Week of October 17th!

    

     Last week on our field trip we learned a lot about safety.  I hope the children were able to share what we did on our field trip.  We were unable to make it to every station they had set up but what we did make it to was very beneficial. 
     Please review short vowel sounds and long vowel sounds with your children.  They really need to have a firm understanding of vowel sounds.  We review them everyday in class.  I have been explaining and showing them examples of how to sound out words with long vowels.   They need to be able to hear the differences between the vowels.  We have talked about the rules when two vowels go walking the first one does the talking and about bossy "e."  When you are reading with your children please ask them questions about the story they read or you read to them.  We talk about the characters, setting, problem in the story and if there was a solution to the problem.  We discuss what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of a story.  Please keep in mind that comprehension of what one reads is a lot of times different than when read to especially at this age.  Our process is to teach them how to read but also give them tools to help them with the understanding of a story. 
     I hope you have had the chance to review some of the papers your children have brought home in regards to our math activities.  I ask for a specific format for story problems because as they get to the upper grades there are certain expectations on standardized tests required to explain their answers.
     In religion, we are talking about learning and growing.  We do not just grow by weight and height but in our learning as well.   I have had one child work to collect money for our hymnals for the Church.  Please have your children do jobs to earn money to donate for our class to purchase at least one hymnal for the Church.




Homework:
Monday - phonics reader Cabs, Cabs, Cabs and Fall Naps
Tuesday - spelling activity
Wednesday - math activity
Thursday - religion activity (Please discuss questions #2 and #3.  See if there is one of these that you can do and let the class know what it was and how it went.)  You have until Monday to return the form with that information written on it.