In addition to your student's RAZ-Kids account, we are very fortunate to have access to some great online programs. Please explore these with your student. I will discuss Type To Learn 4 at Parent Information Night. These websites were updated for the 2011-2012 school year. Updated usernames and passwords will be posted as soon as I receive them.
www.infohio.org
username: learn
password: infohio
www.enchantedlearning.com
username: win
password: yarle
www.brainpop.com
username: uabp5
password: winbp5
www.maps101.com
username: bears3
password: atlas
http://online.culturegrams.com/
username: windermereel
password: culture
www.noodletools.com
username: arlington
password: uasd
www.school.eb.com
username: uawindermere
password: learn
http://quest.eb.com
username: uawindermere
password: learn
http://apimages.ap.org/unsecured/logip.aspx
username: usmedia
password: uabears
www.atomiclearning.com
username: uawindermere
password: arlington
http://discoverer.sirs.com
username: 802092
password: 43221
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Fact Fluency
Your student will bring home four fact fluency assessments on Monday. Fluency in these basic facts is essential to performing nearly all subsequent math (geometry is an exception) with proficiency. My rubric is as follows:
25 questions, 3 seconds per fact for a minute and fifteen seconds per assessment.
Extending = 25 correct answers
Achieving = 23, 24 correct answers
Progressing Achieving = 22, 21 correct answers
Progressing = 20 correct answers
Beginning Progressing = 19 correct answers
Beginning = 18 or fewer correct answers
I will teach fact fluency based on strategies, rather than memorization. Assigning a strategy (or strategies) to a fact provides students with a more meaningful and stronger path to recall. Many facts have multiple strategies. Therefore, students have multiple pathways to a quick and accurate sum or difference. Subtraction will be taught by counting up from the smaller value to the larger value.
I stress with students that these initial assessments are not for grades, but for a baseline so I can measure growth and determine who may need additional support. They should not be stressed, only try their best.
The following chart shows how we will learn the strategies we will use for addition fact fluency. I introduced zero more, one more and doubles. I prefer to introduce doubles before two more to give students more time with this essential strategy (as near doubles is dependent on doubles). During class I will frequently quiz students on which strategy/ies they can apply to a fact problem, rather than the sum.
25 questions, 3 seconds per fact for a minute and fifteen seconds per assessment.
Extending = 25 correct answers
Achieving = 23, 24 correct answers
Progressing Achieving = 22, 21 correct answers
Progressing = 20 correct answers
Beginning Progressing = 19 correct answers
Beginning = 18 or fewer correct answers
I will teach fact fluency based on strategies, rather than memorization. Assigning a strategy (or strategies) to a fact provides students with a more meaningful and stronger path to recall. Many facts have multiple strategies. Therefore, students have multiple pathways to a quick and accurate sum or difference. Subtraction will be taught by counting up from the smaller value to the larger value.
I stress with students that these initial assessments are not for grades, but for a baseline so I can measure growth and determine who may need additional support. They should not be stressed, only try their best.
The following chart shows how we will learn the strategies we will use for addition fact fluency. I introduced zero more, one more and doubles. I prefer to introduce doubles before two more to give students more time with this essential strategy (as near doubles is dependent on doubles). During class I will frequently quiz students on which strategy/ies they can apply to a fact problem, rather than the sum.
+/- | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| Zero more |
| One more |
| Two more |
| Doubles |
| Near doubles |
| Sums to ten |
| Make ten (7's, 8's, 9's) |
| Memorize |
Friday, August 24, 2012
Newsletter for August 24, 2012
Thank you for the privilege of getting to serve your student. It was truly a wonderful week. We're off to a GREAT start!
What We Learned This Week
Word Study
- We learned synonyms and antonyms along with ASL signs for both. I like to pair kinesthetic learning with content to provide students with multiple paths to the same information. See if your student can explain synonyms and antonyms and show you the signs.
- I administered the initial screening portion of the Developmental Spelling Assessment (DSA). This assessment identifies students as one of four stages of spellers: letter name, within word, syllable juncture and derivational constancy. You can learn more here: http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/courses/rdla165/docs/c4s2_11wordjourneys.pdf I will conduct additional DSA tests next week to further refine my knowledge of your student as a speller so I can best determine what they need for spelling and phonemic development.
