September 28, 2014

Reading
This week in reading, the students focused on the comprehension strategies asking questions and making connections.  Mrs. Como modeled how to ask questions and make connections with picture books, and then the students helped Mrs. Como.  In the end, the students were able to ask their own questions and make their own connections with their independent reading books for Readers' Workshop.  The class also learned about keeping a reading log and about tracking the genres they're reading by making a genre bar graph each month.  The teachers are wrapping up Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Testing, and so our guided reading groups will start very soon.  

Math
In Math this week, the students completed Unit 1, did a review, and took the Unit 1 test.  Mrs. Como also gave the students a Unit 2 pretest and will use that information to form guided math groups next week.  Lesson 2.1 was about reviewing the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction and about fact families/number families.  The students were able to cut out their own fact triangles and practice their addition/subtraction facts with a partner.

Language Arts
The students are focusing on a new skill in WEX:  showing.   Showing is when you add specific details to your writing to make it more interesting for the reader.  For example, instead of saying "Mrs. Como is excited," one might write, "Mrs. Como was smiling as she jumped up and down and pumped her fists into the air."  The class also learned about Revision Assignments and was able to make revisions to their own writing.  They worked on adding more details in order to change a telling sentence into a showing sentence.

The class started to organize their Wonder Books on Friday.  They added a Table of Contents page, glued in the Requirements page, brainstormed research topics of interest, chose their first topic and listed research questions centered around that topic.  Next week, the class will begin researching.

In grammar this week, the students wrapped up a unit on exclamations and commands, took a test, and began a unit on subjects/predicates.

Science
In science, the students worked in groups to formulate a written explanation for their models of "what makes day and night?"  Then, they presented their models to the class.  After this activity, the students were able to see two models that scientists created to explain day and night.  At the end of the week, the students began to track the sunrise and sunset and recorded this data.  They also made predictions about the shortest/longest day of the week.

Important Information
The Fiction Genre Project is due Tuesday, September 30.

The September Reading Calendar is Due, Wednesday, October 1.

Please turn in your Room Rep. money if you haven't already.

Our friend, Kritin, is moving.  This week will be his last few days with us.  We will miss you, Kritin!  Good luck at your new school!

September 21, 2014

Readers' Workshop
In reading this week the students learned that good readers visualize when they read to help make sense of the text.  The class used the book Fireflies as an example.  The students were able to transfer what they learned about visualizing to their independent reading books and wrote down their ideas on their "think sheets."  In addition, the students learned about different kinds of fiction (historical, realistic, fantasy, etc.) and non-fiction books (informational, biography) and will learn how to code these genres on their reading logs next week.  The focus of Readers' Workshop is for students to practice their comprehension strategies daily with "just right books."  At the end of every workshop we gather and share our books and thinking.  Everyone is doing a great job!

Math
In math, the students skip counted up and back and solved place value puzzles using a calculator.  They also reviewed dollars and cents notation, used < and > symbols to compare money amounts, and made change.  Finally, the students solved money problems with and without a calculator, and they learned to decide when they need an exact answer or an estimate as they simulated a shopping trip.  Lesson 1.12 will be the last lesson of the unit, as lesson 1.13 will be covered later in the year.  The students will review in class on Tuesday, and the test will be on Wednesday.

Science
In science, the students located the sun in the sky and landmarks such as trees, houses and light poles in a given area.  They tracked/predicted the position of the sun at three different times of the day (9:30, 11:30 and 2:30).  The students determined that the sun appears to move from east to west in an arc shape.  Finally, the students were given a task to create a model that explains why there is daytime and nighttime.  The class worked in small groups to design and construct their model and will compose a written explanation next week before presenting it to the class.  

Language Arts
In WEX this week the students continued to work on the skill of focus in their writing.  One day they focused on an object in the room and wrote about it as if they were one inch tall.  The students focused on setting for another journal prompt and learned to include the five senses in their descriptions to make the reader feel like they were actually in this setting.  Finally, Ms. Burns, our Advanced Learning Facilitator, payed us another visit and helped model the procedures for our Wonder Books.  Soon we will be choosing our own topics, researching, composing and sharing!

