April 8th:
We are wrapping up another math unit this week that focused on addition and subtraction. First graders are becoming more strategic mathematicians! We focused on how combinations of 10 can help solve problems more efficiently. Students are also learning to solve addition and subtraction problems in different ways. This ultimately enables your child to be a flexible problem solver.
Next, we will focus on a unit about collecting and analyzing data. We planned this unit to correspond with our Opinion Writing unit. The kids will be conducting surveys and asking their peers' opinions about a variety of topics. They will create visual representations to display their data, and will interpret this data, stating what they can learn from it. This is a fun unit!
Finally, we will begin our last addition and subtraction unit. This unit focuses on numbers, counting and quantity, the composition of numbers, and the operations of addition and subtraction. Students will encounter situations that provide concrete models for counting by numbers other than 1 (Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s). As students solve such problems and think about ways to organize objects so they are easier to count and combine, they begin to make sense of what it means to count by groups. They will also do a lot of work on place value with 2 digit numbers, and use models (such as unifix cubes) to build 2 digit numbers. Then, they will use these models to help them add and subtract 2 digit numbers.
Play the math games sent home with your child often, especially the games that help them learn their math facts that equal 10... Tens Go Fish and Make Ten are two of those games. They should be fluent with these (have them memorized) by the end of the year.
As your child works with numbers, ask them to explain how they got their answer. When you can explain your answer, you understand it at a deeper level.
February 28th:
We are wrapping up unit 4 and will begin unit 5 next week. I will be sharing unit 3 assessments with you at conferences.
In unit 4, our focus was...
*Measuring and comparing measurements
(Ask your child about going "fishing" and determining if their fish was a keeper)
*Fractions: halves and fourths
*Time: telling time to the hour and half hour
In unit 5, our focus will be...
*Combinations of 10 in story problems, including a new type of story problem: put together/take apart problems with one addend unknown.
*Addition and subtraction- Students will refine these skills as we play games, solve story problems, and discuss and compare different strategies.
*Problems about unknown change- Students will consider whether equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false and determine the unknown/missing number in an addition or subtraction equation (such as, 3 + ____ =7).
January 13th:
We are focusing on….
*counting and sorting larger numbers (up to 120) in a variety of ways
* finding many ways to represent a given number
*solidifying skip counting to 120
*Solving problems with more than two numbers or with larger numbers
*Explaining our thinking and solving problems in different ways
*We will soon be introducing: telling time to the hour, measurement, and fractions
You can support your child at home by…
*Continue to practice counting by 1s (forwards and backwards), 5s, 10s, and 2s to 120 until these skills are mastered
*Work on addition and subtraction fact fluency…especially doubles and ways to make ten (i.e. 1+9, 2+ 8, 3+ 7, etc.)
*Supporting your child with Sunshine math practice (really encouraging them to think critically and allowing for some productive struggle)
*Playing the math homework games together and encouraging your child to share their thinking by asking, “how do you know?” or “what strategy did you use to find that answer?”
November 11th:
We are focusing on...
*describing 2-D shapes according to attributes like sides and corners
*comparing, classifying, representing and building shapes
*combining shapes in different ways and noticing what shapes can be put together or taken apart to make new shapes
*continuing to build number sense and addition/subtraction (we will revisit this in depth again next unit)
You can help at home by...
*ask your child to find geometric shapes and describe them using our math language
*continue to build number sense and practice counting and addition/subtraction skills
October 15th:
We've just completed our first Investigations unit on counting, addition, and subtraction. This first unit develops students' ideas about counting and quantity, place value and the structure of the base-10 number system. It develops computational fluency, and focuses on the operations of addition and subtraction.
We work a lot with ten frames. These enable children to automatically think of numbers less than ten in terms of their relationship to ten, and to build a sound knowledge of the basic addition and subtraction facts for ten, which are an integral part of mental calculation. They also help us learn place value.
I love these!
A ten frame is a grid with 10 squares, 5 on the top, and 5 on the bottom:
We are wrapping up another math unit this week that focused on addition and subtraction. First graders are becoming more strategic mathematicians! We focused on how combinations of 10 can help solve problems more efficiently. Students are also learning to solve addition and subtraction problems in different ways. This ultimately enables your child to be a flexible problem solver.
Next, we will focus on a unit about collecting and analyzing data. We planned this unit to correspond with our Opinion Writing unit. The kids will be conducting surveys and asking their peers' opinions about a variety of topics. They will create visual representations to display their data, and will interpret this data, stating what they can learn from it. This is a fun unit!
Finally, we will begin our last addition and subtraction unit. This unit focuses on numbers, counting and quantity, the composition of numbers, and the operations of addition and subtraction. Students will encounter situations that provide concrete models for counting by numbers other than 1 (Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s). As students solve such problems and think about ways to organize objects so they are easier to count and combine, they begin to make sense of what it means to count by groups. They will also do a lot of work on place value with 2 digit numbers, and use models (such as unifix cubes) to build 2 digit numbers. Then, they will use these models to help them add and subtract 2 digit numbers.
Play the math games sent home with your child often, especially the games that help them learn their math facts that equal 10... Tens Go Fish and Make Ten are two of those games. They should be fluent with these (have them memorized) by the end of the year.
As your child works with numbers, ask them to explain how they got their answer. When you can explain your answer, you understand it at a deeper level.
