Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Save the Date!

On October 18th we will be having a Reading Workshop at school in the evening!  Save the date!  Until then check out this for tips on Helping Your Child At Home! (<-----Click!)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Reading Comprehension Strategy of the Month

The first strategy that our class is currently practicing is called, “Making Connections.” This means students connect their background knowledge to the text they are reading.  We have been practicing making text-self connections.  We will work this week on text-text connections.

The Purpose of the Strategy:
Readers comprehend better when they actively think about and apply their knowledge of the book's topic, their own experiences, and the world around them. Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis in their
book, Strategies that Work (2000), state that, "When children understand how to connect the text they read to their lives, they begin to make connections between what they read and the larger world. This
nudges them into thinking about bigger, more expansive issues beyond their universe of home, school, and neighborhood."

How to help your child use this strategy:
To help your child make connections while they are reading, ask him/her the following questions:

􀁸 What does the book remind you of?
􀁸 What do you know about the book's
topic?
􀁸 Does this book remind you of another
book?

Sunday, September 18, 2011

A peek into our classroom...


Our Wall of Families

Where I post my love notes and art!

Lazy susan with our supplies at the writing table


the "chunk wall" where we will post word families and a glimpse of one of many pompoms

Our check-out/in board



Our word wall and a pink pom!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Fuel up...Play 60!



We wore our orange and black for our first pep rally this year to kick off "Feul up to Play 60".  Our school received this grant this year that will help promote healthy eating and at least 60 minutes of active play a day.
We played trivia to learn about healthy food choices.

Chesterfield graduate Matt Farrior gives some motivation to the students and shows an inspirational  message sent from his brother James Farrior who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers!




Dr. Hill accepted a $3,000 check from the dairy council!

Our superintendent Dr. Newsome gives some encouraging words to the Hopkins Family!





Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Internet Resources

Another great day in first grade!  We are still busy learning routines and procedures!  If you visit my portaportal site (Use guest access name for MissLankey)  you will find many resources and games for both students and parents!  I hope you find them beneficial!

Monday, September 12, 2011

First Night of First Grade Homework

Parents- don't fret!  The binder/homework procedures may take a while to get used to!  The words for this weeks homework are in your student's zipper pouch!  They are the words from kindergarten.  If your child has misplaced them you can go to:  http://www.spellingcity.com/ and search for my name (Ashley Lankey) for the current list!  They also have fun games you can play with the words, too!  They should complete the homework on looseleaf paper.  Choose any book you would like to complete your reading homework!  Make sure to include all of the components on the story map.  Don't forget to add your book to your reading log! I'll be checking homework Friday!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Happy First Day of 1st Grade!

Whew!  We made it!  An earthquake, hurricane, or just plain old rain couldn't stop us from having an awesome first day!  I am so thankful I get to teach  most of the same students this year!  P.I.R.A.T.E notebooks came home today.  Don't expect to see the behavior calendar or any homework until next week. Please bring in a 4x6 family photo to add to our classroom as soon as you can!  Thanks!

These are just a few things we did the first day of school (and a few snapshots of our classroom incase you missed open house!)...

We read books by David Shannon and talked about the differences between a peace maker and a peace breaker.

In order to make our dreams and wishes for 1st grade happen, we promised to be peace makers!

 
We collected data about they ways we get home from school.





I already got my first pieces of art!  Sponge bob and Virginia Tech!  Go Hokies!

 We also enjoyed "Jitter Juice"!  Make sure to check your child's binder for the cute poem and graphing activity we did, too!