Meet Mrs.KempferWelcome to First Grade! I am Bethany Kempfer, and I am excited

to be your child’s teacher this year. I graduated from Carroll College (now Carroll University) in Waukesha, and I have a master’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University as a Reading Specialist.

This will be my twelfth year of teaching. I taught second grade for one year, and all the rest have been in first grade. I love the challenges of teaching first graders and the enthusiasm they have for learning. I strive to make each year the best one yet, and I have so much planned for us this year!

I have two children of my own -– a first grade son here at Woodview, and a 4-year-old daughter –- who keep me busy when I’m not in school. My husband is also a teacher, mainly at the college level.

Ways to Contact Mrs. KempferThese are the ways you can reach me:

The direct number to my classroom is 376-5783. My phone is usually programmed to go directly to voice mail. I will return calls as soon as possible, usually after school. If you have an urgent message, such as a change in transportation at the end of the day, please call the office at 376-5750, and Mrs. Wessel will see that I get the message.

My email address is HREF="mailto:bkempfer@grafton.k12.wi.us". I check my email at least once a day, at varying times. I usually reply to email after school.

A note sent with your child is a good way to reach me, especially in the morning.

At-Home Reading Program

Each night, your child will bring home a reading bag which contains a book that your child will either read to you, or would like you to read to him or her.

Please take the time to read to or to read with your child for at least 15 minutes per night. After you and your child read the book in the bag, please write the title and your initials in one of the three boxes:

Easy

1

Just-Right Challenge

Most books your child brings home should be Easy or Just-Right. Occasional Challenge books are fine, especially when they contain information or stories that your child can understand, but cannot read independently.

Here is a sample of how to fill out the reading log for the envelope. Remember, even though your child may read several books a night (which is great!) please write down only 1 book a night.

READING LOGDate Title Easy

I can read every word

smoothly at a good pace. I

can understand

and retell what I read.

Just-Right

I can read most words easily. Sometimes I have to slow

down to figure out a word. I

can understand and retell what I

read.

ChallengeI needed lots of help on tricky

words. Maybe I needed someone

to read this to me. OR … I needed

lots of help to tell someone about

what I read.

9-1 The Hat BK9-2 Animals That Live

in Trees

BK

9-3 Ants BK

Some helpful tips for successful book sharing include:

o Sit close to your child when you read the book.o Talk about the pictures.o Ask occasionally, “What do you think will happen next?”o Read the story with enthusiasm.o Talk about the story or information when you are done

reading.Frequently Asked Questions About At-Home

ReadingHow are the books chosen?

On some days, I ask students to choose a book out of the box that is appropriate for their own level. Other days, the whole class is

2

asked to bring home the same book that we have been working on in class. Some days, students are free to choose any book they like. When students choose their own books, I teach the “I PICK” method:

I choose a book. P urpose – Why do I want to read it? I nterest – I am interested in it. C omprehend –I understand what I am reading. K now – I know most of the words.

What should I do if my child memorized the book?If your child appears to have the book memorized, have your

child point under each word with a finger while reading. This is fine, and is actually an important step for beginning readers. You may also have your child write one sentence from the story with appropriate capitalization and punctuation, cut the words in the sentence apart, mix them up, and have your child put them back in the right order.

What if my child picked a book that is too hard?Please do not push your child to read a Challenge book. Keep

reading time fun. If the book is too difficult, go ahead and read it to your child. Encourage your child to pick an Easy or Just Right book tomorrow.

Can my child bring the same book home more than once?I encourage children to try new books. If it is an absolute

favorite, twice is fine, but after that I would like them to make a new choice.

We didn’t have time to read last night. Can we keep the book?Please return the book, even if you did not have a chance to read

it. Your child can check it out again on another day.

Why are some of the spaces shaded on the reading log?Your child is expected to have one book listed on each of the un-

shaded days. The shaded days are weekends or days that books are not sent home from school. Any reading listed on the shaded days counts as “extra” reading. Students who complete their regular days plus at least two “extra” days per month earn extra tickets toward Family Fun Night as part of a school-wide program.

BirthdaysYour child may bring a healthy treat to share with the class on

his or her birthday. Healthy treats may include fruit, fruit cups, yogurt, pudding, string cheese, popcorn, pretzels, fruit snacks, or animal

3

crackers. Non-food items such as pencils or stickers are also welcome. (You do not have to send a treat if you would prefer not to do so.) If your child has a summer birthday, you may consider sending a treat for his or her “half-birthday”. We are beginning the school year with 23 students in our class.

Book OrdersBook orders will be sent home approximately once a month.

Please note the due dates when returning them. All checks can be made out to Scholastic Books. You may pay for multiple orders with one check.

The orders that I send home will also be available online, where you can pay with a credit card. You can access them at:

www.scholastic.com/bookclubs

Register for a User Name and Password, and then enter our one-time Class Activation Code:

GMH78

All books are delivered to our school, and will be sent home with your child. Please notify me if you would like the books to be a surprise, so we can arrange for an alternative pick-up.

End of the DayI have lists of which children ride the bus and which children walk

or ride home with an adult. If your child is doing something different at the end of the day (going home with a friend, staying for any reason, walking when they usually take the bus, etc.), please send a note. This helps me keep the children safe.

If you are picking your child up after school, please meet your child at the front of the building, rather than coming to find your child. Those who walk or get picked up leave at 2:40, after the busses, when the parking lot is safer.

Field TripsWe will attend Seussical, the musical, at the First Stage

Children’s Theater in Milwaukee on Tuesday, October 11th. We will be going to Schlitz Audubon Nature Center to learn about habitats on Thursday, May 3rd. We also hope to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum on another date. Other field trips may be planned throughout the year.

I will send home more information about the field trips and chaperoning opportunities. Unfortunately, the number of chaperones must be limited due to the number of tickets we can purchase and space on the bus.

4

Handwriting Without TearsOur district uses a handwriting program called Handwriting

Without Tears. Letters and numbers are made with big and little curves and lines. Examples of how to form each letter, and paper for copying to use in handwriting practice are included in the back of this handbook.

Homework PolicyYour child’s first job is to be a kid! Keep homework sessions short

and fun. Reading every night is the most important thing you can do. Beyond reading, 10 minutes a night on other homework is PLENTY.

The homework I assign is intended to review and practice what was taught in the classroom. Occasionally, I ask students to bring information that they will need for an upcoming lesson.

My policy is to give only one copy of a homework assignment to each student. Students gain responsibility by making sure that their homework gets home, completed, and returned to school. Assignments turned in without names cannot be given credit. Please remind your child to put his or her name on all homework.

I would like to make homework easy to fit into your busy schedule. Therefore, I like to send a weekly homework checklist ahead of time, so you can fit it in however it works for you. Math Home Links come home separately. Please try to turn these in the next day, unless otherwise noted. If, for some reason, your child cannot finish an assignment, just turn it in as soon as possible.

Children who plan to be absent will receive the missed homework when they return. I usually do not send homework to be completed during the absence. You can always have your child read, write, play math games, and practice word wall words.

Reading Homework Every child is expected to read each evening, and to record the reading on the reading log. Please see the section entitled “At-Home Reading Program” for more details.

Spelling Homework Your child is encouraged to practice the weekly spelling words and word wall words. Please see the section entitled “Spelling Tests / Word Wall” for more details.

5

Making Words is another activity you can do at home to help your child learn about spelling. It is a hands-on, puzzle-like activity, which is great for students at all skill levels. Making Words lessons for homework are found in the back of your handbook. These should be completed at home, but do NOT need to be returned.

Science, Social Studies, and Health Homework These activities are meant to be fun, while helping your child tune in to the world around us. I will recommend activities that go along with what we are learning in class, but you are always welcome to choose an activity that fits into your family’s schedule and interests.

Math Homework Everyday Math Home Links ARE homework and do need to be returned. They should take a very short time to complete. If your child spends more than 7 minutes of focused work time on a Home Link, feel free to have your child stop, and just send it back to school with a note.

If there is ever confusion about how to do the math homework, please return it with a note, and I will work with your child to understand it. Please note that the Everyday Math Family Letters, to which there is a link on my website and which are included in the First Grade Handbook, contain the answers to the homework for each unit.

The first Home Link is for lesson 1.8 and will come home on Tuesday, September 13th. After this, they will come home every one or two days, and often even less frequently. If they are copied on 2 sides, please feel free to take 2 nights to do them.

Math homework needs to be done in the child’s handwriting (unless otherwise noted) in order to be considered complete. This helps students practice number formation.

Your child’s homework for each math unit will be returned at the end of the unit.

At several points during the year, the first graders in the district are tested on four different math facts groupings. (In all levels, turn-around facts, such as 1+0 for 0+1, are not listed below, but should be learned.) Once the year is off to a good start, your child will benefit from extra practice on these facts at home.

6

Addition Level 1 (+0, +1, +2)Goal: 18-20 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of

the school year

0+0=00+1=10+2=20+3=30+4=40+5=50+6=6

0+7=70+8=80+9=90+10=101+1=21+2=3

1+3=41+4=51+5=61+6=71+7=81+8=91+9=10

1+10=112+2=42+3=52+4=62+5=72+6=8

2+7=92+8=102+9=112+10=12

Addition Level 2 (Doubles and Sums of 10)Goal: 16-17 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of

the school year

3+3=64+4=85+5=10

6+6=127+7=148+8=16

9+9=1810+10=20

3+7=104+6=10

(as well as Addition Level 1 problems)

Addition Level 3 (Sums to 12)Goal: 16-17 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of

the school year

3+4=73+5=8

3+6=93+8=11

3+9=124+5=9

4+7=114+8=12

5+6=115+7=12

(as well as Addition Levels 1 & 2 problems)

Subtraction Level 1 (-0, -1, -all)Goal: 18-20 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of

the school year

10-0=109-0=98-0=8

7-0=76-0=65-0=5

4-0=03-0=32-0=2

1-0=10-0=010-1=9

9-1=88-1=77-1=6

7

6-1=55-1=44-1=3

3-1=22-1=11-1=0

2-2=03-3=04-4=0

5-5=06-6=07-7=0

8-8=09-9=010-10=0

Losing a Tooth!Losing a tooth is an exciting time for most first graders. If your

child loses a tooth during the school year, please encourage him or her to let me know right away (even if it fell out at home, the grocery store, Grandma’s house, etc.). I will add a tooth with the child’s name to our classroom tooth graph. I will also send home our classroom book, so your child can write and draw about how the tooth was lost. Please send the book back quickly, because we average one lost tooth for every three days of school!

