Welcome to Grade 1A

Curriculum Night!

This Evening’s Overview:

About the Teacher and Assistant

Grade 1 Programme- U.O. I., Literacy, Math

Routines/Expectations

Home Learning

Surfing the Blog

Miscellaneous/This and That

Questions

Who is Ms. Shelley Arnold?

Who is Mr. Thomas?

What’s so great about grade

one?

The Homeroom Programme

Inquiry-Based Education/Units of Inquiry

Literacy (reading, writing, grammar,

spelling, oral communication)

Mathematics

What is an Inquiry-Based Education all

about?

“The unexamined life is not worth living” -Socrates

We guide student to learn through exposure, asking

questions, and posing problems.

We encourage children to wonder, explore, discover,

examine, analyse, and create the truth for themselves.

We teach children not only answer the questions they are

given, but to question the answers they are given as well.

Curiosity is the “springboard” to all learning.

All subjects are taught with an approach that encourages

students to look at their world with a critical eye that allows

them to understand and want to take action to learn even

more!

The Inquiry Cycle

Units of Inquiry

Who We Are

Relationships

How We Organize

Ourselves

Decision Making

Strategies

Where We Are In

Place and Time

Tools used to explore the

world

How The World Works

Animal Characteristics

and Survival

How We Express

Ourselves

Interpreting and

communicating through

art

Sharing The Planet

Water as a resource

Tex

t

Literacy

Oral Communication: Listening & Speaking-

discussion, participation, Reader’s Theater, etc.

Reading: Reading at independent and instructional

levels, reading for pleasure, learning, research, etc.

Writing: Writing through genres, writing through the

curriculum, writing for pleasure, etc.

Embedded into the literacy curriculum are spelling

and grammar studies.

A Balanced Approach to Reading

Learning to

Enjoy Reading-literature centers

-shared reading

-free choice

reading

-Reader’s

Theater

Learning

Through

Reading-research during

units of inquiry

Learning About

Reading - decoding strategies

-comprehension strategies

-gaining fluency

-guided reading groups

Reading: An Individualized Approach

Leveled Reading Groups

*How are the groups made?

*How are the reading groups structured?

*How do students moved through the levels and

at what pace?

*Do I have different goals/expectations for each

group?

Reading: Quantity vs. Quality???

*Students are encouraged to read deeply, often, and within a

variety of genres.

*Reading for QUANTITY includes racing through books to

show speed or word recognition.

*During QUALITY reading your child shows ACCURACY,

FLUENCY, EXPRESSION, and COMPREHENSION.

*The purposes of reading are to gain knowledge or enjoyment.

This can be achieved when you make sure that your child is

reading text that is appropriate and understandable.

Let’s first have a look at what it means to read for QUANTITY

rather than QUALITY….

An excerpt from Othello by William

Shakespeare

“Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago! In

following him I follow but myself; Heaven

is my judge, not I for love and duty, but

seeming so for my peculiar end. For

when my outward action doth

demonstrate The native act and figure of

my heart! In compliment extern, ’tis not

long after. But I will wear my heart upon

my sleeve. For daws to peck at. I am not

what I am.”

Now let’s see what it means to read for QUALITY rather than QUANTITY….

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Dr. Benjamin Bloom-Educational Psychologist, Dr. Benjamin Bloom believed that education should focus

on 'mastery' of subjects and the promotion of higher forms of thinking, rather than a

utilitarian approach to simply transferring facts. Bloom demonstrated decades ago

that most teaching tended to be focused on fact-transfer and information recall - the

lowest level of training - rather than true meaningful personal development.

Dr. Bloom said that cognitive development occurs at 6 different

domains:

Let me show you an example!!!

Green Eggs and Ham -by Dr. Seuss (AKA: The best selling children’s author

ever!)

REMEMBERING Question: What was the food on

the plate? Who was carrying it?

UNDERSTANDING Question: What do you think

would have

happened if Sam asked him to try them in a school?

APPLYING Question: Has this situation ever

happened to

you or someone you know? Tell me about it.

Green Eggs and Ham (continued)ANALYZING Question: How would this story have

been

different if Sam was offering say...chocolate cake?

What was

the turning point in the story? Why did this occur?

EVALUATING Question: How would you have

handled the situation if you were Sam? What about if

you were the other character? How do you know when

to give in to someone’s else plea and when to use your

own judgement?

CREATING Question: Can you think of a way to

persuade someone to do something they didn’t want to

Reading to your child is just as

important!

This would be a great opportunity to explore

higher level comprehension during reading.

