A Glimpse into our learning

 ELA

CKLA Skills:  We recently began CKLA Skills Unit 5, and students are making wonderful progress in reading and writing!

So far, we have learned five Tricky Words: one, two, three, a, and the. By the end of next week, we will add red, yellow, and blue.

Students have now learned all of the short vowel sounds, which means they are able to decode and spell many consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words independently. We continue to build on sounds learned in previous units. To date, students have learned the following sounds:
/m/, /a/ (as in apple), /t/, /d/, /o/ (as in octopus), /i/ (as in itch), /g/ (as in goat), /k/ (as in cat), /b/, /e/, /f/, /h/, /l/, /n/, /p/, /r/, /s/, /u/, /v/, and /z/.
They are now using these sounds to read and spell simple words on their own!

In addition, we have been focusing on correctly forming lowercase letters that match each sound.

How you can help at home:

• Practice these sounds together and read simple words that include them.

• Point out letters and words you see in everyday places—on signs, in books, or on labels.

• Look for decodable books that include words using the sounds listed above.

CKLA Knowledge:  This week, we began Unit 5 of CKLA Knowledge, which focuses on farms. Throughout this unit, students will learn about the origins of our food and the crucial role farmers play in our lives. 

During this unit, we will explore: 

What Farms Are
Farms are places where people grow food (crops) and raise animals that provide products such as milk, eggs, meat, and wool. 

Farm Animals
Students will identify common farm animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. We will learn the sounds they make (moo, oink, baa, cluck), what they eat (grass, grain), and what they give us (milk, wool, meat).

Crops & Food
We will learn about different types of crops, including fruits, vegetables, grains (like wheat for bread), and roots (such as potatoes), and how these crops become food for people and animals. 

The Farmer’s Role
Students will understand how farmers care for animals and crops by providing food, water, shelter, and taking care of the land.

Needs of Living Things
Building on our prior learning from the Plants Unit, students will make connections about how animals, like plants, need food, water, and space to live and grow. 

Seasonal Rhythms
Through stories such as The Little Red Hen, we will learn about the seasonal cycle of planting, growing, and harvesting. 

Farm-to-Table
Students will explore how food and products from farms travel to markets and grocery stores before reaching our homes. 

We are excited to see students make real-world connections as we dive into this engaging unit!

Math 

January Number Corner:  In January’s Bridges Number Corner, we are working on addition combinations to 10. Students will practice adding numbers in different ways and build fluency with these combinations. 

We will also investigate and record different ways to decompose the numbers 3, 4, and 5. This means students will explore how a number can be broken apart into smaller parts (for example, 5 can be made from 2 and 3, or 4 and 1). 

These activities help strengthen number sense and support future problem-solving skills.

Bridges Unit 4:  Update coming soon!