RulesThese are the rules in our classroom:

1. Be safe.2. Show respect.3. Listen attentively.4. Show appreciation / no put-downs.

At the beginning of the year, we discuss each rule in depth. We learn what each rule looks like and sounds like when it is being followed.

Consequences for not following the rules include reminders, temporary removal from the activity or the group, loss of privileges, creating a plan for future behavior, and a phone call or note sent home.

First graders are still learning about appropriate behavior and how to handle problems that arise with peers. My goal is to teach them what appropriate behavior looks, sounds, and feels like, and to help them make responsible choices.

If a student is being bothered or bullied by another student, he or she should follow these steps:

1. Tell the person to stop.2. If the person does not stop, tell the adult in charge. Sometimes

this may be the bus driver, the lunchroom supervisor, or the teacher on playground duty.

8

Show and TellWe do not have a typical “show and tell” time in first grade.

There will be some opportunities for students to bring in items to share with the class, particularly if the item is related to something we are studying. Please leave items at home if they will distract students from learning. This includes trading cards, stuffed animals, and some jewelry.

Snack TimeEach student may bring his or her own healthy snack from home

every day. Both first grade classes will eat snack together from 9:45-10:00, while listening to a story.

Snow GearIn the winter, please check these things:

My child’s name is on his or her clothing (especially snow pants!).

My child knows how to put on his or her own boots and snow pants.

My child can zip, button, or buckle all of his or her own winter gear. (We have no aides to help with this in first grade.)

My child has a pair of dry socks kept in a Ziploc bag in his or her backpack… just in case!

Just a reminder: Woodview’s rule is that children must have boots and snow pants in

order to play in the snow. Those without boots and snow pants must stay on the blacktop.

If children are well enough to be in school, they must go out to recess.

9

Specials

Monday Music and ArtTuesday Phy. Ed.

Wednesday Phy. Ed. and MusicThursday Library

Friday Phy. Ed.

Please make sure your child either wears or brings tennis shoes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for Phy. Ed.

Our specials teachers are:Mrs. Dillahunt– MusicMr. Darmody –Phy. Ed.Ms. Stuckens – LibraryMrs. McMurtagh –Art

Visiting the SchoolVisitors to the classroom are welcome. All visitors (including

parents) must first check in at the office. If you are only dropping something off for your child, please let the office staff deliver it to the classroom.

If you are joining your child for lunch and you will be purchasing a hot lunch, please call the office at 376-5750 before 8:30 that morning, so the kitchen staff will prepare enough meals.

VolunteersI am very grateful to parents who are able to help out in the

classroom. Please contact me if you are interested in doing so.

Water BottlesIn the warm weather, children get very thirsty. Young bodies do

need to stay hydrated in order to maximize learning. If you would like to send a water bottle, your child may keep it on his or her desk. Please follow these guidelines:

Make sure it closes easily between drinks to prevent spills.

Wrapping the bottom of the bottle with aluminum foil helps keep your child’s desk and papers from getting wet.

Your child will need to take the bottle home for re-filling.

10

If the water bottle becomes a distraction, or is used inappropriately, your child may be asked to put it away for the day.

Children without water bottles will have plenty of opportunities to get drinks from the bubbler. Individual water bottles do help speed up the process, so we can return to learning time.

Spelling Tests / Word WallEach week, we will add new words to the word wall. Once a word

has been added, students will be expected to be able to read the word, and to spell it correctly, using the word wall as a resource. During the week, we will do activities in which the students practice spelling and writing the words.

We will also learn a common spelling pattern each week. The students will practice spelling and reading many words that contain the pattern.

Spelling tests will be held on Fridays. The week’s word wall words will be tested. Remember, the students are allowed to use the word wall as a resource. Practice at home and school is still important, so the students know which word from the word wall to use. Students will be encouraged to write the words without using the word wall, but they may look at the word wall to double-check.

The spelling test will also contain 5 words with the week’s spelling pattern. Sample words, but not necessarily the exact words, will be given to the students ahead of time, because the goal is for the students to apply what they have learned. For example, if the spelling pattern is –at, the sample words are mat and hat, but the test may contain the words sat, bat, mat, rat, and pat. I want students to think about how spelling works, rather than to memorize lists of words which are forgotten after the test.

A final component of the spelling test will be the dictated sentence. I will give a sentence using word wall words and spelling patterns the students have already learned. This will allow you and me to see if your child is retaining and applying what he or she has learned about spelling, as well as handwriting, capitalization, punctuation, and spacing.

Spelling tests are a way to measure student progress, and to introduce test-taking skills and procedures. They are not a reason for students (or parents) to stress out! Missed tests will usually not be made up. Tests are given only at the end of 5-day school weeks. The

11

dictated sentence and handwriting sections will not be marked for the first few weeks. After we have learned more about sentences and correct handwriting, these sections will be marked.

Keep practice sessions at home short and fun. Here are some ideas for practicing:

Play hangman with the words. Write the words on cards. Alphabetize them or sort them in as

many ways as you can. Use the words to practice handwriting. Highlight word wall words or words with a certain spelling pattern

in a newspaper or magazine. Use www.spellingcity.com for practice games and activities.

The following is the list of word wall words and spelling patterns for the year. The dates the words will be introduced and tested are subject to change. If they do change, I will send home a new schedule.

Week of: Spelling Pattern & Sample Words

Word Wall Words Test Date

Sept. 1 ---none this week--- I, a, can, at, like, is *no test*Sept. 6 at (cat, hat) go, up, down, the, got *no test*Sept. 12 an (tan, man) am, yes, and, in, have *no test*Sept. 19 in (fin, pin) they, make, what, look,

anSept. 23

Sept. 26 it (sit, fit) on, will, big, had, it Sept. 30Oct. 4 ack (back, sack) no, play, help, now, want *no test*Oct. 10 op (hop, mop) see, of, you, for, don’t Oct. 14Oct. 17 all (tall, ball) here, all, that, very,

whereOct. 21

Oct. 24 ot (hot, dot) to, little, be, off, we *no test*Oct. 31 en (pen, hen) was, said, day, her, with Nov. 4

Week of: Spelling Pattern & Sample Words

Word Wall Words Test Date

Nov. 7 ell (bell, sell) put, she, new, every, friend

Nov. 11

Nov. 14 et (pet, let) my, not, are, could, use Nov. 18Nov. 21 *Review* come, me, he, us, do *no test*Nov. 28 ug (bug, rug) says, night, give, people,

yourDec. 2

Dec. 5 ing (sing, wing) out, when, or, eat, from Dec. 9Dec. 12 Spelling patterns for

/or/ (or, ore, oor) *no test on these*

good, try, our, saw, how Dec. 16 (word wall

12

only)Dec. 19 *Review* *Review* *no test*Jan. 2 ash, ish (dash, dish) their, some, many, fun,

awayJan. 6

Jan. 9 ch (test will be on distinguishing /sh/ from /ch/, not on spelling the words)

would, but, did, much, under

Jan. 13

Jan. 16 ar (star, far) car, there, house, stop, thing

*no test*

Jan. 24 ump (bump, lump) tell, quit, family, by, teacher

*no test*

Jan. 30 er/ir/ur (test will be on distinguishing the sound made by these letter combinations from /or/ and /ar/ sounds, not on spelling the words)

them, went, just, find, were

Feb. 3

Feb. 6 ow (long o sound) (low, mow)

kick, jump, school, talk, each

Feb. 10

Feb. 13 oat (coat, boat) his, ask, get, who, made Feb. 17Feb. 20 eat (neat, seat) best, only, as, then,

knowFeb. 24

Week of: Spelling Pattern & Sample Words

Word Wall Words Test Date

Feb. 27 ake (bake, take) this, brother, sister, over, if

*no test*

Mar.5 ame (same, name) really, old, girl, boy, has Mar. 9Mar. 12 ine (pine, line) why, because, can’t,

ride, won’tMar. 16

Mar. 19 ice (mice, slice) him, nice, does, even, read

*no test*

Mar. 26 own (as in down) (clown, town)

any, thought, after, bring, zoo

Mar. 30

Apr. 2 y (long i sound) (by, fly)

more, think, came, favorite

*no test*

Apr. 16 oke (joke, spoke) *Review* Apr. 20Apr. 23 ight (light, fright) *Review* Apr. 27

13

Apr. 30 ail (tail, sail) *Review* May 4May 7 ide (wide, hide) *Review* May 11May 14 old (sold, told) *Review* May 18May 21 aw (law, paw) *Review* May 25May 29 ook (book, took) *Review* *no test*June 4 ool (pool, cool) *Review* *no test*

Making Words Lessons (homework)For each lesson:

1. Cut out the letters for the week, which are found in this handbook.

2. Use the word list to tell your child what words to spell with the letters. Have your child actually move the letters to "build" the word. Some sample hints and sentences you might give for a Making Words lesson are listed below. The last word is always the “secret word” that uses all the letters.

3. (OPTIONAL, but highly beneficial for learning) Have your child write each word he or she makes. These words can then be sorted according to number of letters, rhymes, or other ways your child can create.

4. (OPTIONAL, but highly beneficial for learning) Finally, tell your child a new word with the same rhyming pattern or with some of the same sounds as one of the words he or she made. Have your child use the spelling pattern to try to spell the new word.

Sample lesson:

a h k n tStep 1: Cut out the letters.

Step 2: Give the words. Your child makes the word with the letters, then (optionally) writes the word.

