First Full Week as a Firstie

Well the first full week is in the books!  We have been working really hard learning all of the procedures and rules of first grade.  I am so proud of all of my little firsties!!!  We spent a lot of time this week building our stamina (the time your child can work independently) for read to self.  This is one very small component of our reading program in first grade.  Reading is at the heart of everything we do in first grade.  Before we can fully get started, the students must learn all the procedures for our literacy block.  One aspect of our reading program is our reading rotations or guided reading/centers.  After our whole group mini-lessons, the students break up into small groups.  During these small groups the students will go to the following centers: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, computers, work on words, Promethean Board, and guided reading.  Read to Self is one rotation where the students will go to read good fit books by themselves.  These books are ones that are at your child's independent reading level.  This 10-12 minute rotation is a time where your child will be practicing their reading fluency.  While your child is reading to him or herself, I will be working on reading with a small group of students.  Below are some pictures of some of our friends building their reading stamina.