Week 6 and 7

For the past two weeks in Maths we have been using counters and apps on the IPads to learn about the teen numbers.  The children are able to count a collection of objects, show a visual representation of a teen number, write the numbers in numerals and words, reorder the numbers, put in missing numbers, find the numbers on a number line and show the number on a tens frame.  Below are some photos of the tens frames.  This important to understand that a given teen number e.g. 14 is made up of one ten and four ones. Tomorrow we will be working on a number ladder for the first time.  Check back for the photos of what we do with a number ladder.

 The class are becoming very independent during Literacy Groups.  Today two groups practised their sight words using magnets on white boards and play doh.  The play doh activity helps their fine motor skills as well - rolling the sausages to form the letters.  Using a multi-sensory approach is a lot more fun than just trying to read them off the keyring.  Another group used the Literacy apps on the IPads to consolidate initial sounds, learn sight words and do rhyming activities.  Some of the Apps we use are
Squiggles, Art Maker, Bugs and Bubbles, Bugs and Buttons, Phonics Awareness, Eggy Words and Sentence Maker. The final group worked with the teacher on handwriting and phonics activities.

Week 5 Happenings

This week the children are building independence by working at a list of three jobs while others are accessing Sunshine Online on the computer, using the IPad or engaging in guided reading with Mr Hunter or Ms Taylor.

 Using Sunshine Online on Macs.

 Creating in the writing space.

 Learning how to form letters from Jolly Phonics sounds.

 Using the IPads with Apps like My Story and Art Maker.

 Sight word matching activity.

 Guided reading groups.

 Shared excitement at hearing their own voices played back.

 Consolidating sounds in the text book.

Swimming lessons are progressing well with children in three ability groups with the Get Set Go swimming instructors.

Welcome to 2014!

My new class has 28 amazing students.  

A review of the first three weeks.

We have been working hard establishing our class expectations and routines.

In Maths we have been using our new RoleM program and an assortment of hands on engaging games to consolidate numbers to ten. The class on the whole are very good at counting and sorting collections of objects to ten.  We are trying hard to read the names of the numbers also.

The children attend swimming lessons in our school pool on Tuesdays.  They are grouped according to their abilities and are learning freestyle, breast stroke and butterfly.  After a few tries and some strict routines, all children are now dressed for swimming in less than ten minutes.  Don't forget they need - togs, a sun shirt, goggles, cap, towel and thongs or crocs.  If they are all named it makes my job a lot easier.  Bandaids and hoop earrings are not allowed in the pool.

In English we are learning initial sounds and singing our Jolly Phonics Jingles each morning.  We then learn how to correctly form the letter in our red and blue lines book.  The class are progressing well with their sight words and have been doing activities with the Golden words.  We have some apps on the iPads which are very helpful with remembering these.  An app called My Story is very popular and the children have been writing simple sentences with it.  

In Religion we have been examining how God want us to behave.  So far we have read the Rainbow Fish and The Little Red Hen.  Our prayer routine in the morning is established.

Other great things in 1B are our Leap Frog devices, meditation and our Year Five buddies.

More photos can be uploaded as soon as I have all the permission forms back.

I hope you enjoy being a fly on the wall and peeping into our happy classroom.