About the Teacher...
Hi, my name is Mindy Stevens. This is my third year of teaching. I graduated from Eastern Illinois University with my bachelor's degree in December 2005. I am originally from Quincy, Illinois where I spent my first two years teaching 2nd grade. I now live in Streator, Illinois with my husband.I am absolutely loving first grade. It is such a fun age and has been very rewarding.
In the Classroom...
In first grade we concentrate a lot on reading. My whole morning block consist of whole group reading, small groups, phonics, grammar, and spelling. Your child will be bringing home a book baggie each night and is responsible for reading aloud to an adult or older sibling. Please sign the reading log and return with the book. I cannot stress how beneficial reading at home really is. It is also important for your child to be reading out loud and attempting to sound out unfamilar words. Parents, don't be afraid to ask questions throughout their reading to check for comprehension. Practice makes perfect!
In math, our main focus throughout the year are: one-digit addition and subtraction, money (penny, nickel, dime, quarter, a dollar), telling time to the hour and half-hour, place value, graphing/reading charts, and other number sense concepts. We also do Rocket Math in first grade(3x a week). Rocket Math is an addition and subtraction fact intervention that is timed.
Spelling test are given every Friday. The words are sent home the Friday before and can be found in your child's Friday Folder. The spelling words each week focus on a new skill/sound. Ex: long /i /words, or blends, short /e/ words, etc.
Please feel free to call with any questions or concerns.
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