Use 2 letters to spell at. (We are at home.) Take the t away and add a letter to spell an. (An elephant is

very big.) Add a letter to an to spell ant. (The ant crawled up my arm.)

14

Use the same letters you used for ant, but move them around to make them spell tan. (Tan is a light brown color.)

Now let’s spell another 3-letter word, hat. (His hat blew off in the wind.)

Let’s spell a name. Use four letters to spell Hank. Remember that names need capital letters.

Change just the first letter and you can spell tank. (We pump gas into the gas tank.)

It’s time for the secret word. Leave the letters in tank where they are, but add the h in somewhere, and you will have it. (Give the child a minute to try it, and then give clues.) This is a word you say when someone gives you something. It begins with th. Thank you!

Step 3: (OPTIONAL) Sort.

One sort may look like this:Rhymes: at, hat

an, tanHank, tank, thank

Another sort may look like this:Number of letters: at, an

ant, tan, hatHank, tankthank

Step 4: (OPTIONAL) Have your child spell a word with the same pattern.

You might say:“I went to the bank today. Can you spell bank? Which of the rhymes helped you?” (-ank in Hank, tank, and thank)

Your child does not need to complete all the steps in one day. For example, you may have your child make the words on Monday, and then sort the words on Wednesday.

15

Homework (to be completed at home, but NOT returned)Week of:

Letters needed:

Make words: Sort by: Now, use your words to help you write:

Sept. 1 a, m, p, s, t am, at, mat, sat, Sam, Pam, map, maps, Pat, past, stamp

number of letters, first letter

jam

Sept. 6 a, d, n, s, t at, an, and, Dan, tan, ant, sat, sad, sand, stand

number of letters, first letter

cat

Sept. 12

a, d, h, n, s an, sad, had, Dan, and, sand, hand, hands

-an, -and pan

Sept. 19

i, g, n, s, w is, in, win, wins, wig, wigs, sing, wing, wings/swing (2 secret words!)

number of letters, last letter

pin

Sept. 26

i, f, g, s, t is, if, it, sit, fit, fits, fist, sift, gift, gifts

number of letters, -it

bit

Oct. 4 a, c, k, r, s, t as, at, sat, scat, sack, rack, tack, stack, track, tracks

-at, -ack back

Oct. 10 e, o, d, p, p, s, t

pot, pots, dot, dots, top, tops, pop, pops, stop, stopped (This secret word is difficult.)

-last letter, -op

hop

Oct. 17 a, e, l, l, m, s, s, t

at, am, Sam, all, tall, stall, mall, small, smallest (This secret word is difficult.)

number of letters, -all

wall

Oct. 24 ***** ****** ***** *****Week of:

Letters needed:

Make words: Sort by: Now, use your

16

words to help you write:

Oct. 31 e, n, p, s, t pen, ten, net, pet, pets, pest, nest, nets, sent, spent

last letter, -en,

vent

Nov. 7 i, g, h, n, s, t in, is, his, tin, this, sting, thing, things

th, ing thin

Nov. 14

e, o, c, k, p, s, t

set, pet, pot, spot, stop, step, sock, peck, speck, pockets

vowel sound, -ck

wet

Nov. 21

***** ******* ******** *******

Nov. 28

u, b, c, r, s us, bus, sub, cub, cubs, rub, rubs, scrub/curbs (2 secret words!; curbs is more difficult)

-us, -ub bug

Dec. 5 i, u, g, j, m, n, p

up, in, pin, jig, jug, mug, gum, jump, jumping

number of letters, vowel sound

dumping

Dec. 12 e, o, f, r, s, t so, of, or, for, fort, sort, sore, tore, store, forest

-or, -ore sport

Dec. 19 **** ******* ******* ******Jan. 2 a, h, m, s, s as, am, Sam,

ham, has, ash, mash, smash

-am, -ash crash

Jan. 9 e, i, c, c, h, k, n

in, Nick, neck, Ken, hen, chin, chick, check, chicken

vowel sound, ch

chip

17

Week of:

Letters needed:

Make words: Sort by: Now, use your words to help you write:

Jan. 16 a, m, r, s, t at, sat, rat, tar, art, arm, arms, Mars, star, smart

-at, -ar part

Jan. 24 i, u, l, q, s, t is, it, sit, slit, list, quit, quits, quilt, quilts

qu, -it quiz

Jan. 30 i, f, r, s, t if, it, sit, fit, sir, stir, fits, fist, first

-it, -ir star

Feb. 6 **Challenge Lesson** (Just give it a try!)

e, i, h, l, s, s, t, w

his, hit, sit, set, wet, with, wish, wishes, whistle, whistles

begins with w, begins with h, begins with wh

dishes

Feb. 13 a, o, c, r, r, s, t

or, at, cat, rat, oats, coat, coats, coast, roast, carrots(This secret word is difficult.)

oa, at float

Feb. 20 a, e, e, c, h, r, t

he, the, eat, heat, each, reach, teach, cheat, there, teacher/cheater (2 secret words!)

ea, ch neat

18

Week of:

Letters needed:

Make words: Sort by: Now, use your words to help you write:

Feb. 27 a, e, k, r, s, t as, at, ate, rat, rate, Kate, take, takes, skate, skater/streak(2 secret words!; streak is more difficult)

-ake, -ate rake

Mar. 5 a, e, m, n, s me, as, an, am, Sam, same, man, mane, name, names

vowel sound, silent e

tame

Mar. 12 e, i, d, f, l, n, r, y

fly, fry, dry, red, Fred, fine, line, friend, friendly

ending sound, long i sound

pine

Mar. 19 e, e, c, n, r, s, t

see, tree, nest, sent, cent, rent, enter, center, secret, centers

sounds of e, sounds of c

went

Mar. 26 i, o, g, g, l, n, r, w

row, low, now, owl, girl, gown, glow, grow, growl, growling

number of letters, sounds of ow

town

Apr. 2 a, a, u, d, r, s, t, y

at, sat, rat, try, dry, dust, dusty, rust, rusty, study, sturdy, Saturday

sounds of y, st

fry

Apr. 16 e, i, o, g, h, m, n, s, t

go, get, his, him, Tim, them, home, nose, those, night, might, something

rhymes, long o sound

hose

19

Week of:

Letters needed:

Make words: Sort by: Now, use your words to help you write:

Apr. 23 i, e, f, g, h, n, r, t

fin, fine, fire, hire, tire, night, fight, right, fright, frighten

-ire, -ight light

Apr. 30 a, i, e, n, p, r, s, t

rain, pain, paint, saint, stain, Spain, train, strain, sprain, painters

rhymes, beginning sounds

trail

May 7 e, i, d, p, r, s is, Ed, red, rid, rip, ripe, ride, side, pride, spider

sounds of i, silent e

wide

May 14 o, u, c, d, l, s so, do, old, sold, cold, scold, loud, cloud, could, clouds

-old, -oud gold

May 21 a, r, s, t, w at, sat, rat, rats was, saw, raw, straw

-aw, vowel sound

draw

May 29 e, o, o, b, f, h, k, l, s

be, elf, boo, book, look, hook, fool, shelf, shook, bookshelf

sounds of oo, rhymes

cook

June 4 ***** ******** ******** ******

20

Letters to Cut Out for Making WordsSept. 1 a m p s tSept. 6 a d n s t

Sept. 12 a d h n sSept. 19 i g n s wSept. 26 i f g s t

21

Oct. 4 a c k r s tOct. 10 e odpp s tOct. 17 ae l l ms s tOct. 31 e n p s tNov. 7 i g h n s tNov. 14 e o c k p s t

22

Nov. 28 u b c r sDec. 5 i ug j mnpDec. 12 e o f r s t

Jan. 2 a h m s sJan. 9 e i c c h k nJan. 16 a m r s t

23

Jan. 24 i u l q s tJan. 30 i f r s t

Feb. 6 e i h l s s t wFeb. 13 a o c r r s t

Feb. 20 a e e c h r t

Feb. 27 a e k r s t24

Mar. 5 a e m n sMar. 12 e i d f l nr yMar. 19 e e c n r s t

Mar. 26 i ogg l nr w

Apr. 2 aaud r s t y

Apr. 16 eioghmns t

25

Apr. 23 i e f ghnr t

Apr. 30 a i enpr s tMay 7 e i d p r sMay 14 o u c d l sMay 21 a r s t w

May

29 eoob f hkl s26

The following social studies, science, and health activities can be a springboard for first graders to explore their world and their place in it. Please pick one activity to do for homework each week. I will send weekly recommendations to fit what we are studying in the classroom, but you are always welcome to choose any activity or to create your own. With well over 100 choices, I hope that you can find lots to pique your child’s curiosity!

Social Studies Activities(These units are listed in the order in which they are covered in our First Grade, rather

than numerically.)

Unit 1: Families and Neighbors

1.1 Our Families1. Sketch a family tree.2. Look through old family pictures. Talk about who the people are.3. Do you know of any families that have different rules than your family does? Why

do you think different families have different rules?4. Make a list of the chores that are done at your home. Try doing one you have not

done before.

1.2 Families Together5. Visit a local park, a county park, or a state park. Why do you think parks are

important?6. A custom is a special way of doing something. Talk about customs or traditions

your family has. 7. Celebrate means to show happiness about a thing or event. Talk about the last

thing your family celebrated.8. Have an adult tell you a story about when you were little.

1.3 Our School9. Look at a calendar. Find some holidays that you might celebrate and some that

you might not celebrate. Does your calendar show the cycle of the moon?10. Culture is the special food, music, and art of a group of people. Try experiencing

something from a culture different from your own. Listen to a Spanish radio station. Eat at a Japanese restaurant. Be adventurous!

27

1.4 Our Neighbors11. Walk around your neighborhood. Which neighbors do you know? What do you

know about them?12. Talk about ways you have helped your neighbors or ways your neighbors have

helped you.13. Sometimes we get new neighbors. Talk about a time that your family or a

friend’s family moved. Why do people move?

