Reading We will begin our year with reviewing letters and their sounds.  We will also practice printing them.  This will be followed by blending sounds together to read and write words. As we review we will begin our reading curriculum. Our first reading module is titled, Nice to Meet You.  In this module, children will read about how the people they meet and the experiences they have help them. Children will read about the different activities they can do at school. They will also read about what makes a good friend, the many different types of friends they can have, and what makes a person special.  Students will practice decoding skills, reinforce comprehension skills and strategies, and make connections between reading and other subjects at school.  Students will learn strategies to successfully read independently.  They will set goals and build stamina.  At home, make a special time and place to read with your child every day.   After reading books with your child, take some time to discuss the story events and the characters.  Writing Our first writing module is narrative writing.  We will be working on oral stories.  Students will better understand the concept that everyone has a story to tell.  Stories can be happy, sad, scary, or funny. Sometimes they are about big adventures and sometimes they are about small moments.   They will be encouraged to tell stories using details showing their actions, feelings and dialogue during a moment of their lives. At home, try to help your child think about small moments to tell.  Math  Students will begin working on reviewing numbers.  They will recognize, write, order, and compare numbers (1-10 and 11-20).  After reviewing the numbers we will work on addition and subtraction problems from 1-10.  At home practice counting, writing and ordering numbers.  You can also work on addition and subtraction problems using manipulatives found at home (pasta, beans, etc.) Science  Students will be beginning our unit titled, Animal and Plant Defenses.  This unit begins with students investigating how Spruce the Sea Turtle will use her body structures to survive in the ocean.  At home try to read books about different animals and discuss how their body structures help them survive. Social Studies We are beginning our unit, Family and Community are Important. Students will focus on what a family is.  They will be discussing the importance of a family, family values, and how different people define family.  At home discuss your family and your family values.  Discuss important holidays your family celebrates and traditions they have.