and other letter combinations!
This week we have been reviewing letter combinations. Most of our students were introduced to letter combinations in Kindergarten. However, we are digging deeper in 1st grade!
Letter combinations are simply that- a combination of letters that work together to create a sound. Letter combinations may include (but are not limited to) diphthongs, complex vowel sounds, r-controlled vowels, and welded sounds.
This week we have concentrated on the sounds /aw/ and /ō/. The /aw/ sound can be made with either ‘aw’ or ‘au’. Examples of words with /aw/ are claw, pause, daughter, awful. The /ō/ sound can be made in several ways: with a bossy e, ‘oe’, ‘ough’, ‘oa’, and ‘ow’. We have focused on the last two this week using words like crow, boat, flow, foam.
Encourage your child to listen for these sounds as they write words. We have discussed where in a word they are most likely to see each combination (for example, ‘oa’ does not typically come at the end of a word). They should begin using these letter combinations in all of their writing!
For a complete list of our letter combinations, see the files on our Shutterfly page.
Welcome to the class blog for Ms. Pomeroy and Mrs. Sambito's Second Grade class at Chets Creek Elementary. We are looking forward to an exciting year "walking on the wild side!"
Friday, October 7, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
It's a bird, It's a plane, no...IT'S READING STRATEGIES to the rescue!
First graders have to make quite a jump in their reading level in first grade. The expectation is that every first grade student will be reading on a level I by the end of the year. The texts they read get more complex and lengthier. We are currently working on reading strategies to help them decode foreign words they might get stuck on. Here are some of the strategies we've learned:
1. Look at the picture
2. Point to the words
3. Get your mouth ready
4. Stretch the word
5. Read top to bottom, left to right
6. Catch the sentence pattern
7. Does it make sense?
8. Does it sound right? Look right?
9. Go back and reread
10. Try both vowel sounds
11. Chunk the word
12. Look for sight words
As not everyone in our room is on the same level, we have broken students up into small groups who are on the same level for what we call guided reading. During guided reading groups, instruction will be given to a small group of students at a time. The teacher will listen to each student read alone, then come back together to make noticings about their reading and what they are going to work on. Listening to the students read is what guides the guided reading lesson for the day. We may practice and work on a particular strategy that most students are not grasping, we may work on some skills that they are forgetting about when they are reading, or we may work on comprehension. Reading strategies are very important for students to practice and use so that they have proper tools to help them figure out a word they don't know, and be their own superhero! It's a bird, it's a plane, no....it's Super Strategies!
1. Look at the picture
2. Point to the words
3. Get your mouth ready
4. Stretch the word
5. Read top to bottom, left to right
6. Catch the sentence pattern
7. Does it make sense?
8. Does it sound right? Look right?
9. Go back and reread
10. Try both vowel sounds
11. Chunk the word
12. Look for sight words
As not everyone in our room is on the same level, we have broken students up into small groups who are on the same level for what we call guided reading. During guided reading groups, instruction will be given to a small group of students at a time. The teacher will listen to each student read alone, then come back together to make noticings about their reading and what they are going to work on. Listening to the students read is what guides the guided reading lesson for the day. We may practice and work on a particular strategy that most students are not grasping, we may work on some skills that they are forgetting about when they are reading, or we may work on comprehension. Reading strategies are very important for students to practice and use so that they have proper tools to help them figure out a word they don't know, and be their own superhero! It's a bird, it's a plane, no....it's Super Strategies!
Friday, September 2, 2011
With all of our Writing Powers Combined, we are Super Writers!
This year in first grade, we are taking writing to a whole new level and really expecting the students to push themselves farther and produce meaningful and quality writing. This week in Writer's Workshop, we learned the "Super Steps" to creating a published piece of writing. The students learned and practiced first hand that this process doesn't just happen during one session of Writer's Workshop, but over MANY sessions of Writer's Workshop. Here are the "Super Steps" our heros learned and worked on:
1. Prewriting: thinking of a topic and details to go with it
2. Rough Draft: writing our ideas out on paper
3. Revising: rereading our work and/or conferencing with a teacher or peer to see what needs to be fixed
4. Editing: "fixing up" the writing by changing and fixing mistakes, such as, misspelled words, left out words, adding or chaning punctuation, etc.
