Home Learning January 17-21

Hopefully the quote above made you have a little chuckle. When I read it myself, I either wanted to laugh or cry (depending on the day and how home learning was going.) Some days are better than others. Hang in there and as always simply try your best. Everyone involved-- kids, teachers, parents etc. know this is no easy feat. Take on what you are able to manage with your situation. Again, if you need to prioritize the learning, focus on sounds/sight words and reading. We will get through this rough patch together. Students will return safely to the place they learn best soon enough. You've got this! If you don't... that's ok too... close the website and take a mental health break outside in the fresh air.

***We will continue to meet "live" each day on "Google meet" at 2pm. I will begin keeping groups of 3 students on after our whole group chat each day. We will read a book together for those that are able to attend.

Thank you to those who were able to attend our Google meet "live chat" sessions this past week. It was so nice to see all the little faces and catch up with one another! Again, if your child was unable to attend do not worry. The content for instruction can be found on this website through suggested activities as well as pre-recorded videos. When we chat live, it is usually more "fun oriented" as a chance to see one another and chat a bit in French at the same time. Teachers realize many children are not home throughout the day and/or their parents are working full-time in the home using the computer etc.

Remember...

If you are able to attend here is a little refresher on how to login with your child. Click on "learning resources" at the top of the page. Next click on "google classroom." You will be prompted to sign into Google using your child's username and password (see bright green master password list that was sent home before break). Next, you will click on our class followed by the "join meeting" button on the left hand side. You can login to practice anytime but I will only be there to join you at 2pm each day to start the session. See the topics for the week below:

The focus this week will be all about winter activities!

Note: if you'd like to send me pictures of your child's work either for motivation or just for fun feel free to do so. My email is kmdumville@edu.pe.ca. I'd love to see what you are up to at home and respond. There is, however, no obligation whatsoever to do so. I realize this is a stressful time and many are just getting by.

*** Please have your child start every day this week by reading the "message de la semaine" (weekly message). Next, review the "winter activities" vocabulary using the videos below (one each day) as well.

French Story-time

I would like you to please have your child watch the first video posted below everyday this week. After listening and following along each day, students should be able to read it independently at the end of the week. The repetition of practiced sentence structures will help with student's writing throughout the week.

Click on the following story videos (one/two a day this week). They are winter related as well.

Other great animated French stories can be found here if you are interested: https://coucou.telequebec.tv/contes

Reading options:

You will find "stacks of coloured sight word decks" under the "learning resources" tab at the top of this website. Click on "sight words" from the drop down menu. There is a little speaker button if your child needs help remembering the word. Please see the instructions on the page and work your way through the coloured packs as your child masters them. Merci! :)

Past messages in the homework duotang

The pink song book

Online library of books on Cheneliere Education website

(see bright green "master password" sheet that was sent home before xmas break for your child's username/password). You will notice that there are many levels of books available on this website. Most students are on levels "3/4" or "5/6". That would be a good place to start. You can try some that are easier or a bit harder depending on how it is going. Often though the level may be right, the specific vocabulary of the story can make a big difference in it's level of difficulty. We have been practicing many strategies in class for reading including looking to the picture for clues, pointing to each word as we read them, identifying the first letter sound of the word we are reading and using our knowledge of sounds we have learned in class to decode unknown words.

Word/sound work:

I am introducing a new sound this week. The sound "ou" as in "hibou!" (the French word for owl). Please listen to the "ou poem" each day. Please also listen to the "ou" books and songs (one each day). Listening to your favorites repeatedly will help solidify the sound "ou" for your child. Throughout the week ask your child if they can think of other words of with the "sound of the week-- ou" in them? Can you make a list? can you highlight/circle any ou sounds that you find in the pink song book this week? While reading your small books at home keep a special eye out for "ou" hiding in larger words as well.

I have also attached (below) another lovely "ou song" from Madame Michaud who is much more talented than I. Lastly, click on the "ou sound videos from Mme Marchbank as well as Mme T and have your child follow along.

boom learning: This sound work can be done either on a computer or tablet using the "Boom cards app" Your child's username and password can be found on the bright green "master password" sheet that I sent home before christmas break. **** I have purchased a new decks about winter clothing and activities as well as the sound "ou" for this weeks theme:

Writing options:

As mentioned before, this might be the trickiest part of the suggested activities. It takes a lot of effort, practice, and risk taking to learn how to write in grade one. We often do a lot of practice speaking using the practiced sentence structures before expecting students to write them down on paper later in the week.

Our writing outcomes suggest we provide models for the students to use when writing. In class we had just started to get the ball rolling by trying to create our own "Wowy, wow wow sentences." This includes taking our time to form neat letters, ensuring there are finger spaces between our words. This also includes looking over our work to make sure that we began our sentence with a capital letter and finished with and a period at the end.

Tuesday Students draw a picture of another activity they like doing in the winter time and write about it. Have them use the winter activities mini-posters as a reference for choices. (See "les activités d'hiver. Les petites affiches" attached above.)

