Parent Updates

Dear Families: *If you haven’t responded to my “test” messages, please so asap so I know if they are going through or not. If you are not getting classroom updates, please check my blog for updates. http://mrsflynnsclass2009.blogspot.com/ Reading Workshop: In reading we are learning that everyone does not need the same strategies to help them become better readers. Picking a strategy to help them with their reading is like picking an item they like from the menu. We all do not eat the same thing. Throughout the year students will have a “menu” of strategies to help them become better readers. Together we will discover what strategy they need to use to assist them with their reading. This past week in reading we learned about a strategy called “cross-checking” to help become more accurate readers. When a student comes to a word they are not sure of, they ask 1. Does it look right? 2. Does it sound right? 3. Does it make sense? Ask your child what the hand motions are for cross checking. We also used non-fiction books to help us tune into interesting words. As I was conferencing one on one with students during their independent reading time, it was amazing to see them start using these strategies as they read! Students found their own interesting words and shared with a partner why they found it exciting. We learned a lot of new vocabulary through this activity! Next week we will move into the skill of plot. Students will discover have every story has a setting, character, conflict, climax, and resolution. Remember your child should be reading 20 minutes every night. Writing Workshop: We have been working hard on how to revise/edit a writing piece and building sentences. We expanded sentences with sentence pyramids by inserting the 5 Ws and senses. We will also be looking at subjects and predicates in a sentence as well. Word Study/Grammar: Students received word study lists today and homework. They are focusing on short vowel sounds that are closed syllables. Next week we will focus on what is a closed syllable. Word study homework is due Thursday, September 12. The test will be Friday, September 13. They will be tested on 20 words, two of the twenty words will follow the pattern but will not be the exact same as the list. Using capitals correctly has been our focus in grammar. A second practice of capitalization came home today. Students will be taking a quiz next Friday on grammar. They can use their homework sheets as a review. Social Studies: We began social studies by previewing the textbook and looking at nonfiction text features. Additionally, students were able to locate on a map the continents and oceans. Ask your child to sing the continent/ocean song for you, if you write in their planner they did they will earn bonus bucks. We will then move into the map skills unit. There will be a fill-in-the-blank quiz on map skills terms soon. Look for the date in your child’s planner. *Please look for a letter about OSW (Ohio Studies Weekly) to be coming home soon. *We are starting the quarter with social studies and won’t start science for a couple of weeks yet. Math: Place value has been our focus in math. Students are refreshing their memories from third grade on the place value chart. Ask your child about who lives in the place value house . We will work on standard, expanded, and word forms of numbers. Arrow cards are a tool students will use to help them organize numbers and add and subtract large numbers easily. Then, we will move into comparing and rounding numbers. Students have also started practicing Rocket Math multiplication facts and are doing a great job. Students can access xtramath.org for additional practice at home. They have a username and password in their planner. *AM Math is a morning work activity the students complete throughout the week in the morning. It reviews skills taught in class and review skills from years past. We did the first one together so it wasn’t officially counted in the grade book. However, as we complete the second week you will see a grade out of 4 points in the grade book. Please keep in mind that I consider a 3 or 4 on AM Math to be a great score, but when it shows up in grade book and translate the grade without other assignments posted yet it may look like a lower grade than expected. There will be plenty of points to average in for math so please do not be alarmed by this. Additional math websites that your child has a username/password to are: www.mangahigh.com (We are currently in a Fai-To – ask your child about this challenge) www.sumdog.com Technology: On September 16th students will be going to keyboarding class with Mrs. Kinkoph. She will work with them for 3 weeks straight on learning the home keys, space bar, etc. and learn how to type. Mrs. Kinkoph will be also sharing her brand new Chrome books with the students as well and will be working on many exciting research projects with her this year. Important: *Weekly Folders will start going home next Tuesday. All graded papers go home in this folder. Flyers and information papers will go home in your child’s take-home folder daily. Please help your child unload their graded papers at home for review and return on Tuesday. Dates to remember: September 19- Ice Cream Social 6-8 PM October 10th – Picture Day- Wear your smile! October 10th, 15th , and 17th –Conferences - If you do not remember your time and date I will be sending out reminders soon or you can contact me. Also, I may be calling your soon to come and have a conference earlier than scheduled.