Word Study:

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Reviewing words we've learned as well as spelling strategies we have studies, I have realized students could use some extra practice.  Here are some tips that may help you at home:

1.  Practice High Frequency Words:  These are words students need to be able to know how to read and write in a snap.  They are not always spelled exactly like they sound.  Here are a few I'm noticing students need to practice:  should (could, would), they, want, saw and about.

2.  Practice features:  We have learned about th, sh, and ch at the beginning and end of words.  Students should be using these consistently in their writing.  

3.  We're working on these new features:
tr (isn't chr):  This affricate is tricky for students.  They really just have to know which one is right.  We are looking at words with the "tr" at the beginning including tree, train, try, truck.

dr (isn't jr):  This is another tricky one.  We've looking at words like drop, drink, and drive.

4.  Next:  we will be working on beginning blends starting with s blends like st, sp, sl, sc/sk, sm, sn, sw.  After students get the hang of these blends we'll move to l blends (bl, fl, gl, pl, sl, etc.) and r blends (br, dr, fr, gr, pr, etc.).  

Practicing Word Study at Home

In the beginning of first grade students are often letter name spellers.  They spell words by listening for the sounds.  As the year progresses, students need to begin to move from writing words by the way they sound to making sure they also look right.  

Practicing writing words is one way to build this word knowledge.  Here are some tips:  


Rainbow Write:  Write words on a large card or piece of paper.  Students then trace words with colorful crayon or marker, saying the sounds as they write the letter.  

Window Markers:  Crayola makes window markers that are a fun way to practice writing words.  

Write It:  Other fun ways to practice writing words:  pudding, sand, shaving cream, finger paint and SNOW (sorry, couldn't resist the snow…brrrr.)

Build It:  Use magnetic letters, cut printed letter squares, letter dice, etc. to practice building the world.  Build it, say it, take it apart and try again.  

Connections:  Use words you know to make new words.  (look can make book, took, crook, shook, etc.  /  the th at the beginning of this is also in the, them, they, etc.)

Find It:  Search for words in books, newspapers, magazines, and other print around our daily worlds.  

Apps:  These apps may be helpful in practicing:  ShowMe, Skitch and Kids Learn.  

Writer's Workshop:  
A Place Where We Write Stories

We have just completed our first unit of study in Writer's Workshop:  Making Stories.  In this unit of study we've talked about:
  • finding ideas for our writing
  • thinking about what our readers need to know
  • using illustrations to help tell our story
  • using words to help tell our story
  • choosing the best tools/paper for writing
  • habits of writers



Finished Work
Your child is bringing home their finished work from this unit.  We write EVERY day in our classroom.  Just like authors, we have writing ideas that are amazing and those that don't work out as planned.  BEST WORK pieces are hung up in our classroom and show the growth of writers.  Finished work would be pieces that didn't turn out as we had hoped.  Though you are seeing our finished work, best work is still here at school.  Please consider this when viewing our writing.


Reflections
Your child has taken time to reflect on his/her work in this unit.  I was SO IMPRESSED with the way students seriously thought about their work as writers and responded honestly.  We are growing as writers and it is just fine to have to answer NO to some of the questions.  These are the things we will be working on and help us to determine goals for our next unit of study.  Celebrate the things your writer is doing and ask them to show you examples.  In places where students have responded no, ask them why they answered "no" and what they're hoping to do next.  
Our VoiceThread
Please view the VoiceThread above (it has two slides).  It will tell you more about the unit of study we are completing.  It should help you to know what to look for in your child's writing.  Students have taken time to share some of their favorite ideas for writing.

 Writers are just getting started and need to gain confidence.  Please look for the good things your child is doing and make sure to comment on what you have noticed.  CELEBRATE the learning.  

Enjoy!

NEXT STEPS
This week as I confer with students during Writer's Workshop we will be discussing their new goals.  I will e-mail a copy of the goal sheet to you by the end of the week so you can see what they are working to learn.  Our next unit of study:  Personal Narrative.  

Reader's Workshop:  Developing Reading Strategies

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Students have time each day to read from self-selected books from our classroom library.  Our library contains a variety of books from different authors.  At the beginning of the year, first graders gravitate toward books we've read together.  Rereading books is an important step in developing independence.  It helps students build a base of sight words, develop fluency, and gain confidence in reading.

Students also need to develop strategies for reading new books.  Reading needs to make sense and look right.  If readers rely too heavily on visual cues or too heavily on meaning, solving and understanding new stories can be challenging.  In reader's workshop, we have been working to develop these strategies.  

Here are some strategies that help readers:
  • Think about what makes sense.
  • Look at the word (right now most students are using the beginning, students will transition to using beginning & end, noticing chunks, looking through the words).
  • Use the picture.
  • Reread.
  • Try something and read on.

Readers who make the quickest progress are often those who spend the most time in easy and just-right books.  They also are readers who monitor and self-correct their reading.  These readers know when something doesn't make sense or look right and work to correct it.  They understand that the biggest goal in reading is understanding the author's message.

Writer's Workshop:  Sharing Our Stories

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Each day in Writer's Workshop students have time to work on the story of their choice.  Students select topics for their writing and are learning to develop their ideas.  We've been talking about the possibilities for writing.  Students are learning to find ideas in their daily lives, from books we read together, and by listening to one another.  

During the first weeks of school:
  • We established routines for writing.
  • Discovered the ways to find ideas.
  • Studied the work of other authors.
  • Talked about planning our stories.  
  • Learned to read like writers.
  • Learned to plan our sentences.
  • Learned strategies for writing new words.


At this point in the year, students should be able to:
  • Choose a variety of ideas for writing.
  • Plan writing (many stories are still list-like).
  • Use illustrations to help tell their stories.
  • Add 1-3 sentences per page.
  • Use correct spacing and mostly lowercase letters.  
  • Attempt words they do not know phonetically.  
  • Reread their own writing.