Week of November 15th

Week Review:  In reading groups this week, we will focus on building words.  Level C will be focusing on changing the beginning letter or sound to create a new word. Our endings will have the short and long "o" sound (hop, mop, top, stop, OR bone, zone, tone, stone, phone). Levels D and E will continue to practice building words with the "cr" and "sn" blends.  Level F will be practicing breaking/chunking up words into parts and looking for little words that we already know (sh/out).  Level G will be building words in a pattern or sequence as found in Patricia Cunningham's book Making Words, 1st Grade.  Levels H and higher will continue to practice the strategies to use when learning new vocabulary in our books, but we will also be working on predicting the next set of events in our stories.  Predictions are guesses about the way things will happen in the future, using the reader's experience and the information they have acquired from the book.



Book/Author Suggestion:  Early Release/Buddy Day/ Character Day is this Wednesday. 
                 The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane DeRolf is a poem that can be found at www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/SubPages/ColorsDivers.htm  It is wonderful story of how individual crayons do not like one another, but when used to create a picture, they realize that by working together the result is beautiful.  A wonderful starting point to discuss PEACE (our character word of the month) and friendship with their 5th grade buddies. 
                 Only One Neighborhood  by Marc Harshman has a wonderful message that will ring true for First Graders.  This story explores a neighborhood that only has one of several different types of buildings, but within each there are several different things.  Despite all of the differences, there is one common wish among us all: PEACE.  

* indicates if it can be found in the Sappington Library. 

Parent Tip:  When learning to read, children need to develop strategies for reading.  The more they correctly learn and the more they practice, the faster reading will come for them.  In our daily lessons, we are introducing, practicing, or mastering these Guided Reading Strategies.  The Guided Reading Strategies Star, designed by A. Ross, presents a visual reminder to the students of the strategies they have learned. 

1. Get your mouth ready.  (Students shape their mouth and begin making the first sound that they see.  If the word is "star", they will get their mouth ready by creating the "s" or "st" sound.) 
2. Look for chunks.  (Students try to find sight words, or familiar words within the new word.  The word "stand" might be new for them, but they can find "and".  
3. Check the picture.  (Students use the pictures A LOT at the beginning levels, but as they get higher, they forget that the pictures are there to help aid them in what is happening in the story.)
4. Does the word look like another word you know?  (Again, students should be familiar with the sight words and this knowledge will help them discover new words.  They know and read the word "look", so when they see the word "cook" they should be able to make the connection with a word they already know.)
5. Try again!  (Sometimes, simply slowing down and taking another look at the word will help the student draw from their knowledge of the previous strategies.)