We completed our mini unit on Commands and Exclamations, and our test will be on Tuesday.  The next unit will focus on Subjects.

Important Information
Remember, there is a Words Their Way (WTW) test every Tuesday.  Students should practice at home 2-3 times per week. You and your child can determine the days and activities.  The students will be tested on 8 words from their list, along with 2 new words that follow the same pattern (to show transfer of skills learned).

Fiction Genre Projects are due September 30.

September Reading Calendars are due October 1.

Friday Folders went home this past Friday.  Please sign these weekly and have your child return them (empty) the next Monday.  This will be counted as a homework assignment.

September 14, 2014

Math

This week in math, the students predicted whether first or last names are more likely to have more letters, and then they used data about their names to make a tally chart and bar graph.  Finally, they found the maximum, minimum, range, median and mode of the data.  On another day, the students found equivalent names for numbers as they completed name-collection boxes and played the game, Name That Number.  Wednesday, the students classified events as sure and not sure.  Then they used expressions such as good chance, likely, unlikely, and impossible to discuss and compare the likelihood of events.  On Friday, the students used the patterns on a number grid to find differences between pairs of two-digit numbers. 

Reading

In reading this week, the students talked about the guidelines for Readers' Workshop, including when we swap books from our classroom library.   In addition, we discussed why readers abandon books and about the difference between fiction and non-fiction books.

The students should bring in their fiction book for the genre project and get it approved by Mrs. Como by September 19.  The fiction genre project is then due on September 30.

The teachers have been working diligently to complete Aimsweb Testing (for fluency) and Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Testing to determine guided reading levels.  Once all of this testing is complete, guided reading groups will begin.  

Writing

The students have been working on the skill of focus in WEX.  They are learning that when a writer focuses on one moment in time and adds specific details about that one moment, the writing becomes much more interesting for the listener  At the end of the week, Mrs. Burns came in and taught the students about Wonder Books.  During the year, the students will be working on interest-based research, and they will house all of their findings in their Wonder Books.  

Words Their Way (Spelling)

Every Tuesday the students will meet with their Spelling teacher for about 20 minutes (students were appropriately placed into flexible groups based on a beginning-of-the-year spelling inventory).  It is then that they receive a lesson, cut out their words, sort them, and write them down under the correct heading.  Every morning thereafter, the students complete word work in class where they complete activities using their words.  Then, the following Tuesday is the test, and the students receive a new list of words.  You can find a list of activities/homework ideas for Words Their Way in the curriculum night packet, but a second copy was also sent home this week.

Grammar

This week we reviewed the concepts for our Statements and Questions test.  We will begin a new unit on Monday:  Commands and Exclamations.

Science

This week the class had an assembly during one of their science time slots, and the weather did not cooperate on another day (many of these science lessons require the sun!).  But, the students did make it outside another day for a lesson about shadows.  The big idea that the students will eventually discover is that the sun appears to travel through the sky in a predictable daily pattern.

Important Information

On Wednesday, the students attended a Music for Youth assembly where they got to see a demonstration of violins and cellos.  A letter went home on Wednesday about the Music for Youth program.

MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing has begun.  We had the math test on Thursday afternoon, and the reading test will be on Tuesday morning.  This is not a test that your child can study for, but as always, a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast helps our kids do their best.

If you ordered a calculator for your child, they received them this week.  They will be housed in their desk.  If you did not order a calculator, simply purchase a cheap one and send it in with your child as soon as possible. 

I know I said Friday Folders would go home this Friday, but I will wait until next week when the students will have more papers to put in them.  Thanks for understanding.

September 7, 2014


Readers' Workshop

In reading this week, the students talked about the many different ways in which readers choose books (previewing the front and back cover, book recommendations, authors we like, favorite genres, etc.).  They also learned what "reading is thinking" means after Mrs. Como modeled a think-aloud.  The class learned about making predictions, making connections, asking questions, determining important ideas and making reactions to the text while they are reading.  After the class watched Mrs. Como model her thinking with a picture book, the students helped Mrs. Como make predictions, ask questions, etc. with the rest of the book.  Then they practiced "thinking while reading" with their own independent reading books.  We will continue to practice these comprehension strategies throughout the remainder of the year during our Readers' Workshop.  Finally, we discussed and practiced how to effectively "buzz" about books with partners or in small groups.  At the end of every Readers' Workshop, there is time to share or "buzz" about the books we are reading and about our thinking.  

