Check out these websites for math fun with a Christmas theme!

http://www.abcya.com/christmas_lights_holiday_game_for_kids.htm

http://www.mathplayground.com/holiday_puzzle_pics_addition_facts_to_20.html

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?f=ChristmasYr1

Grade 1 is learning their doubles facts in math class. We have a few tricks to help us - for example 9+9=18 is our 18 wheeler fact and 6+6=12 is our dozen of eggs fact. Can your child tell you the rest? Here are some links to some games that make practice fun: http://www.ictgames.com/robindoubles.html  http://www.maths-games.org/ladybird-doubles.html  http://www.ictgames.com/bridgedoubles.html

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/BalloonCount10.htm Count forwards and backwards at this site. If that is too easy click on the math button at the top and find other challenges. 

Wow - we are moving right along and the children are beginning to learn sight words and read leveled books!  They are doing a great job. Our sight word of the week last week was "am". There are lots of ways to keep reinforcing this at home. Some examples are writing it on paper, on the computer, in flour, etc. You can also spell it while clapping, stomping, jumping and so on.   This weeks sight word: "is".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqqQsHKPKIg(link is external)   (Practice the word "is")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA59tZZgses(link is external)     (Practice the word "am")

We have seen the letter e everywhere today! Our Zoophonics animal is Ellie Elephant so we read elephant information books and watched a few video clips to learn about these enormous animals. We wished we lived close to the zoo so we could ride on an elephant (like Mrs. Hendry and her granddaughter Annabelle did!). Here is the link for the E Story Bot song:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2q2mq5KOmo(link is external) And Ellie's friend Eddie's egg song:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXcpYuhtPz8(link is external) We stomped our feet and swung our "trunks" to this Hap Palmer Elephant song video. You may want to check it out with your child:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSsDbneWFJ8(link is external)    

The children had fun with their wooden number bars, checking out which combinations would be the same length as a longer bar or finding which color combination would be the same length as another combination. This website has the virtual bars (also know as Cuisinaire rods) for some online fun. Can your child tell you the addition sentence? Maybe they can make their fingers match the colors? Hint: A white block is equal to 1, a red is 2... http://www.mathplayground.com/mathbars.html  The button at the bottom can turn the numbers on for you - try it both ways.

We had a great time with the letter H!  Here are the links the children enjoyed: Story Bots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk5M7jITfIU(link is external) I am h-a-p-p-y song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV0CblTeRzs(link is external)  Sesame Street H videos (vintage but hilarious!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Pwt-OqNwE&list=PLA260546E06C85159(link is external) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alEz1TWLJXU(link is external) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiawwoDk64c They might enjoy making a hat on the extra day off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0oGg7It0BM

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