Los Feliz Arts

DWOK
In November, the first grade students learned how to be good researchers. They learned where researchers go to find the answers to their questions. The students learned how to take a poll by asking their classmates if they liked “cats or dogs”, for example. The students asked each of their classmates survey questions while writing down their classmate’s initials to keep track of whom they asked. Applying their observation skills as researchers, the first graders jotted down notes and used their senses to explore their school neighborhood. Then all four first grade classes took a walking field trip to Rio de Los Angeles Park. There were plenty of sights and sounds to observe along the way. There were smells too! Many students caught a whiff of the fragrant scent of freshly made candles from the local candle maker. In December, the students learned about map making. The first graders started by making three-dimensional maps of their classrooms using small blocks. Later, they traced the blocks and color-coded their maps labeling each section to create a two-dimensional map. Students added details to their maps; such as a key or the compass rose. Finally, students wrapped up the unit by creating their own story maps. The first graders sketched and colored their own map of familiar places in and around their own neighborhoods. In January, students will learn what it takes to behave in a neighborly way. Later in the month, the children will work in groups creating a large puzzle banner to demonstrate care and collaboration as classroom neighbors.

Readers’ Worksop
In November, first grade readers were learning tools to help them figure out how to read tricky words. Some of the tools they learned were using the illustrations to help with an unknown word, sounding out the beginning or ending of a word, and stretching the word out. When readers have tried all of their tools they are encouraged to ask for help. Next readers began to explore reading with expression and fluency. First they look at the cover, title, and illustrations to think of what mood they will use to read the story. For example, a Halloween story would be read in a spooky tone, while a story about a boy who lost his dog would be read in a sad tone. We also learned how to use punctuation marks to help us read with expression. To help us read with fluency readers, try to chunk text together instead of reading each word one at a time. For example we don’t read “peanut-butter-and-jelly” as four separate words, instead we “chunk” the words together and read it as “peanutbutterandjelly” because when we say those words in everyday life, we chunk them together. Finally, in December first grade readers learned how to discuss literature with partners and in a whole group setting. Good readers make text to text and/or text to self connections when reading and discuss these connections with their peers. However, while we are discussing connections with partners we also have to remember to stay focused on the story and not sway too far off topic. In January, first grade readers will “Meet the Characters in Our Books”. We will pay attention to the things characters do, what kinds of people they are, and how their feelings change across the story.

Writers’ Workshop
For the month of November, first grade writers continued to build a strong relationship with their writing partners and discovered how to sketch each other’s stories as a tool to add more details. Writers learned how to gather all of their seed stories and choose one to grow and publish. We found out what a published piece looks like and all of the materials needed such as a cover page, title page, dedication page to make our pieces complete. First graders celebrated their published pieces by sharing with other accomplished writers, giving
“put ups, “and suggestions to their peers. As soon as December was upon us, we were ready to find new strategies to raise the quality of our personal narratives. One fantastic strategy is to tell our small moments across our fingers. This helped writers build a sequence of events and keep our ideas focused. Writers revisited the importance of being a good writing partner with active listening, asking questions, and what it sounds like to be a strong storyteller. First graders discovered that sometimes their small moments can get off track, so just like photographers, writers need to implement ways to zoom in on the heart of their story and stretch it long. Writers are excited to publish a stronger more focused small moment In January writers will gather more experiences from their lives and use authors as mentors. Students will learn that we can write stories, poems, and books like authors of the authors we admire. Cheers to a new year of continuing to grow as writers!

Math
During the months of November and December, our first graders have developed their knowledge of number sense, and have been learning all about grouping strategies, skip counting, and tens and ones. Our mathematicians have explored grouping by pondering this guiding question: “How can grouping objects help us count quickly?” Instead of simply providing an answer to this question, such as, “we can group objects and count by 2’s, 5’s or 10’s,” we let the students explore different ways of grouping and counting various objects on their own. For example, one lesson consisted of dumping a large pile of small cubes in front of our mathematicians, and in teams, they needed to figure out how to count the cubes in the most efficient way. The goal was for students to organize the quantities into groups and to identify the total value, rather than counting by ones. This activity led to wonderful class discussions about grouping, and how grouping is connected to skip counting, which is a quick way to count objects. Several lessons on grouping led to lessons on tens and ones. Our mathematicians explored tens and ones by pondering this other guiding question: “How do we group ones together to make a ten?” Students played several math games, using manipulatives to uncover base-10 concepts. One particularly favorite game, the “Tens and Ones Trading Game,” provided students with an understanding that a ten is equal to a group of ten ones. In January, students will continue to explore base-ten concepts, as they relate to addition and subtraction.

