Week 3

Conference week is Tuesday, October 28th - Friday, October 31st. Your child should have recently brought home a conference time on a bright green slip of paper. If this time does not work for you, please contact me as soon as possible at 509-698-8100 or AndreaPiatz@selah.k12.wa.us.

We have completed our first reading unit! Your child should be able to read words with short vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u), blends (st, mp, fl, cr,...), and inflected endings (-s, -ing). Unit 2 will introduce digraphs (sh, ch, tch, th, wh) and long vowel sounds (cake, line, here, poke, cube,...).

Students have been taught to use their "word attack" skills whenever they come to a new word. This means that they first look to see if the word has an ending (-s, -ing). If it does, they should cover it up and read the base word first (mix - ing). They should also look for any previously introduced phonics targets (blends, digraphs, silent e, etc.). Your child should be looking at each part of the word so that they are prepared to read it. If your child is struggling with a word, ask them to use their "word attack" skills.

Each day, I have the opportunity to hear your child read. They may bring home a small colored piece of paper with words written on it so that they can practice at home. There may also be a compliment or a goal written on that paper. This gives you and your child immediate feedback on their reading abilities.

We are continuing our work with finding various combinations of numbers to 10. Your child should be able to draw an accurate picture of a story problem presented, create a number bond, and create a number sentence for the problem.

This week, we have been studying worms! Ask your scientist what happened when we placed a barrier in front of the redworm.