Category Archives: Language Arts Posts

Homework 5/9-5/13

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This week, only reading homework and math timing homework is required.  It is not necessary to fill out a Homework Form for this week’s homework.  Please complete the following activities:

SPELLING CHECK: Below is the link to the entire list of First Grade High-Frequency Words.  At this point in the year, your child should be able to read and spell all words on the list.  Please take a moment to go over the list with your child and identify and work on any words that your child may be struggling with:

CLICK HERE for the List of High Frequency Words (2)
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A Reading for All Learners (Baggie Book) leveled book will be sent home with your child DAILY. As long as your child is turning in their signed baggie book it will be changed out to a new book each morning.  Please have your child read the book (or one story from the books that contain more than one story) at least three times and then sign the included form. You may supplement your child’s reading using books at home, library books, etc. to fulfill the minimum requirement of 20-30 minutes of reading per day. 

It is not necessary to fill out a Homework Form for this week’s homework.  Simply initialing the form that comes home with your child’s Baggie Book is sufficient.

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This activity should be completed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  It is not necessary to fill out a Homework Form for this week’s homework – I trust that you will do it.
  1. Visit the following website: http://www.haslett.k12.mi.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=11283&: 
  2. Select “Level 200.”  For this week, please read passage # 208 (The Laws of the Land) for MONDAY and TUESDAY, and passage #209 (Our Country’s Government) for WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY. 
  3.  Complete a one-minute timed reading and record your score on the Homework Form. Feel free to use this online timer: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/timer/1minute/ . Find your score by subtracting the number of incorrect words read from the total number of words read in one minute (for instance, if you read 98 words, but read 5 of the words incorrectly, your score would be 93).   
  4. Re-tell the story with as much detail as possible, and in your own words, to a parent, using the guidelines described below:
Non-Fiction Re-tell Rope 3Fiction Re-Tell Rope 3











If you are able to read the entire passage in less than a minute: start again at the top of the passage and read as many more words as you can until the one-minute timing is over.  For scoring, include the total words read during the entire minute. For instance, if you read the entire passage (137 words) and then read part of it again (39 words) before the one-minute timing was over, your score would be 176 (if you had no mistakes).

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  • ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION TIMINGS: Complete a 2 minute timing every night for both addition and subtraction facts. Please have your child do EVERY problem in a row, not skipping any. Then draw a line where they end and they will start there the next day. PLEASE CHECK FOR ACCURACY (an answer sheet is included).  Your child should get in about 3 or 4 timings each side. If you have questions let me know. Click below to print timings worksheets (I know the bottom row got cut off – please ignore!):
  • CLICK HERE for SUBTRACTION Timings Sheet
  • CLICK HERE for ADDITION Timings Sheet

Homework 1/25-1/29

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Homework is due Friday, January 29th.  
For this week’s homework, there are 5 components required:
1. Reading (20-30 minutes every day!)
2. Word Sorts
3. Spelling
4. Math, including Addition and Subtraction Fact Memorization
5. Timed Reading

1- Math Homework:  Complete the EVERY OTHER problem on the math homework pages.
**You can practice your subtraction and addiction math facts with your child this week using FrontRow Ed or Xtra Math.  Or using any of the subtraction facts games and activities listed below. 
*Practice your math facts (addition and subtraction) regularly by utilizing any of the math facts activities listed here: Math Facts Activities (You might try activity #7: Front Row Ed Fact Practice if you haven’t already.  Students who don’t like being timed are really liking this one!  Our class code is tcri3k)

Feel free to also practice math timings with your child at home. 

Click here 0-18 facts to print out addition math timings

Click here fiveminutemathsubtractiondrills0-12 to print out subtraction timings. 

