Welcome back!

Over the next couple of weeks, our class will continue to learn that animal bodies and animal homes come in many different shapes and sizes. We will read books about animal characteristics, and we will learn how animals use their bodies to survive. Children will explore animals further by writing a research essay about their favorite animals.

Big Idea Words

Reinforce these important topic words when you read or talk with your child: honest, sport, courtesy 

Try to incorporate questions like these into everyday conversations:  

• Are you being honest when you tell the truth?  

• How can you be a good sport when you play a game?  
• How do you show courtesy when you are waiting in line at school? 

Let’s Read Together Make a special time and place to read with your child every day.  

Make a special time and place to read with your child every day. During this module about being a good citizen, try these activities during your reading time together: 

• Take turns picking out a book and talking about courteous behaviors such as being quiet and not interrupting.  
• Make a heart shape with your two hands when you read about a character who is trying hard to get along with others.  
• Salute good citizens and heroes that you read about in books and magazines. 

Word Play: Play with words to help develop skills that are important for reading.  

• Week 1: Search for ch As you read, search for words with ch. Discuss how the ch sound can be at the beginning of a word, such as chin, or at the end, such as much.  
• Week 2: Think About This! Work together to make a list of words that begin with th, such as think, thin, and thank. Then stand in front of a mirror and take turns saying the words.  
• Week 3: Stomp the Spot Draw a spot on paper, and put it on the floor. Take turns stomping the spot each time you say a word that begins with the st or sp sounds, such as step, stink, study, or spill, spin, space. 

HMH Module 3 Update 

 

HELLO, FAMILY! Over the next three weeks, our class will learn that animal bodies and animal homes come in many different shapes and sizes. We will read books about animal characteristics, and we will learn how animals use their bodies to survive. Children will explore animals further by writing a research essay about their favorite animals. 

Big Idea Words:  Reinforce these important topic words when you read or talk with your child: camouflage, mammal, characteristics.

Try to incorporate questions like these into everyday conversations:  

• Which animals use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings?  
• What are some words that describe your favorite mammal? 
• What kind of special characteristics does a giraffe have? What about a kitten? 

Let’s Read Together Make a special time and place to read with your child every day. During this module about amazing animals, try these activities during your reading time together: 

• Imitate animal noises when you read about an animal in a book. 
• While reading, point to different animals and decide if they are mammals.  
• Build a pretend animal home, like a nest or den, that is described in a book. 

Word Play Play with words to help develop skills that are important for reading.  

• Week 1: Consonant, Vowel, Consonant Words Work together to write and say these words: pet, web, pen, wet, leg, hen. Remind your child that CVC words have a short vowel sound in the middle.  
• Week 2: Egg Toss Look for words that have double consonants, such as egg, ball, and toss. As you read, have your child point to words with double consonants.  
• Week 3: Ships Sail Learn this rhyme: Ships have sails. Fish have scales. Compare the sh and s sounds. Draw a ship and a fish and label both. Circle the sh in both words. 

 

 

We will start out new HMH Module. Module 2   

High Frequency Words:

My Family, My Community

HELLO, FAMILY! Over the next three weeks, our class will learn that we are all valuable members of our families and community, and together we make our class a place to learn and grow. We will read books about neighborhoods, and we will learn that different people work together to help make our communities special. Children will also write a descriptive essay about what makes their world special.

BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family!

Big Idea Words

Reinforce these important topic words when you read or talk with your child:

area

population

working

Try to incorporate questions like these into everyday conversations:

• What kind of artwork do we see in different areas of our community?
• Does a big city have a large or a small population of people?
• Who are the helpers we see working in our neighborhood?

Let’s Read Together

Make a special time and place to read with your child every day.

During this module about belonging to a community, try these activities during your reading time together:

• Clap your hands when you see pictures of helpers, such as doctors, teachers, and police officers. • Raise your arms when you read about tall buildings. Spread your arms when you read about farms and open spaces.
• Pantomime different types of jobs as you read about them. Word Play Play with words to help develop skills that are important for reading.
• Week 1:

Knock Knock, Block Block Words Hold two small blocks, one in each hand. Knock the blocks together two times when you read aloud a word that has the letter k, such as king, key, or book.

• Week 2: Hot Pot

Get a pot or bucket. On small pieces of paper, write words with the short o vowel sound, such as log and top. Drop each word into the pot and say, for example, “Log in the hot pot!”

• Week 3: I, O, U!

Write and then say words that begin and end with the same letters, but have different short vowels in the middle, such as hit, hot, hut, or big, bog, bug.

Welcome to first-grade literacy!  I am so excited to teach your children not only how to read, but how the English language works!

Over the next three weeks, our class will learn that making new friends and learning new things can help us grow. We will read books about making new friends and taking on new challenges, and we will become familiar with new words and different activities about school. Children will also learn how to tell a story and tell one about a special moment in their lives.

BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family!

Big Idea Words- Reinforce these important topic words when you read or talk with your child: friendship     emotions     challenge

Try to incorporate questions like these into everyday conversations:

• How did you show friendship to your classmates today?
• What emotions do you feel when you try something new?
• Tell about a character who faced a challenge.

Let’s Read Together: Make a special time and place to read with your child every day. During this module about making new friends and learning new things, try these activities during your reading time together:

• Point to photographs and illustrations that show acts of friendship.
• Cheer on a story character who is trying something new.
• Talk about why we should not be afraid to keep trying

Word Play: Play with words to help develop skills that are important for reading.

• Week 1: Rhyme Time Take turns saying a rhyming word with a short a vowel sound, such as mat/pat or Sam/jam.
• Week 2: I Spy Open a book and play I Spy. Take turns pointing to and reading words that begin with the letter n. Play I Spy again, searching for words that begin with d, p, and c.

• Week 3: One or More Play a counting game with familiar items. Stress the change in word meanings when the –s is spoken. One toy car. Two toy cars. One red apple. Two red apples.