L10 Info
Here you will find helpful info and links for our class.
What You Can Do At Home To Support Your First Grader
by Ms. Almstead
Reading
Math
Writing
Homework
Other goals for this year to reinforce at home:
by Ms. Almstead
Reading
- Keep in mind that after school, your child might be very tired! Reading should be fun. Use your best judgement to decide when to take a break. Prompt them to use their “Word Attack” strategies when they are stuck on a word.
- Read to your child and let them read to you. Vary the types of books you read together - ones that they can follow along with and jump in, as well as books that are too challenging for them to read on their own. 20-30 minutes is usually just right.
- Ask questions about the story that help them think more deeply about the characters, setting, plot or theme. Let them make connections to their own life, to other books, and to the world around them.
- Look for opportunities to connect literacy to entertainment - such as plays or movies adapted from children’s books.
Math
- Practice math addition facts with your child. Frequent practice in and out of school is essential for students to solidify (in essence, memorize) number combinations, a first grade goal (see flash card set)
- Play math games with your child that are referred to in our class blog
- Make fun math stories or problems based on your real life experiences. Play in the car, while waiting in line, or at the doctor’s office.
Writing
- Remind your child to practice handwriting using the steps they’re practicing at school (see handwriting chart)
- Instead of correcting right away, ask guiding questions such as, “What type of letter starts a sentence?”, “What comes at the end of a sentence?”, “How do you use the writing lines to make this letter?”
Homework
- Homework is meant to be independent work. The best way to help your child with their homework is to engage in a conversation with them about what they are learning, ask questions about specific content in the homework, and remind them about the handwriting points above.
- Homework is also a tool teachers use to see how the child has thought about a particular idea, problem, etc. It is important that the work reflect their own thinking (correct or otherwise) in order to ensure that the child will get the instruction they need at school.
- You can help your child succeed at school by reinforcing the idea that mistakes help us learn! In fact, a better way to describe a “mistake” is “alternate understanding.” We continuously modify our understanding around a particular topic as we learn and grow. In this way, alternate understandings are an important piece of the learning process, and therefore we encourage students to embrace their mistakes and value them as learning opportunities.
- A very important first grade goal is building independence. You can support this goal at home by having your child do as many tasks on their own as they are able to do, allowing them to make mistakes and learn valuable lessons along the way.
- At school, teachers ask guiding questions such as, “Where should your coat go?”, “What do we do if we spill something?” “What do you think your next step is?” This helps them along without taking the responsibility off of them.
- At school, children are encouraged to try things themselves first before asking for help.
Other goals for this year to reinforce at home:
- Know how to tie shoes and zip jackets on their own
- Memorize their address and important telephone number(s)
- Know what town, city, state and country they live in
- Know who the President is
- Know their birthday and year
- Know the days of the week and months of the year, in order
- Be able to use a calendar and interpret dates
- Be able to tell time on both analog and digital clocks