Speaking of Parent-Teacher conferences, there were TWO different days you could sign up for...a week from today and then later in October. In your child's take-home folder today there is a conference confirmation letter...please sign it and return it to me so that I know when we are meeting. At the bottom of that form, please place any specific questions you would like answered so that I am well prepared for our conference. Thanks!
We've had a great, busy week...here's how it went down...
Language Arts
We have been working on "before reading" strategies: setting a purpose, previewing the text, making a plan for reading...this has all been done with a fun novel titled, The Kid Who Ran for President by Dan Gutman...now we are focusing on "during reading" strategies...specifically the strategy of questioning. This strategy was also modeled using the same novel, and today they worked independently using questioning with a piece of literature from the Storyworks magazine. Your kids are working really hard, participating in great classroom discussions, and are constantly wowing me with their thought processes.
They are continuing to enjoy Writer's Workshop and we are ready to begin the "pit stops" of the workshop...many kids have some pieces they feel are "finished", so they will be participating in a peer conference station, an editing station, a revising station, a teacher conference station...all on the way to publishing their piece. These stations will be introduced over the next two weeks. I love seeing your kids on the floor with their writer's notebooks, little lines on their foreheads as they think and create...I can't wait for them to see how much their pieces will change as they go through this process!
Word Study
I am making this its own category this week...because I realize it may need some clarification...
On Monday your kids took a pretest with a focus...the /f/ sound...then, based on the results of the pretest, your child made his/her own list based on his/her own needs...this list was approximately 10 words and it was put on a sheet of paper called the "Word Study Contract".
Homework on Mondays is always "do something creative with your words IN YOUR COMPOSITION BOOD" (the 'in your composition book part will make sense soon)...this can be writing the words in bubble letters, writing the words in pyramids, writing the words in rainbow letters, etc...this week I asked them to try cursive...
On Tuesday and Wednesday your child's homework is 10 MEANINGFUL sentences...5 a day, or if they choose, all 10 on one of the two days...these sentences have to be turned in...in order to be considered 'meaningful' they must use excellent word choice, be interesting, and use the word study word properly...you will see this develop as the year progresses...
On Thursdays the kids are charged with studying...I would like them to do this anyway they'd like to study, but I did show them the website, "Spelling City" where they can type in their words and then play games and take a pretest and I showed them the Zaner Bloser site where they can print out their words in cursive and practice them that way...
On Friday the kids will take a test...they do this with a partner, since there are 18 different lists in the classroom...and now...back to the composition book...some kids will leave the word study lists at home on accident...so if this happens, the composition book is the "back up list"...once they have written all of their words for the test, they must write two sentences that show they understand the meaning of two of the words...today they got to choose the words, some weeks they'll be told which words to write about...stressing that each word's spelling is important, but no more than the meaning of the word!
The process sounds crazy, but it is actually a very organized way for each child to have a list that is just right for them...please email me if you are confused on any night and I am happy to help!
Math
I continue to run groups to ensure different levels of learning are occuring...I've been very impressed with their ability to complete the algorithm when adding and subtracting...but it is amazing to me how many kids do not have a clue why they regroup and what the numbers they place above the addends mean. Common core is about strengthening the foundation of their conceptual knowledge, so although your child may be able to add 3,856 + 1,659= in the blink of an eye, they also need to understand how to spot an error in regrouping by explaining the mistake in place value, by knowing that the 1 above the tens place is there because all tens get put into that column and you can't put more than nine in the ones. Sounds simple to you...but its not...they've learned by memorizing that you regroup, but not many can explain why...NOT UNTIL NOW!! ;-) So please bear with me if you're thinking that the work is too easy...the homework should be kind of easy...but I'm making them write, talk, calculate like crazy in here so rest assured I'm keeping your mathmetician challenged! Yesterday the kids worked on "Math Around the Room"...a way to solve problems where they get to move around the room while they do it...you could have heard a pin drop they were SO into what they were doing!
MATH FACTS: Your kids took addition and subtraction fact tests this week...these MUST be mastered...your child can tell you the percentage accurate and the percentage of automaticity (they can't say that word, but they know the percentages!!) Accuracy shows how many they got correct out of the amount they attempted, and the automaticity shows how many they got correct out of 25 in two minutes. Third graders are now supposed to have mastered all addition and subtraction facts by first quarter...a few of the kids have a lot of practicing to do. By the end of second quarter, your kids should be mastering multiplication and division!! Common core has raised the bar!! So help your child decide which way is best for them to practice...there are lots of websites on my blog...check one out...or use flash cards, or do mental math in the car...but keep practicing the facts!
Social Studies
As you probably know by now, the kids have a test next Thursday. They have a study guide in their Take Home folders...and then I also included a fun challenge for anyone who'd like to take it...learning the United States...its not really in any curriculum and I feel like its important, so I hope a few over achievers take my challenge!! (no pressure though...my own kids would have rather poked sticks in their eyes than take an OPTIONAL challenge..teehee!!)
Thank you to those of you that have sent in supplies....our biggest need is hand sanitizer...so if you see a sale, grab an extra! Thanks!
Enjoy the pictures below...they are from "Math Around the Room"! Have a great weekend!
