What an exciting time of year it is, especially for first graders!
This is the year students will learn how to read and write. An unbelievable milestone for students which marks the first step to mastering the important skill of independent learning. To become an independent learner, the first six weeks of school are a crucial time to set a solid foundation of a safe, warm and welcoming environment. We have begun to work together to establish classroom procedures and to collaborate as a classroom community and in small learning groups.
Each student had the opportunity to present his or her personalized puzzle pieces to the group. It was wonderful to hear of everyone’s favorite summer activities. We are blessed with four new students this year, so it was especially exciting to learn about their interests and begin to get to know each other.
While our main focus over the next month and half is on classroom procedures, academics are slowly incorporated into our day’s routine. For example, I am a firm believer in kinetic learning. What better way to review counting to one hundred by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s and 10’s while exercising our bodies and our minds? We had so much fun taking a movement break while doing math!