Math Assessments

I try very hard to make assessments a positive experience for my children.  I tell them that when they show me what they know it is to make sure that I have taught them what they need to know. If they don't know something it is MY job to make things more clear for them.

We made it through our 1st math assessment today!  WOOT-WOOT!  
The assessment will come home for you to review.  You may keep this copy.  Please feel free to go over it with your child and work on things that may still be tricky for them.

I will not put a grade on this, but you will see the items that are incorrect circled.
Of course I will be reviewing the material with your child until they are solid with the skills.
I really want the children to be explorers of math and to feel like mathematicians vs. children who just know rote math. 

A few notes:
1.  Part A of the test is to be mastered at this time.  Part B of the test is material we have just been exposed to and will be worked on more in following units.  This is not expected to be mastered.  
2.  The Open Response is a fun higher level thinking problem.  The children are encouraged to use any of our math tools to work on this section or any of the assessment sections. 
(number lines, pennies, white boards and markers,  and other math manipulatives)

After we worked on this problem for the assessment, we went over different ways some of us figured it out.  Many of them really enjoyed the challenge of such a problem.  All of the EDM assessments will have an Open Response problem for them to tackle.


Let me know if you have thoughts or questions!
Mary Beth

Readers Talk About Books

The reason we read it to take meaning from text!  Making sure the reading makes sense as we read is the most important part of reading.  Young readers have so much hard work to do.  They are learning that what they read has to look right, sound right AND make sense. 

Learning how to "listen to oneself read" and to be able to retell and talk about books is where we are headed next in our crew.  I have immersed them in high interest books from the public library.  This past week they began checking into the books in our crew library.

Now we are ready to begin taking "just right books" home Monday-Thursday.
These books should NOT BE books that they have to work hard to read.  They are books they should be able to read fairly easily and understand enough so that they can talk with you about their reading.  They should sound "like the characters" and enjoy retelling the books to you.  Please sit next to your child as they read their book each night.  Look for many more posts about reading throughout the year.

This week I'll set up reading buddies within the crew and the children will have the chance to begin learning how to share read and talk about books.  They LOVE doing this!  This is why Oprah Winfrey's book clubs were so successful!  Good readers want to talk about what they read!

I have completed my beginning of the year reading assessments and have a good handle on what each child needs next.  We only have 10 teaching days before our Voyage.
During this time I will begin reading conferences, working 1x1 with students.  After the Voyage I'll begin teaching reading groups.  For now, I'm still getting to know them and their reading habits.  

Let me know if you have questions or thoughts as we journey literacy together!
Ms. Mary Beth

Read to Your Bunny Often

Children love to be read to.

It's a way to build a feeling of LOVE.

Reading to children develops great readers!

Read everywhere you can!

"I'll read one page and you read the other"

And before you know it, there will be no stopping them!

               Reading to your child is so very important! 

First day of homework!

Many of the children have been asking "when do we get homework?".  We have to smile at this.  Bet their older siblings haven't been asking the same!

Today we will start math homework.
You will find three pieces of Everyday Math in their folders. (EDM = Everyday Math going forward)

Two pages are parent letters explaining the material covered in Unit 1.  We will have our first math assessment next Tuesday.

The other page, listed 1.8 on the top, is tonight's homework that is expected to be completed and returned in the morning.

Later in the week we will be adding a book to read in the homework folder.  Please help your child keep track of the books they bring home as we all need to share them and they are costly.

Here are some tips for homework:
1. Set up a regular routine on when you and your child are the most fresh to work on homework together.  Routines keep us on track.
2. Help your child take the green homework folder out of their backpack when you plan to work on it and then remind them to put it right back in their backpack after completion.  This eliminates things like "my mom didn't put it back" or "the dog ate it" or "we just did it in the car and left it there" types of situations!  I will be working hard to teach them independence around homework.

Happy Homework!
Ms. Mary Beth

The Hoola-Hoop Analogy! A way to manage ourselves...

First graders are caring people.  But sometimes we get a bit too caring!  What I mean is sometimes our hands begin caring about other peoples things or bodies.  And sometimes we get a bit too worried about other peoples business!

Thus, the hoola-hoop analogy, which I shared with our crew the first week. It works like a charm.

Here's how it goes.
The space around your body is your hoola-hoop.  Your hands and feet should stay in that space.  The space inside your hoola-hoop is your business and it's all you need to take care of.  We all have our own hoola-hoops and we are to stay out of other people's hoola-hoop unless we are invited in.

Now all I have to say is "are you in your own hoola-hoop?"
Let me know if you try this and how it works for your family.
It's working well for ours.

Hopes and Dreams for First Grade

The first day of school it is fun to ask the children what they might have as a hope or dream for their first grade year.  Enjoy looking at the writing samples and listening to the crew read their thoughts by clicking on the presentation above!

Our School's New Web Page!

Our school has so many unique characteristics.  I've only been a part of this school for three years although I've been a Douglas County Teacher for 20,  and it has  taken a while to realize all of the amazing things we are and how teach and learn.

We are Renaissance Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound School.
No longer will we call ourselves REMS.  We want the community to know who we are.
Please go to the brand new school web page at http://www.wearecrew.org/ to check out the details and to get all of the latest school-wide information.

I have added this link to my blog as well.  You can find it on the right hand side along with the Ms. Deborah's principal blog and a link to Thursday folders.

Ms. Mary Beth

Read/ Write/ Explore

  

One of our favorite times of the day is Read/ Write/ Explore Time.  
During this time the children work in areas of interest or areas of needed growth.

Many of the children get excited about exploring the Crew Library or writing stories and making books.

Many of the children are working in groups on areas important to early readers and writers.  Things like making words with letters, working with upper/lower case letters, alphabet cards and books, and sorting.

Working in these groups also builds children who know how to communicate, collaborate, and use critical thinking skills, all of which we call 21st Century Skills, those skills needed to excel in our world.  

We are getting to know each other as people and learners.  It's an exciting journey!