December 11th Newsletter

This week we are finishing our hard work on writing book recommendations for our friends!  You may see some come home, but we're hanging on to one that we will be sharing with another 1st grade class.  Sharing our writing in an authentic way makes it more valuable and worthwhile to kids.  If you read your child's book recommendation and then make a trip to the Cedarburg Public Library, you could find that book and read it together!  

In our reader's workshop we'll continue to read great recommended stories, and we are studying the vowel "e" and the different sounds it can make.  We are examining different words with "e" and deciding if they make the long sound, the short sound or are silent.  You can help by noticing signs while driving to activities and on errands.  Chances are, they know the word anyway, like when you're at Target.  Say "Target" and listen for that "e," which sound is it making?  We're also working really hard to find smaller words or chunks we know, that can help us when we're stuck on bigger words.  For example, the word "and" is inside "stands," and we can go from and, to stand, to stands. 

In math, we are going to continue working on addition and developing “fact power.”  Having fact power is like being a good reader.  It is more enjoyable if you recognize words automatically.  The same is true of number facts.  Solving problems is easier if you automatically know the answer.  Keep practicing addition and subtraction facts with your child at home so they can develop fact power.  Practice at home by playing math games, using flash cards, or playing online math games.  Great online math activities are located on the Thorson webpage (go to IMC, then click on math).  The kids also love math bingo on www.abcya.com.

We are looking forward to our holiday party next Thursday.  Thank you in advance to all of the parents who are donating items or helping during the party!

Scholastic Book Orders are due on Monday, December 11th if you'd like to guaranteed delivery before winter break!  I will be placing the order Monday evening at 8:00 p.m.  Go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs Online Code:  JBVLK

Special Points of Interest

• THANK YOU to all of the families that donated toys the past few weeks!