Mrs. Lester's Shining Stars

No Holding Back in November!

 

                                  

Here we are in November!  It doesn't seem possible.

The students are continuing to learn and grow.  Last week students showed what they've learned about basic multiplication and sentences.  Now we are moving on, using what has been learned to tackle more difficult topics:  learning basic multiplication facts with fluency, reading with more understanding and fluency, and improving narrative writing.  Third grade students will be writing a chronological narrative, a story that has a time sequence.  Fourth grade students will be writing a fictional narrative.  If you ask them "Are you telling me a story????"  they should answer, "Yes!" 

In our new small group math class students are honing their counting skills, learning the counting skills each student requires.  Some students are working on counting by ones forward and backwards, but most students are learning to skip count by 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s.  This skill forms the foundation of TouchMath multiplication.  TouchMath uses a tactile method of skip counting in order to multiply.  They are taught to skip count by one factor while they touch the touchpoints on the other factor.  This will enable them to compute basic multiplication facts using skip counting.  For example, if the fact is 2 X 4, the student will count by 2s as he touches the four touchpoints of the 4.  "2,4,6,8."  The student gets the answer:  "8".  As students become proficient, they no longer need the touchpoints; they build automaticity with their facts.  How can you help?  Ask your student to skip count as you ride in the car or spend time together at home.  When your student is proficient begin practicing basic multiplication facts.  My goal is proficiency with the basic multiplication facts, 0s - 5s, by Thanksgiving.  That will be something to be thankful for!

Like the runner above, we can't let down.  There's no holding back!  We have ground to cover.

October Update

Can it really be the the second nine weeks?  Time is flying by.

Each group is making progress in academics.  The Fundations students will finish Unit 8 today. In Unit 9 the students will learn what a closed syllable is, and they will begin to mark short vowels.  They enjoy working with their new magnetic letter tiles and reading and spelling new words.  Soon a new comprehension component, called Targeted Reading Intervention,  will be added to their instruction.

Language students are learning to identify and diagram subjects, predicates, and direct objects in sentences.  They continue to work on fluency in their reading.  Spelling is moving from single syllable words to compound words and other two syllable words.  Another function of nouns is being studied:  singular possessive nouns (boy's) and plural nouns (boys.)  Stories continue to follow the theme of Digs:  archaeological digs, that is.  

Each grade level has completed a narrative story.  Subjects and predicates are being covered now, and then we will launch into our next writing topics:  writing short stories (3rd), writing realistic stories (4th), and writing fantasy stories (5th.) 

Math students are building an understanding of multiplication and its relationship to division.  Basic multiplication facts and vocabulary are practiced daily. 

 
Students have now been introduced to First in Math.Every student was given their own personal login information. Check for their First in Math player's card - it should be stapled to the front of their agenda!

Click and Read the Parent Letter below to learn more about this wonderful math program:

 Download Welcome-to-first-in-math-1[1]

First in Math

 

Onward Into October

                             

Hi, parents!  Can you believe it?  We're close to the end of the first grading period.  For the last week we've been finishing up units, writing projects, and doing some IEP probes.  I am also happy to report that many students took AR tests in the last week.  Keep encouraging them to read and study math facts at home.

Coming Up:

Math:  We are studying math expressions.  We will briefly look at decimal numbers as well.  Then:  MULTIPLICATION!  The students will be expected to learn their multiplication facts, so practice on those 0s-5s facts now for a good start.

Reading:  We have had to take a brief break from Fundations and Language! in order to complete some assessments in 2nd/3rd grades and some probes in 4th/5th.  Next week we will get back in the groove.  

The Fundations group is in the final week of Unit 8, so they will be preparing for the unit test.  Thank you, parents, for helping them on their fluency drills.  As they become more fluent readers they will improve in comprehension.  :)  This week I attended an inservice on a Reading Comprehension program, Targeted Reading Interventions, that will be very helpful to this group.  

