* 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, August 25- Picture Day
Thursday, August 27- Spirit Day/Pizza Day/DOGS Day! Students may wear Fortis spirit wear (t-shirts) along with jeans or shorts on Spirit Days. Pizza lunch will be served for those who have prepaid. Dads of Godly Students (DOGS) will present a fun assembly for the students and visit with them during their lunch time.
Tuesday, September 7- No School- Labor Day holiday
Hello Parents!
While most of our work is kindergarten review at this point, we are starting to get into more "meaty" topics. I pray you and your student are enjoying the process together! We have some fun and interactive lessons coming up this week that I'm excited to share with the students.
Math:
On Friday, students will use their Singapore Math Extra Practice book for the first time. I will not be assigning every page of this book, so you may feel free to have your student go back and fill in any pages prior to the ones assigned if you'd like. For example, the assignment this week is to complete pages 10-11. Your student could also do any of the pages between page 1-9 if you feel the extra practice would be beneficial.
Use any extra time this week to really work with the number bonds we've covered, especially parts of 10. Use a 10 frame and counters or a rekenrek to help students see the relationships until they become automatic. Ask them real-world application questions throughout the day, such as: "You've got 4 stuffies on your bed; how many more to make 10?" Students will be utilizing this rapid recall in order to master quickly-approaching mental math strategies. Here is a fun video and song to practice "friends of 10." These number bond flash cards may also be helpful. The game on pg 23 of the Textbook is great to replay often if your child needs more practice. Continue this type of practice as we move on through our math lessons. Students will need to build on this basic concept throughout the year.
Roll a Die Number Bonds game instructions: Roll a die, then say the number that makes ten with the number rolled. For example, if a 6 was rolled on the die, your student would say "4." If a 2 was rolled, your student would say "8." If they do not know the friends of 10 automatically, have them use a 10 frame or a rekenrek to find the number.
Spelling:
Any time the blog directs you to dictate words or sentences in the Spelling Journal, those are words or sentences the students should be able to spell correctly without help or coaching. If there is a spelling mistake, have your student try to find it on their own first. Give them a hint about what rule they forgot if they still can't find it. Have them rewrite the word correctly after you have reinforced the concept. Please check dictation work done in class for accuracy as well.
Any time the blog directs you to dictate words or sentences in the Spelling Journal, those are words or sentences the students should be able to spell correctly without help or coaching. If there is a spelling mistake, have your student try to find it on their own first. Give them a hint about what rule they forgot if they still can't find it. Have them rewrite the word correctly after you have reinforced the concept. Please check dictation work done in class for accuracy as well.
Grammar:
This week we will focus on the difference between common and proper nouns.
Writing:
At home, please help your child to make proper strokes (see handout in Language Arts tab of binder) and correct pencil grip (see below) into a habit. It's important to correct any poor habits before they become too ingrained. This will greatly improve efficiency in their writing, and writing will become more enjoyable instead of a daunting chore.
If your child is struggling with holding their pencil correctly or maintaining control of it, check out the tips at this link. I can also suggest many fun fine motor activites to strengthen those handwriting muscles.
Reading:
You'll be giving the first phonogram assessment this week. You'll find the Phonogram Assessment Sheet in the Language Arts section of the binder. Complete Assessment #1: 26 Single Letter Phonograms, on Monday. To give this assessment, show your student the yellow phonogram card corresponding to each of the phonograms on the assessment. Check a box for each correct sound your student recalls. Count the sound correct if the student self-corrects, but no hints or coaching should be given to the student by the co-teacher. You can leave the page right where it is behind the Langauge Arts tab. I will look for it there on Tuesday to check the assessment. Stay on top of your phonogram practice and these assessments should always be easy peasy for your student!
Sounds First: This week in Cut Off the Sound, instead of making the initial sound and then making the scissor motion to cut it off from the rest of the word, the students will actually delete the first sound in the word.
It is expected that you will read most of "Little Bear" to your child, as there are many words the students have not yet been taught to decode. However, I encourage you to work as a team and ask your child to read words they can decode (for example: made, it, on, hat, pants, can, and, not, that) as well as sight words (the, I, a, of, have, give, to, two, too) while you read the remaining words. I know you will both love Little Bear!
Remember, phonics understanding is important even for children who already read fluently! In most of the text they encounter now, the ideas are familiar to them. That won't always be the case, and they will need tools to decode unfamiliar words in unfamiliar contexts.
Read Aloud:
The importance of daily reading aloud is that we're introducing students to sentence structure, grammar, the sound of fluent reading, and especially vocabulary that is above their own reading level. Gauge their understanding by asking them to orally narrate what they've just heard.
The importance of daily reading aloud is that we're introducing students to sentence structure, grammar, the sound of fluent reading, and especially vocabulary that is above their own reading level. Gauge their understanding by asking them to orally narrate what they've just heard.
History:
This week you'll read about mummies and embalming in ancient Egypt. Some of the descriptions are quite detailed. Feel free to use your discretion to edit as you deem appropriate.
Journal sentence: Egyptians made mummies and pyramids.
Science:
Now that we have a good background knowledge of insects in general, we get to explore some specific ones in detail. On a personal note, growing up in a desert, I had always dreamed of seeing a real firefly. Not until I moved to Texas as an adult did that bucket-list item come true for me. It was truly magical! I'm excited to share about fireflies with the children, and to remind them that we, too, are beautiful lights for Christ in this world! I leave the termite and its spiritual application to you, my dear co-teachers.
Journal sentence: Termites chew on wood.
Geography:
Map & Song and Game to help learn Continents and Oceans (due 9/10)