5. Publishing: making a new copy of our rough draft with illustrations and a cover page
Our heros chose one piece of writing that they wanted to publish. They will not publish every piece of writing in first grade, rather, we taught them to choose their very best or favorite piece of writing to publish. Ask your hero what their published piece of writing is about!
1. Prewriting: thinking of a topic and details to go with it
2. Rough Draft: writing our ideas out on paper
3. Revising: rereading our work and/or conferencing with a teacher or peer to see what needs to be fixed
4. Editing: "fixing up" the writing by changing and fixing mistakes, such as, misspelled words, left out words, adding or chaning punctuation, etc.
5. Publishing: making a new copy of our rough draft with illustrations and a cover page
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Blessings in a Backpack
Have you ever wanted to be a superhero?
Well, here is a wonderful opportunity for you to be a hero to a child at Chets Creek! As we have all felt in the past year or so, times have been tough economically. These difficult times have affected some of the children at Chets Creek as well. The number of families that have had to ask for assistance in feeding their children during the school day has increased within the past year. While these children are fed at school, they may often be hungry on the weekends.
Here is where you can help! The national organization Blessings in a Backpack is trying to start a program at Chets Creek. Blessings in a Backpack is a way to provide nutritious food on the weekends for children whose parents are going through a tough time economically. The program partners with a local grocery store to provide food to send home with the children on Friday to keep them full and healthy over the weekend. The best part is that it only takes $80 to feed one child for the school year!
If you feel called to be a hero for a child in this situation, there is a simple way to help. You can make a donation online at www.jaxblessingsinabackpack.org. Just click "Donate Now!" Please make sure to designate that the donation goes to Chets Creek Elementary. You can also send a check into school with your child. Make the check payable to Blessings in a Backpack and write Chets Creek Elementary in the memo line. You do not need to be able to donate the entire amount to sponsor one child. Any amount is appreciated!
Well, here is a wonderful opportunity for you to be a hero to a child at Chets Creek! As we have all felt in the past year or so, times have been tough economically. These difficult times have affected some of the children at Chets Creek as well. The number of families that have had to ask for assistance in feeding their children during the school day has increased within the past year. While these children are fed at school, they may often be hungry on the weekends.
Here is where you can help! The national organization Blessings in a Backpack is trying to start a program at Chets Creek. Blessings in a Backpack is a way to provide nutritious food on the weekends for children whose parents are going through a tough time economically. The program partners with a local grocery store to provide food to send home with the children on Friday to keep them full and healthy over the weekend. The best part is that it only takes $80 to feed one child for the school year!
If you feel called to be a hero for a child in this situation, there is a simple way to help. You can make a donation online at www.jaxblessingsinabackpack.org. Just click "Donate Now!" Please make sure to designate that the donation goes to Chets Creek Elementary. You can also send a check into school with your child. Make the check payable to Blessings in a Backpack and write Chets Creek Elementary in the memo line. You do not need to be able to donate the entire amount to sponsor one child. Any amount is appreciated!
A Super First Week!
We are having a 'Super' first week of school! We are extremely happy to have 23 friends returning to us from last year's kindergarten class and to be welcoming 13 new friends to our first grade class!
Our first graders have been working hard this week to reestablish our rituals and routines in the classroom. They are learning quickly how to unpack in the mornings, how to gather for lessons, and the expectations for classroom behavior. They are doing a great job gaining the independence that comes with being first graders.
Being a first grader brings new and exciting priviledges. First graders get to leave the classroom on their own at dismissal time- no more having to walk with a teacher. First graders get to use the monkey bars! First graders are allowed to play on both sides of the playground!
Take a moment this weekend and ask your child what their favorite part of first grade is!
Our first graders have been working hard this week to reestablish our rituals and routines in the classroom. They are learning quickly how to unpack in the mornings, how to gather for lessons, and the expectations for classroom behavior. They are doing a great job gaining the independence that comes with being first graders.
Being a first grader brings new and exciting priviledges. First graders get to leave the classroom on their own at dismissal time- no more having to walk with a teacher. First graders get to use the monkey bars! First graders are allowed to play on both sides of the playground!