Reading
- We began reading by talking about why we read, primarily for two reasons: for pleasure and to find information. We are focusing on developing the ability to comprehend, organize and share main ideas using short non-fiction passages with a support sheet that lists the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, why). We then construct a main idea sentence that contains all of the relevant 5 W's. Students' efforts are recorded on the board and evaluated on whether or not they contain the 5 W's. We also combine the best parts of student efforts for a co-constructed main idea statement. I go to great lengths to show students that their "right" answers are all different, if only subtly. The 5 W's will be very important in writing and reading and will provide a valuable framework for linking the two.
- I started my initial reading conferences in an effort to get to know students as readers. I will conduct the Developmental Reading Assessment once I've had an opportunity to talk about reading strategies, genre (which we touched on briefly this week) and authors' techniques.
- Our first read aloud is City of Orphans by Avi. This summary is from the publisher, "The streets of 1893 New York are full of life: crowded, filthy, dangerous. If you are a newsboy like thirteen-year- old Maks Geless, you need to watch out for Bruno, leader of the Plug Ugly Gang whose shadowy, sinister boss is plotting to take control of all the newsies on the lower East Side. With Bruno’s boys in fierce pursuit, Maks discovers Willa, a strange girl who lives alone in an alley. It is she, stick in hand, who fights off the Plug Uglies--but further dangers await. Maks must find a way to free his sister Emma from The Tombs, the city jail where she has been imprisoned for stealing a watch at the glamorous new Waldorf Hotel. Maks, believing her innocent, has only four days to prove it. Fortunately, there is Bartleby Donck, the eccentric lawyer (among other employments) to guide Maks and Willa in the art of detection. Against a backdrop alive with the sights and sounds of tenement New York, Maks, as boy detective, must confront a teeming world of wealth and crime, while struggling against powerful forces threatening new immigrants and the fabric of family love." This engaging text will provide us many learning opportunities including responding to text, summaries, and changes over time in society, an important third grade social studies standard.
- Everyone turned in their homework each day! That's a great start. Please have your student number and underline their evidence. We'll slowly add more of the back checklist responsibilities. You will notice that the 5W's also appear here.
Writing
I captured an initial writing sample from students. From what I've been able to review so far, we have some great writers. We will work on sentence structure as well as common convention errors in early third grade writing: indenting (understanding paragraphs), capitals (including proper nouns), and punctuation. We will keep our writings short so we can focus on these important skills and knowledge. Some students will receive additional spelling and handwriting homework. While this will be optional it will be necessary to close gaps in these areas. I will communicate directly with any families that I will recommend this to.
Math
- We had a great start to math. We are introducing our fact fluency strategies. Our first strategies are: zero more (e.g., 5 + 0), one more (e.g., 3 + 1), and doubles (e.g., 6 + 6). Each strategy is introduced at school, practiced during our lunch to class transition period (DEAR) and finally practiced during homework. I also use domino sorts to help students further identify strategies. This is very different from how most of us learned (memorized) facts and develops a much stronger memory for facts. I'll discuss this further at our upcoming Parent Information Night. I conducted baseline addition and subtraction fact assessments today that I will use to monitor student growth. I'll send these home next week so you can keep up with your student's progress as well. I typically assess fact fluency at the end of each unit and quarter. We also looked at patterns in our addition/subtraction chart we're creating.
- I introduced place value as "p
- I introduced problem solving strategies: looking for important information, understanding (restating) the question, using a strategy (primarily drawing a picture, making a list/chart or using a number model at this stage), sharing answers, sharing strategies, identifying the most efficient strategies, and identifying what skills and knowledge are necessary for the most efficient strategies. We focused on set or combination problems, (e.g., Nanda has a blue shirt, a green shirt, and a yellow shirt. She has blue shorts and white shorts. How many possible combinations of shirts and shorts does she have?) See if your student can answer these types of questions making a drawing, a list, an array, or a multiplication number model.
Important Dates & Reminders
Your student has optional student council homework this weekend. If they are interested in running for student council, they should prepare a short speech to share on Monday that shares why they would be a good student council representative. I emphasize we are not voting for friends, but for the best candidates based on their speeches.
