Snack: 1st and 2nd grade have our first snack time during literacy. Please make sure your child knows which food is for their lunch meal and snacks. Healthy snacks are always the best choice. Please do not send cookies or candy for your child to eat during the morning snack time. Emergency snacks are provided to students who do not bring a snack from home (while supplies last). 

Foundational Skills (Phonics, Decoding, and Spelling) 

Last week, students focused on reading and spelling words that follow the –ear pattern. For example: earn, pearl, earth, search, etc. 

This week, students will learn about –or pattern (for example: for, corn, short, fork, etc). After –or, we will learn less common /or/ patterns, including –ore (for example more, chore, store, wore, etc.). Our syllabication lesson will focus on R-Controlled Syllables. 

Reading  

Last week, we read the story, "Cinderlad.” In this twist on the classic tale “Cinderella,” a young knight triumphs over his older brothers by scaling a glass mountain to win the princess’s hand in marriage. Before we read the story, we applied the strategy of predicting. We combined what we know about traditional Cinderella tales, and combined it with the title and Illustrations in the text to make predictions. Then as we read, we confirmed or changed our predictions. Next, we looked at some challenging words in the selection and applied the strategy of using context clues to help us figure out the meanings. Finally, on Friday, we sequenced events in the story to help us retell.  

This week, we will end our study of “Cinderlad” by reading the story one last time and discussing the characters in the story. We will begin our next set of stories, “Cinderella Tales.” Different versions of the Cinderella story are told throughout the world. In the American and French versions, Cinderella wears glass slippers; in the Chinese version she wears golden slippers; and in the Zimbabwean version, she wears no slippers but is rewarded for her bravery and kindness. Discuss with your child why Cinderella stories are popular and have been retold for centuries. 

Please continue to read to your child each night and have them read to you! It is all beneficial. 

Writing 

Last week, your child should have finished writing the final draft of their friendly letters. Students did a great job of thinking of someone they would like to correspond with and crafting a letter that includes heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature. 

This week, we will begin a short unit on procedural (how-to) writing. First, students will brainstorm topics that they are experts with, and then they will select a topic and craft a plan.  

Grammar  

Last week, your child learned about contractions. A contraction is a shortened form of two words, in which an apostrophe takes the place of some letters. Examples include can’t, we’ve, and I’ll. We will continue to practice forming contractions during our Literacy Centers this week. Ask your child to name several contractions, and then identify the two words that form each contraction.  

This week, we will learn about the capitalization of Days, Months, Holidays, Cities, States, and Geographic names. We will review the concept of Proper Nouns to help us identify words that need words that need a capital letter.