Book Levels
During Conferences many of you asked about finding "just right" books for your First Graders. It's important that your student is able to choose books that they want to read, but are also at the right level for them. In class we have discussed using the "Five Finger" rule to decide if a book is just right or not. Here is how it works: They choose a book and pick a page to read from it. Each time they come across a word that is tricky for them, they put up a finger. If they finish the page and have the following amount of fingers up here is what that means to them:
1 finger: too easy!
2 fingers: too easy/just right (need to decide)
3 fingers: just right!
4 fingers: just right/too hard (need to decide)
5 fingers: too hard!
Have your First Grader explain this to you to check for understanding of the Five Finger Rule!
In addition, when you head to the Library, buy from Scholastic, or another book store, it may be helpful to have a list of books that you already know are "just right" for your First Grader. Here is a link to Scholastic's Book Wizard which can help you with that: http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
(This is also found on the Parent page of our classroom website)
Search by Reading Level and put in the DRA range level that I shared with you at conferences/on the report card. For example, if I shared with you that your student is reading a level 6 independently, pick a range like 6-8, or stick with the main number I gave you(6).
Let me know if you have any questions!
Fact Fluency Review
When we return from Thanksgiving Break, we will not be going on to the +6s right away. Instead we are going to REVIEW the facts 0-5 and have a mixed review assessment on that Friday. Keep practicing!
Reading Strategies
Another topic of conversation that came up during Conferences was reading strategies that your First Grader can be reminded of at home. We have gone over several strategies in class, and continue to review them as a tool for figuring out those new/tricky words. It's important that they use a variety of these strategies with your guidance in order to become strong, independent readers. I will be sending home yellow bookmarks titled "Coaching Sheet" that we use in class. This bookmark tool can be kept at home to reference when reading with your student. Keep your eyes out for this in their reading bags. The strategies you will see on there are:
- Get your lips ready
- Skip the word and come back
- Stretch the sounds
- Chunk the sounds together
- Flip the vowel
- Look at the pictures
- Go back and reread
- Ask for help
We hope you enjoyed looking at all the creatively disguised turkeys during Conferences! Thanks for voting on your favorites. All students will receive a participant certificate but some will recieve an "extra" award based on the votes we tallied up from you. Thanks for having fun and supporting this fun family project!
Classroom Survey
Thank you to all who participated in the classroom survey I sent out through email last week. If you have not responded yet, it would be greatly appreciated so that I can make adjustments as needed for the school year. The blog serves a very important bridge to communicating our classroom happenings and I want to make sure it reaches each family in the most beneficial way. You can access the survey through the previous email I sent, on the Parent page of the classroom website, OR the paper copy I will send home this week. Please only respond through one format. Thanks again for your essential feedback!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving with your families!