PTO Room parent forms went home this week. Please let me know if you are interested in being a room parent and helping to organize our parties: Halloween, Winter Break, Valentine's Day, and End of Year. I have historically invited the Ohio Wildlife Center to bring animals in exchange for cleaning and food donations for our Valentine's Day party.
From the office... Reminder: If you are picking your child up early for any reason, including leaving campus for lunch, must follow the following procedure:
- Parents must go to the office
- School secretary will call the student down to the office or send the parent to the classroom with a dismissal slip.
We will go to library approximately every other week this year on alternating E days. Our library days are: August 27; September 11, 25; October 9, 24; November 8, 27; December 11; January 8, 24; February 7, 22; March 8, 22; April 16, 30; and May 14, 29. This is a new schedule approach this year and may be modified. I will update as needed. Please refer back to this information to help your student remember to return their library materials.
August 30, 2012 - Parent Information Night from 7:50pm till 8:30pm in Room 120.
September 3, 2012 - No School in honor of Labor Day
September 5, 2012 - Picture Day
September 12, 2012 - Early Dismissal for professional development at 1:15pm
October 2, 2012 - Ohio Reading Achievement Assessment (Please avoid scheduling absences on this date)
October 3, 2012 - Walk To School Day
October 8 through 12, 2012 - PTO Book Fair
October 8, 2012 - Field trip to Highbanks Metropark
October 12, 2012 - Fall Family Night from 6pm till 8pm and Windermere Spirit Wear Sale
October 22, 2012 - No school, professional development day
October 24, 2012 - Picture Retakes
October 26, 2012 - End of the first quarter
October 29, 2012 - No school, teacher grading day
October 31, 2012 - Halloween party (extended lunch from 12pm till 1:30pm, most students go home to change into costumes)
What We Learned This Week
Word Study
- We learned synonyms and antonyms along with ASL signs for both. I like to pair kinesthetic learning with content to provide students with multiple paths to the same information. See if your student can explain synonyms and antonyms and show you the signs.
- I administered the initial screening portion of the Developmental Spelling Assessment (DSA). This assessment identifies students as one of four stages of spellers: letter name, within word, syllable juncture and derivational constancy. You can learn more here: http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/courses/rdla165/docs/c4s2_11wordjourneys.pdf I will conduct additional DSA tests next week to further refine my knowledge of your student as a speller so I can best determine what they need for spelling and phonemic development.
Reading
- We began reading by talking about why we read, primarily for two reasons: for pleasure and to find information. We are focusing on developing the ability to comprehend, organize and share main ideas using short non-fiction passages with a support sheet that lists the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, why). We then construct a main idea sentence that contains all of the relevant 5 W's. Students' efforts are recorded on the board and evaluated on whether or not they contain the 5 W's. We also combine the best parts of student efforts for a co-constructed main idea statement. I go to great lengths to show students that their "right" answers are all different, if only subtly. The 5 W's will be very important in writing and reading and will provide a valuable framework for linking the two.
- I started my initial reading conferences in an effort to get to know students as readers. I will conduct the Developmental Reading Assessment once I've had an opportunity to talk about reading strategies, genre (which we touched on briefly this week) and authors' techniques.
- Our first read aloud is City of Orphans by Avi. This summary is from the publisher, "The streets of 1893 New York are full of life: crowded, filthy, dangerous. If you are a newsboy like thirteen-year- old Maks Geless, you need to watch out for Bruno, leader of the Plug Ugly Gang whose shadowy, sinister boss is plotting to take control of all the newsies on the lower East Side. With Bruno’s boys in fierce pursuit, Maks discovers Willa, a strange girl who lives alone in an alley. It is she, stick in hand, who fights off the Plug Uglies--but further dangers await. Maks must find a way to free his sister Emma from The Tombs, the city jail where she has been imprisoned for stealing a watch at the glamorous new Waldorf Hotel. Maks, believing her innocent, has only four days to prove it. Fortunately, there is Bartleby Donck, the eccentric lawyer (among other employments) to guide Maks and Willa in the art of detection. Against a backdrop alive with the sights and sounds of tenement New York, Maks, as boy detective, must confront a teeming world of wealth and crime, while struggling against powerful forces threatening new immigrants and the fabric of family love." This engaging text will provide us many learning opportunities including responding to text, summaries, and changes over time in society, an important third grade social studies standard.