1.5 America is Special14. Ask people in your family how to say “hello” in different languages.

Unit 3: Life Long Ago

3.1 Families Long Ago15. Talk to family members about how life was different when they were kids. What

chores did they do? What did they do for fun? What was school like?16. Look through family pictures for things that have changed over time (cars,

clothing, hairstyles, etc.)

3.2 The First Americans17. Imagine being a Native American living in this area long ago, before there were

stores and homes like we have now. Talk about what the Native Americans in Wisconsin probably ate and used to build their homes.

3.3 Coming to America18. Ask your family if they know about your first relatives to come to America.

Where did they come from?19. Explorers came to America to discover things. Settlers came to America to make

it their new home. Ask the people in your family which they would have been, if they could choose.

3.4 The Pilgrims20. If you celebrate Thanksgiving, talk about ways your celebration is the same as

the celebration the Pilgrims and Native Americans had. How is your celebration different?

3.5 People Keep America Free21. Find out which United States presidents your family members remember from

their own lives.

28

22. Immigrants are people who came to America from someplace else. Some people packed what they owned in covered wagons and moved west. Imagine you had to pack only a few things for a big journey like this. What would you pack? What would you have to leave behind?

23. Has anyone in your family worked for freedom or fairness? Have the person tell you his or her story.

Unit 5: Our Government

5.1 A Call for Freedom24. A holiday is a day to celebrate a famous person or event. What are the favorite

holidays of your family members? Why?25. Practice writing your name in a big, fancy way, the way John Hancock did when

he signed the Declaration of Independence.

5.2 A Plan for Our Country26. The government is a group of people who run a country. Check out

www.capitol.gov. Click on Walking Tour of Capitol Campus to see a 3 ½ minute video of the buildings our government uses in Washington, D.C. You may want to explore other features of the site, as well.

27. Check out the old Schoolhouse Rock version of the Constitution Preamble. You can find it on YouTube.

5.3 All About Laws28. Have an adult in your family think of at least 5 laws that he or she followed

today.

5.4 What Can Citizens Do?29. Have an adult take you along when he or she votes.

5.5 Our Leaders30. Check out www.whitehousemuseum.org for lots of pictures of where our

President lives. See if you can find the bowling alley in the White House!

5.6 Symbols of Our Country31. Have a family member teach you the proper way to fold an American flag. If you

are not sure, or if you do not own a flag, you can find a video of this on YouTube.32. Count how many American flags you see in one day or on one car ride.

29

Unit 2: All About Earth

2.1 From City to Farm33. A community is a place where people live, work, and have fun together. Cities,

suburbs, and towns are types of communities. Visit or drive through a community different from your own. How are they different and the same?

34. What types of crops can you see from your car as you drive with your family?35. Find a place where you can pick your own crops (apples, berries, pumpkins, etc.)

or see where they grow from up-close.

2.2 People Change the Land36. Walk past a construction site. What machinery do you recognize? How did the

workers change the land?37. Transportation is the way people move from place to place. Make a list of the

types of transportation you have used.

2.3 Looking at Earth38. On a map or globe, find examples of a mountain, a plain, an island, an ocean, a

river, and a lake.39. Visit a lake, pond, or river. If you are able to visit two of these, you can compare

them.40. Spin a globe, close your eyes, and set your finger down. Did you land on land or

water? Try this several times. Be sure to use the top, middle, and bottom of the globe.

41. Use Google Maps, satellite view, to see different parts of the Earth. See if you can find the satellite view of your home or of Woodview Elementary.

2.4 Learning About the Earth42. Watch a weather report. Why is it important for people to know what the

weather will be?43. Talk about your favorite thing about each of the four seasons.44. When a new season (especially fall or spring) is approaching, go on an outdoor

hunt for signs of the new season.45. Think of ways you can use less electricity or less water in your home. Do them

today!46. Clean up trash in a park or along the street where you live, to make our Earth a

cleaner place.

2.5 Our World47. Review your address, including house/apartment number, street, city, and state.

Do you also know your country? Your continent?48. See if you can find any maps in your home. Are they maps of a smaller place, like

the zoo, or of a larger place, like a city, county, state, country, or world?

30

49. Find or print a map of the United States or the world. Hang it in your bedroom. When you hear about different places, you can find them on your map.

50. Use a world map or a United States map. Play an I Spy game (I spy a city in Wisconsin!) or a Can You Find It? game (Can you find Brazil?). Try to find a compass rose and some things from the map key.

51. Draw a map of your room or your house. Pretend that the roof was lifted off, and you were looking at it from above.

Unit 4: All About Work

4.1 All About Money52. Have an adult tell you the things he or she spends money on for your family.53. Use a piggy bank (or other type of bank) to save some money.54. Have an adult tell you about credit cards or checks. Are they really spending

money when they use these?

4.2 Needs and Wants55. Have an adult tell you a story about something that he or she wanted to buy, but

had to save money and wait until later (or not buy it at all) because money had to be spent on needs first.

4.3 Work and Jobs56. Does anyone in your family do volunteer work? Ask them about it. Do they know

of volunteer work that kids can do?57. Have an adult in your family tell you about his or her job. Many students know

where their family members work, but they don’t know exactly what they do. Adults, you can tell your child the details about what you do during your workday.

4.4 All About Goods58. Find a “Made in ___ ” label on something in your home. Find that place on a

map. Think about the steps it took to get that item to you.59. Do you have toys, clothing, or books that you no longer need? With an adult’s

help, you could give them to a friend or relative who could use them, donate them to a charity, or sell them at a rummage sale, or online.

60. Find some machines in your house that make work easier. Spend some time doing the work the “hard” way (such as washing dishes by hand instead of with the dishwasher). Talk about how some of these machines help us save time.

31

Science Activities & ExperimentsBirds

61. In the spring, find a bird’s nest that you can watch on a daily basis. See how quickly the babies change. If you can’t find a nest near your home, you can find a website with a live-cam on a nest, and check it on a daily basis.

Bubbles62. Experiment with soap bubbles (children’s bubble mix, hand soap, dish soap, bath

soap). Can you make different shapes of bubbles? Can you blow a bubble with your hands instead of a wand? What colors can you see in the bubbles? Can you stick something through a bubble without popping it?

Candles63. Have an adult light a candle. Draw a picture of what the flame looks like. Pay

close attention to the shape and the colors you see (you should see at least three!).

64. If an adult in your home uses real candles, watch one over time. After lots of burning, what happens to the candle? Where do you think the wax goes when the candle gets shorter?

Cars65. Have an adult teach you something about cars. The adult might show you

different car parts under the hood or show you how to check the oil.

Colors66. Mix a few drops of different colors of food coloring in water. What new colors

can you make? Can you make a color lighter than what you have? (If you dye Easter eggs, you can also mix the leftover dye to create new colors.)

67. Use food coloring to make colored ice cubes. Put one or two in a clear jar of water. Watch what happens as they melt.

Electricity68. If you are feeling the pop of static electricity when you touch things in your

house, try to catch it with the lights off. You can actually see the spark!69. Bite a dry wintergreen-flavored Life Saver candy in the dark, while watching in a

mirror. You may be able to see a spark.

32

Energy70. In the air, hold a tennis ball (or other small ball) on top of a basketball (or other

large, bouncy ball). Let go of both balls at the same time, so they land with the tennis ball still on top of the basketball. Be careful – the small ball might bounce farther than you would expect!

71. When you have cold hands, try rubbing them together very fast. What happens?

Floating and Sinking72. Carefully put a raw egg in a jar of water. The egg should sink. Add enough salt

(try about 2 teaspoons) and the egg will start to float! Why do you think this happens?

73. Find out what else floats or sinks. You might try a cotton swab, a comb, an ice cube, anything that you have permission to try!

74. Make your own boat out of aluminum foil. Does it float? What can it carry and stay afloat?

Food75. Slice an apple. Cover one slice with lemon juice or orange juice. Leave one slice

as it is. Leave the slices out for a few hours. What happens? Why?76. Pop some popcorn. Talk about how the popcorn changed. Can you find any

popped or unpopped kernels with the same shape?77. Put a marshmallow on a plate, and microwave it for 30 seconds (or less). Watch

it carefully! What happened? Why do you think it happened?78. Help an adult to bake something – cookies, cupcakes, lasagna, whatever! Talk

about how it changed when it was baked.79. Drop a few raisins into a clear glass of clear soda or sparkling water. After a

minute or so, what happens? Why?80. Put one M&M in a small cup of water, M-side up. After a few minutes, what

happens to the M? What do you think the M is made of?81. Mix 1 cup of cornstarch and ¼ to ½ cup of water. The mixture will act like both a

solid and a liquid. You can poke it or roll it in a ball, but it will also dribble through your fingers. It’s fun to play with! Be sure to throw it away in the trash, not down the drain.

Force82. Put some water or small items in a small bucket. Outdoors, safely away from

people or objects, swing it around in a big, fast circle. Why does the water or object stay in the bucket, even when it is upside down?

83. Push a stuffed toy on a skateboard or a scooter. What happens to the toy when the skateboard hits something?

33

Imagination84. Just for fun, make a little dwelling where an imaginary creature, like a fairy, could

live. Use materials that you find in nature, the way animals and birds do when they make their homes.

85. Use a paper plate as a face. Decorate it with eyes, a mouth, etc. by using leaves or other materials found in nature.

Light86. In the morning, stand outside and have someone trace your shadow with chalk.

In the afternoon, stand in the exact same spot and trace your shadow again. What happened? Why?

87. Play with a flashlight or – even better – two! How can you make short shadows or long shadows? Does everything have a shadow? Can something have two shadows at the same time?

88. Use a small hand-held mirror to reflect light. See if you can aim it to shine on a particular place.

89. Look at your reflection in a big, shiny spoon. Do you look different on one side of the spoon than you do on the other? Why do you think that is?

90. Write your name. Look at the reflection of it in a mirror. Do any letters look the same? You can try this with the whole alphabet.