Word Study/Guided Reading
Our first graders have been focusing on a word family each week. We get them involved with different activities using the word family each week which strengthens their reading and writing skills. In November, they continued to master long vowels using the “bossy e” which we also related to theater! See if your children remember “bossy e’s” part in the script. We then moved into different blends such “sh”, “th” and “ch”. Your child/children have been learning how to read and write words using these different word families.
This is a way to differentiate instruction in literacy and meet the needs of all students. The students are in small groups according to their reading level and rotate through different stations weekly that challenge them and help them with skills that will strengthen their literacy skills to become strong readers and writers.

Handwriting
First graders are continuing to implement their neat capital and lower case letters in their writing. Students discovered that using double lines help them to form correct letter size, placement, and closeness. Not only are 1st graders practicing the letters they have learned, but are learning ways to write sentences, when to use a capital letter, and how to use punctuation marks. The letters we learned for November and December are: g, u, i, e, l, k, and y. Some ways to help your child practice their handwriting include writing rhyming words such as dew and two, bat and cat, coat and goat, in addition you can use sand or flour to trace the letters and numbers on a cookie sheet!

DWoK (Different Ways of Knowing):
October was a big month for our “What’s Up in Our Neighborhood “study. The students shared stories about their neighborhood and then came up with “wonderful questions” they had about the school neighborhood, “How many dogs live in the neighborhood?” “Is there poison ivy?” “What does the neighborhood need?” Then we organized “neighborhood research committees” and prepared to explore our school neighborhood.

The students were thrilled to walk out of the school boundaries this week and explore the school neighborhood. They had the chance to see where people live and work and they ended the outing at Rio de Los Angeles Park, where people play. The students will continue their research of the neighborhood by asking more “wonderful questions” and finding out where to go to find the answers.

During the month of November students will be learning how to become researchers in order to find the answers to their questions. At home, you can model for your child how you find an answer to your questions. Show your child what you use to find a restaurant or a vet or what the weather will be like. Help your child come up with questions that you can help them research.

Readers’ Workshop

During October, first grade readers were continuing to learn how to build good reading habits. Readers learned how to find their “just right” books by using the Goldilocks Rule. Readers find a “just right” book by finding a book that is not too easy (they’ve read it too many times, they can read almost every word, they read it smoothly) or not to difficult (too many tricky words on each page, they don’t understand what is going on in the story, lots of stops when reading). Readers also began to choose “just right” books from the leveled library weekly based on their interests and reading level. The students learned how to care for books by treating them carefully and putting them back in the correct baskets when they’re finished with books. Students also began to make connections to literature. Text to self connections are when students compare or contrast elements of literature to their own life. Text to text connections are when students compare or contrast two different books. In November, students are going to discover different strategies to read with a buddy in order to think about and discuss literature with others.

Math

In October, our first graders have been learning all about addition and the various materials and strategies, or “tools” they can use to solve addition problems. Our mathematicians have explored addition by using adding “tools” such as linking cubes and counters, a ten frame, a hundreds chart, and a number line. They have also practiced adding by “counting on” in their own head. This past week, we have introduced story problems to our little mathematicians, and they have practiced using a highlighter to “zoom in” on important words by highlighting numbers and vocabulary words like “more,” “altogether,” and “in all.” Another adding strategy our learners explored was sketching pictures to help them solve story problems. After having ample time to sample and practice using these various adding strategies, or “tools,” our learners did an art project and made a beautiful chart for their classroom, which illustrated each adding tool:
cubes and counters
ten frame
hundreds chart
number line
counting on in your head
zooming in on important numbers and words
sketching a picture

In the upcoming weeks, our mathematicians will focus on being great problem solvers, and they will be able to select which “tool” to use in order to help them solve story problems. The beautiful chart displaying the adding tools, listed above, will guide the students in selecting the adding tool that works best for them. Furthermore, our mathematicians will have a choice in how they want to solve a problem, and our classrooms will be stocked with the materials necessary for supporting our mathematicians in working through a problem. We will focus on “how” problems are solved, and our students will be explaining the process and thinking that goes into solving an addition problem. Furthermore, our first graders will be writing story problems themselves!

