A Peek at the Week: October 17-21

First of all, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out to Parent Teacher Conferences this week. This was the first year since I have been teaching that at least one parent 'representative' has attended for every student! I am so glad that you took the time out of your schedule so that we could discuss what the past weeks have looked like for your child, and what the future weeks and months hold!

On Thursday we completed our beginning of the year letters of the alphabet review. Each day we reviewed how to print one letter and the sound each letter makes. At this point we will transition to our Daily 5 Program, which involves Word Work, Read to Self, Listen to Reading, Working on Writing, and Word Work.

I mentioned to you during our conference that we will be starting our spelling program, Words Their Way, this week. We have decided to begin this program with one sort every two weeks, and will eventually transition from one sort every two weeks to one sort per week. You will receive a Words Their Way information letter along with some ideas for evening activities you can take part in with your child so that they can learn to read and write their weekly words. 

As I am a member of a Professional Learning Community of teachers at Willow Park School who are collaborating on the launch of this program, we have received some funding for this program, and with that funding I have purchased the Spelling City program for our class. The Spelling City program is both a website and an app. I will be sending home your child's login information tomorrow, along with some assignments. You may choose to do 1-2 activities/night from Monday to Thursday. Students will also have time to complete their Spelling City activities with our Chromebooks on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

In addition to Words Their Way, we will also begin learning how to login and use the program RAZ Kids, which is both a website and an app that provides access to many books that are at your child's reading level. We will be using this program in class but your child will also be able to access this program at home, once I send home their login information. Their login information will be sent home to you one evening this week, after their small group has completed their initial RAZ Kids login and assessment session with me.