September 30- October 4

Happy Fall!

I cannot believe that October is already here.  But, as it is, we will keep plugging away!

In Math this week, we will look at ordinal numbers in a calendar.  Students will also begin calculating range, median, and mode.  (We will spend two days on this concept).  Students will also look at collecting and organizing data that will lead to graphing.  

We have made the switch to Social Studies!  I am so excited!  I love fourth grade Social Studies!  We will begin by looking at Missouri and its symbols.  Mrs. Partridge and I have some fun activities planned for this unit.  Students need to know Missouri's two important rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi, and some important cities.  As a review, they will recreate the map of Missouri using cookie dough, M &M's and blue icing.  It should be fun.  We hope to have a high school student join us to demonstrate our state musical instrument, the fiddle, and hear a piece of the Missouri Waltz, our state song.  We will quiz over these elements on Friday.

In Reading, we are introducing a fun presentation.  Students are going to use a website called Glogster EDU.  This website is similar to a Blog, but includes more options.  Students are going to use this website to display the five story elements of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  Visit the URL listed below for assignment details.  Students are welcome to work on this at home, if they would like.  http://akountz.edu.glogster.com/dashboard/  The assignment is under "Glog".  

In Writing, we will finish our study on parts of speech with prepositions.  We will then study a few parts of speech more in depth with proper nouns, relative adverbs and pronouns.  We will then spend a day reviewing.  On Friday, students will use their Writer's Notebooks and address the parts of speech in their strategy writing.  Each part of speech will be underlined with a specific color.  

Our Spelling unit will come to a close this week.  We will study "surprise words".  These are words that do not follow rules of spelling, such as said.  We will then take some time to learn about digraphs.  These are words that have an h in them, that change the sound of the letter before it.  Examples are words that have sh, wh, ph, ch, th.  By Wednesday, students will learn about homophones.  In particular, there, their, or they're.  Thursday will be a review day.  I will send home "Dear Parents".  This covers digraphs.  The skill test will ask students to correctly use and spell words with digraphs.  I am asking them to use one word for each digraph that I had listed above, just as a head's up.  I had a question about spelling lists that I want to address to all.  Spelling lists will not come out on a certain day of the week, per say.  Look in the agenda for "Word Preview".  This is the day that lists will go home.  Thank you for your patience as we adjust to this news spelling curriculum.  

To look ahead, conference week is the last week in October.  If your schedule is very busy that week, you may send me a quick note or email of when a great time to meet would be.  The week before that is the last week for AR points.  Remember that 10 is our goal!  Most students are doing really super with quizzing!  Have a great week!  

I am unable to add to my Spelling List and Dates column to the right so I will list all here!

Dates: October 1 (Tuesday), 2:15, Character Assembly- October 4 (Friday), Spelling Test, Missouri Symbol Quiz, Parts of Speech Assessment

Spelling Words for Test Friday:
English, does, able, because, often, mean, different, among, examples, sentence, really, dog, idea. there, shown, draw, picture, it's, another, its

A Thought for Monday...

A Thought for Monday...

If over the weekend you think about, you may talk with your child about how you came about giving them their names.  We are going to write about this on Monday.  Some may already know, but just in case they don't, I thought I would post this.  Try not to mention that they will be writing about it.  Maybe just bring it up in conversation.  Thank you again!  Have a great weekend!

End of the Week Notes

Here are some end of the week notes...

After hearing some feedback about the Spelling series we are using in fourth grade this year, I wanted to give some clarification.  Mrs. Partridge and I collaborated about what we could do to make this an easier transition for the students.  First of all, we know that the skill test can be difficult.  The wording can be tricky, and the study opportunity of "Dear Parents" can be a bear to accomplish.  This is most difficult because it involves a different type of thinking.  Rather than memorization, students are asked to apply spelling skills.  That being said, we know that both are challenging.  We feel that most of the Skill's Tests are beneficial for this class as a whole.  The students need that application spelling.  Memorization isn't always the best.  What we will do to prepare students for the Spelling test is to preview "new" words as usual.  We will add "bonus" words that students will see in other areas of our curriculum, but that also go along with the skills we address in Spelling.  We will also give the students the 20 words that will be tested at the beginning of each unit.  These lists will go home on the "Word Preview " day.  Look for those in the agenda.  (**HINT- This was TODAY!**)  To address some of the grades on the test that was just given,  both classrooms reviewed the concept that was on the skill test and students were given an opportunity to add 10 points out of 10 points to improve their grades.  Please let us know if you have any more questions or concerns.  

