* Note- anything underlined in the table above or highlighted below is a link *
Key to Abbreviations:
GP- The Gospel Project- Home Edition
HIG- Singapore Math Home Instructor's Guide
TB- Singapore Math Textbook
WB- Singapore Math Workbook
MM- Mental Math (see appendix in HIG)
CCC- Complete, check, correct
AAS- All About Spelling
FLL- First Language Lessons
SF- Sounds First Phonemic Awareness Program (click here and scroll down to Grade 1)
OPG- The Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading
SotW- Story of the World
G&B/A- The Good and The Beautiful, Arthropods
G&B/MB- The Good and The Beautiful, Marine Biology
COMING SOON...
Thursday, February 10- Spirit day- Fortis t-shirts and jeans are allowed
Tuesday, 2/15- Class Valentine's party (see below)
Tuesday, 2/22- Teacher training- No School
Thursday, 2/24- Spirit/DOGS/Pizza day!
** Dear lovely parents**
We'll be celebrating Valentine's Day with a small party on February 15th. Students may bring valentines from home to be passed out to each classmate. We have 16 students in our class. If you can help your child separate their valentines by table, the distribution process will run much more smoothly.
Table 1:
Logan
Domino
Addison
Parker
Table 2:
Sloane
Scarlett P
Rhemy
Kennedi
Table 3:
Cameron
Campbell
Elizabeth (Lizzy)
Henry
Table 4:
Bradley
Kathryn
Scarlett K
Genevieve
Students will also need a mailbox or bag for collecting Valentines from their friends. Be as simple or as creative as you wish! We'll have a short and sweet party at the end of the day where we'll exchange Valentines, read a Valentine book, and enjoy a special treat.
Math:
Lessons are beginning to ramp up again. Before you begin teaching this week, take a look at HIG pages 25-26 which provide a review of last semester's strategies. These lessons are foundational for your child's future success in the Singapore program, so please make sure their understanding is solid using manipulatives and as much reinforcement as necessary.
(Note on HIG pg 27: the first example should say "3 ones + 4 ones = 7 ones")
Don't forget, your child's binder contains a number chart through 110 as well as a place value chart to use during math lessons.
A note on Mental Math this week: We will be skipping MM6 and MM7, but you are encouraged to have your student complete them if the extra practice would be beneficial. MM11 is assigned on Friday to provide review of the "make 10 to add" strategy. If your child is not solid on making a 10 to add, please use additional problems from MM10 and MM12 as necessary to ensure they are quick with this strategy before we move on to using it with numbers greater than 20 next week.
Keep practicing math facts! A one-minute drill sheet (one column of mental math) is sent home at the end of each school week to be completed and returned the following Tuesday.
Flashcard Games for math facts (or phonograms!)
Reading:
While we do review the phonogram sounds in class each day, please work on these at home as often as you can with the cards or the phone app. The app is espeically great if you're busy because the children can practice independently with it. These are the building blocks for decoding words, which is so important as the students progress and start encountering unfamiliar words in their reading.
As usual, provide assistance to your student with words in The Early Reader's Bible that we haven't yet taught them to decode yet.
Decodable words in "Joseph Forgives His Brothers" (sight words in parenthesis): had, (been, which is not an OPG sight word, but we did teach the spelling in AAS), mean, to, him, they, sold, so, a, slave, but, God, took, (of), he, tell, the, king, his, dream, put, all, day, came, see, did, not, that, (was), grain, sold, them, take, home, back, told, who, (would), kill, want, do, that, I, you, (said), this, us, too
Decodable words in "Miriam is a Brave Girl" (sight words in parenthesis): the, king, did, not, like, he, to, kill, all, boys, men, must, find, (said), but, can, we, put, him, if, in, house, will, made, a, this, she, then, on, I, stay, with, (was), brave, soon, came, wash, go, get, it, me, keep, want, take, (of), ran, who, do, my, so, (could), now, thank
Writing:
Spelling:
In Step 16 we'll teach another r-controlled sound, /ar/. There's a very helpful tip on AAS pg 84, which recommends going back to the token activity on pg 23 if your student is missing letters when spelling words. It's important that the children listen to each sound and then represent it with a letter or letters. Remind them that the /ar/ sound is one sound but we use two letters to spell it.
Once you think your student has a good grasp on the concept, challenge them with some of the "More Words" at the end of the lesson. This is a good way to check on whether they know the concept or are only memorizing the spelling list.
Geography:
Equatorial Africa Map and Song due 3/3
History:
The stone sculptures and friezes of ancient Greece were of such high quality that when Greek towns and cities were conquered, the stone work was often carried off as bounty. This week in class we'll try our hands at "stone" carving!
At home you'll read about the life and death of one of ancient history's most famous characters- Alexander the Great. Journal sentence: Alexander the Great was the conqueror of a vast empire.
Discussion questions for SotW Ch. 25: Do you think Alexander was "great"? Give some examples to tell why or why not. Why did Alexander the Great choose to build cities named after himself? Was his kingdom split up peacefully after he died?
This semester's at-home history project will be announced soon!
This semester's at-home history project will be announced soon!
Science:
If ever God's amazing array of dazzling colors were on display, surely a coral reef is the place. But did you know that coral are naturally white? A beautiful example of teamwork (or symbiosis) is taking place which results in the fabulous colors we associate with coral. As you read through this lesson with your child, enjoy the wonderful photographs in the mini book, and adapt the technicality of the text to fit the attention span and interest of your child. Memory Work:
Quarter 3 poem: A Child's Prayer will be due 2/24. This poem is a great starting point for a dialogue with our Heavenly Father, and a handy reminder of His gentle care.
Books of the Old Testament: Genesis- Job due 3/1. Here is a link to the song we practice in class. The Old Testament will take the rest of the school year to master. This quarter we will focus on Genesis through Job. As always, if you or your child are already familiar with a different song, I'll assess that no problem, as long as the books are said in order.
