Think Globally, Act Locally

This year our theme at Hough Street School, is THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY!  Each grade level will present a Science Unit that connects to this important theme.  Today we visited Mrs. Lanan's 5th grade class and learned about our "Human Footprint."  The students watched a short video that was created by the 5th graders and talked about ways they can help the environment.

We Are Scientists!

Today, our fourth grade buddies shared with us all that they have learned in their earth and water science unit! The first graders learned some important vocabulary and concepts about how water impacts our earth. This buddy mentorship is a critical part of our social and emotional learning philosophy here at Hough. Here are some pictures of our scientists in action:

Content Appropriate Beginning Chapter Books

Here is a list of beginning chapter books that we believe are content appropriate for first grade. As always, please screen any book before allowing your child to read independently as we have not read them all!

Flat Stanley  If you've ever had to participate in a Flat Stanley project, then you are very familiar with the story. Stanley is a little boy who was accidentally smashed flat and decides to see the world by mailing himself everywhere and you can read all about his amazing adventures in this series.

Babysitter's Little Sister This series is a spin off of the Babysitter's Club books that I read as a kid. The series follows Karen, who is the younger sister of original Babysitter's Club member Kristy Thomas. There are 122 books in this series, so you can keep your child reading for a long time!

The Kids in Ms. Colman's Class This series is a spin off of Babysitter's Little Sister (yes, a prolific author!). There are 12 of these books, and they center around the events in Ms. Colman's classroom at Stoneybook Academy.

Cam Jansen Cam is a little sleuth who solves many mysteries. I love that the author has a website devoted to Cam and kids can find study guides, quizzes, and other fun Cam activities. To go to the website click here: Cam Jansen Website.

Amber Brown Amber Brown's name sounds like it might be a crayon color. She has to deal with things like her parents divorcing and her best friend moving across the country.

A to Z Mysteries This series follows 9-year-old detectives Dink, Josh, and Ruth as they solve many mysteries. 26 of them, to be precise. One for every letter in the alphabet.

Arthur  It's nice to have a few options like this for kids to read about familiar characters they already know from TV or movies.

Ready, Freddy!  These books are fun, relatable stories about Freddy and the goings-on in his life at school and at home.

Clementine Like most of these books, the Clementine series centers around a character and her adventures. Clementine has to deal with things like a talent show at school for which she has nothing to perform, feeling like her parents love her little brother best, and navigating her relationship with her best friend, Margaret.

Judy Moody Judy Moody is a little girl who has lots of moods. She has a mood for anything life throws at her. Sometimes it's a bad mood and sometimes it's a medical mood and sometimes it's a fancy mood, but she always has a mood. Judy Moody also always has a fun website full of "way-not-boring stuff to do" and other fun Judy Moody activities. To go to the website click here: Judy Moody website.

Ivy and Bean Ivy and Bean are two little troublemakers who are always getting themselves into, well, trouble! This author also has a fun website dedicated to all things Ivy and Bean, including crafts and ideas about how to bug your sister. To go to the website click here: Ivy and Bean website.

A Few Popular Picks:

 
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew

Horrible Harry

Magic Treehouse

Boxcar Children

Ramona Series

Royal Oak Farm