May 2-4 - iReady Reading Test

May 9-11 - iReady Math Test

Please return library books to school the day BEFORE your child has library. 

Make sure your student has a good night’s sleep the day before our iReady Tests

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are learning dramatic storytelling - students will practice using emotion and expression in their reading
• Students are learning persuasive writing
• Students will convince their audience to agree with their ideas

HOME PRACTICES

• When reading books at home, ask your student to read the dialogue as if they were the characters. If the character is sad, how can you make your voice sound sad? 
• Draw attention to different punctuation marks - how should your voice sound if you hear an exclamation mark (!) or a question mark (?).

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are learning to tell time to the hour and half hour
• Students are learning to measure objects using nonstandard units (cubes, paperclips, toys, etc.)
• Students are learning to identify coins - name and value.
• Students are learning to count money

HOME PRACTICES

• Ask students to look at an analog clock and talk about what they notice - lines and numbers
• Have students use their hands, feet, and other nonstandard units to measure spaces and objects around your home
• Have students look at coins - what makes each coin special? What is each coin worth?

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are learning about seasonal changes for summer.
• Students are noticing how plants and animals respond to seasonal changes
• Students are learning about influential Virginians such as Arthur Ashe and Maggie L Walker

HOME PRACTICES

• Observe how plants and animals are changing as it gets closer to summer
• Discuss how different people influenced our world today.

• A few of the AAP curriculum and strategies that first grade students have engaged in this month are:  
  • “I used to think…Now I think…” This challenges students to reflect on how their thinking changed after learning the material
• Ask your child more about which strategies they engaged within their classroom in this month.

February

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are learning to write realistic fiction books.
• Students are learning to have conversations about books with a partner

HOME PRACTICES

• Create stories together about things that have not happened (e.g. What would happen if Ms. Yac let us bring pets to school?)
• Read with your learner and talk about your favorite parts of the books, how the characters changed, or what you predict will happen next.

January

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Reading and writing different styles of poetry

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice Nursery Rhymes
• Practice rhyming words
• Review letters and letter sounds
• Practice blending words using materials given at Literacy Night
• Reread and self-correct when something doesn’t make sense

December

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will write All About books, showcasing their knowledge of a particular topic
• Students are analyzing text features in nonfiction books
• Students will be exposed to different types of poetry.
• Students will create their own poems

HOME PRACTICES

• Go to your local library and check out nonfiction books
• Have students practice writing about what they know
• Sing nursery rhymes at home and point out rhyming words
• Look at rhyming words or patterns in story books

February

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are reviewing addition and subtraction up to 10.
• Students are learning to break apart numbers in many ways

HOME PRACTICES

• Review addition and subtraction facts at home (e.g. 4 + 3 = 7, 8= 4 + 4, etc.)
• Give students a number and ask them to show it in many ways ( 10 = 5 + 5, 10 = 7 + 3)

January

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Counting forward to 110 and backwards from 30 in and out of sequence
• Skip counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s
• Understanding place value by grouping objects into groups of tens and ones
• The difference between a digit and the value of a digit in a 2 digit number

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice counting forwards and backwards starting at any number
• Practice skip counting groups of objects by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s
• Grouping objects in groups of 2’s, 5’s, 10’s and skip counting them
• Estimating how many there are of the same thing (ex. How many apples are in the basket? Why do you think that?)
• Identify patterns in numbers on a hundred’s chart

December

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are identifying and describing 2-D shapes in their environment
• Students are identifying and creating growing patterns using shapes
• Students are counting numbers 1-100
• Students are adding and subtracting 1-10

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice counting forwards and backwards
• Create patterns using objects at home such as toys or food
• Look for patterns in your environment - routines at home, weather, decorations, etc. 
• Talk about what more and less means (ex: Is 6 more or less than 5?)
• Talk about plus and minus

February

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Plant and animal responses to seasonal changes
• The history of Virginia, looking at the Jamestown colony

HOME PRACTICES

• When walking outside ask your learner to identify the signs of winter - no leaves on trees, seeing fewer animals, colder weather
• Discuss how life has changed in Virginia since Jamestown

January

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Science - Force/Motion and Sound
• Social Studies - Geography and Jamestown

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice observing force and motion in your home environment

December

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will identify changes to the plants, animals, and human behavior in winter
• Students will identify the difference between wants and needs
• Students will identify the difference between goods and services

HOME PRACTICES

• Observe how the weather changes as we move into winter - what are animals and plants doing differently? What does your family do differently in winter?
• Discuss what a want is versus a need
• When you are shopping, identify a good and a service you see

November

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will be able to identify nonfiction texts.
• Students will be able to identify nonfiction text features
• Students will write about a nonfiction topic.

HOME PRACTICES

• Check out nonfiction books from your local library
• Talk about the difference between fiction and nonfiction books

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to identify story elements in fictional texts (characters, setting, plot)
• In writing, we are learning to write small moment narratives. 

HOME PRACTICES

• After reading, ask your learner about the characters, setting, and events from the story.
• Encourage your learner to write a story about a specific moment from their life such as playing a game, eating a special meal, or going to the park

October

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to identify story elements in fictional texts (characters, setting, plot)
• In writing, we are learning to write small moment narratives. 

HOME PRACTICES

• After reading, ask your learner about the characters, setting, and events from the story.
• Encourage your learner to write a story about a specific moment from their life such as playing a game, eating a special meal, or going to the park

September

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to point to each word as we read.
• We are learning spelling strategies.
• We are learning to ask and answer questions about fiction stories.

HOME PRACTICES

• After reading a story together, ask your learner about the characters, where the story took place, and what happened in the story.
• Encourage your learner to point to words as they read.

November

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will be able to identify 2D shapes
• Students will be able to sort shapes by their attributes

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk about different shapes you see at home and outside
• Sort objects at home by their shape

October

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning addition and subtraction. 
• Students are learning what it means when something is equal. 

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk about equal amounts of things around the house such as fruits, toys, doors, windows, etc.
• Practice adding and subtracting up to 10.

September

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to count forwards and backwards.
• We are learning to order sets of objects from least to greatest.

HOME PRACTICES

• Students can count their toys or pieces of food at meals. 
• Count down to the start of an activity. 
• Compare sizes of objects around home or when out shopping. Questions to ask: which has more? Which has less?

November

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are learning about the qualities of a good leader
• Students are learning about how plants and animals change during Fall

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk about how your student can be a good leader
• Observe how plants are changing as we get into Fall

October

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning about being a citizen of Virginia. Students are identifying symbols of Virginia (cardinal, dogwood, flag).
• Science is focused on seasonal changes, plants, and animals.

HOME PRACTICES

• When outside, see if your student can spot our state bird (it’s red!) or our state tree (it has white flowers!)
• As the season changes, ask your student how they know it is fall. Do they see different colored leaves? Do they notice squirrels collecting more nuts?

September

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Social Studies: We are learning about what it means to live in Virginia. 
• Science: We are learning about our environment, focusing on plants and animals.

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk to your learner about the place they live and what it means to them. Also discuss other meaningful places such as a friend or family member’s house, another country, another state, etc. 
• Science: when outside, ask students what they see, smell, hear, taste, and touch. Talk about how to be safe with plants and animals we don’t know.