- Everyone turned in their homework each day! That's a great start. Please have your student number and underline their evidence. We'll slowly add more of the back checklist responsibilities. You will notice that the 5W's also appear here.
Writing
I captured an initial writing sample from students. From what I've been able to review so far, we have some great writers. We will work on sentence structure as well as common convention errors in early third grade writing: indenting (understanding paragraphs), capitals (including proper nouns), and punctuation. We will keep our writings short so we can focus on these important skills and knowledge. Some students will receive additional spelling and handwriting homework. While this will be optional it will be necessary to close gaps in these areas. I will communicate directly with any families that I will recommend this to.
Math
- We had a great start to math. We are introducing our fact fluency strategies. Our first strategies are: zero more (e.g., 5 + 0), one more (e.g., 3 + 1), and doubles (e.g., 6 + 6). Each strategy is introduced at school, practiced during our lunch to class transition period (DEAR) and finally practiced during homework. I also use domino sorts to help students further identify strategies. This is very different from how most of us learned (memorized) facts and develops a much stronger memory for facts. I'll discuss this further at our upcoming Parent Information Night. I conducted baseline addition and subtraction fact assessments today that I will use to monitor student growth. I'll send these home next week so you can keep up with your student's progress as well. I typically assess fact fluency at the end of each unit and quarter. We also looked at patterns in our addition/subtraction chart we're creating.
- I introduced place value as "p
- I introduced problem solving strategies: looking for important information, understanding (restating) the question, using a strategy (primarily drawing a picture, making a list/chart or using a number model at this stage), sharing answers, sharing strategies, identifying the most efficient strategies, and identifying what skills and knowledge are necessary for the most efficient strategies. We focused on set or combination problems, (e.g., Nanda has a blue shirt, a green shirt, and a yellow shirt. She has blue shorts and white shorts. How many possible combinations of shirts and shorts does she have?) See if your student can answer these types of questions making a drawing, a list, an array, or a multiplication number model.
Important Dates & Reminders
Your student has optional student council homework this weekend. If they are interested in running for student council, they should prepare a short speech to share on Monday that shares why they would be a good student council representative. I emphasize we are not voting for friends, but for the best candidates based on their speeches.
PTO Room parent forms went home this week. Please let me know if you are interested in being a room parent and helping to organize our parties: Halloween, Winter Break, Valentine's Day, and End of Year. I have historically invited the Ohio Wildlife Center to bring animals in exchange for cleaning and food donations for our Valentine's Day party.
From the office... Reminder: If you are picking your child up early for any reason, including leaving campus for lunch, must follow the following procedure:
- Parents must go to the office
- School secretary will call the student down to the office or send the parent to the classroom with a dismissal slip.
Our first field trip will be an earth sciences trip to Highbanks Metropark on Monday, October 8th. We will depart Windermere promptly at 8:30 and should return to Windermere near noon. I would like to have 5 to 6 chaperons. Please send me an email if you can assist us on the field trip. Please plan to accompany us on the bus to and from Highbanks.
Important Dates
We will go to library approximately every other week this year on alternating E days. Our library days are: August 27; September 11, 25; October 9, 24; November 8, 27; December 11; January 8, 24; February 7, 22; March 8, 22; April 16, 30; and May 14, 29. This is a new schedule approach this year and may be modified. I will update as needed. Please refer back to this information to help your student remember to return their library materials.
August 30, 2012 - Parent Information Night from 7:50pm till 8:30pm in Room 120.
September 3, 2012 - No School in honor of Labor Day
September 5, 2012 - Picture Day
September 12, 2012 - Early Dismissal for professional development at 1:15pm
October 2, 2012 - Ohio Reading Achievement Assessment (Please avoid scheduling absences on this date)
October 3, 2012 - Walk To School Day
October 8 through 12, 2012 - PTO Book Fair
October 8, 2012 - Field trip to Highbanks Metropark
October 12, 2012 - Fall Family Night from 6pm till 8pm and Windermere Spirit Wear Sale
October 22, 2012 - No school, professional development day
October 24, 2012 - Picture Retakes
October 26, 2012 - End of the first quarter
October 29, 2012 - No school, teacher grading day
October 31, 2012 - Halloween party (extended lunch from 12pm till 1:30pm, most students go home to change into costumes)
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Homework How To's
Homework Philosophy & Practices
I wanted to attempt to answer families' questions regarding homework and to provide you a reference to refer to throughout the year. I will discuss homework at the Parent Information Night as well.