Night Sky91. Find the Big Dipper when you are outside on a clear night.92. Watch for lights that look like stars, but they don’t blink and they move rather

quickly across the sky. These are satellites.93. Check the moon every few days, and draw what it looks like each time. It will

appear to change.

Outdoors94. Go on a hunt around your neighborhood or just your own yard. Pick what you

would like to watch for: birds, trees, plants, creepy-crawly things, etc. See how many different ones you can find.

95. Create a collection of rocks, feathers, or other treasures you find in nature. 96. Watch clouds for a while. Can you see them moving? Can you find any clouds

that look like something else?97. Find different types of seeds in nature. Figure out how the seeds travel (wind,

sticking to clothing or animals, being eaten and deposited someplace else, etc.) to grow into new plants.

34

98. Use a field guide to identify something you find outside. There are books to help identify birds, animals, insects, rocks, and more!

Paper99. Make a paper airplane, or have someone teach you how to make one. Can you

make more than one kind? Which kind flies the farthest?100. Take one sheet of paper. Fold it in half, then in half again, and again. Continue

as many times as you can. How many times are you able to fold the paper in half?

101. Make a simple flip-book out of a stack of sticky-notes or on the bottom edge of a phone book. Draw a clear, simple picture on one page. On the next page, draw almost the same picture with just a little bit of a change. Continue to do this, page after page. When you flip the pages, your pictures will be like a moving cartoon.

Pennies102. Take some old, dirty-looking pennies. Mix ¼ cup white vinegar and 1 teaspoon

of salt in a non-metal container. Use your mixture to clean the pennies. Rinse the pennies with water and admire their shine! (Or, see what happens when you don’t rinse them with water afterward!)

103. Fill a small cup of water up to the top. One by one, count how many pennies you can carefully add to the cup before it overflows.

Plants104. Plant seeds in two different containers. Do something different to each one. For

example, water one but not the other. Or plant one seed point-up and one seed point-down. See if they grow the same way or if your choice made a difference.

105. Put a white flower, like a carnation, in a vase with some food coloring. What happens to the color of the flower after a day? Why?

106. Find a dry pinecone with its scales open wide. Soak it in a cup of water. What happens? Why do you think this happens? Can you get it to open again?

107. Grow a potato plant. Use a jar or glass of water. Stick 4 toothpicks in a potato to help hold the potato halfway in the water. Keep it in a dark place until it grows leaves. Then you can put it in the sunlight.

108. Place a leaf under a sheet of white paper. Peel a crayon, and use the broad side of the crayon to rub the paper, creating a print of the leaf’s veins.

Pressure

35

109. Fill a small glass of water up to the top. Lay a piece of cardboard across the mouth of the glass, making sure no air bubbles get in. Hold the cardboard, and turn the glass upside down. Slowly take away the hand holding the cardboard. Air pressure should keep the cardboard in place.

Sand (Sandbox or Beach)110. Throw different-sized rocks down into sand to see how holes, or craters, can be

formed.111. Experiment with water and sand for building, making rivers, and experiencing

erosion.112. Look at sand up close. Can you tell what it is made out of? Can you find

different colors in the grains of sand?

Sound113. Experiment with different glasses filled with different amounts of water. Use a

pencil or spoon to tap them gently, and hear the noises they make. See if you can order them from lowest-pitched noise to highest-pitched noise.

114. Have an adult teach you how to blow across the top of a bottle to make a sound.

115. Does someone in your family play an instrument? Have the person show you what vibrates to make the sound.

116. Find a spot indoors or outdoors. Sit there quietly for several minutes. List all the sounds you can hear.

117. Find a spot where you can yell and hear an echo. Where do you think the sound is bouncing off to come back to you?

Straws118. Stick a straw (or pencil) in a clear glass of water. Why do you think it looks

bent?119. Put a straw in a glass of water. Use one finger to cover the top of the straw, and

lift the straw out of the water. The water should stay inside the straw until you take your finger off the top. Why do you think this happens?

120. Use two straws. Put both in your mouth, but put the bottom of one straw inside the glass of water and the bottom of the other straw outside the glass of water. Why do you think it is hard to drink this way?

Temperature

36

121. Put cold water in one drinking glass and the same amount of hot water in another drinking glass. Put 2 drops of food coloring in each glass. Which one spreads faster? Why do you think that is?

Water122. Take several different-shaped containers. Pour exactly one cup of water in each

one. Notice how different one cup of water can look, depending on the container’s shape.

123. Put an ice cube on a plate. Watch what happens. Leave it for a day or two. What happened now?

124. Fill a plastic cup or water bottle about halfway with water. Use a marker to carefully mark the level of the water. Freeze it overnight. Now where is the level of the water? Why did this happen?

125. Fill a cup of water to the top. Put in a few ice cubes, so the ice cubes are sticking out of the water a bit. Leave the ice cubes to melt. Does the cup overflow when they melt?

126. Fill one glass with water and place an empty glass next to it. Twist some paper towels so they make something like a rope. Put one end in the glass with water and one in the empty glass. Wait a few hours or overnight. What happens?

127. On a snowy day, catch some snowflakes on a dark-colored paper, mitten, or jacket sleeve. Look closely to see the shape and patterns.

128. With an adult’s help, boil water on the stove. What starts to happen? Where does the steam go?

129. Breathe on a mirror or on a cold window. What happens?130. Use an empty plastic bottle. Bigger works better. Use a thumbtack to poke 4 or

5 holes in a line down the side of the bottle. Fill the bottle with water. Which hole squirts water the farthest? Why?

131. You can make a wave in a bottle by putting vegetable oil, water, and food coloring in a clear bottle. Screw the top on the bottle, put it on its side, and let it settle. Then you can gently tilt it to make waves.

Your Turn!132. Find a book or website of science experiments. Pick one to try.133. You can come up with your own science experiment or activity. There are so

many things to learn about, that I could not possibly list all of them here. Pick what you want to learn about, and go for it!

Health Activities & Experiments

37

Balance134. Which parts of your body help you balance? Stand on a cushion or pillow in a

safe place. Try standing in different ways, such as on two feet or on one foot, with your eyes open or closed, and with your arms out or at your sides.

Body Changes135. Look at handprints, footprints, or growth charts from when you were younger.

See how much you have changed.

Body Parts136. How many body parts can you name? Try to include parts that are on the inside

and on the outside.

Brain137. Pick something you do every day, like brushing your teeth. As you do it, think

about all the different messages that are being sent to and from your brain. (Eyes-locate toothpaste. Fingers-pick it up. Squeeze a little, not too hard! Arm- bring toothbrush to mouth. Mouth – open up! Etc.)

Eyes138. Look at your own pupils (the black dot in the middle of your eye) in a mirror

with a bright light on. Turn off the light. When you turn it back on, watch what happens to your pupils – you have to pay attention because it happens very quickly! Why do you think this happens?

Exercise139. Different types of exercise make your body strong, build your endurance (or

stamina), and make your body more flexible. Pick some ways you exercise and think about how your exercise helps your body.

140. Take a sport you play or one you see on TV. What kind of safety equipment do the players have? What does the safety equipment help to protect?

Feelings141. List as many feeling words as you can. Show what these feelings look like on

your face.142. Practice figuring out what someone is feeling by looking at his or her facial

expression and body language. Remember, you cannot read someone’s mind, so you may or may not be correct. If it is a friend or family member, you can ask the person to see if you are correct.

Fingerprints

38

143. Scribble a dark patch on scrap paper with a pencil. Rub a finger in the pencil. Put a piece of clear tape on your finger, peel it off, and stick it to a clean piece of paper. Now you can examine your fingerprint. Why do you think we have fingerprints? Can you find another fingerprint that matches yours?

Hand washing144. When your hands are really dirty, do a quick wash. Then look at them carefully.

Find the spots that are easy to miss. What do you have to do to get these spots clean?

145. Find 5 spots in your home that everyone in your family touches. What would happen if one person were sick and touched these spots without washing his or her hands?

Health Check-ups146. Think of all the things you can remember about what a doctor or dentist does

when you get a check-up. Do you know the names of any of the tools your doctor or dentist uses?

Heart147. Feel your heartbeat after you have been sitting still for a while. Run around or

do jumping jacks, then feel it again. How did it change? Why?

Lungs148. Take a deep breath. Blow the whole breath into a balloon or a beach ball. See

how much air you had in your lungs.

Making Choices149. Talk through a decision that you or someone in your family needs to make. You

might consider these questions: Is it healthful? Is it safe? Do I follow rules and laws? Do I show respect for myself and others? Do I follow my family’s guidelines? Do I show good character?

150. Imagine a friend asks you to do something you don’t want to do, such as stay in the school bathroom to fool around rather than returning to class. Act out how you would use your resistance skills (say no, give a reason, match your behavior to your words, ask an adult for help if needed).

151. All of our choices have consequences. Pick a choice you made today, such as who to play with at recess. Think of the good consequences that your choice had and maybe some bad consequences that your choice had.

152. Adults, you can use this homework as an opportunity to talk to your child about your views on smoking or drinking alcohol. Your words are powerful, especially at this age.

39

Muscles153. Sit as still as you can. Can you figure out which muscles are working? Walk or

run around. Which muscles are you using now?154. Hold your hand in a fist. Pump it, like a heart, for as long as you can, until your

muscles get tired. Does your heart muscle ever get tired of pumping?

Nutrition 155. Check out www.choosemyplate.gov for the new guidelines on healthy eating.

(It’s a plate now, not a pyramid.) See if you can make your plate look like this during one of your meals.

156. Have an adult show you how to wash and cut or prepare a fruit or vegetable that you have not prepared by yourself before.

157. Find food labels (“Nutrition Facts”) on foods in your home. Can you find any foods that don’t have a label?

158. Check a food label on one of your favorite foods to see what the serving size is. Measure out one serving, so you can see exactly how big it is.

159. Watch a commercial for a food or look at an advertisement for a food. Talk about it with an adult. What is the commercial or ad trying to tell you?