Look for Progress Reports!  I sent those home today.  I would like them returned as soon as possible with your signature.  Thank you so much for the extra week.  I feel so much better getting those home to you!    

I love hearing from you!  I appreciate your willingness to work with me.  We can work together and make this a wonderful learning experience for your child.

    

September 23- 27

Chugging Along

We are starting to settle in.  I hope that your child feels like they are getting the swing of things in the fourth grade.  I feel like last week was a catch up week for me, but I feel a little better after today.  

As a reminder, my Blog will typically be updated earlier in the day on Monday, but we were having technology issues this morning, so it took me a little while longer today.  

In Math this week, we are preparing for our test on addition and subtraction on Monday.  Most students are doing really well in addition, but some are needing some extra help on subtraction.  I had each student take home their Math Binders today so that you could take a look at their progress so far.  They also have a test to study for!  Their test will be tomorrow.  They have a form of what the test questions will look like as homework tonight.  Their test will have the same questions, but the answers will NOT be multiple choice.  You may go over their answers with them, instead of them looking for the closest choice answer.  Just a study idea.  On Wednesday, students will move onto time.  We will read clocks, and look at elapsed time.  

Science this week will be short and sweet.  Today,we did a food chain activity.  We will quiz tomorrow using our books.  For extra help tonight, you may try going to http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/ and search for food chains, producers and consumers to play some review games.  On Wednesday, we will begin our first look at Social Studies.  We will begin by just becoming familiar with our book.  We will then take a closer look at the Pledge of Allegiance.  These will start us into the study of our state and economics, which we study in fourth grade.  

In Reading, students will continue their book study on Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  As a class, we discuss the story structure as we read each day.  The class really seems to enjoy the book.  We added in small group Literature Circles today.  We divided the class into small groups of "like" readers.  They we given an independent reading task with a job to do about their reading.  They will meet back together at a given date, and we will discuss their books, and will be assigned a new job.  All books are on a "school" theme and have a humorous side!  What I am excited about is that all of the books we are reading together give students opportunities to achieve AR points.  Hopefully the close study of these books provides for some "easy" points.

In Writing, we are learning about parts of speech.  Monday, we learned about nouns and verbs.  Tuesday, we will study adjectives.  Wednesday we will look at pronouns.  Thursday students will study adverbs, and Friday interjections and conjunctions.  We will take a small amount of notes, watch a Schoolhouse Rock video, and play a short game each day with the concepts studied.  We will then use our Writer's Notebooks to begin learning some strategies to increase our writing stamina and creativity.  We will use picture books to help us with this.  

In Spelling, students will finish taking a closer look at /k/ sounds.  Words that have k, ck, ch, qu, and c are common spelling patterns.  We will test those on Tuesday, along with other common words.  We will begin new words on Wednesday.  We will also integrate other words that follow these spelling patterns found in our other lessons.  This unit we will study long /e/ spelling patterns, surprise words, digraphs (th, ph, ch, sh, wh), and homophones (there, their, and they're).    

September 16- 20

I'm Back!

I am back, and ready to go!  I am sad to leave my baby Scarlett, but I am eager to get this year going with these kids.

In Math this week,we will be working on addition and subtraction.  On Monday, we are following patterns for both, addition and subtraction.  Pay close attention to the agenda...they have two sheets for homework, but only have to complete odds or evens!  On Tuesday, we will add and subtract whole numbers and money.  Wednesday, we will do review activities.  Thursday, students will estimate sums and differences, and Friday we will focus on writing equations.  

In Science, we will finish up activities for chapter 3, and specialized structures in our ecosystems.  We will have a quiz on Thursday. On Friday, we will begin chapter 4.  

In Reading, we will finish up what we missed last week on Main Idea.  By Wednesday, students will look at a new whole class reading book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  We will use this book to help study story structures.  Next week we will add in literature circles to their whole class reading.  

In English Language Arts, we will finish our study on sentence types.  By Thursday, students will begin studying parts of speech, beginning with nouns, verbs.  Students will also venture into the front of their notebooks.  This is a strategy based writing that allows students the opportunity to become more fluent writers.  They will be introduced to many ways to write, and become more thoughtful in their writing process.  On Friday, we will take a break from everything, and take a post test on some concepts we have been focusing on more closely, such as main idea and story structure.

