.  Click the 1st grade bubble.  Go to MATH then click ACTIVITIES.  After you do that, look at the left side of the screen.  You should see the different topics (numbered 1-5).  Click the 4th one that says Measurement and Data.  When that screen appears, you will see the last 2 games are the Wakey Wakey games.  Please make your child do both. 

There is no COMMENT BOX assignment tonight. 

HOMEWORK 11-26-12

Tonight for homework you are going to work on using capital letters correctly.  Remember that we use the word MINTS to help us check for capitals.

M - months
I  - to talk about oneself
N - names - people, days of week, products
T - titles
S - sentences

Go to Education City.  Login and go to 1st grade.  Select Language Arts.  Play the game Out to Play. 

COMMENT BOX:  Type this sentence correctly in the box:

deb and jim will go to the shop on monday.

Put the THANKS in Thanksgiving

Take a moment and think about what you are most thankful for.  Tell everyone about it in the COMMENT BOX.  I am thankful for so many things.  Most of all I am thankful for my family.  They love me and support me in everything I do.  They make me laugh.  They make me proud.  I love them to the moon and back plus infinity.  I am also thankful for my students.  They make me smile and they teach me something new all the time.  They make me strive to be the best I can be.  Can't wait to see them on Monday.  Until then, though, I will enjoy relaxing with my family.  :)

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

Here is a possible activity for our Great Turkey Challenge (If you need a copy of the letter so you can learn more about the challenge, read this week's letter)!  In class we shared the story 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving.  The students drew pictures of how they would hide the turkeys and then wrote stories using the words first, then, next, and last to tell how they would help the turkeys escape.  If you have this book you can read it at home or you can use the link to see a video of the story on YouTube.  Please use caution when using YouTube.  It can be a valuable tool, but it is also easy to wander into an area that is not suitable for students.  After sharing the story, complete the COMMENT BOX assignment in order to earn a prize in the Great Turkey Challenge!

COMMENT BOX:  Answer each of the questions about the story.  You can do it in the COMMENT BOX or write it on paper and bring it to school the first day you come back.

1.  Make a list of the main characters (the ones that must be in the story for the story to make sense).

2.  What is the setting (where and when)?  Remember that you are not to use the words 'inside' or 'outside'. 

3.  What is the problem in the story?  Write a sentence to answer this question.

4.  What is the solution to the problem?  Write a sentence to answer this question.

Xtra Math

Instructions for accessing XtraMath will be sent home in the folders tomorrow (Tuesday).  Using XtraMath also counts as doing work for the Great Turkey Challenge!  To document use of this program, just tell us that your child did it.  We can easily see the work they did.  When the book baggies come home next week, the information will be glued to the inside front cover. 

HOMEWORK 11-15-12

Sorry for the delay in posting, we have had Internet issues again.  For homework, please do Education City.  You can do the activities of your choice.  If you can print out the scores, send them in.  Otherwise, record the scores and the activities and send them in.  Scores of 100% earn 3 caught being good coupons.  Scores in the 90's receive 2 caught being good coupons.  LET'S GET INTO FIRST PLACE!!!!  :)

HOMEWORK 11-14-12

I am sorry to be posting the homework so late.  We have had several technology issues today.  For homework tonight, please have your child use Education City.  S/he should do both Language Arts and Math.  In math, we are focusing on Geometry (not fractions), so you may want to do the activities on that topic.  Please make sure your child scores 90% or better. 

COMMENT BOX:  No comment box assignment for tonight.