The Language! group is studying noun categories, answering W questions (who? and what?, for ex.) in sentences, subject/predicate, short i words with blends, digraphs, and one or two syllables.  Their reading focus is on digs:  digging up dinosaur bones, then digging underneath Boston to build a better road system.   

Language Arts:  All grades are finishing a unit on narratives.  We will spend next week writing our final narratives.  The next type of writing we will explore in grades 3 and 4 is Responding to Literature.  This involves writing about literature they have read or have had read to them.  We will get to enjoy some good books along with our writing. Fifth grade will study writing short stories, so that sounds like fun, too! 

 

News Flash

Due to our days out of school I have moved the fourth grade math test to Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Shining Stars at Work

Have you been wondering what we are studying in class?  If you have, you are on my "favorite parent" list.  Here is an update for you.

Fourth Grade Math:

We recently finished a unit on place value.  Now we are doing a quick review of addition and subtraction with or without regrouping.  This unit will include lessons on rounding numbers to the nearest thousand.  We will touch on working with decimal numbers, then move into lessons on mathematical expressions before concluding our unit.  Next unit:  multiplication. Practice multiplication facts at home, please.

Language! Reading, 5th Grade Group

My fifth graders began the Language! program this fall.  Now they are in Unit Two.  They are studying: 

consonant sounds for n,l,h,r,j, and p (reading, writing, spelling), sight words:  do, said, to, who, you, your, singular possessive forms for nouns, finding synonyms, identifying the simple subject and simple predicate in sentences, identifying the main idea and details from informational text, answering "who" questions, using a graphic organizer

Fourth Grade Language!:  Unit 3

consonant sounds for g, v, d, i for short /i/ (reading, writing, spelling),identifying syllables and compound words, identifying antonyms, common/proper nouns, identifying direct objects, identifying main idea and details from informational text, answering "what" questions, using a graphic organizer

Narrative Writing

All grade levels are working on narrative writing. We discussed choosing great adjectives and using sensory details.  We also studied what goes in a great beginning, middle, and ending for a fabulous narrative. Students are working on drafts now, revising and editing them.   

Grammar and Mechanics

In addition to the reading program content, we are studying types of sentences and the correct punctuation for each. Students have s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d their sentences by adding more information.

Fundations Reading

The Fundations reading group is learning to read consonant digraph blends such as -nch, shr-, and thr-.  Each day students practice letter sounds, decoding words, reading "trick" words, and spelling.  Some time is spent on oral reading and comprehension, too. 

Thank you, parents, for your wonderful support of these Fundations students.  I can tell you are helping them practice reading their books, flency drills, and spelling words.  We make a great team!

Fluency Drills: Say WHAT??

                                      

A fluency drill:  you saw it in your child's backpack, but what IS it?

Fluency drills are short, timed practice sessions in which a child practices reading smoothly and quickly.  Another person keeps track of how much the child reads and how many errors were made.  A score is given based on how much was read correctly in a given period of time.  Fluency drills may use letter names, letter sounds, sight words (a.k.a. trick words), nonsense words (to practice using phonics rules), or real words.

Why do I give fluency drills? 

A child's understanding of what he has read is related to the speed and accuracy he used to read.  If I am reading a complicated scientific article, trying to figure out how to read the big words and what they mean, I will not understand or remember what I have read very well.  If I am reading an exciting novel, I am likely to read smoothly and quickly, and I will understand it much better.  It's the same with our children.  Hard words cause them to read more slowly, sometimes so slowly they forget what they read.  Fluency drills provide practice with reading and track success.

What do I do at home?

If Suzy-Q brings home a fluency sheet for homework, have her practice the drill at least five times.  Then actually time the drill for your child:  one minute for Language! students and usually 20 seconds for Fundations students.  Find the total number of items read, subtract the missed items, and you will have the score.  Your children will love it if you also take the drill.  Are you up for the challenge?  :)

Welcome, Shining Stars!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year.  We've completed most of our learning assessments for the beginning of the year, and we're ready to go.  My shining stars are working on place value and descriptive writing.  I am starting up the Fundations and Language! reading programs, too. 

