For the Week of December 16-19, 2012

 

Wednesday: *Class Christmas Party (8:15-9:15)

*Visit with Santa and Recitation (9:15-9:45)

*Early Release (12:00 pm)—No Aftercare

 

Spelling/ Literature: This week, we will be reviewing the sounds and letters that we have learned. We will play games that allow us to practice identifying letters by sound, sight, and formation. In Literature, we will read Christmas and winter themed stories, and identify them as narrative or informative writing.

 

Unit Study:  We will be reading several stories related to Christmas and winter.
 

 

Math: In math, we will complete Chapter 9: Comparing Sets. In this chapter, we will learn to compare two sets one-to-one to find the difference in the number of objects. This week we will focus on comparing sets up to 20, comparing sets to find the difference, and combining sets. Comparing sets is the most basic form of subtraction. Combining sets lays the foundation for simple addition. We will use manipulatives to further our understanding of these concepts.

 

Nature Study: This week, we will be reviewing the animals we have learned about during this semester. We will review the characteristics of each animal class.

 

Bible: This week, we will be reading the stories of “The Birth of Jesus” and “The Shepherds’ Visit.” Please feel free to read and discuss these stories at home with your child.

 

Show and Tell: There will be no Show and Tell this week.

For the Week of December 10-14, 2012

*Candlelight Christmas Service—Thursday, December 13, at 6:30 pm

 

Snack Helper for This Week: Sarah

 

Spelling/Grammar/Literature: In spelling, we will be focusing on instant letter recognition, unblending sounds in words, and changing sounds to make new words. Our spelling pattern for this week will focus on the Floss Rule (If a one-syllable base word ends in the final /f/, /l/, or /s/ sound immediately after a short vowel, the /f/ sound is spelled ff, the /l/ sound is spelled ll, and the /s/ sound is spelled ss.) As we practice the spelling of our words for the week, we will also be discussing and learning proper handwriting. We will continue to discuss “closed syllables,” a syllable that ends in at least one consonant. The vowel in a closed syllable is short. All Floss Rule words are closed syllables that end with at least one consonant.

In literature, we will be discussing narrative writing, informative writing, and informative-narrative writing, and comparing these types of literature. When reading, we will discuss what type of story it is, and identify the author’s purpose and the elements of the story. This week we will listen to narrative selections and explain why children all over the world enjoy the story (universality). We will also be reading in unison and individually.

 

Unit Study: This week we will be learning about Christmas. We will be learning about the history behind many traditional Christmas symbols, including the Christmas tree, the candy cane, the star, and the candle. We will read the story of Jesus’ birth and other traditional tales including The Night Before Christmas, The Legend of the Poinsettia, and The Gingerbread Man.

 

Math: In math, we will begin Chapter 9: Comparing Sets. In this chapter, we will learn to compare two sets one-to-one to find the difference in the number of objects. This week we will focus on comparing sets up to 20, comparing sets to find the difference, and combining sets. Comparing sets is the most basic form of subtraction. Combining sets lays the foundation for simple addition. We will use manipulatives to further our understanding of these concepts.

Nature Study: This week, we will be reviewing birds and introducing the penguin. We will review six characteristics that classify an animal as a bird (1-vertebrate, 2-warm blooded, 3-feathers, 4-two wings and two feet, 5-beak, 6-hatch from eggs). We will read about penguins, discuss their habitat, and post a photo of an Emperor Penguin on our Nature Study wall.

 

Bible: This week, we will be reading the stories of “The Golden Calf” and “An Angel Appears to Mary.” Please feel free to read and discuss these stories at home with your child.

 

Show and Tell: This week our Show & Tell will focus on Christmas. Children may bring a drawing that illustrates what Christmas means to them or what they are most excited about relating to their Christmas vacation.

For the Week of December 3-7, 2012

Snack Helper for This Week: Remi

Snack Helper for Next Week: Sarah

 

Spelling/Grammar/Literature: In spelling, we will be focusing on instant letter recognition, unblending sounds in words, and changing sounds to make new words. Our spelling pattern for this week will be using the letter f to spell the /f/ sound. We will discuss the position of the letter in the word (is it in the initial position or final position). As we practice the spelling of our words for the week, we will also be discussing and learning proper handwriting. We will learn about “closed syllables,” a syllable that ends in at least one consonant. The vowel in a closed syllable is short.

In literature, we will be discussing narrative writing, informative writing, and informative-narrative writing, and comparing these types of literature. When reading, we will discuss what type of story it is, and identify the author’s purpose and the elements of the story. We will also work on reading in unison and individually.

 

Unit Study: This week we will continue our unit on South America. We will learn that the country of Brazil is the largest country in South America, while Chile is the longest. We will discuss the equator, and learn that it is an imaginary line around the middle of the world, like a belt. We will learn that the weather near the equator is always the same, wet and warm. We will discuss the Amazon River, the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes mountain Range, the Atacama Desert, and the world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls. We will also learn about different animals who call the Amazon River/Rainforest home, including the Amazon River Dolphin, the Red-Eyed Tree Frog, and the Scarlet McCaw. We will also spend time discussing the people and various folktales. On Friday, we will begin to learn about Christmas by discussing different Christmas symbols and traditions around the world.

 

Math: In math, we will continue Chapter 8: Numbers to 100. In this chapter, we will recognize pairs and count by 2s and 5s up to 20, learn to use tally marks, count to 100, count by 10s, and sequence numbers 1 to 100. We will be using manipulatives and hands on activities to learn about grouping and counting numbers. On Friday, we will begin Chapter 9: Comparing Sets. We will begin this chapter with counting sets up to ten.

 

Nature Study: This week, we will be reviewing Insects and introducing the grasshopper. We will review six characteristics that classify an animal as an insect (1-invertebrate, 2-exoskeleton, 3-three body parts [head, thorax, abdomen], 4-six legs, 5-antennae, 6-some have two wings). We will read about grasshoppers and post a photo of a grasshopper on our Nature Study wall.

Bible: This week, we will be reading the stories of “God Watches Over the Israelites” and “Moses Receives God’s Laws.” Please feel free to read and discuss these stories at home with your child.

 

Show and Tell: This week our Show & Tell will be free choice, but with a twist! This week we will be having Secret Show & Tell. The chosen item should be placed in a brown paper bag or gift bag, so that it cannot be seen. Each child should be prepared to give 3 clues about their item, and will then allow their classmates to guess what the item may be.