Weekly News

Reminders for This Week:  March 9-March 13

Monday:   Return Friday Folder! Day 2-Library

Tuesday: Day 3-STREAM

Wednesday:  Day 4-Music

Thursday: Day 5-Art

Friday: Return Homework Folders!  Day 6-P.E.

What Are We Learning in Room 1B?

Religion- Lent/Stations of the Cross

CKLA Grade 1 Skills — Unit 5 Overview

What Is the Skills Unit?

The Skills Strand in CKLA focuses on helping students become strong readers and writers by building:

• Phonics skills
  
  

• Spelling patterns
  
  

• Reading fluency
  
  

• Grammar and writing skills
  
  

Unit 5 builds on the strong decoding foundation students developed in earlier units.

What Students Learn in Unit 5

Advanced Phonics Patterns

Students learn new spelling patterns for vowel sounds, often called “Tricky Spellings.”

Examples may include:

• Alternative spellings for long vowel sounds
  
  

• Vowel teams (two letters working together to make one sound)
  
  

• Words that don’t follow typical spelling rules
  
  

Students practice:

• Blending sounds to read longer words
  
  

• Breaking words apart to spell them
  
  

Tricky Words

These are high-frequency words that must be memorized because they do not follow regular phonics rules.

Students:

• Practice reading them automatically
  
  

• Use them correctly in writing
  
  

Reading Fluency

Students work on:

• Reading smoothly
  
  

• Reading with expression
  
  

• Reading accurately
  
  

They practice with decodable readers that match the phonics patterns they are learning.

Grammar & Writing

Students will practice:

• Complete sentences
  
  

• Capital letters and punctuation
  
  

• Expanding sentences with details
  
  

• Writing short paragraphs

Why This Unit Is Important

Unit 5 helps students:

• Read more complex words
  
  

• Become more confident readers
  
  

• Improve spelling
  
  

• Write stronger sentences
  
  

How Parents Can Help at Home

1. Listen to Your Child Read

• Have your child read their decodable reader aloud.
  
  

• If they get stuck, encourage them to “sound it out.”
  
  

• Ask: “What sound does that spelling make?”
  
  

Keep it positive and encouraging.

2. Practice Spelling Patterns

Say a word and have your child:

• Tap out the sounds
  
  

• Write the word
  
  

• Check it together
  
  

Example:
“boat” → /b/ /ō/ /t/

3. Practice Tricky Words

• Make flashcards
  
  

• Write them in sand or shaving cream
  
  

• Use them in silly sentences
  
  

Short, daily practice (5 minutes) works best.

4. Encourage Writing

Ask your child to:

• Write about their day
  
  

• Write 3–4 sentences about a picture
  
  

• Add describing words
  
  

Remind them:

• Capital letter at the beginning
  
  

• Punctuation at the end

⭐ By the End of Unit 5, Students Should Be Able To:

✔ Decode longer words with vowel teams
✔ Recognize more Tricky Words automatically
✔ Read with better fluency
✔ Write complete, detailed sentences

Spelling Lists for Unit 5

CKLA Knowledge Unit 8

In this unit, students learn about different kinds of animals and the habitats where they live. They explore how animals survive, what they eat, how they protect themselves, and how their bodies help them live in specific environments.

What Is a Habitat?

A habitat is the natural home of a plant or animal. Students learn that animals need:

• Food
  
  

• Water
  
  

• Shelter
  
  

• Space
  
  

Different habitats provide different things animals need to survive.

Habitats Students Explore

🌲 Forests

• Many trees and plants
  
  

• Animals such as deer, owls, bears, and squirrels
  
  

• Animals may climb, hide, or build nests
  
  

🌵 Deserts

• Very little rain
  
  

• Hot days and cool nights
  
  

• Animals such as lizards, snakes, and foxes
  
  

• Many animals are active at night
  
  

🌊 Oceans

• Salt water habitat
  
  

• Fish, whales, dolphins, crabs, and more
  
  

• Animals have special features like fins and gills
  
  

❄️ Polar Regions

• Very cold and icy
  
  

• Animals such as polar bears and penguins
  
  

• Thick fur or blubber helps animals stay warm
  
  

Big Ideas 

• Animals live in habitats that meet their needs.
  
  

• Animals have physical characteristics that help them survive.
  
  

• Some animals migrate or hibernate.
  
  

• Habitats can change, and animals must adapt.
  
  

Skills Students Practice

• Listening to informational read-alouds
  
  

• Asking and answering questions
  
  

• Retelling important details
  
  

• Comparing and contrasting animals
  
  

• Building academic vocabulary
  
  

Vocabulary 

• Habitat
  
  

• Adapt
  
  

• Migrate
  
  

• Hibernate
  
  

• Predator
  
  

• Prey
  
  

Math:  Unit 6

➕ Adding and Subtracting Within 20

• Solving addition and subtraction problems up to 20
  
  

• Understanding the relationship between addition and subtraction
  
  

• Using strategies (not just counting one by one)
  
  

Using Efficient Strategies

Students learn to:

• Make a Ten (e.g., 8 + 6 → 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14)
  
  

• Doubles and Near Doubles (6 + 6, 6 + 7)
  
  

• Think Addition to Subtract (13 − 5 → 5 + ? = 13)
  
  

• Break apart numbers to make them easier to solve
  
  

Understanding the Equal Sign

• Learning that the equal sign means “the same as,” not just “the answer comes next”
  
  

• Solving equations like 7 + 3 = ___ + 4
  
  

Solving Story Problems

• Real-world word problems using addition and subtraction
  
  

• Explaining thinking with pictures, numbers, or words
  
  

Why This Unit Is Important

This unit builds:

• Fluency with basic facts
  
  

• Flexible thinking about numbers
  
  

• Strong foundation for second-grade math
  
  

• Confidence in solving problems multiple ways
  
  

Students are expected to explain their thinking, not just give an answer.

Health/Growth Mindset:   Dental Health