Refrigerating Food160. Put a little food, like cheese, bread, or fruit in two sealable plastic bags. Keep

one in a cool place, like a refrigerator. Keep one in a warmer place. Examine the mold that grows. Which bag grew mold first? Why? How did the mold begin growing there? Be sure to keep the bags sealed, and throw them away when finished.

Safety161. Hold a household fire drill. Be sure everyone knows where to meet and that

they should not return into a burning building.162. Hold a household tornado/severe weather drill.163. Review with your family what you should do if you find a gun, a lighter, some

matches, cleaning products or medicine.164. Talk about your family’s rules for using the internet. Which websites are you

allowed to use? What information are you allowed to give out? What should you do if you see or read something that makes you feel uncomfortable?

165. Role-play what to do if you get lost, for example, in a store. Never go off with a stranger, but some strangers can be helpful (store workers, police, parents with kids).

40

166. Have an adult give you different situations, and you decide whether or not you should call 911. (Examples: Your house is on fire. You need homework help. Your dad fell down and can’t get up. Your dog is lost.)

Sleep167. Look at the time you go to bed and the time you wake up on most days. Use a

clock to figure out how many hours you sleep at night.

Taste and Smell168. Close your eyes. Have someone hand you one jelly bean at a time, and try to

guess the flavor using only your senses of taste and smell – no peeking at the color!

169. Stick out your tongue until it dries off. Touch some food to your dry tongue. Can you taste it?

170. Take a salty food, a sweet food, and a sour food. Stick out your tongue and touch the food to different places on your tongue. Where on your tongue do you taste each type of food the most?

171. Try some foods while your nose is plugged. Do they taste exactly the same as they do when you can smell them?

Teeth172. Pay attention to which teeth you use to bite and chew different foods. Try

foods that are hard or soft, like a carrot and a banana.173. Practice flossing, especially if you have not tried it before. Have an adult show

you how to wrap the floss around your fingers to reach your back teeth.174. Chew a bite of food such as a carrot or a cracker 5 times, and then spit it out.

Chew another bite about 20 times and spit it out. How is it different? Which do you think would be easier for your body to digest?

Math GamesSome evenings, your child will not bring home any math homework. On these nights, you may wish to play a game to reinforce the math your child is learning in school. Watch the top right corner of the home links, so you know which lesson we have done. Then you can play the game that goes with that lesson, or any game before that.

41

The materials you need for these games are found around your house, are included in this handbook, or will be stapled to the weekly homework check-off sheet. Be sure to have dice and a deck of cards on hand. Save any materials you cut out of this handbook, as you will use them over and over. Have fun!

***September Games***Everyday Math Lesson 1.2

Number Line SqueezeMaterials: number line to cut and assemble (attached to weekly homework), 2 pennies to use as brackets

Player A chooses a “mystery number” from the number line. Player B must guess what it is. Player A moves the pennies to show that the mystery number is higher or lower than the number guessed.

Sample game:1. Player A chooses 5 as the mystery number. Player A says, “The number is

between 1 and 9.” The pennies are placed on 1 and 9.2. Player B guesses 7. Player A says, “My number is lower than 7.” Player A moves

the penny from the 9 down to the 7.3. Player B guesses 4. Player A says, “My number is higher than 4.” Player A moves

the penny from the 1 up to the 4.4. Continue in this way until the number is guessed or the number is “squeezed” in

between the two pennies.

Everyday Math Lesson 1.3Penny-Dice GameMaterials: a die, 20 (or more) pennies

Put 20 (or more) pennies in a pile. Take turns rolling the die. Pick up as many pennies as indicated on the die until all pennies have been picked up. To pick up the last pennies, the number on the die must match the number of pennies remaining. The player with the most pennies wins.

Variation:When all the pennies are picked up, flip a coin.

42

Heads: The player with the most pennies wins.Tails: The player with the fewest pennies wins.

Working with 5 on a Ten-FrameMaterials: little ten-frames with one to five dots (attached to weekly homework)

Hold up a card horizontally for just a moment, so your child does not have time to count the dots. See if your child can tell you how many dots there were by visualizing the ten-frame.

Challenge: After your child tells you how many dots, see if your child can visualize how many more dots would be needed to make five. Example: "I saw 3 dots. I would need 2 more to make 5."

Note: Please save your little ten-frames to use for future games.

Everyday Math Lesson 1.6Top-ItMaterials: deck of cards

Place the cards in a stack with the number side facing down. Each player takes a card from the top of the deck, turns it over, and says the number on the card. The player who has the larger number takes both cards. If the two cards show the same number, each player takes another card from the top of the deck. The player with the larger number then takes all the cards facing up.

The game is over when all cards have been taken. The player with more cards wins.(This game is similar to the card game “War”.)

Everyday Math Lesson 1.8Rock, Scissors, PaperMaterials: pencil, paper

Players hide one hand behind their backs and make one of the three gestures – a fist for rock, two fingers for scissors, a flat hand for paper. On the count of 3, both players show their hands.

Scissors beat paper because scissors cut paper. Paper beats rock because paper can cover a rock. Rock beats scissors because a rock can break scissors.

43

If both players choose the same gesture, the round ends in a tie.

On the paper, record a tally for the gesture that won, or whether the round ended in a tie. (Note: In class, we record the gesture that won, not the person who won. We begin to see that no gesture is more likely to win than another.)

Roll My Number, PleaseMaterials: game board (attached to weekly homework), game piece for each player, 1die

Each player chooses a number, and puts his or her game piece on that number. Players take turns rolling the die. When the die lands on a number, the game piece on that number moves forward one space, no matter who rolls it or whose piece it is. The player whose piece reaches the end first is the winner.

If you play several times, you will see that no number is more likely to win than any other number.

Ten-FramesMaterials: little ten-frames with six to nine dots (attached to weekly homework); you may also mix these cards with the cards that have one to five dots

Hold up a card horizontally for just a moment, so your child does not have time to count the dots. See if your child can tell you how many dots there were by visualizing the ten-frame. Have your child explain what he or she visualizes. Example: "I saw 8 dots. There were 5 on the top and 3 on the bottom."

Challenge: After your child tells you how many dots, see if your child can visualize how many more dots would be needed to make ten. Example: "I saw 8 dots. I would need 2 more to make 10."

Note: Please save your little ten-frames to use for future games.

Ten-Frame Flash Bunny EarsMaterials: little ten-frames with 1-10 dots

Flash the ten-frame. Have your child hold up that many fingers with his hands beside or behind his head, so he can’t see his fingers. This encourages mathematical visualization.

Variation:If your child is an expert at both Ten-Frames and Ten-Frame Flash Bunny Ears, which are explained above, try Ten-Frame Flash – One More, One Less, Two More, or Two Less. Play the games the same way, but instead of telling the number shown, your child must figure out the number +1, +2, -1, or -2.

44

Everyday Math Lesson 2.1Rolling for 50Materials: a die, a marker for each player, a number grid

Begin on the 0. Take turns rolling the die and moving forward that many spaces. The first player to land on 50 is the winner. You may also try the game beginning on 50 and moving backwards to 0.

Variation:If you roll a … Move this many spaces

1 3 up2 2 back3 5 up4 6 back5 8 up6 10 up

Everyday Math Lesson 2.3Two-Fisted Penny AdditionMaterials: 10 pennies

Grab a handful of pennies with one hand. Pick up the rest with the other hand. Say, “I have (so many) pennies in my left hand.” (Use this opportunity to practice left and right.) The partner predicts how many pennies are in the other hand, knowing that there are 10 pennies in all.

***October Games***Tens Go FishMaterials: deck of cards Ace (1) through 9 or little ten-frame cards

Each player begins with 5 cards. The other cards are face-down in the middle, as a "fishing pond". The goal is to lay down matches that equal 10 (such as Ace and 9 or 4 and 6, etc.) Player A asks "Do you have any __?" If Player B has the card, he must give it to the Player A. If Player B does not have the card, he says, "Go fish". Player A then

45

picks a card from the "fishing pond". The player with the most pairs that equal 10 at the end is the winner.

Make 10 Card GameMaterials: deck of cards Ace (1) through 9

Lay five “starter” cards face-up next to the draw pile. The first player draws the top card from the deck. If he can make a sum of 10 using the card he drew plus one of the starter cards, he takes those cards and his turn is over. (Notice that there would then be only 4 starter cards for the next player.) If he cannot make 10 with his card and a starter card, the player places his card face-up with the other starter cards. (Notice that there would then be 6 starter cards for the next player.) When all the cards have been turned up and no more sums of 10 are possible, the player with the most cards is the winner.

Everyday Math Lesson 2.8Penny CupMaterials: a cup, 10 pennies (or another specified number of pennies), pencil and paper for scorekeeping

This game is a variation of Two-Fisted Penny Addition from Lesson 2.3. Players take turns. Player A turns the cup upside down, hides some of the pennies under the cup, and places the rest of the pennies on top of the cup. Player B counts the pennies on top and guesses how many are hidden underneath. If the guess is correct, Player B gets a point. Players then trade roles.

Everyday Math Lesson 2.9Penny GuessingMaterials: 20 (or more) pennies, 4 (or more) nickels, pencil, and paper

Put the pennies in a pile. One partner grabs a handful and spreads these pennies out on the table. Each partner then writes down a guess as to how many nickels he or she can trade for those pennies. Check your guesses by putting the pennies in groups of 5 and replacing each group of 5 pennies with 1 nickel. Repeat several times. The goal is to improve your guess.

Everyday Math Lesson 2.10Penny-Nickel ExchangeMaterials: a die, 20 pennies, 10 nickels

46

Place all the coins in a pile for the bank. Players take turns rolling the die and collecting the number of pennies shown on the die from the bank. Whenever players have at least 5 pennies, they say, “Exchange!” and trade 5 pennies for a nickel. The game ends when there are no more nickels in the bank. The player with the most money wins.

