Thursday, March 31, 2011

April 4th - 8th

Important Dates . . .
April 4 -- Classes Resume
April 5 -- Teacher Institute -- No School
April 21 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal

Language Arts
Students will continue brainstorming details to a given topic. While encouraged to independently complete this task they are learning to effectively use their Quick Word Guides during this process. They are getting more comfortable at this process and should be able to show you how they would look up a word at home when needed.

Reading
This week we will continue with reading stations. In the Soar to Success station the students will begin reading and discussing either the book The Outside Dog or the news article Cherry Blossom Festival. We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! This month students should be reading daily or a minimum of 20 minutes for 20 days. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in every Friday for a checkpoint of dates and minutes. Keep reading!

Spelling

The spelling words this week will continue to cover phonograms or word families, "-aw" & "-ay". They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is: Words without Vowels – Write your words replacing all vowels with a line.

Math
This week students will begin Chapter 11, Comparing and Ordering Numbers. By the end of the week they will be able to distinguish a difference between greater than and less than.

Science
Students will begin a new study on the Human Body this week. Experiment on Wednesday: How are the systems of the human body like the cars on a train?

Daily Homework
Reading
- read 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling
- Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

March 21 - 25

Important Dates . . .
March 28 -- Spring Break Begins
April 4 -- Classes Resume
April 5 -- Teacher Institute -- No School
April 21 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal

Language Arts
Students will continue brainstorming details to a given topic; however, this week picture prompting will cease. While encouraged to independently complete this task they are learning to effectively use their Quick Word Guides during this process. They are getting more comfortable at this process and should be able to show you how they would look up a word at home when needed.

Reading
This week we will continue with reading stations. In the Soar to Success station the students will begin reading and discussing either the book Let's Go Rock Collecting or the news article Cherry Blossom Festival. We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! This month students should be reading daily or a minimum of 20 minutes for 16 days. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in Wednesday, March 23rd for a grade, so we can have a reading party Friday before break. Keep reading!

Spelling
The spelling words this week will cover all of the word families learned up to this point, Lessons 1-7 Review. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is: Guess the word: One partner "writes" a spelling word with his/her finger on his/her partner' back.

Math
Continuing with place value. This week builds to knowing the difference between the 1's, 10's, and 100's place. Each child had done a great job last week showing their knowledge of place value using physical representation for each place value on the mimio whiteboard. The test will be midweek.

Daily Homework
Reading
- read 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log
- monthly turn in on Wednesday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling
- Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

Friday, March 11, 2011

March 14th - 18th

Important Dates . . .
March 13 -- Daylight Savings Time Begins - Spring Ahead
March 28 -- Spring Break Begins
April 4 -- Classes Resume
April 5 -- Teacher Institute -- No School
April 21 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal
April 22 -- No School

NOTE: Social Studies Unit 5 Test this Friday :)

Language Arts
We will continue building on the writing process this week. Students will be given topics and we will be working on brainstorming details.

Reading
This week we will continue with reading stations. In the Soar to Success station we will begin reading and discussing the book Allie's Basketball Dream. We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! This month students should be reading daily or a minimum of 20 minutes for 16 days. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in every Friday. Keep reading!

Spelling
The spelling words this week will cover two different yet similar sounding word families: - ip & -op. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is: Sandpaper rubbings: Cut each letter out of sandpaper and glue it to an index card or purchase sandpaper letters. Your child should spell out his word with sandpaper letters, put a piece of paper over it, and do a crayon rubbing.

Social Studies
We will wrap up Unit 5, Our Country Long Ago this Friday with a Unit Test. All of the vocabulary terms we have discussed have been in their SS folder in their binder. You should have been reviewing along the way, so if not I would suggest reviewing nightly. Also, their books will be sent home to reread and talk through the review of Unit 5 on pages 238-239.

Math
Continuing with place value. This week builds to knowing the difference between the 1's, 10's, and hundreds place. It looks as though a test will be at the beginning of next week.

Daily Homework
Reading
- read 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling
- Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

Friday, March 4, 2011

March 7th - 11th

Important Dates . . .
March 7 -- Casimir Pulaski Day -- No School
March 13 -- Daylight Savings Time Begins - Spring Ahead
March 28 -- Spring Break Begins
April 4 -- Classes Resume
April 5 -- Teacher Institute -- No School
April 21 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal
April 22 -- No School

NOTE:
IAA (Illinois Alternate Assessment) Testing wrapped up last Friday! Each and every child completed each test they were required to per grade level expectancy. They all did a very nice job - I am proud of their effort!

Language Arts
We will continue building on the writing process this week. Students will be given topics and we will be working on brainstorming details.

Reading
This week we will continue with reading stations. In the Soar to Success station we will begin reading and discussing the book Where Does the Garbage Go? We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! This month students should be reading daily or a minimum of 20 minutes for 16 days. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in every Friday. Keep reading!

Spelling
The spelling words this week will cover two different yet similar sounding word families: - it & -ot. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is: Sandpaper rubbings: Cut each letter out of sandpaper and glue it to an index card or purchase sandpaper letters. Your child should spell out his word with sandpaper letters, put a piece of paper over it, and do a crayon rubbing.

Social Studies
We will continue Unit 5, Our Country Long Ago. Some concepts and vocabulary terms we will discuss are: early America, expansion westward and equality. It looks like the unit test could appear next week!

Math
Continuing with place value specifically looking at the 1's and 10's place.

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test