*Note anything underlined in the table above or in the notes below is a clickable link for your convenience*
Key to Abbreviations:
GP- The Gospel Project- Home Edition
TB- Singapore Math Textbook
WB- Singapore Math Workbook
EP- Singapore Math Extra Practice
MM- Mental Math (see appendix in HIG)
AAS- All About Spelling teacher manual (click here to print any missing phonogram cards)
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 (click here to print OPG sight words)
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...
Tuesday, April 22- Easter holiday- no school
Friday, April 25 - Sunday, April 27- Fortis Spring Campout
Tuesday, April 29- Agora Project Due
(No Spirit/Pizza/DOGS Day in April)
Thursday, May 8- Spirit/Pizza/DOGS Day
Dear Families,
When the weather is behaving like it's summer, it can be tempting to become restless after working so hard all year. Allow me encourage all of us to "not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord." -Romans 12:11
It is a privilege to partner with you to educate your child in wisdom, virtue, and faith.
I know you and your students have been so diligently working through the mental math problems at home, and here is where we see the fruit of our labor. Hopefully the transition to subtraction with renaming with numbers larger than 40 will be seamless! Always start out using manipulatives- base ten materials, in this case. Some students will only need to see them once; others will need to see the concrete step many times.
I have found that the "helpful" equations given in the workbook for Ex 61 are actually more confusing than useful for students. Therefore, I'll be providing each student with a modified copy of Ex 61 where I've deleted the top equation in each box. Using this version of the exercise, I'll instruct students to write a slightly different equation for each box on pg 142. For example, in the first box where the point is to solve 45+13, the workbook provides a "help" equation of 45+10+3. Instead, on the modified copy of Ex 61, I will ask the students to write 40+5+10+3. This corresponds more directly with what students are thinking mentally when they solve this double digit addition problem. When they move on to pg 143, they can choose to continue writing the equation in expanded form first, or they can just solve it mentally.
When you teach HIG pg 89, remember there is another method we have taught students to use other than the two listed. In their example of 73-5, they teach: 1) break 73 into 60 and 13, then subtract 13-5 and add the difference (8) to the 6 tens for a total of 68; or 2) break 73 into 70 and 3, then subtract 70-5 and add the difference (65) to the 3 ones for a total of 68. The 3rd strategy is to break the 5 into 3 and 2, then subtract 73-3 to get down to 70, then subtract 70-2 for a total of 68. ANY of these strategies is just as good as the others! Whichever makes the most sense to your student's way of thinking is the one they should use.
Flashcard Games for math facts (or phonograms!)
Reading:
Decodable words in "God Helps a Sick Man" from the Early Reader's Bible (sight words in parenthesis): went, (to), see, a, (friend), with, him, (was), sick, had, help, he, did, not, talk, tell, wash, in, (the), told, (do), big, want, wash, so, stop, (said), (what), back, and, you, think, God, made, well, his
Decodable words in "Money to Fix God's House" from the Early Reader's Bible (sight words in parenthesis): King, God, he, his, (to), love, too, go, house, but, (was), not, the, it, (should), be, did, not, take, good, (of), it, we, must, fix, (said), (have), (do), that, put, a, big, box, by, soon, had, they, (could), help, is, (what), be
Phonogram Game Ideas
Practice App
Composition:
Custom Handwriting Practice Sheets
Spelling:
Flashcard Games for math facts (or phonograms!)
Reading:
I'm excited for the students to read this week's SPIRE decodable reader, "The Humpback Whale." It will be mostly decodable for the students. There are several multisyllable words that will enable them to practice dividing the word into syllables, identifying the syllable type, decoding each syllable, and finally blending the syllables together to decode the entire word. If you need a refresher on how to guide your student through that process, consult the syllable reference sheets in the Language Arts tab of your binder. Students will encounter r-controlled (Bossy-R) vowels in this reader, which we have covered in AAS and are just introducing in OPG. There are also several inflectional endings and suffixes (es, ed, ly, ful) that we have not taught the students, so please monitor your student's reading and if needed, give them the sounds for those endings that they will be learning about next year.
Decodable words in "Money to Fix God's House" from the Early Reader's Bible (sight words in parenthesis): King, God, he, his, (to), love, too, go, house, but, (was), not, the, it, (should), be, did, not, take, good, (of), it, we, must, fix, (said), (have), (do), that, put, a, big, box, by, soon, had, they, (could), help, is, (what), be
Phonogram Game Ideas
Practice App
Composition:
Custom Handwriting Practice Sheets
Spelling:
Similar to the generalization for OY/OI, this week in Lesson 29 we will teach that AW must be used at the end of words, but either AW or AU may be used at the beginning or in the middle. It boils down to familiarity with the words, which comes through spelling practice and visual memory. Utilize the Word Bank in the activity book as well as word sorts like this one.
Geography:
Since we have successfully learned the names of each African country, now students can use this interactive online map to review all the countries of Africa. Have the maps and songs ready to help them as they play!
History:
Here are some questions for discussion as you teach SotW Chapter 36: Why was Caesar's nephew Octavian so popular with the people? How was he similar to his uncle? How were they different? Which months on our calendar remind us of Caesar and his nephew? If a new month was named after you, what would it be called?
Since we have successfully learned the names of each African country, now students can use this interactive online map to review all the countries of Africa. Have the maps and songs ready to help them as they play!
History:
Here are some questions for discussion as you teach SotW Chapter 36: Why was Caesar's nephew Octavian so popular with the people? How was he similar to his uncle? How were they different? Which months on our calendar remind us of Caesar and his nephew? If a new month was named after you, what would it be called?
Journal sentence: Augustus Caesar became Rome's "First Citizen."
Science:
Memory Work:
Science:
In part 2 of our study on marine mammals, this week we'll look at whales. It is truly mind-boggling how a giant creature like a blue whale with a heart the size of a small vehicle can gracefully remain afloat in the sea. There is really only one explanation: "And God created whales and every living creature that moveth....and God saw that it was good." -Genesis 1:21
We will cover pg 55 and the beginning of pg 56 in class, so your home assignment will be sections on pages 54 and 56 (see spreadsheet above).
Journal sentence: Whales, dolphins, and porpoises swim by moving their bodies up and down.
Memory Work:
Books of the Old Testament: Psalms - Malachi due this Thursday, 4/24. Here is a link to the song we practice
in class. 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.
Quarter 4 poem: Rock of Ages will be due 5/1. This is a lengthy poem/hymn, and the due date is approaching quickly. Please practice often with your student so that they are prepared! Here is a link to the song that we practice in class. This artist does substitute "commands" for "demands" in the 2nd stanza, so I will accept either of those words as correct.
