Greetings from First Grade!
It's amazing how fast the first quarter has gone! We have worked very hard learning the rules and procedures for first grade and have assumed more and more responsibilities. We have reviewed many of the concepts that were learned in kindergarten.
There have been a lot of firsts for us. In writing we are learning how to unpack a prompt, fill out an informal outline, how to turn the phrases on an outline into sentences and how to recopy the sentences into a final, best copy. By the end of the year we will be able to produce a six sentence piece of writing about a topic.
Another first has been learning spelling words and having spelling tests. Knowing how to spell words helps make our writing more readable and enables us to be more fluent writers. By the end of the year we will have learned how to spell over 150 words!
There have been firsts in math, too. We have learned several new addition and subtraction facts and are taking regular fact tests as well as timed fact tests. Another first for students this year has been completing daily math homework. A big thank you to all the parents who have been checking over homework and practicing the math facts with their children.
In reading we are acquiring new skills such as reading new sight words, learning new letter sounds and combinations, and reading directions. Every day we practice reading fluently with comprehension. We are becoming more confident readers and can read longer and more difficult passages.
As you can see, we are off to a good start! First grade is an important academic year for students. We will continue to work hard and build on all the "firsts!"
Ms. Rookaird
Ms. Mills
