For the Week of February 4-8, 2013

 

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 letter pair, or consonant cluster, ng. 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.

 

 

In literature, we will be discussing informative-narrativeliterature. We will discuss that this type of literature contains many facts (content). We will listen to informative-narrative literature selections and identify facts. We will also be reading in unison and individually. Keep your eye out for the new decodable reader in the Green Folder on Mondays. Please help your child to read the decodable reader at least two times, and return the book on Thursday.

Unit Study: This week we will be continuing to learn about to Italy. We will review that the capital city of Italy is Rome and the official language is Italian. We will study the map and flag of Italy. Our landmarks for Italy will be the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum. This week we will be learning about the city of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, and learning how the city was buried by ash. We will then travel to Venice, and learn about the streets of water and gondolas. We will review the key ideas of Italy:
*Italy is shaped like a boot.
*The capital of Italy is Rome.
*Italy is a peninsula and juts into the Mediterranean Sea.
*Mount Vesuvius is a volcano near Pompeii, Italy.

*Important landmarks in Italy are the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum, and the city of Venice.

 

Math: In math, we will complete Chapter 12: Counting On and Counting Back. In chapter 12, we will count on to 10 and count back from 10. The children will build an understanding of, and familiarity with, number pairs that make 10. After completing Chapter 12, we will begin Chapter 13: Patterns. We will create and extend patterns of shapes. Our vocabulary for this chapter includes repeating pattern (a design that recurs uniformly) and pattern unit(the root unit of a repeating pattern). In Chapter 13, the children will learn to recognize, extend and create a repeating pattern, to identify a missing portion of a repeating pattern, and to create ABAB, AABAAB, ABBABB, and ABCABC repeating patterns.

 

Nature Study: This week, we will be learning about the Hummingbird. We will review the characteristics of the different animal classes to determine to which class the Hummingbird belongs. We will post a picture of a hummingbird on our Animal Kingdom wall, under the correct classification.

 

Bible: This week, we will be reading the story of “Samson and the Temple” and “Ruth and Naomi.” Please feel free to read and discuss these stories at home.

 

Show and Tell: This week, we will be sharing items that represent our favorite weekend activities. This could be a photograph, drawing, or an actual object from the activity.