Children need to hear how reading SHOULD

sound.

It allows children to focus on comprehension and

enjoyment when they listen to you read, rather

than a possible struggle through the text.

Balanced Approach to Writing

Learning About

Writing-text types, conventions,

spelling

word patterns, grammar

Learning to

Enjoy Writing-journal writing,

free writing, emails,

letters, cards

Learning

Through

Writing-writing during units of

inquiry (note-taking,

written responses and

reflections)

What we look for in your child’s writing

Correct formation of letters (capital and lower case)

Letters written ON the lines

Spacing between words

Complete sentences: (capital letter, punctuation, naming part,

telling part)

Correct grammar

Spelling (semi-correct with phonetic effort)

Added details

Expression of ideas that make sense and flow together

Writing Genres for Grade

One:

*Sentence Construction

*Recount Writing

*Narrative Writing

*Poetry Writing

*Procedural Writing

*Report Writing

A writing sample

from the beginning

of the year

This is a piece of

writing by the

same child

towards the end

of the year!

The ideas make

sense and flow.

The student is

using some

conventions and

spelling many

words correctly.

MathematicsHow do we learn math?

-Calendar Math: Daily (or semi-daily)reinforcement and

pre-exposure to math skills

- Using Manipulatives: Recent research shows that

learning

mathematics requires an active learning process in which

students build meaning through interaction with manipulatives

and conversations with others.

-Small and Whole Groups: Students together as a

whole

class to learn concepts as well as working in small leveled

groups

for reinforcement and practice.

-Learning Centers: Students rotate through games and

How do students gain a good understanding of math?

Constructing

Meaning- Sharing prior

knowledge, using manipulatives to

show what is known, asking questions

for inquiry, goal setting, active learning

Transferring

Meaning- Transferring

understanding into symbols, making

connections, reflecting, using

mathematical vocabulary

Applying with

Understanding- practical

hands-on applications, problem

solving, investigations, presenting new

mathematical knowledge

Learning Math model

Why is following this model important?To gain true

understanding, one

must start from the

beginning…

Only learning short

cuts never lead to

proper math

comprehension.

Even and odd

example…

What do we look for to assess mathematical

understanding?

Oral communication of strategies

Written/pictorial demonstration

Physical demonstration

Application in real word problems

Here’s an example!

http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=bzlLk

Ya

Mathematics Strands

Data-handling: statistics & probability (collect data,

sort, graph, use language of probability)

Measurement (compare and measure length, mass,

capacity using non-standard units, compare lengths of

time, read time to the hour)Shape and Space (identify and describe 2D and 3D

shapes, follow directions, identify symmetrical

patterns) Pattern and Function (describe, continue, create and

compare patterns, model the relationship between

addition and subtraction)

Number (read, write, estimate, count, compare and

order numbers, select methods for solving problems)

How are all these skills taught each

day?

Units of Inquiry are mainly taught within a whole group

setting.

Literacy and Math are taught within whole and small

groups.

Students rotate through direct instruction, independent

practice, and learning centers.

Learning centers are a fun, interactive way for students

to reinforce and practice skills.

Routines/Expectations

-Balance of structure, independence, and inquiry

-Participation and best effort

- High Expectations:“Aim for the moon, even if you miss

you’ll still land among the stars!”-W. Clement Stone

-A positive contribution to the classroom

Home Learning

Students are expected to complete nightly reading including,

but not limited to, an assigned book from school.

Each week starting in October, students are expected to

complete the Problem of the Week to strengthen math skills.

Students may keep a daily journal at home to encourage

writing practice.

Students may log onto Raz-Kids, StudyLadder, or the other

websites designed to help them improve their literacy and

math skills.

Any other skills that may need reinforcement at home will be

communicated by Ms. Arnold.

How else can you help at home?

Be sure to promote responsibility and a proactive, positive

attitude about school in your child.

Check the blog for up-to-date information about the teaching

and learning programme and things you can do at home.

Check your child’s diary and folder each day.

Develop your child’s independence.

Celebrate your child’s successes, encourage tenacity through

failures, focus positively on his/her strengths AND

weaknesses.

Promote being a life long learner by being a model yourself!

Let’s surf the Blog!

http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/she

lleyarnold/

Miscellaneous/This and

That!

-Spotlight and Assemblies: Dec. 8th and Feb. 6th

-Birthdays

-Shoes, hats, and label all belongings

-Parent involvement

-Class parent

-Any questions?

Thank you for coming to

Curriculum Night!