At home, you can turn a daily activity, such as setting the dinner table, into an addition story problem. For example: “Michael places 2 plates on the table. Then, Michael places 2 ‘more’ plates on the table. How many plates are on the table ‘altogether?’” Lastly, please continue to count to 100 daily with your child, and we encourage you to count objects by 2′s, 5′s, and 10′s.

Writing

In the month of October, first grade writers explored the idea of personal narratives
through small moments. Students learned the difference between a big memory
(watermelon story) vs. the seeds (small moments). Writers are beginning to understand
how to brainstorm true moments from their lives by listing many seed ideas, then
choosing one seed idea to grow and write about. Students used several strategies to
stretch their small moments across many pages which include zooming in with precise
detail. To zoom in on one small moment, writers added the Who, What, When,Why, and
Where of their story, included sequence of events by using their five senses, and added
dialogue. For the month of November, writers will continue to discover strategies to
make their small moments stronger with writing partners and learning basic peer editing
skills.

Handwriting

First graders are continuing to understand the proper ways of forming letters. This month
students finished learning the rest of their capital letters and now know that all capital
letters start at the top! Students were eager to learn their lower case letters and were
introduced to a very special character named the “Magic c Bunny.” The Magic Bunny
is special because he turns the letter c into other letters like O,Q,G, and a,d,g, and o.
Students also learned where letters need to placed on our lined paper. The top line is
called the “sky,” the middle line is the “fence “and the bottom line is the “grass/ground.”
This will help us write our letters neatly and with the correct size. In addition to letters,
First graders are learning how to write their numbers, using the right starting corner, and
correcting our number reversals.

Tips: Help your child practice forming the letters and numbers below by using beans,
pennies, or any other counters. You can also use sand or flour to trace the letters and
numbers on a cookie sheet!
October letters:
Capital: X,Y,C,O,Q,G,S,A,I,J,T,J
lower case: c,o,s,v,w,t,a,d
Numbers: 1-10

Welcome back to school! Our year is off to a great start, and it has been a wonderful month getting to know our students and establishing our classroom neighborhoods. Here is a look into all the learning that is taking place in 1st grade:

DWOK
Different Ways of Knowing, otherwise known as DWoK, is our project-based curriculum. Students will participate in a variety of activities that incorporate skills and strategies to help them gain new knowledge within each unit of study. Within each unit are multiple clusters of learning events. These learning events develop understanding of key social studies and science concepts such as interdependence, sharing, and relationships that will encourage students to create their own instructional pathways. A variety of learning strategies will be incorporated.

We will be using informational sources such as charts, diagrams, graphs, and maps as tools for understanding. We will also integrate a variety of reading and writing strategies. Active listening, questioning, planning, and presenting are some of the speaking and listening skills and strategies we will practice. Media arts skills are implemented using communication with voice, body, actions, and images. We will integrate visual arts in designing and creating projects, in interpreting information and experimenting with ways to express a variety of ideas.

Inquiry, investigation, and problem-solving opportunities are threaded throughout the curriculum. Concepts are introduced throughout the content areas – math, reading, writing, visual arts, performing arts, or science-based projects.Collaborative and independent participation encourages reflective thinking and evaluation to create a deeper understanding of concepts.

During the first weeks of school, the children collaborated in planning and designing a classroom to show what they know about working together in a classroom setting. This experience will launch the first grade students into the first DWoK Wheel (or Unit of Study) in which the children will develop an understanding of “neighborhood.” The learning events create an opportunity for developing social skills, which may include group decisions, sharing and accepting responsibility, and most importantly—learning from one another. As students begin to learn and accept responsibility, they will begin to develop a social awareness that will enable them to become thoughtful citizens within a larger community.

MATH
In first grade, students are learning to become great problem solvers in math. The curriculum focuses on student-centered learning with plenty of hands-on activities that allow students to explore and understand math concepts. We strive to make math “fun” by connecting it to our arts program. Students are encouraged to draw patterns, act out word problems, and dance and sing to the beat of counting rhythms.
For the first quarter, students will focus on:
* Patterns
* Comparing and identifying geometric shapes (square, rectangle, triangle, circle)
* Comparing and identifying solid figures (cylinder, sphere, cube, cone)
* Reading and writing numbers to 20
* Concepts of greater than, less than and equal to (including the symbols , and =)
* Grouping numbers to 10
* Basic addition and subtraction facts to 12 (including the symbols + and – in number sentences)
At home, we encourage you to practice counting to 100 with your child everyday and working on correct number formation. You can also try making word problems out of daily activities, such as breakfast: If I have 12 eggs in the refrigerator and I take 5 out to make breakfast, how many eggs do I have left in the fridge?