Spelling this unit will focus on long I spellings, and homographs.

This is an RTI week.  We are focusing lessons on story structure.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding while I was on leave.  Hopefully we will get the hang of each other pretty quickly.  Today was a great start for me.  

My Blog will be updated earlier in the day on Mondays, but I was having trouble logging in this morning.  Of course, my battle with technology starts on my first day back!  Thank you for your understanding. 

Important Dates September 9- 13

**My computer isn’t allowing me to add to the “Important Dates”, so here they are:

9/10- Ch2 Math Test

9/11- Picture Day

9/12- Ch 3 Science Quiz

9/13- Homecoming Parade!  Game at 7!  Go Dragons!

September 9- 13

Well the heat is back!  Hopefully it won’t affect our week ahead, but we will have to wait and see!  This week is packed pretty full!

I want to start off to say that the Chapter 2 test for Science went really well this week.  I am glad to see that.  Students were asked to write the page number that the answer was found on.  That helped to make sure that they really located the answer rather than just guess.  I was really excited to see that!  This week, students will begin chapter three in Science.  This chapter tackles what each part of the ecosystem needs to survive in their particular ecosystem.  We will address this chapter with discussion and activities, and will have our open book quiz on Thursday.  I hope to see the same progress as last week!

In Math this week, we will begin by reviewing for our test Monday.  We will test on chapter 2 on Tuesday.  Students can prepare for their test by using their Math Notebooks.  All information will be in the very front.  On Wednesday, we will begin addition and subtraction practice.  We will look at expressions and properties through Friday.

We will finish up working with long o spelling patterns this week.  On Thursday, plan on seeing a practice page titled “Dear Parents”.  This is an activity to prepare for the test that will be on Friday. 

In Reading, we will finish our literature study on Sarah, Plain and Tall.  We will discuss the book as a whole, and then use their Reader’s Notebooks to “think” about the text as a whole in their writing.  Students will then focus on the Main Idea in reading.  In Reading, we will use picture books to illustrate aspects of reading.  We will start that this week.  Students will be asked to begin using the vocabulary of main idea in their everyday language.  These words are “main idea”, “supporting details”, and “theme”.  We will use several activities to help students find the Main Idea. 

Writing this week focuses on the four types of sentences; declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative.  This vocabulary should become very familiar to them.  You may want to talk about each sentence type with your child.  We will play several games, and participate in some fun activities to help students become familiar with the sentence types, and how they are punctuated.   

September 3- 6

I hope that everyone enjoyed their long weekend.  For our short week this week, we have a lot to do!  Buckle up, and here we go!

In Math, students will work on counting money and making change, comparing and ordering money, rounding numbers and money, and making tables.  All concepts will be reviewed and placed in their Math Notebooks.  You may ask your child about the notebook and take a look at the concepts being addressed with your child's progression on each concept.

This week in Science, we begin reading chapter 2.  We will test by Friday.  Please understand that these are open book tests.  After we have covered the lessons, students are still able to use the book to assist them in testing.

In Reading, we will continue with Sarah, Plain and Tall and the Literature Circle jobs that accompany it.  We will address the Memo Master.  This "job" is writing a letter to or as a character in the story.  This addresses the letter format and familiarity with the characters.  Next, students will work on Intellectual Illustrator.  This asks the students to pick a passage that helps them paint a picture in their minds.  They then illustrate and tell why they chose this passage.  Finally, students will work on Discussion Director.  This "job" has students write open-ended questions.  These are questions that do not have "yes" or "no" answers.  These questions promote deeper thinking and, hopefully, and strong discussion about the reading.  Finally, students will complete Literary Luminary.  This asks students to take a deeper look at a passage that may evoke a certain emotion.  Hopefully the students are enjoying their work with these jobs, as well as the text itself.

In Writing, students will look at what writer's write.  (We didn't get to this last week)  We will then dive into the grammar skill of capitalization.  Students in the fourth grade need to know to capitalize the pronoun "I", states, countries, counties, proper nouns, holidays (not seasons), the words at the beginning of a sentence.  They will complete a series of lessons in the classroom and then write a brochure for Disney World, addressing each capitalization rule that we address in class.

We will begin Spelling this week.  We will use the Sitton Spelling program which focuses on spelling patterns.  Tests will not be on any certain day, but as we finish addressing certain concepts.