February 28th:
We are wrapping up unit 4 and will begin unit 5 next week. I will be sharing unit 3 assessments with you at conferences.
In unit 4, our focus was...
*Measuring and comparing measurements
(Ask your child about going "fishing" and determining if their fish was a keeper)
*Fractions: halves and fourths
*Time: telling time to the hour and half hour
In unit 5, our focus will be...
*Combinations of 10 in story problems, including a new type of story problem: put together/take apart problems with one addend unknown.
*Addition and subtraction- Students will refine these skills as we play games, solve story problems, and discuss and compare different strategies.
*Problems about unknown change- Students will consider whether equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false and determine the unknown/missing number in an addition or subtraction equation (such as, 3 + ____ =7).
January 13th:
We are focusing on….
*counting and sorting larger numbers (up to 120) in a variety of ways
* finding many ways to represent a given number
*solidifying skip counting to 120
*Solving problems with more than two numbers or with larger numbers
*Explaining our thinking and solving problems in different ways
*We will soon be introducing: telling time to the hour, measurement, and fractions
You can support your child at home by…
*Continue to practice counting by 1s (forwards and backwards), 5s, 10s, and 2s to 120 until these skills are mastered
*Work on addition and subtraction fact fluency…especially doubles and ways to make ten (i.e. 1+9, 2+ 8, 3+ 7, etc.)
*Supporting your child with Sunshine math practice (really encouraging them to think critically and allowing for some productive struggle)
*Playing the math homework games together and encouraging your child to share their thinking by asking, “how do you know?” or “what strategy did you use to find that answer?”
November 11th:
We are focusing on...
*describing 2-D shapes according to attributes like sides and corners
*comparing, classifying, representing and building shapes
*combining shapes in different ways and noticing what shapes can be put together or taken apart to make new shapes
*continuing to build number sense and addition/subtraction (we will revisit this in depth again next unit)
You can help at home by...
*ask your child to find geometric shapes and describe them using our math language
*continue to build number sense and practice counting and addition/subtraction skills
October 15th:
We've just completed our first Investigations unit on counting, addition, and subtraction. This first unit develops students' ideas about counting and quantity, place value and the structure of the base-10 number system. It develops computational fluency, and focuses on the operations of addition and subtraction.
We work a lot with ten frames. These enable children to automatically think of numbers less than ten in terms of their relationship to ten, and to build a sound knowledge of the basic addition and subtraction facts for ten, which are an integral part of mental calculation. They also help us learn place value.
I love these!
A ten frame is a grid with 10 squares, 5 on the top, and 5 on the bottom:
This ten frame shows the number 7. We talk about what we notice and I love these discussions! The kids might say, "I notice 7 is 5+2" or "You need 3 more to make 10"
We add ten frames to make larger numbers, like these two ten frames showing 16. The kids might say, "I notice we need 2 ten frames to make 16 because it is larger than 10." Or, "Sixteen is 5+5+5+1" or "10 + 6." Or, "The 1 in 16 stands for 1 whole ten frame, and the 6 in 16 stands for 6 on the second ten frame.
Ten frames help us visualize numbers and understand place value. Math researchers tell us that representing math visually is so important! We will work with ten frames in various ways all year.
For homework, you were given a set of gold Primary Number Cards to play our math games. Under each number on the card is a ten frame representing that number. Ask your child what they notice about the number by studying the ten frame.
Math Strategies
Students use the strategy they best understand. They begin with counting all and work through the strategies when they are developmentally ready. Most first graders still need concrete examples they can see and count before moving to the abstract. They move to the abstract when they are developmentally ready. If your child still needs to count on his/her fingers, or use a manipulative to see numbers, that is just fine!
I love our math program! It really helps build a strong foundation and understanding of numbers and how they can be put together and taken apart to solve problems. We focus a lot on the process we went through to find solutions, and we share this thinking with each other, learning ways to look at a problem. By explaining their thinking, the kids understand the concepts at a much deeper level, which will help them apply what they know to new situations.
To build on these concepts, count often with your children. Practice counting by ones, fives, tens, and twos to 120. When they become fluent, try starting at a number other than one.
Make story problems for your kids, such as "We are having people over for dinner. One family has 6 people, one has 5, and we have 4. How many plates will I need?
Ten frames help us visualize numbers and understand place value. Math researchers tell us that representing math visually is so important! We will work with ten frames in various ways all year.
For homework, you were given a set of gold Primary Number Cards to play our math games. Under each number on the card is a ten frame representing that number. Ask your child what they notice about the number by studying the ten frame.
Math Strategies
Students use the strategy they best understand. They begin with counting all and work through the strategies when they are developmentally ready. Most first graders still need concrete examples they can see and count before moving to the abstract. They move to the abstract when they are developmentally ready. If your child still needs to count on his/her fingers, or use a manipulative to see numbers, that is just fine!
I love our math program! It really helps build a strong foundation and understanding of numbers and how they can be put together and taken apart to solve problems. We focus a lot on the process we went through to find solutions, and we share this thinking with each other, learning ways to look at a problem. By explaining their thinking, the kids understand the concepts at a much deeper level, which will help them apply what they know to new situations.
To build on these concepts, count often with your children. Practice counting by ones, fives, tens, and twos to 120. When they become fluent, try starting at a number other than one.
Make story problems for your kids, such as "We are having people over for dinner. One family has 6 people, one has 5, and we have 4. How many plates will I need?