Units of Study

Language Arts

Reading

We will be reading stories relating to our classroom themes.   We will be learning many new vocabulary skills (introduced with each story.)  Other skills covered will be: context clues, comprehension, summarizing, classifying, categorizing, and main idea.

Phonics

We will be reviewing long and short vowel sounds.  We will implement these into class books.  The students will type their own pages in the Computer Lab using the skills they have learned in Phonics.  We will revisit consonants throughout the units.

The students will review rhyming words, beginning and ending consonants, blends, and digraphs. 

Language

We will be working on specific skills related to capitalization and punctuation.  The students will learn to recognize and use contractions and compound words.  We will review opposites, sequencing, and alphabetical order.

Parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, and adverb) are identified throughout the year.

Writing

After handwriting is taught first quarter, we continue to practice the skills in our journal writing and everyday writing activities.  We concentrate on: pencil grip, letter formation, proper spacing, and sentence structure.

Creative writing is encouraged through weekly journal entries and story writing-focusing on rough draft and editing.

Spelling

Children are encouraged to use correct spelling in all their writing.  A formal spelling program will begin second quarter.

Math

In math, we continue to work on patterning, graphing, place value, addition and subtraction facts to 10, problem solving, and logical reasoning.  We will introduce fact families, money, and time.  We are learning a variety of ways to solve mathematical problems.

We use Montessori materials regularly to introduce many new concepts and to reinforce skills. 

The students have an opportunity to work individually at their own level using independent work folders.  Some materials used are:  Cuisenaire Rods, Dominoes, Pattern Blocks, Dice, Number Tiles, Games, Unifix Cubes and Fun Thinkers.

We have adopted a new math program with many opportunities for advanced learning.  We will be using a component that will allow the children and parents to access, work, and play with mathematics online at home. 

Assessments will be ongoing throughout the school year.