Homework has changed significantly over the years, both in purpose and amount. I strongly support the research based recommendations of 3rd graders having regular homework to primarily develop positive time management and work habits, rather than to learn new material (which will become the focus in later years). (Students doing additional or individualized homework for intervention and support will be learning new skills.) I also support the recommendations of approximately 10 minutes of homework per grade level. However, as the school year begins and students return from summer, homework can take considerably longer than this until they get back into the swing of things or develop imporant skills. Seeing this through, as hard as it can be, is important for students' success and will make future homework much easier for them.
Some students may need modified homework depending on the current academic levels. Please communicate with me if you find your student's work is simply too hard or too much and I will work with you to support them. They may need modified homework or simply modified practices, e.g., a quiet environment to complete it or change in routine.
It is important to note that students who are currently performing below grade level, will indeed need to do additional work at home to help close any academic gaps. Doing the same amount and type as their peers simply will not provide enough practice to catch up. The hard work they do now, will pay off later. However, overwhelming students who already feel behind is not productive either. I am happy to partner with families to develop strategies for accomplishing an increased workload and to help your student understand this as they often, understandably, are frustrated by this fact and may even feel it is unfair. I will stress that while we work and learn together in a community, it is important to me that I know each student as an individual and am able to support them based on their individual needs. Same or equal is not always fair.
I do not grade homework as it is often not done independently, but I do check to ensure it has been attempted and do communicate with families if it is not turned in regularly or if it is not done correctly. I will attempt to email you to let you know your student has not returned their homework. However, our days are full and I may not get to this task every day.
Homework habits are important to your student's success as well. Most research (and parents) find their students are more successful when they have clear, predictable, and routine homework habits. This can be hard these days as many of our children are very busy with additional activities such as sports and social organizations after school. I recommend:
- Consistent routine: Your student may do better to come straight home and finish their homework, or they may need a break and a snack. You know your student best. The goal is to aim for consistency.
- Place: Your student will do best with few distractions (e.g., away from electronics, pets, and siblings) in a quiet environment. You may even plan to take them to the library after school to do their homework.
- Time management: Your student should develop a sense of how they spend their time when they are "working." My own two students are vastly different. One will knock out their homework with concentrated effort in ten to twenty minutes. The other had to overcome a habit of balking at their work longer than the actual work took. I simply timed their on and off task work and shared it with them once they were done. This can be difficult. I know from personal experience. There are no magic short cuts. My only advice is to stick to it and feel free to involve me in discussions with your student to reinforce that this is work I've assigned and its purpose. This can help alleviate any homework fights you may endure.
- Independence: I will explicitly model my homework expectations and strategies and expect your student to attempt it on their own. Let them try before you jump in to help or they may become dependent. However, if your student is struggling, please let me know and I can make modifications.
Nightly Homework - What To Expect
Students will receive homework Monday through Thursday. I do not assign weekend homework. Homework is always due the following day. I find it is easier for students and families to manage nightly homework than packets, which can get pushed till the end of the week for a long night of homework, which defeats the purpose of developing good work habits and time management.
Word Study: Once the school year has gotten under way, your student will be assigned specific spelling words (and more importantly, patterns) to practice nightly. We will not start spelling for the first few weeks of school as I will be assessing students developmental spelling levels during this time to determine their needs. I will share specific strategies to help your student practice these patterns in the blog. Here are several choices to help your student stay interested, as well as utilizing multiple methods of accessing the same learning.
- See it, say it, spell it (three times for each word ensuring practicing correct spelling)
- Sort by pattern
- Write additional words with the same patterns
- Write the words in alphabetical order
- Count syllables
- Use words in sentences
- Word ladders
- Identify parts of speech, often multiple
- Practice lists of words: colors, days of the week, months, holidays, states, countries, etc.
