Extra learning activities -

Reading:

• Select a book to read out loud together. Come up with an interactive way to take turns reading to each other whether it is by sentence, paragraph or page.
• After your child has read to you, talk together about the main points of the story using the sequence words first, next, then, and last.
• Print the attached spinner pattern about story elements. Use a brad to attach a paper clip to the spinner. After your child has read a story have him/her spin the spinner and either orally share, draw, or write about the designated story element. story elements spinner.jpg
• Choose a short vowel sound and take turns saying words with that vowel sound. Keep doing this until one person cannot think of any other words with that sound. This same activity can be done with rhyming words.

Math:

• Play Top-It. It has the same rules as the traditional game called War. Divide a deck of cards in half. You each flip up a card and whoever has the higher numbered card keeps both cards. If you tie and both lay the same card then flip over the next card and whoever has the higher now wins all four cards. Continue playing until one person has collected all of the cards. The jack represents the number 11, the queen is 12, the king is 13, and the ace is 1.
• An extension to the above Top-It game is to remove the face cards and on each turn play two cards instead. Each player must add their two cards together and whoever has the higher sum wins the cards.
• Play guess my number. Have one person choose a number and say what numbers the chosen number is between. The other person choses a number and the person with the secret number says if it is higher and lower. This continues until the mystery number is revealed.
• Get two dice, paper, and a pencil. Take turns rolling the dice, add up the two dice, and have each player make tally marks on the paper to represent the sum of the two dice. The first person to reach 50 tally marks wins.
• Choose two numbers between one and ten. Have your child make up an addition or subtraction number problem using these two numbers. For example, John has 5 carrots in his lunch. At lunch he ate 3 carrots. How many carrots does John have left? 2 carrots
• Clock face to print and use to practice telling time. clock face.PDF

Spelling:

• Using the spelling list, choose a word and alternate letter by letter until the word is spelled. For example, if the word is dog then person one says "d", person two says "o", person one says "g", and person two says the whole word that has been spelled.

Writing:

• Have a basket with different writing prompts that you and your child have thought up together. Have your child choose a prompt and then write their story in a special notebook.
• Have your child choose a special notebook to keep a daily or weekly journal in about the different activities they are a part of.

Optional Assignments

We have students at all different developmental and learning levels within first grade. Some students are eager for MORE in first grade, and that is exactly who these optional assignments are for. They are also for the parent who wishes to engage in additional learning activities with their child. I list some "anytime" optional assignments below, but others will come home in your child's GO binder. Remember, these are all optional. Please contact me with any questions.

When your child completes one of the optional assignments, he/she can turn it in and earn a golden star which they can turn in to choose an item from the treasure chest.

Spelling extra activities -

Speller's Choice 1

Speller's Choice 2

Book reports-