Math

In math this week the students completed an online beginning-of-the-year assessment, which will help Mrs. Como form flexible guided math groups.  They also learned how to use the Table of Contents, Glossary and Index of their Student Reference Book to help them find information.  Finally, they completed a lesson which helped them review telling time, measuring lengths, and drawing 2-dimensional shapes, and they had a chance to play Addition Top-It at the end of the week.

Words Their Way (WTW)

The students took a spelling inventory this week so that Mrs. Como could determine which spelling sort would challenge them to grow as a speller.  They also practiced various word work activities so that they could become familiar with the procedures come next week when they get their actual words.  The students will be switching classes for about 20 minutes on Tuesdays and will be getting their spelling lesson/words for the week.  Word work will be completed every morning throughout the rest of the week, and spelling tests will be the following Tuesday with their spelling teacher.  Note: these groups are flexible and may change throughout the year.

Science

The big idea this week was that the sun appears to travel through the sky in a predictable daily pattern.  The students had a discussion about where and when objects in the sky appear, and began to generate and express ideas about what makes daytime and nighttime. 

WEX (Writer's Express)

The students began Writer's Express lessons this week, and they learned about the WEX Writer's Mindset, the Rules for Sharing, and the Rules for Writing Time.  The students were also introduced to the first skill: focus.  They had a chance to write about various journal prompts and share/respond to each other’s writing.  All writing is kept in the WEX binder and will be sent home at the end of the unit.  It will be neat to see the progression in your child's writing! 

Grammar

The students have been reviewing the following:  what is a sentence/statement, what is a question, proofreading for capital letters and end marks.  The first test will be on Wednesday.

Important Information

Monday, September 8 is Picture Day!

Each month, the students will receive a month long genre project to do at home.  For the month of September, the genre will be fiction.  The project is called, "The Main Character's In Town!"  The students will be given instructions on what to do this Monday.  Feel free to help your child as needed, but this project should mostly be done by your child.

If your child does not have a library card, now's the time to drop by the Memorial Library and get one! Students can now use their library cards at school to access the Memorial Library's online resources. Stay tuned for the next steps in putting these library cards to use! 

Look for the Friday Folder to come home next Friday!

First Week of School

Dear Third Grade Families,

Welcome to our classroom blog!  Each week I will post an update on what our class has been doing.  These updates will generally be posted on Fridays or over the weekend.

This week was mainly filled with getting-to-know you activities.  It was great to hear students tell a little bit about themselves while presenting their "Me Bags!"  The students also created "Math About Me" posters in which they came up with number sentences related to their age, house number, birthday, etc.  These are displayed in our hallway. 

Thank you for attending Curriculum Night.  If you weren't able to attend, I sent the information packet home with your child.  Read on to find out what else we have been busy with.

Reading
We started off talking about "Just Right" books.  "Just Right" books are books that we can read smoothly, can understand well, only have to stop a few times to figure out a word or meaning, and challenge us to become better readers. We compared "Just Right" books with books that are too easy and too hard so that we fully understand the difference.  We also talked about how "Reading is Thinking."  Our minds are active when we are reading as we are constantly questioning, making connections, visualizing, predicting, etc.  Finally, students were introduced to our classroom library and had the opportunity to choose "Just Right" books for their in-school silent reading period(s).   We will soon start our guided reading groups but until then, students will be taught all of these introductory stills that are pertinent for reading.

Math
Students received their math journal this week, which will stay in school.  They use the math journal to practice concepts that are taught in class.  Students also started Unit 1 and will take a beginning of the year assessment this week. Once I have a good idea of the various skills and abilities, I will group them according to their needs.

Important Information:

Your child's Reading Log folder should stay at home and should be brought back to school on October 1.  The purpose of the Reading Log folder is to house the reading log, reading calendar, and genre overview page. Students were instructed to keep the folder where they do their daily at-home reading.

Please make sure you sign off on your child's student planner after he/she has completed the homework.

Happy Labor Day!