Dust off that old library card and take your child for a trip to the library! We are starting off the new year with an author study on Pat Hutchins. Students can easily relate to her books, because her story ideas come from listening to her children and their friends. Her books are sometimes based on real situations.

Writer’s Workshop is part of our comprehensive literacy instruction, and procedural writing is one focus for the students.  Our classes have learned the organization of a step-by-step process. The students’ call these a “ how to”. The children have written about making snowmen, brushing their teeth, cleaning their room, and riding a bike.

At home you can ask your child to describe the steps to making a simple item such as toast. Developing oral language will lead to more detailed writing!

This month concludes the end of second quarter. Students are expected to be on Reading Level F. Here are the age-appropriate research-based reading strategies you can use with your child. First graders should be getting their mouths ready for initial sounds of words, checking the picture(s) for clues, looking for chunks, going back and reading words again, and self-questioning: Does the word look right? Sound right? Make sense?