I time the students for 2 minutes for each addition and subtraction. 
Their goal is 27 addition and 21 subtraction. 
 *Please turn in the timing sheet just once for the week for Extra Timing Credit 

2- Reading 20-30 minutes per day, record on reading log on our Weekly Homework form. There are several sources for reading: “Reading for all Learners” also known as”Buddy books” from school, books from home or the public library and our online reading program Raz-Kids.  Our class Raz-Kids login is: anelson74 

Remember we are working on earning “Book It” Pizza coupons.  Students will receive their FREE personal pizza coupon when they have read 80 minutes a week (or more) for 4 weeks.  
Click here to print the January reading log:  January Book It Reading Log

Reading minutes can also include books from the category list for the library “Tower of Book Challenge”.  
For more details on this challenge click here:  Tower of Books Challenge

3- Timed Fluency Reading Passages 
  1. Visit the following website:http://www.haslett.k12.mi.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=11283&: 
  2. Select a “Level 100″ reading passage. For this week, please read passage # 105 (Skate Around) for MONDAY and TUESDAY, and passage #106 (All About Insects) for WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY. 
  3.  Complete a one-minute timed reading and record your score on the Homework Form. Feel free to use this online timer: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/timer/1minute/ . Find your score by subtracting the number of incorrect words read from the total number of words read in one minute (for instance, if you read 98 words, but read 5 of the words incorrectly, your score would be 93).   
  4. Re-tell the story with as much detail as possible, and in your own words, to a parent, using the guidelines described below:
Re-tell Guidelines for Nonfictional Passages: tell a parent: 
1.) Topic: what the selection is mainly about. Start by saying “This story is mostly about…” 
2.) Re-tell: Tell the story in your own words and in chronological order, including as many facts as possible. 
3.) Details: tell any interesting details found in the passage; and 
4.) Key Knowledge: The most important thing learned from the author.Screen Shot 2015-12-23 at 3.19.52 PM

Re-tell Guidelines for Fictional Passages: Use the “Retell Rope” (at right) as a guide.  The “Retell Rope” requires that the student describe the characters, setting, and plot, and which events happened first, next, and last.

  • If you are able to read the entire passage in less than a minute: start again at the top of the passage and read as many more words as you can until the one-minute timing is over.  For scoring, include the total words read during the entire minute. For instance, if you read the entire passage (137 words) and then read part of it again (39 words) before the one-minute timing was over, your score would be 176 (if you had no mistakes).
5- Weekly Word Sort and High Frequency Word homework.  Here is the link to print our weekly homework form: Weekly Homework Organizer with Timings

High Frequency Words for this week are:
has
him
how
than
two
REVIEW WORDS:
been
people
could
SENTENCE
Do you like cats or dogs?

SPELLING SENTENCE  9 POINTS POSSIBLE ON TEST (1 point for each correctly spelled word,  1 point for beginning the sentence with an uppercase letter, and 1 point for the correct punctuation mark at the end of the sentence.)

SORT GROUPS:
RED:  Charlie, Bryton, Isabella, Hannah
YELLOW:  Kaylee, Kathlyn, Brynn, Leah, Payton E, Kyler, Jessica, Spencer, London, Isaac, Peyton S, Jake, Saelim, Tegan, Clay, Athena, Rosa, Bryker
BLUE: Alexa, Owen, Tenaya
PURPLE:   Adalai

Reading Passages Link for At-Home Practice

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10 ways to become a better reader
Below is a link to some reading passages that are very similar to the ones that your student will be encountering in the upcoming DIBELS test in January.  Please use the “Level 100″ passages to help your student practice for the DIBELS test, which is a very important one-minute timed test.  Even those these are not the exact passages that will be used, exposure to similar passages such as these and a simulation of the actual timed test will prepare your child and help him/her feel more comfortable when they experience the real test. 

CLICK HERE:
http://www.haslett.k12.mi.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=11283&

Reading Assessment

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As we near the middle of the school year it is time to reassess the students in various areas, including reading. We use several assessment tools to determine reading levels, one of these tools is our online reading program, Raz-Kids. 

Students have been assigned a reading assessment on the Raz-Kids online reading program.  Students will be allowed time to complete this assessment in class or they may complete it at home. All reading assessments are due to be completed by Friday, December 18. 