C'est l'hiver! J'aime ________.

Wednesday Students draw a picture of two things they like doing in the winter time (that they haven't written about yet this week) and write about it with the word "et" (and) between both ideas. Again, use the little winter activity mini-posters for winter activity choices that you used yesterday.

C'est l'hiver! J'aime _____ et ______.

Thursday Students draw a picture of a winter activity that they don't like doing as much and write. (use winter activity mini- posters attached above as a reference yet again)

C'est l'hiver. Je n'aime pas ________.

Friday Students draw a picture of two things they don't like doing in the winter time (that they haven't written about yet this week) and write about it with the word "et" (and) between both ideas. (Please use the same mini-posters as you've done all week.)

C'est l'hiver! Je n'aime pas _____ et ______.

Math:

As mentioned before we had been working on numbers to one hundred before christmas break. Before beginning each day this week, use the number song to warm up.

Look at these videos of Madame skip counting in the classroom and follow along each day this week. (counting by 2 up to 20. Counting by 5 and 10 up to 100). Are you able to mute the sound and count by yourself at the end of the week?

Suggested Math extensions this week:

Pick and choose one each day that looks fun to your child.

Find as many socks/shoes as you can. Place them into groups of two. Count them by two using the skip counting video above to help you if needed. Can you do it without the video in French? Notice the pattern in the number system as you go along. (Say a number, skip a number, say a number skip a number... 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20!

Similar to the previous activity, find all the gloves laying around your house. (This one is great because they don't have to match). Place them on the floor and skip count them by 5 using the video above to help guide your child is needed. Call their attention to the patterns in the number system yet again. Every number finishes with either a '5' or a '0'.... 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 etc... Are you able to do it without a model to look at saying the numbers in French?

Have some cheerios, popcorn kernels, crafting beads laying around the house? Ask your child to organize a handful into groups of 10. Count them by ten including any leftovers that did not fit into a group of ten at the end. How many do you have altogether? (use the video of Madame skip counting by 10 above if needed to guide you. Are you able to do it yourself in French? When done, create a masterpiece like the ones below and write your total on the piece of paper.

• Boom cards: There are many math boom cards that available for your child to practice the concepts learned in class. I have purchased two new decks. These can be done on the boom learning website or using a tablet. Your child's username and password for boom decks can be found on the bright green "master password sheet" that was sent home before the Christmas break. As children play the "boom math decks" they can earn points and change their little avatar.

• Pick and choose other numbers to one hundred games on this website. You can find them by clicking "computer games" tab at the very top of this page.

• "Blips" app: In this fun app, students press the speaker button and listen to a number in French. They must then click on the correct number that was said. After several questions, they may "unlock" new funny 'dancing robots.'

Oral French speaking/listening:

As students spend time at home it would be great for them to practice speaking French if possible. Simply having a few minutes talking with you as a parent (or a sibling) would be great.

Having the opportunity to hear French being spoken and work on comprehension skills would be wonderful practice as well. There are many little shows on Youtube that have a level of French that is not too difficult in grade one. These include the following: Tro Tro, Toupie et Binou, Tchoupie et Doudou, Caillou, Peppa pig etc.

***Below you'll also find a link to "mini TFO. It is a fantastic resource for French as a second language. We listen to these educational videos often at lunch time in class. https://www.tfo.org/fr/videos/minitfo

Music/gym/library/resource/schoolcouncilor links:

Here is the link to Madame Dorothy Dahn's music home learning site. https://sites.google.com/cloud.edu.pe.ca/westwoodmusicroom/ms-dahn/at-home-learning-music-class

Here is a link to Monsieur Trevor Starts gym home learning site:https://sites.google.com/cloud.edu.pe.ca/westwood-physical-education/home

Here is a link to the librarian, Madame Michelle Dodd's site if your child would like to "visit the library" this week: :) https://sites.google.com/cloud.edu.pe.ca/westwoodlibrary/home

Here is a link to Madame Alison and Madame Stavert's websites. They do some French support with little groups of student's in our class. You might find some useful activities here to extend what they are doing to support us in the classroom: https://sites.google.com/cloud.edu.pe.ca/westwoodprimaryresourceteam/french-immersion-resource/mme-alison

https://sites.google.com/cloud.edu.pe.ca/westwoodprimaryresourceteam/french-immersion-resource/mme-stavert

Here is the link to our school councillor, Madame Cindy Wood's, page should you feel like you or your child require some of her services during this anxious time. https://classroom.google.com/c/NDQ0NDgwNzkwNDAw?cjc=zdbsep3

Fun brain breaks!

I don't know about you but my own kids just need to "move!" these days. They are used to being active in hockey, or just rolling around on the floor, running around screaming with teddies etc. (two typical boys). If you need to just set aside the home learning and take a break, go outside for a walk, play a game together, or turn on the tv so you can work a bit... there is no judgement here.