Thank you for the hard work many of you did over the summer.  Students came back ready to learn, and I am not having to reteach skills covered last year.  Good job, parents and students!

I will be updating this blog regularly with helpful information and stories from our classroom.  Check us out!  I will be adding web sites to our list and posting classroom information, too.

Anticipating April

The old saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers.  In the Clubhouse we can assure you we have already had many showers, yet it's still March! Please send your students prepared for rainy weather, because rain or shine, we are hard at the business of learning.  Raincoats with hoods are easiest to manage.  An inexpensive poncho is fine.  

Spring break is almost here.  I don't know who's more excited, the children or me!  Whether you travel or relax at home, I hope everyone gets rested, recharged, and comes back ready to roll.  

Please encourage your students to read AR books over the break.  A few of my students need to reach an AR points goal to be in the Hundreds Club. Take some books along with you on your trip or to the backyard. Read!!  I know I will be reading; I can't wait to curl up with a book, no bedtime to worry about!

Here are some entertaining web sites that students will enjoy AND will help them keep their skills sharp.

http://www.funbrain.com/

Funbrain has games for lots of basic skills.  My favorites are Grammar Gorilla with nouns and verbs, Math Car Racing, and the dialogs under Reading.  What is yours?

http://coolmath.com/

Coolmath helps students study math facts in a game format.  Flashcards are also available here.  Here's a fun way to study those multiplication facts.  :)

The CRCT test is scheduled to begin on April 21.  I hope all your students are practicing on line.  The passwords and logins are available from their homeroom teacher.  The practice is easy to use and very, very helpful. Boost their confidence with the practice!

Flying High Into March

  Here we are, flying high into March.  This week we will wrap up our persuasive writing, take our third nine weeks IMI, and finish up the third grading period.  Whew! 

    Homework Changes!  Parents and students, take note!  Homework has changed.  For much of the year I have used a predictable format for homework, but as of today things are different.  For third grade, reading and spelling assignments for the week are given on one two-sided sheet of paper.  Students will do their homework on lined notebook paper.  OT students will use mid line paper which I will supply.  The difficulty of the homework has also changed.  Instead of a one-sentence response to their nightly reading, third graders will write several sentences or complete a graphic organizer.  Second graders will respond to a specific question about their reading.  My goal is improve thinking and writing skills through this practice and prepare the students for more challenging work next year. 

    One spelling assignment your students will have is to look up words in the dictionary.  We have worked on this in class, but students need to practice it regularly to become proficient.  They are asked to look up the word, write its part of speech, and the first definition.  If you do not have a dictionary at home you may use an on-line dictionary.  Here is one you can use:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/     This site allows students to type in the word.  It will pronounce it for them and give them the part of speech (function) and the definition. 

About Math:   When I quizzed third grade students on multiplication facts recently, I wanted to cry!  They did not remember their facts well at all. We are about to take up multiplication of two or three digits by one digit and division of two or three digits by one digits.   Parents, they must brush up on these facts and master them all in order to succeed in our next unit. 

On the bright side, one of our students, Kaitlyn, has mastered all her facts, scoring over 90% in five minutes or less for each operation.  Hooray for Kaitlyn!!!

Topics Blowing Our Way:  

Second Grade:  Responding to Literature, Review of all Writing Genres, Introduction to Multiplication, Three Digit Addition and Subtraction, and Consonant Blends, Closed Syllables, and Compound Words

Third Grade:  Narrative Writing, Extending Multiplication and Division, Interpreting Data, Listening for Sounds in Words, Comprehension strategies, Word Meaning and Uses, and more Sentence Diagramming.

As you can see, we're going to be busy! 

Here's an on-line math fact practice site:  

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/thats_a_fact/english_K_3.html