Everyday Math Lesson 2.11Nickel-Penny GrabMaterials: 8 nickels, 20 pennies, pencil and paper for scorekeeping

Place all of the coins in a pile. Partner A grabs a handful. Partner B takes what is left. Help each other find the total of the coins. Award a point to the person who grabbed more. Take turns grabbing first.

Variation:After counting each player’s total, flip a coin.Heads: The player with the highest amount wins.Tails: The player with the lowest amount wins.

Add ‘em UpMaterials: 2 dice, 2 colors of marker or crayon, game sheet (attached to weekly homework)

Roll the 2 dice. Add and color your answer on the game sheet. The first player to get 4 in a row is the winner.

Everyday Math Lesson 2.12High RollerMaterials: 2 dice, pencil, score sheet

Players take turns. One player rolls 2 dice. The player keeps the die with the larger number (the High Roller) and rolls the other die again (just one time). The player then counts on from the number rolled on the first die to get the sum of the two dice.

Example:Player A rolls a 5 and a 3.Player A keeps the 5. He/she rolls the other die again and gets a 6.Player A says “5” (from the first die), and continues counting the dots on the next die, “6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11!” Player A scored 11.

Player B rolls a 6 and a 4.Player B keeps the 6. He/she rolls the other die again and gets a 2.Player B says “6” (from the first die), and continues counting the dots on the next die, “7, 8!” Player B scored 8. Player A is the winner.

47

Here's the Answer! What was the Question?This activity involves language and mathematical thinking. Take turns giving an answer and having the other player think of possible questions. Example:Answer: 3 puppiesQuestion: My dog had six puppies, but we sold three. How many were left?or How many puppies do you get when you add 2 plus 1 more?or My mom, sister, and I all want our own puppy. How many puppies do we need?

The possibilities for answers and questions are endless!

Nearby NumbersMaterials: game board & Nearby Numbers game cards (attached to weekly homework)

Shuffle and deal the cards face down into 2 equal piles. The first player draws the top card from his or her stack and positions it correctly on the game board. (Example: a 6 could go right before the 7, right after the 5, or 2 spaces before the 8.)

Continue to take turns. If a card cannot be played, return it to the bottom of your pile. When a player places the final card to complete a row, he or she takes all the cards from that row and adds them to the bottom of his or her pile. A player wins when the other player loses all cards or when time is up and he or she has the most cards.

Everyday Math Lesson 3.1Before and After Materials: deck of cards

Mix the cards and deal 6 to each player. Put 2 cards down side-by-side and face-up. Put the rest of the cards facedown in a stack. Take turns. When it is your turn:

Look for any number in your hand that comes before or after one of the face-up numbers. Put it on top of the face-up number. Play as many cards as you can. Take as many cards as you need from the stack, so you always have 6 cards in your hand. When you can’t play anymore, it is the next player’s turn.

If you can’t play any cards when it is your turn, take 2 cards from the stack and place them face-up on the 2 face-up cards. Try to play cards from your hand again. If you still can’t play, your turn is over.

The game is over when there are no cards left in the stack or no one can play any more cards. The player holding the fewest cards at the end is the winner.

Variation:Rather than taking turns, both players try to play as quickly as they can, at the same time.

***November Games***

48

Poison FrogMaterials: a pile of about 20 pennies, and one nickel

Players take turns taking 1, 2, or 3 pennies out of the pile. The nickel represents the "poison frog." The player who is stuck taking the poison frog at the end loses. Play several times to discover a winning strategy.

Fingers Out - Even and Odd GameMaterials: pencil and paper for scorekeeping

Decide which player is "Even" and which player is "Odd". On the count of three, each player puts out 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 fingers. Add the fingers of the two players together. If the sum is even, the "Even" player gets a tally. If the sum is odd, the "Odd" player gets a tally. The player with the most tallies at the end is the winner.

Odd Number WinsMaterials: 15 small objects, such as pennies

Players take turns taking 1, 2, or 3 objects from the pile. When the pile is gone, the player with an odd number of objects is the winner. Play several times to discover a winning strategy.

Even StevenMaterials: Deck of cards A (1) through 10

Place the deck face-down in front of you. Turn up the first and second cards. Add them. If the sum is even, put them to the side. If the sum is odd, begin a line of cards, leaving them face up. Turn over the next card, putting it at the end of the line. Always add the last two cards in the line. Continue keeping pairs with even sums. Play until every card in the deck has been turned up. If you keep all the cards by adding and removing even combinations, you win!

Note: This is a chance to discover that 2 even numbers add up to an even number, 2 odd numbers add up to an even number, and an even number plus an odd number equals an odd number.

49

Everyday Math Lesson 3.12Coin-DiceMaterials: a pile of pennies (at least 20), nickels, and dimes, 2 dice

Take turns rolling the 2 dice and picking up as many pennies as the total number on the dice. At the end of a turn, make exchanges for nickels or dimes, if possible. To pick up the last coins, the total number on the two dice must match the total value of the remaining coins. The player with the most money at the end is the winner.

Variation: The player who picks up the last coin is the winner.

Everyday Math Lesson 3.12Dime-Nickel-Penny GrabMaterials: 10 dimes, 8 nickels, 20 pennies, pencil and paper for scorekeeping

The rules are the same as those for Nickel-Penny Grab (Lesson 2.11). Dimes have now been added.

Domino GrabMaterials: dominoes (attached to weekly homework)

Deal the dominoes equally, face-down to each player. The first player flips his first domino and puts it in the middle of the group. All players quickly calculate the total number of dots. (Try to do this by recognizing the dot pattern or mentally adding the two sides rather than counting every dot.) The next player flips a domino and places it next to the first domino. If the two dominoes show the same number of dots, all players race to grab the dominoes. If the dominoes do not show the same number of dots, continue to take turns flipping dominoes, but only grab when you find two that have the same number of dots. If a grab is made when the totals are not equal, the dominoes go to the opponent. The player with the most dominoes in the end wins.

50

Everyday Math Lesson 3.14Domino Top-ItMaterials: dominoes

This game is similar to Top-It (Lesson 1.6).Place all the dominoes facedown on the table. Each player turns over a domino and finds the total number of dots. The player with the larger total takes both dominoes. In case of a tie, each player takes another facedown domino. The player with the larger total on the second domino takes all the face-up dominoes. Play continues until all the dominoes are played. The player with the most dominoes wins.

Note: To practice basic facts, have the players state the number on each part of the domino, and then the total. For example, if the domino has 3 on one side and 5 on the other, the player must say, “Three and five makes eight.” When the students play without saying the addition facts, they are usually using estimating skills rather than addition skills.

***December Games***Everyday Math Lesson 4.4

Time MatchMaterials: Time Match cards on Math Masters pp. 37 and 38 (attached to weekly homework)(Note: Use only the cards for o’clock and half-past. Save the cards for quarter-before and quarter-past to be used at a later time.)

Mix the cards and place them all facedown in neat rows. Players take turns turning over 2 cards at a time. If they match, the player keeps them. If they don’t match, they are returned facedown to their original positions. When all of the cards have been collected, the player with the most matches wins.

Please save the cards to use with future games!

Note: The cards can also be used to practice putting the times in order from earliest to latest.

Everyday Math Lesson 4.10Time MatchMaterials: all Time Match cards from Math Masters pp. 37 and 38 (used in Lesson 4.4), as well as the cards on Math Masters p. 39 (attached to weekly homework)

Play the game the same as in Lesson 4.4. Time to the quarter-hour has been added. Matches may be made with the cards face-up if this is better for your child.

51

Everyday Math Lesson 4.12Shaker Addition Top-ItMaterials: 2 dice, 20 pennies, Write Addition Facts recording sheet (attached to weekly homework)

For each round, players take turns rolling the 2 dice, adding the numbers, recording the number model, and stating the sum. The player with the highest sum for the round takes a penny from the pile. If there is a tie, each winning player takes a penny. The player with the most pennies at the end wins.

Variation:Saying the wrong sum disqualifies a player for that round. This encourages players to check each other’s addition.

Everyday Math Lesson 4.12High Roller to 20Materials: a die, a calculator, pencil and scratch paper for scorekeeping

Player A rolls the die. If the first roll is not 6, Player A rolls again and adds the two numbers together. Player B checks the total with the calculator.

Player A continues until a 6 is rolled, adding each roll to the previous sum. Player B checks each new total with the calculator. If Player A reaches a total of 10 or more before rolling a 6, he or she scores 1 point. If Player A reaches a total of 20 or more before rolling a 6, he or she scores 1 bonus point. After rolling a 6 or reaching 20, the players switch roles. The winner is the first to reach 10 points (or another predetermined number of points).

Variation: If the player who is rolling the die gives the wrong total, his or her turn ends.

***January Games***Everyday Math Lesson 5.1

The Digit GameMaterials: deck of cards 0-9 (Aces can be 1 and Jacks can be 0. Remove 10’s, Queens, and, Kings.)

Place a shuffled deck facedown between the partners. Each player draws 2 cards and uses the cards to make the largest 2-digit number possible. (Example: A 2 and a 6 could be used to make 62.) The player who makes the larger number takes all of the cards. Play continues until all of the cards have been used. The player with more cards wins.

52

Two-Digit ScrambleMaterials: deck of deck of cards 0-9 (Aces can be 1 and Jacks can be 0. Remove 10’s, Queens, and, Kings.), game sheet (attached to weekly homework)

Players take turns drawing 2 cards, making a 2-digit number, and recording it in an open space on their game sheet. (Example: 32 is between 30 and 39, so it could be recorded in that space.) If you are unable to fill in an open space on the game sheet, it is the other player’s turn. The first person to record a number for each space is the winner.

Everyday Math Lesson 5.3Top-It with Relation SymbolsMaterials: deck of cards and cards with the symbols <, > and = (These symbols can be written on scrap paper.)

Play Top-It, as in Lesson 1.6. Before the winner of a round can pick up the cards, he or she must choose the correct relation symbol to place in between the cards, and read the number model. For example:

8>2 reads “Eight is more than two.”3< 10 reads “Three is less than ten.”5=5 reads “Five is the same as five” or “Five equals five.”

