WELCOME TO FIRST GRADE OPEN HOUSE Please use the sticky notes at your tables to jot down any questions or concerns you may have. Please include your name on the sticky note and place it on the board at the end of the presentation.

First Grade Reading Curriculum  Houghton Mifflin Reading Series  Narrative and Expository Texts  Small group and individual reading instruction  Literacy Assessments throughout the year. Quarterly benchmarks:  1 st Quarter: Level 5-6  2 nd Quarter: Level 9-10  3 rd Quarter: Level  4 th Quarter: Level 15-16

Retelling  Students are also expected to retell a story:  Characters  Setting (where and when)  Problem  Solution  Connection (text-to-text, text-to-self, text-to- world)

Daily 5  Read to Self  Good Fit Books  3 ways to read  Read to Someone  Develops fluency and comprehension  Listen to Reading  Develops fluency  Allows access to a variety of texts  Tumblebooks.com and mp3 players  Word Work  Better spellers and writers  Word families and sight words  Work on Writing  Choices: list, letter, squiggles, sticker stories, etc

CAFÉ menu  Comprehension: “I understand what I read”  Accuracy: “I can read the words”  Fluency: “I can read smoothly, with expression”  Expand Vocabulary: “I know, find, and use interesting words”

Team Time  Reading Enrichment  Flexible grouping  Tuesday-Thursday: 30 minutes in the morning  Track Specific  Will begin second quarter

Writing  Writer’s Workshop  6+1 Traits of Writing  Ideas: Main message (topic), details  Organization: Brilliant Beginning, Mighty Middle, Excellent Ending  Voice: Make your writing sound like you, mood voices  Word Choice: Using descriptive, precise words  Sentence Fluency: Begin sentences in different ways, different lengths  Conventions: capitalization, spacing, punctuation  Presentation: finished, polished piece of writing  Spelling: Temporary/inventive is encouraged. Stretch out words, listen for and record sounds at beginning, middle, and end.

The Writing Process  Pre-writing  Draw upon experiences  Observe what’s around them  Ask questions  Drafting  Getting the idea down (pictures, words, sentences)  Revising  Change a word, add a detail, lengthen/shorten sentences, change spelling  Editing  Conventions  Publishing  Neatness and Readability

Houghton Mifflin Math Series  Prepares students to:  Know and apply basic math skills  Solve problems using different strategies  Be independent thinkers  Reason skillfully in diverse situations  Effectively communicate solutions to problems and methods for solving them  Work alone and in groups

Daily 5 Math  Number Sense and Math Facts  Data, Logic, and Strategy Games  Practice New Skill  Solve Word Problems  Calendar, Shapes, and Sizes

PACE Menu  Problem Solving: “I use strategies to solve problems”  Accuracy: “I can do all of the equations and problems, and I know my facts fluently”  Computation: “I can understand how to solve the equation”  Expand Math Words: “I know, use and explain new strategies and use math words to describe my thinking”

Science  Science Kits:  Rocks  Organisms  Balance and motion  Solids and liquids

Social Studies  Harcourt Series focusing on:  Communities, families & groups  Citizenship  Change over time (past/present)  Holidays  Geography  Wants/needs  Technology

Report Cards  First Graders receive a report card for second, third, and fourth quarter.  Progress reports and interims will be sent home at the end of the first nine weeks  Conferences will be held during the first two weeks of October

Standards Based Grading  Assessment Rubric  4 – Extends targeted grade level standards. “Since I can do/get this, I can figure out new things!”  3* - Demonstrates proficiency of targeted grade level standards with evidence of application. “I get it and I can use it.”  3 – Demonstrates proficiency of targeted grade level standards. “I get it! I can do it well!”  2 – Needs support to meet targeted grade level standards. “I almost get it, but I still need help”  1- Insufficient performance of targeted grade level standards. “I don’t get it yet, I need help”

Specials and Field Trips  Art  Music  PE  Spanish  Computer Lab  Guidance  Extensions  Field Trips: Two field trips will be planned this year (Fall and Spring).

Homework Policy and Expectations  Weekly Homework Packets  Expected length of time: No more than 30 minutes/night  15 minutes of reading is included in that time  The role of parents and students: both should be actively involved in nightly homework/reading

Home/School Communication  Friday Folders  Website:   Conferences: Beginning of second quarter and end of third quarter. Additional conferences may be requested.

Volunteers  We are still looking for classroom volunteers during the following times:  Tuesdays: 8:10-8:40, 11:35-12:00  Wednesdays: 8:10-8:40  Thursdays: 10:30-11:00  Fridays: 8:10-8:40, 10:30-11:00 (Fun Friday), 11:35-12:00  Please let us know if you would like to sign up for one or more of these times!

Thank you for coming!!!