- Keep a list of words you miss to practice
- Family spelling bee
- Research word origins
- Have fun with palindromes (e.g., never odd or even)
Reading: I love to read! I read fiction and non-fiction, from biographies and books on physics (I don't always understand them) to fantasy and science fiction. I will try to share my love of reading for pleasure, but my homework focus will be on reading for information, the primary reading activity your student will have as they continue through their education. Your student will receive a one page reading and response passage, The Daily News, nightly. I've provided a sample below to show you what these look like and how I expect them to be completed (although I suggest pencil). The backside includes a student-parent checklist that is intended to empower the student to check their own work before you ever see it. This checklist demands a great deal at the beginning of the year but nightly practice should make it second nature over time, with the goal that these become generalized habits for reading and writing. I will update which checklist skills we cover at school in the blog so you know which ones your student is responsble for. The first week's homework goal is simply to get students into a routine and I will accept most homework regardless of the skills demonstrated.
Please note that checklists are much easier if students focus on a single task (e.g., capitals) for all of the sentences, rather than trying to check for multiple tasks (e.g., capitals and punctuation) at the same time. Please sign off on your student's reading homework checklist.
I will work hard to identify students' reading levels as quickly as possible, but will start the year assigning everyone the same homework.
The back of their math homework will be a series of addition (later multiplication) facts based on strategies. These strategies, which I will share explicitly on the blog as I introduce them, will be your student's anchor to recalling or quickly solving these facts. It provides them with a way of organizing facts into groups (e.g., spelling patterns) without having to memorize 100 seemingly independent math operations.
I will discuss mutli digit operations at our Parent Information Night. Please hold off on teaching your student traditional algorithms until we've had a chance to discuss these.
Keyboarding: Keyboarding is becoming an indispensable skill for all students, especially for those with fine motor challenges. Future assessments will be taken solely on computers, even for 3rd graders and their ability to concentrate on their work, rather than hunt and peck on a keyboard, will make a significant difference in how they perform. Our 3rd grade team is working hard to collaborate on ways to provide frequent and consistent keyboard practice. However, with so little time in the day, your student will greatly benefit from five to ten minutes of keyboard practice at home. I will share how they can download great free software to use at home at our upcoming Parent Information Night.
Challenge Homework
Many families request additional or "challenge" homework for their students. Here are some suggestions for families who desire more, and more importantly, differentiated work.
Reading for enjoyment with your student develops a joy for reading as well as showing them you value reading. Students can respond to their reading by journaling or discussing. There are no limitations. A former student used to make Lego movies of his favorite scenes from books. Students who struggle with reading may enjoy reading harder texts along with a book on CD. Our Windermere library and all of the Upper Arlington library branches will be happy to help you match books with CDs.
I want to share a wonderful reading resource, RAZ-Kids, for your student that either wants or needs additional support. Again, I can not overstate the fact that students who are behind need to do additional work to close performance gaps. RAZ-Kids is a great resource to do additional nightly, weekend and holiday reading. Please visit: http://www.raz-kids.com/main/Login Once on this page, you can login using the following password: jhudsonn
Your student can click on their name and they will be redirected to their home page. Please explore this page with your student to learn more about the many options they have. The page will offer at-level texts specifically chosen for your reader's needs. I have made initial assignments based on your student's end of year Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) score. (If I do not have DRA scores I assigned your student a level 28, on grade level end of 2nd grade.) It also offers assessments and even a reader so your student can listen and follow along. There are fiction and non-fiction texts, as well as core curriculum science and social studies links as well. It's a great resource. Many students have had direct experience with this site at school. No alignment is perfect and some students may have a too easy or too challenging text level. Please let me know if the text is too difficult. I will be able to adjust and monitor student progress. I would recommend reading one story per night on school nights. I am very comfortable assigning your student additional reading if this makes this otherwise optional homework less of a fight for you at home.
Writing: Students can write for many different purposes. Letters to family or finding a pen pal, especially from a different culture, can be very rewarding, particularly in our time of emails, texts and tweets. Research can be a great way to link reading and writing and it allows your student to pursue their interests, which increases commitment. Many students like to write their own fiction, which can be very challenging, but interesting work. I've had a number of students write plays based on books they've read, a great way to start writing without being overwhelmed. I'm very fond of Keri Smith's books for reluctant writers to develop a purpose for writing.
Math: Students can always practice math facts to develop proficiency, but you may want to focus on problem solving, simply starting with creating your own story problems. I advocate using the
I will share websites you may want to visit at our Parent Information Night.