Everyday Math Lesson 5.6Pin the Number on the Number GridMaterials: number grid, sticky notes or small scraps of paper, pencil, blindfold (optional)

Player A wears the blindfold or closes his or her eyes. Player B writes a number on the sticky note or small piece of paper, and tells the number to Player A. Player A uses his or her sense of touch and knowledge of the number grid to try to stick the number in the correct place. With practice, the game gets easier.

53

Everyday Math Lesson 5.7Difference GameMaterials: deck of cards 1-10 (remove Jacks, Queens, and Kings), 40 pennies

Put the shuffled cards in a stack, facedown. Each player takes a card from the top of the stack and takes as many pennies from the bank as the number shown on the card. Players line their pennies up side-by-side to see who has more. Both players figure out the difference, or how many more pennies one player has. The player with the most pennies keeps the difference. All other pennies are returned to the bank. Play continues until there are not enough pennies in the bank to play another round. The player who has taken more pennies wins.

Sample round:Player A drew a 5. P P P P PPlayer B drew a 7. P P P P P P P

Player B has 2 pennies that do not match up to Player A’s pennies. Therefore, the difference is 2. Player B keeps those 2 pennies, and all the rest are returned to the bank.

Variation: This game can also be played with ten-frame cards. For a challenge, each player turns over 2 cards, adds them, and compares the total to the partner’s total. The player with the most dots wins the difference in pennies.

Doubles Snap!Materials: Ten-frame cards

Place ten-frame cards face-down in a pile. Take turns turning over the top card. Both players think “What is the double of that?” The first player to say the double wins the card. The player with the most cards at the end wins.

Four Sums-in-a-RowMaterials: game board (attached to weekly homework), 2 paperclips, 2 different markers or crayons

Each player places a paperclip on a number at the bottom of the game board. Players take turns moving only one paperclip at a time, adding the two numbers, and coloring that space on the board. (You may place both paperclips on the same number.) The first player to color in 4 spaces in a row is the winner.

54

Everyday Math Lesson 5.13Penny-Nickel-Dime ExchangeMaterials: 20 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, 2 dice

This game is similar to Penny-Nickel Exchange, played in Lesson 2.10. Now players roll 2 dice, and dimes have been added to the bank. The game ends when there are no more dimes in the bank.

***February Games***Everyday Math Lesson 6.1

Addition Top-ItMaterials: deck of cards 0-9 (Aces can be 1 and Jacks can be 0. Remove 10’s, Queens, and, Kings.)

Shuffle the deck and place it on the table with the cards facedown. At each turn, players turn over 2 cards, add the numbers, and say the number model. For example, if you draw a 2 and a 3, you say, “Two plus three equals five.” The player with the higher sum takes all the face-up cards. In case of a tie, players turn over two more cards. The player with the higher sum from these two cards takes all the cards from both plays. Play continues until there are fewer than 4 cards left in the deck. The player with the most cards wins.

Everyday Math Lesson 6.4Beat the CalculatorMaterials: calculator, pencil and paper for scorekeeping, and one of the following: +/- fact triangles (*preferred*), flashcards, or facts table

This game works best with 3 people. One is the Brain, one is the Calculator, and one is the Caller. The Caller holds a fact triangle, and covers one of the numbers. (The caller may also hold up a flashcard or say a fact from a fact table.) The Brain must do the problem in his or her head. (Some children may still need a number line or their fingers.) The Calculator must do the problem on a calculator, even if he or she already knows the answer. A point is awarded to the player who first answers correctly. Switch roles after a while.

Note: This game helps demonstrate that it is usually quicker and easier to have “fact power” or to just know the answer, rather than to rely on a calculator or other method. The eventual goal is for the Brain to beat the Calculator on all the addition facts.

Ka-ching!

55

Materials: money cards (attached to weekly homework)

This game is played like Top-It (see Lesson 1.6), but with coins. Whoever has the most money on his or her card can say “Ka-ching!” before taking both cards. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner.

Everyday Math Lesson 6.10Coin ExchangeMaterials: 20 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, 2 quarters, 2 dice

This game is similar to Penny-Nickel Exchange, played in Lesson 2.10 and Penny-Nickel-Dime Exchange, played in Lesson 5.13. Now quarters have been added to the bank. The game ends when there are no more quarters in the bank.

Everyday Math (also) Lesson 6.10Time MatchMaterials: Time Match cards Math Masters pp. 87 and 88 (attached to weekly homework)

This game is similar to the Time Match games played in Lessons 4.4 and 4.10. Now the players are matching the times shown on analog clocks to clocks showing digital notation. Matches can be made face-up if this is better for your child.

Note: Save these cards to be used at a later time.

How Many More?Materials: game sheet (attached to weekly homework), 1die, different color marker or crayon for each player

Roll the die and determine how many more to make the number on the title of the game board. Color in that space. (Example: I rolled a 6. How many more to make 8? The answer is 2, so I color in the 2.) The first player to color 3 in a row is the winner.

***March Games***Woozle CardsMaterials: Woozle Cards (attached to weekly homework), 2 overlapping circles made from string, hula hoops, or drawn on paper

Practice sorting the cards by attributes (color, curved or straight, 1 or 2 dots, hair or no hair). For example, one circle could contain cards with 1 dot, and the other circle could contain cards with hair. The overlapping part of the circles would contain cards with 1 dot AND hair. The area outside the circles would contain cards with 2 dots and no hair.

56

When you are good at sorting, take turns doing a sort and having someone guess which attributes you used.

Everyday Math Lesson 7.6Identify Shapes Using TouchMaterials: several shapes cut out of paper, or objects that are 3-dimensional shapes

Players take turns handing each other a shape. The receiving partner, facing away from the first partner, holds both hands behind his or her back and, using touch only, tries to tell what shape it is.

Everyday Math Lesson 8.2One-Dollar ExchangeMaterials: Place Value Mat, 2 dice, 1 dollar, 20 dimes, 21 pennies

Players take turns. They roll the dice, announce the total number of dots, take that number of cents from the bank, and place the coins in the correct spot on the mat. (The mat is shared, and both players add to the same total.) Whenever possible, they exchange 10 pennies for a dime. The first player to make an exchange for a dollar wins the game.

Income, OutgoMaterials: game board (attached to weekly homework), lots of change, game piece for each player, 1 die

Each player should begin with about 1 dollar in coins. Other coins should be in a “bank” from which players will take or return money and make exchanges. Take turns rolling the die and following the directions on the game board. The player with the most money when reaching the finish is the winner.

In addition to helping your child practice money counting skills, this game will help your child learn money vocabulary (spend, lend, borrow, earn, pay, etc.)

Everyday Math Lesson 8.5The 3, 2, 1 GameMaterials: pencil, paper, number grid or number line (optional)

Write the number 21. At each turn, a player subtracts 1, 2, or 3 from the last number. The object of the game is to be the first player to reach exactly 0. Play several times to help notice patterns and develop a winning strategy.

Variation: Choose a different starting number.

***April Games***

57

Fact Family Match GameMaterials: deck of cards A (1) to 10

Shuffle and place pile face down. Players take turns turning over a card, placing it face-up on the table, and seeing if they can make a fact family match with three cards that are face-up. For example, if you turn over a 6 and you see a 3 and a 9 on the table, you can keep these three cards because they make a fact family (3+6=9, 6+3=9, 9-6=3, 9-3=6). You may also make a match with 2 cards and an invisible 0 (4+0=4, 0+4=4, 4-4=0, 4-0=4). The player who collected the most cards at the end is the winner.

Everyday Math Lesson 9.2The Number Grid GameMaterials: a number grid, a die, a game marker for each player

Take turns. Begin at the 0 on the number grid. Roll the die.If you roll a … You may move this many spaces:

1 1 or 102 2 or 203 34 45 56 6

The winner is the first player to get to 110 or past.

Note: Encourage players to move efficiently on the number grid. For example, if your marker is on 24, and you roll a 1, you can move 10 spaces by simply moving down a row to the 34, rather than counting forward 10 spaces.

Capture 5Materials: a number grid, deck of Change Cards (attached to weekly homework), 12 pennies, a game piece for each player

Place the 12 pennies on 12 different numbers on the number grid. Place your game piece anywhere on the number grid to start out. Deal 5 Change Cards to each player, and place the remaining Change Cards in a pile, face down. On your turn, you may play any combination of your Change Cards to move on the number grid, and try to capture a penny. (Example: If you are on 75, and you want to capture a penny on 66, you could play -10 and +1.)

Begin each turn with 5 Change Cards. The first player to capture 5 pennies is the winner.

Three SumMaterials: game board (attached to weekly homework), 3 dice, 2 different colored markers or crayons

58

Take turns rolling all three dice, adding them, and coloring the sum on the board. If the sum is unavailable, it is the next player’s turn. The first player to color four in a row is the winner.

***May/June Games***Everyday Math Lesson 10.2

Time MatchMaterials: Time Match cards from Math Masters p. 87 and 88 (from Lesson 6.10), as well as the Time Match cards from Math Masters p. 125 (attached to weekly homework)

This game is similar to the Time Match games played in Lessons 4.4, 4.10, and 6.10. Times to 5 minutes have been added. Matches can be made face-up if this is better for your child.

Everyday Math Lesson 10.3Buyer and VendorMaterials: 10 nickels, 20 dimes, 4 quarters, Vending Machine poster (attached to weekly homework)

Partners take turns being the Buyer and the Vending Machine. The Buyer must try to give the Vending Machine the exact amount in coins for purchase of an item. The Vending Machine determines if the coins are correct for the purchase.

Note: Please save the Vending Machine poster for future use.

Everyday Math Lesson 10.4Making Change in Buyer and VendorMaterials: 10 nickels, 20 dimes, 4 quarters, Vending Machine poster

This game is similar to Buyer and Vendor in Lesson 10.3. The Buyer may put in either the correct amount or too much for an item. The Vending Machine determines whether change is to be returned and, if so, how much.

59