Welcome to

Willie Brown Elementary's

2009-2010 school year!

MRS. MCCOY'S FIRST GRADE!!

 

WEBSITES FOR READING AND MATH  PRACTICE

READING

VOWEL SOUNDS - http://www.kinderstart.com/frame_for_links.php?redirect=http://www.tampareads.com/phonics/sounds/vowels/voweltest.htm

FUN SOUNDS - http://www.bemboszoo.com/

MATCH PICTURES TO WORDS - http://www.prongo.com/drag/game.html

RHYMING PRACTICE - http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/reggie/index.htm

LONG VOWEL SOUNDS - http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/grade_k_1/long_vowel_grk1_nav.htm

BUILD WORDS - http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/wordbuild/index.html

MISSING LETTERS - http://www.dositey.com/language/spelling/Mislet3.htm

SEE AND SPELL - http://www.primarygames.com/see-n-spell/see-n-spell.htm

SUBSTITUTING SOUNDS - http://www.professorgarfield.org/Phonemics/greenhouse/greenhouse.html

SIGHT WORD PRACTICE - http://www.quiz-tree.com/Sight-Words_First-Grade_1_funWords.html

LETTER BLENDS - http://www.kidport.com/Grade1/LanguageArts/Workbook/Lang1_LetterBlends.htm

MATH

ADDITION PRACTICE - SELF-CHECKING - http://www.bornthinker.com/ctemplate.php?body=addition_1&t=e#

ADDITION - You can drag and drop manipulatives - http://www.abcya.com/addition.htm

TELLING TIME - http://www.primarygames.com/time/start.htm

TIME QUIZ - http://www.fi.edu/time/Journey/JustInTime/time_quiz.html

BEAT THE CLOCK - http://www.teachingtime.co.uk/draggames/sthec1.html

SUBTRACTION - http://www.primarygames.com/takeaway/start.htm

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION PRACTICE - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/chi.shtml

FIRST GRADE MATH PRACTICE - http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mhm/testprep/gr1/

Practice for Reading and Spelling

Fluency - Reading text with speed, accuracy and proper expression.

First grade reading goal = 60 words per minute

Second grade reading goal = 90 words per minute

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Fluency should be practiced often by students reading aloud text at their independent reading level. The same book should be read several times in order to improve speed, accuracy, and proper expression.

Students should sound out words in their heads and then read the whole word at a normal rate.

ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE FLUENCY

Reading Tracker

Students may place a bookmark or strip of paper under the line they are reading. Students move the strip as they read.

Students may also slide their finger under the text as they read. Do not point at each separate word, as this causes choppy reading.

Echo Reading

Students echo back what you read. (one or 2 sentences at a time to begin with) This especially helps them learn to read with expression.

Increase the amount of text read by teacher/parent to be echoed by student.

Do You Read Me?

Students listen to audio tapes and follow along with the printed text.

Students may use a bookmark or slide their finger along under the text.

Next, play the tape a second time, and have students read aloud.

Students repeat until they can read along with expression.

Finally, students read the book to someone or make a recording of themselves reading the book aloud.

Follow the Reader

Student and teacher/parent read together to improve confidence, accuracy, and speed.

Read the same material out loud along with the student, then read a little louder and faster than the student.

Run a finger under the words as you read by placing your hand over the student's, guiding it smoothly.

Lower your voice as student gains fluency.

Stop reading when student gains fluency, but begin again if student falters.

In the beginning, 2-3 minute sessions are sufficient. Be sure to use appropriate expressions when reading

Gradually increase time spent on this activity to 15-20 minutes.

Timed Repeated Readings

Student reads a page or 2 of a book. Record in a reading journal the number of minutes read.

Reread the same selection. Record the number of minutes it took the second time.

Read one more time. Record this time. Did the student improve?

Try reading several pages the same way.

Try repeating the activity on another day using the same book.

Repeat with several books throughout the summer. Keep a "Timed Reading" section in your reading journal.

SPELLING PRACTICE

Practice these words throughout the year.

about	after	again	all	any	are
as	been	before	boy	but	by
come	day	did	do	down	for
from	get	give	good	had	has
have	here	him	his	how	if
just	like	little	make	many	much
my	of	one	or	other	our
out	put	said	she	some	take
that	them	then	they	this	very
was	we	were	what	when	who
will	with	would	you	your

 

 

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

The following link will take you to an article that ran in the paper regarding Reilly, a student in second grade. http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_2290,00.html His mom gave me permission to share the link with our Willie Brown families in hopes that everyone will read the story and feel compelled to take a CPR course. Accidents and medical emergencies happen everyday and how we are prepared for them can be the difference between life and death. Mrs. Jones wrote, "Five months before the accident my friends and I took a CPR course through the American Red Cross. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the skills that we learned in class that day would ultimately save my son's life. If you have little children in your life then I beg of you to sign up for a CPR class. I know everyone's lives are busy and finding time can be challenging but it may be the most important class you ever take! I have all the information so please email me if you are interested, at grm.jones@sbcglobal.net. "

*****Check out our "Picture This" and "More Pictures" pages to see lots of photos.*****

Completed homework will be collected on Friday or the last day of the week during vacation weeks. Along with completing nightly homework assignments, continue nightly reading (about 15 minutes each night) which is recorded on the Reading Record form in the Baggie Book folder. (Leave these reading record forms in the folder.) Thanks for adding up the reading minutes each week. Even though the group book may seem very easy to your child, we learn many strategies and concepts using the leveled readers. Your child has read the book many times in class for practice, so they should be able to read it independently.

****PTA Boxtops, etc.****

Click on these links to learn which boxtops and labels will help earn cash for our school. We collect these boxtops and labels in our classroom. Each six weeks classes with the most collected labels can earn a PRIZE!! We have a sack full. Keep them coming! Students also earn an eagle coupon when they bring labels to school.

http://www.boxtops4education.com/

http://www.labelsforeducation.com/eligibleproductsEN.aspx

Car riders should go to the cafeteria between 7:30 and 7:45. Do not allow your child to wait by the doors outside. Students will sit at a designated first grade table and will be escorted to class by a first grade teacher when the 7:45 bell rings. Our tardy bell rings at 8:00; students should be in their places having already put away backpacks, lunchboxes, etc. when the bell rings. If students are dropped after 8:00, a parent must accompany them into the office for a tardy pass. The doors to the classroom halls will remain locked at all times. Students coming in late have missed instructional time, and begin their day feeling rushed.

Dr. appointments and emergencies do come up; however, as much as possible allow your child to stay at school until the end of the day. Our learning begins at 7:45 and continues until the last bell of the day.

To navigate to Willie Brown Elementary's webpage, click on the little red school house at the top of the page. You'll find great information for parents and students. From our Willie Brown webpage, visit Mansfield ISD webpage to see what's happening in our school district.

Thanks to my students and parents in first grade. As always, Willie Brown students and parents SOAR!!