Welcome to Online Words of the Week!
I know, homework on the second day? It's not a big deal!As I mentioned in the First Day Newsletter, we are beginning with our words of the week right away. I really want to match up our words of the week to the sound we are studying in class. Since we are beginning right away with the 'a' vowel, I thought we should begin right away with some words to practice that sound.
Grade 1 and 2 students have different words and expectations, to match where they are in their learning. Grade 1s need only review these words with a helper by writing them, saying them, or playing games with them. Grade 2s have some specific writing tasks to complete with their words over the course of the week. This is outlined in their cahier.
You can see that the grade 1 words are all very short, I expect many children won't need a lot of work on these words - maybe just a few minutes on a few nights to get warmed up. Today we made a flashcard for each word that we think could be a fun way to practice (maybe kids can test parents too!). Grade 1 students may keep their cahier at home until next Monday, when they need to bring their cahier to school to receive the next set of words.
Grade 1 words: a, la, ma, ta, va
Bonus words: sa, Tamara
The grade 2 words are longer, but still focus on the sound 'a', which should be a simple review from last year. Students had time today to catch up on Monday's task, but we didn't have time to write a sentence for each word (Tuesday's task). I told them that if they have time, that's great, but I don't mind if they skip the sentences for this week and move on to writing the words alphabetically tonight (the normal task for Wednesdays). All work is due back at school Friday for checking. New words will come home every Monday.
Grade 2 words: avion, balle, classe, maman, papa
On this blog, I will attempt to give you a thorough explanation of what we have learned in class, and how to pronounce the sound correctly so that you can be your child’s at-home teacher. (Note: Most consonants are the same in French as in English, so although we will talk about them in class, and you may want to review them at home, I will not discuss them here.) Know that much of what I explain to you, I probably have not explained to the class - or I have explained it very simply. All kinds of rules and exceptions will be meaningless and overwhelming for students at this point. At school we are focusing primarily on what sounds right, and matching this up to what it looks like. The more detailed explanations that you will find here are for your interest and benefit.
This week we are reviewing the sound ‘a’. In French, this letter is not as bright as in English. Think “dad”. For each new sound that we learn, I love the idea of using 3-D letters (maybe you have magnets?) or flashcards to experiment with the vowel combined with different consonants. We won’t be looking at each consonant in depth the way we are vowels, so this is a great way to make sure your child has a good grasp of the whole alphabet. Don’t worry if your combos aren’t real words, we’re just working on combining sounds in this game!
Grade 1 parents: If you find it is a struggle to get through a list of words, especially as the words get longer, feel free to focus on only some of the words. Similarly, if you feel your child could use a challenge, add the weekly bonus words to your list. You’re the teacher when you practice at home, and you don’t need my permission to adjust the workload to suit your child.
Grade 2 parents: Please help your child develop their responsibility skills by monitoring their at-home practice and ensuring they complete their daily word-study task. They are not long! If it seems to be a struggle, start by reviewing the grade 1 words and play the kinds of games I suggest to them. If you feel your child needs more of a challenge at home, feel free to speak to me. There's lots we can do!
This week we are reviewing the sound ‘a’. In French, this letter is not as bright as in English. Think “dad”. For each new sound that we learn, I love the idea of using 3-D letters (maybe you have magnets?) or flashcards to experiment with the vowel combined with different consonants. We won’t be looking at each consonant in depth the way we are vowels, so this is a great way to make sure your child has a good grasp of the whole alphabet. Don’t worry if your combos aren’t real words, we’re just working on combining sounds in this game!
Grade 1 parents: If you find it is a struggle to get through a list of words, especially as the words get longer, feel free to focus on only some of the words. Similarly, if you feel your child could use a challenge, add the weekly bonus words to your list. You’re the teacher when you practice at home, and you don’t need my permission to adjust the workload to suit your child.
Grade 2 parents: Please help your child develop their responsibility skills by monitoring their at-home practice and ensuring they complete their daily word-study task. They are not long! If it seems to be a struggle, start by reviewing the grade 1 words and play the kinds of games I suggest to them. If you feel your child needs more of a challenge at home, feel free to speak to me. There's lots we can do!