How to access the reading assessment:
1- Click here: Raz-Kids.  
2- Enter our login: anelson74
3- Choose student name
4- Select “Flight Check”

Homework 10/26-10/30

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1- Math Homework:  
**Please practice your subtraction and addiction math facts with your child this week using FrontRow Ed or Xtra Math.  Or using any of the subtraction facts games and activities listed below. 
*Practice your math facts (addition and subtraction) regularly by utilizing any of the math facts activities listed here: Math Facts Activities (You might try activity #7: Front Row Ed Fact Practice if you haven’t already.  Students who don’t like being timed are really liking this one!  Our class code is tcri3k)
  
2- Reading 20-30 minutes per day, record on reading log on our Weekly Homework form. There are several sources for reading: “Reading for all Learners” also known as”Buddy books” from school, books from home or the public library and our online reading program Raz-Kids.  Our class Raz-Kids login is: anelson74

3- Timed fluency practice worth 20 points. 
For this week’s fluency page click here: Timed Fluency Practice
This daily one-minute timed fluency reading will help your student become a fluent reader.  It will also count toward your 20 reading minutes.  Time your student for one minute.  Record the number of words they were able to read in one minute. 

4- Weekly Word Sort and High Frequency Word homework.  Here is the link to print our weekly homework form: Weekly-Homework-Organizer-Form

High Frequency Words for this week are:
one
all
she
friend
when
REVIEW WORDS:
have
were
are
SENTENCE
I go to bed.

SPELLING SENTENCE  6 POINTS POSSIBLE ON TEST (1 point for each correctly spelled word,  1 point for beginning the sentence with an uppercase letter, and 1 point for the correct punctuation mark at the end of the sentence.)

SORT GROUPS: 
RED GROUP: Payton E, Bryton
PINK GROUP: Leah, Peyton S
YELLOW GROUP:  Charlie, Kaylee, Brynn, Kyler, Owen, Jessica, London, Isaac, Isabella, Jake, Saelim, Tegan, Clay, Hannah, Spencer
GREEN GROUP: Bryker, Rosa
BLUE GROUP: Kathlyn, Tenaya, Alexa, Athena
PURPLE GROUP: Adalai

**Note: Many cards are pictures, please encourage your child to spell as much of the word as they can. Pictures are used so the students will listen to the letter sounds rather than just look for the letter that matches their header.**

Reading Strategies

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We have added “Flippy Dolphin” and “Skippy Frog” to our list of Reading Strategies.

Flippy Dolphin

“Flippy Dolphin” helps us if a word does not sound right, we may need to flip the vowel sound. Try a short vowel, long vowel flip. Another flippy dolphin clue; when two vowels go walking, the first one sometimes does the talking.





Skippy Frog“Skippy Frog” says “skip it, skip it”.   If you have tried your best, skip the word and read the rest.  Read to the end and then come back again.  By skipping the word and reading to the end of the sentence the reader can use other clues to help them figure out the word.


Reading Strategies

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Chunky monkeyOur tool box of reading strategies is filling up.  We have added “Chunky Monkey”, he helps us look for chunks we know.  Like “key” in monkey and “ing” in sing. We are practicing the reading strategies in our daily reading.  We can ask ourselves, does it sound right, does it look right, and does it make sense.
 

Reading Strategies

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Lips the fish
We have been practicing two more reading strategies, “Lips the Fish” and “Stretchy Snake”.

Lips the Fish teaches us to get our lips ready for the word and say the sound out loud.  

Stretchy Snake shows us how to stretch the letter sounds.  We used a slinky to practice stretching the sounds as we stretched the slinky and then saying the word all together as we push the slinky back together. Stretchy snake

Reading Strategies

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Eagle eyeThis week we introduced our first reading strategy, EAGLE EYE.  When reading if you don’t know a word, what can you do?  Look at the pictures for a clue.  

Have your student read to you.  And anytime your student is reading remind them to practice their EAGLE EYE strategy when they come to a word they do not know, look at the picture for clue.  

More strategies to come…