Understanding Place Value and Using Observation Skills

I always like to start the year with strengthening our understanding of numbers and patterns in math.  I have a large collection of games, dice and other manipulatives to help students demonstrate this concept at a variety of different levels.  This is a crucial concept that builds into all aspects of math later on, especially when doing computation with larger numbers.  Many of my activities are in game form, so you won't see much "paperwork" done in class on it.  I connect your child's homework to whatever skill we practiced that day at the level that they are performing at.

This week we also went on our first field experience to the Tacoma Nature Center.  We hiked around Snake Lake, observing nature and making connections between what we see, and who may be living in this natural habitat.  If gave the students an opportunity to use observation skills to describe what they see/hear/smell, etc. and draw conclusions based on that information.  We have been working on that in our science lessons as we have been describing liquids and solids.

AE is using the place value dice to roll an expanded number (100+30+5) to "shrink" it into standard form (135).  I have dice that go all the way to 100,000.  It's always a class favorite

Using a variety of strategies, the students had to put the 100 chart together.  Some used counting to find missing numbers, while others noticed patterns in the 100 chart to put their puzzle together.

Our hike at Snake Lake.  Our guide did an outstanding job getting the students to use their senses to observe this natural habitat.

These boys were looking at the fungus on the tree when they noticed a centipede walking around it.

Playing the "Role" for Understanding

In the primary years, most of a student's learning and understanding comes from their experiences.  It is vital that children get the opportunities to act out parts, and use a variety of tools and manipulatives to form a strong concrete understanding of the world around them.  As they mature, they will be able to move more towards abstract thinking and rely on what they have experienced to assimilate new learning into their lives. At Seabury, even at the first grade level, I am beginning to build abstract thought by looking for ways events and objects are similar or different, or how they relate to each other or other events, in addition to the acting and "playing" that it sometimes appears as.  Below are some examples on how your Shark is learning through structured play by "being" a scientist or city planner or whatever they wish to be!

Working with different age groups brings in different perspectives.  Here an airport is being drawn, complete with a parking lot, terminal, tower, jetway, airplanes, and ground traffic controllers.  Who knew they were that observant??

KA is making a sign for our Wacky Wheels day.  Notice it is in the correct shape, something that wasn't discussed as a class!

SP is writing out what he is seeing under the microscope in his science journal.

We looked at different ways to sort our current food donations.

We then decided to count and record our results to see which class brings the most.

So far, we are at 104 food items!!

The class LOVED the microscopes, and they got to play the part of a scientist using real tools!

Welcome to a New Year at Seabury!

Everyday is a new adventure here in first grade.  I structure the classroom to create an evironment that fosters cooperation and creativity.  Oftentimes, the students are spread out all over the room, working on a variety of projects.  The work I do with your child allows them to guide their own learning, while have access to a variety of materials and manipulatives for understanding.  I observe each child during these times through the work they do, or the conversations they have to assess several learning skills, such as compare/contrast, cause/effect, asking questions, testing hypothesis, and sharing what they have discovered.  During conferences I will share in detail about what your child is doing both with thinking skills, as well as share their path to mastery with skills in reading, writing and math.

This year we are continuing our studies using the lense of "Interactions."  That means as we discuss a variety of topics, we are looking for ways people, events, and places connect with each other and within our own lives.  This trimester, we are looking at the idea of "community,"  and how states of matter interact in the world around us.  I plan my instruction based on the class' prior knowledge and interests. Please check back weekly to catch a glimpse of what we do!

We use the smartboad A LOT as a learning tool

The answer today is 4.  What is the problem?  An open  ended activity that meets all levels in math.

We are organzing a community service project already.  Stay tuned for more info next week!

This group is helping to put together a parent letter for our community project.

Building with manipulatives is a HUGE part of learning and understanding several math concepts.



AH is designing his perfect community.  So far, it has an apartment complex, a park and a grocery store.

This is our current understanding of what makes up a community.  I will do this at the end of our study to compare/contrast new understandings.