Take a moment this weekend and ask your child what their favorite part of first grade is!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Avengers Unite!
Have you had a super summer? Did you take a fantastic trip? Did you read any incredible books?
Well, the time has come to start a MARVEL-ous year! We are looking for 36 fantastic, incredible superheroes to join us in first grade. We have 180 days ahead of us to use our powers to conquer reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.
If you are up for the challenge, join us for orientation at 11am on August 19th!
Well, the time has come to start a MARVEL-ous year! We are looking for 36 fantastic, incredible superheroes to join us in first grade. We have 180 days ahead of us to use our powers to conquer reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.
If you are up for the challenge, join us for orientation at 11am on August 19th!
Monday, July 25, 2011
School Supplies
It is one of my favorite times of year... back to school shopping! Since I was little, I have always loved the excitement of getting new supplies for school. New pencils, pens, and notebooks are my favorite! (I should have know I'd end up as a teacher.)
You should have all recieved a 1st Grade Supply list in your child's last report card. Just in case you lost it, click on this link to find it.
Since buying school supplies can be expensive (especially if you have more than one child), now is a great time to start. Many office supply stores have great deals! For example, Office Depot has plastic Duotang folders with prongs for 25 cents and Staples has #2 pencils for a penny! It doesn't get better than that!
Another good idea is to find other parents to share the cost with and buy in bulk. You can find pencils, copy paper, baby wipes, tissues, Clorox wipes, Post-It notes, Expo markers, and labels at Costco or BJ's.
Here are some great links to check weekly to see what is on sale:
www.officedepot.com
www.staples.com
www.officemax.com
www.target.com
Happy Shopping!
You should have all recieved a 1st Grade Supply list in your child's last report card. Just in case you lost it, click on this link to find it.
Since buying school supplies can be expensive (especially if you have more than one child), now is a great time to start. Many office supply stores have great deals! For example, Office Depot has plastic Duotang folders with prongs for 25 cents and Staples has #2 pencils for a penny! It doesn't get better than that!
Another good idea is to find other parents to share the cost with and buy in bulk. You can find pencils, copy paper, baby wipes, tissues, Clorox wipes, Post-It notes, Expo markers, and labels at Costco or BJ's.
Here are some great links to check weekly to see what is on sale:
www.officedepot.com
www.staples.com
www.officemax.com
www.target.com
Happy Shopping!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Responding to Literature with Technology
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Baby Colton
Hello Thombitos!
I am so excited to be back in the classroom! I have missed each of our friends so much. It is amazing how much they have grown both physically and academically in the short time that I was on leave.
As most of you know, my sweet baby boy, Colton, arrived on February 15, 2011 at 5:16am. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 20.5 inches long. He is healthy and handsome! My husband and I are overjoyed with the new addition to our family. 
Thank you to all of you that have been thinking of my husband and I during this exciting time in our lives and for all of the wonderful books that you gave to Colton. His bookshelf is full and we read daily already!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tech Tots
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
R-Controlled Vowels
We are SO proud of the excellent readers that our students have become during the first half of the year! They have really been working hard. As many of our friends move up in reading levels, they will begin to come across some unexpected vowel and letter combinations. In order to prepare our readers for this, we have introduced them to R-controlled vowels this week.
When a vowel is followed by an r, it makes a special sound. These are called r-controlled vowels. For instance, /ar/ usually always sounds like the -ar in 'car', and /or/ always sounds like the -or in 'for'. The /ir/, /er/, and /ur/ sound the same as in bird, her, and fur. These all make a /ər/ sound.
Please encourage your student to notice these r-controlled vowels in their nightly reading, as well as to use them in their writing.
Here are some links for extra phonics and phonemic awareness practice:
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/soup.html
http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/concentration/index.htm
When a vowel is followed by an r, it makes a special sound. These are called r-controlled vowels. For instance, /ar/ usually always sounds like the -ar in 'car', and /or/ always sounds like the -or in 'for'. The /ir/, /er/, and /ur/ sound the same as in bird, her, and fur. These all make a /ər/ sound.
Please encourage your student to notice these r-controlled vowels in their nightly reading, as well as to use them in their writing.
Here are some links for extra phonics and phonemic awareness practice:
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/soup.html
http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/concentration/index.htm
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