READERS’ WORKSHOP
Our 1st graders have already learned so much about their responsibilities during Readers’ Workshop! In our first month of school, first graders learned how Reader’s Workshop will look like everyday. We established Readers’ Workshop expectations and procedures, chose a cozy reading spot, learned how to read with a partner, and are starting to understand how to choose a “Just Right” book. In the month of October, students be diving into our bag of “Just Right” books, understand their role as a reader during teacher conferences and guided reading groups, and learning more strategies to help 1st graders grow as independent readers.

Learning to read should be a joyful experience. This year students will listen to well-written stories with interesting plots, sing songs and play with words, and explore a wide variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and rhymes. We will help children access what they already know and figure out how to help them make connections to something new. We are creating a community of readers and thinkers and we’re building relationships and establishing trust.

WRITERS’ WORKSHOP
In our first month of school, 1st grade writers were eager to learn about what it means to live like writers. Our first unit has focused primarily on the tools and tricks strong writers use: Using famous authors as mentors and stretching our stories out among many pages.

Throughout the process, students develop the habits and skills of organizing ideas, planning how their work will go, and using structure to communicate clearly. The concept of Writers’ Workshop originates from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. Students are becoming familiar with the writers’ workshop format which consists of five major components:
1.)Making Connections to students’ prior knowledge.
2.)The teacher models how to utilize a writing strategy effectively.
3.) The students do active engagement amongst each other to further explore the concept.
4.) Students independently practice the concept.
5.) Closure in which students share their writing pieces with other students.

First Grade Teachers have been busy creating a community of writers. In a community of writers children are willing to take risks and try new things, want to write every day, and see their writing as something that benefits them. Thus, students have been learning about what strong writers need to know, be able to do, and are developing their identities as writers. Next month, 1st grade writers will continue to write about things they know most about as they go about creating personal narratives through small moments. Stay tuned for our first published piece!

HANDWRITING
The 1st Grade Team is excited to implement the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. This year, students will be using hands on,multi-sensory techniques to learn letter formation,legibility, and proper sentence spacing. We started September by learning proper posture while handwriting and pencil gripping. We will review capital letters at the beginning of the program because they are the foundation for lowercase printing. 1st graders will use letters in words and sentences and will review and practice number formations. This month 1st graders reviewed the “Frog Jump” capital Letters F,E,D,P,B,R,N, and M, “Starting Corner” capital Letters H,K,L,U,V,W,X,Y, and Z. In October, students will continue to review more capital letters and begin developing their lower case letters.
Helpful Tips: Have your child practice writing words with the capital letters already learned! Example: RED HEN

COOL TOOLS
Cool Tools is a program developed at the UCLA Lab School. Cool Tools teaches students skills that will help them handle conflicts. Each skill is taught using a concrete object that helps the student understand and remember the skill.

Here are some of the concepts that the students are learning with Cool Tools:

● Bubble of Space- Everyone has personal space that should be respected so that the “bubbles” are not popped.
● Cool Blue Voice vs. Red Hot Voice-We use a calm, quiet voice instead of an angry, loud voice.
● Exit Shoes-When a conflict heats up and there is no chance of compromise, students are encouraged to use their “Exit Shoes” and walk away.
● Chill Zone- An area in the classroom that students may use when they need to calm down and cope with their feelings.
● Put Ups and Put Downs- A “put down” is not only something mean that is said but it can also be a mean look, a hurtful tone or even an expression and every “put down” has to be repaired with five authentic “put ups.”

At home, talk with your child about conflict and ways to problem solve and handle conflict. Also talk to your child about when they should try to solve the problem themselves and when it’s time to ask for help from an adult. The students love to role play, so as a family, act out situations that your child might encounter in which they will need to handle the conflict. Some situations you could discuss are: What happens when your friend doesn’t want to sit by you? What if you are sharing an idea and a friend says, “That’s dumb.” What should you do if your teacher says something in a way that hurts your feelings? What if you are using the bathroom and another student keeps looking under the stall?

Tips for reading with your child:

1. Discuss read-alouds with your child to enhance and expand their understanding.

2. Use the illustrations to encourage prediction and interpretation.

3. Encourage your child to use the illustrations to add to their understanding.

4. Read other works by favorite authors.

5. Assist your child in relating books to their own experiences.

6. There are a variety of ways encourage reading at home. You can read to your child or have your child read to you. Children can also practice reading independently. Reading at home for 20 minutes a day is highly recommended.