Ohio Department of Education: Families that want to get a better idea of the types of testing their student will experience this year can visit the ODE's website and view previously administered 3rd grade reading and math assessments.
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=240&ContentID=4348&Content=126215
Sick & Vacation Homework
I do not assign homework for students who are ill or take planned absences during the school year. If a child is ill I want them to rest, recover and rejoin us as soon as possible. For those who are travelling, I do encourage them to read for enjoyment, practice math facts and journal about their adventures. I do not hold them responsible for missed homework.
I wanted to attempt to answer families' questions regarding homework and to provide you a reference to refer to throughout the year. I will discuss homework at the Parent Information Night as well.
Homework has changed significantly over the years, both in purpose and amount. I strongly support the research based recommendations of 3rd graders having regular homework to primarily develop positive time management and work habits, rather than to learn new material (which will become the focus in later years). (Students doing additional or individualized homework for intervention and support will be learning new skills.) I also support the recommendations of approximately 10 minutes of homework per grade level. However, as the school year begins and students return from summer, homework can take considerably longer than this until they get back into the swing of things or develop imporant skills. Seeing this through, as hard as it can be, is important for students' success and will make future homework much easier for them.
I do not grade homework as it is often not done independently, but I do check to ensure it has been attempted and do communicate with families if it is not turned in regularly or if it is not done correctly. I will attempt to email you to let you know your student has not returned their homework. However, our days are full and I may not get to this task every day.
Homework habits are important to your student's success as well. Most research (and parents) find their students are more successful when they have clear, predictable, and routine homework habits. This can be hard these days as many of our children are very busy with additional activities such as sports and social organizations after school. I recommend:
- Consistent routine: Your student may do better to come straight home and finish their homework, or they may need a break and a snack. You know your student best. The goal is to aim for consistency.
- Place: Your student will do best with few distractions (e.g., away from electronics, pets, and siblings) in a quiet environment. You may even plan to take them to the library after school to do their homework.
- Time management: Your student should develop a sense of how they spend their time when they are "working." My own two students are vastly different. One will knock out their homework with concentrated effort in ten to twenty minutes. The other had to overcome a habit of balking at their work longer than the actual work took. I simply timed their on and off task work and shared it with them once they were done. This can be difficult. I know from personal experience. There are no magic short cuts. My only advice is to stick to it and feel free to involve me in discussions with your student to reinforce that this is work I've assigned and its purpose. This can help alleviate any homework fights you may endure.
- Independence: I will explicitly model my homework expectations and strategies and expect your student to attempt it on their own. Let them try before you jump in to help or they may become dependent. However, if your student is struggling, please let me know and I can make modifications.
Nightly Homework - What To Expect
Students will receive homework Monday through Thursday. I do not assign weekend homework. Homework is always due the following day. I find it is easier for students and families to manage nightly homework than packets, which can get pushed till the end of the week for a long night of homework, which defeats the purpose of developing good work habits and time management.
Word Study: Once the school year has gotten under way, your student will be assigned specific spelling words (and more importantly, patterns) to practice nightly. We will not start spelling for the first few weeks of school as I will be assessing students developmental spelling levels during this time to determine their needs. I will share specific strategies to help your student practice these patterns in the blog. Here are several choices to help your student stay interested, as well as utilizing multiple methods of accessing the same learning.
- See it, say it, spell it (three times for each word ensuring practicing correct spelling)
- Sort by pattern
- Write additional words with the same patterns
- Write the words in alphabetical order
- Count syllables
- Use words in sentences
- Word ladders
- Identify parts of speech, often multiple
- Practice lists of words: colors, days of the week, months, holidays, states, countries, etc.
- Keep a list of words you miss to practice
- Family spelling bee
- Research word origins
- Have fun with palindromes (e.g., never odd or even)
Reading: I love to read! I read fiction and non-fiction, from biographies and books on physics (I don't always understand them) to fantasy and science fiction. I will try to share my love of reading for pleasure, but my homework focus will be on reading for information, the primary reading activity your student will have as they continue through their education. Your student will receive a one page reading and response passage, The Daily News, nightly. I've provided a sample below to show you what these look like and how I expect them to be completed (although I suggest pencil). The backside includes a student-parent checklist that is intended to empower the student to check their own work before you ever see it. This checklist demands a great deal at the beginning of the year but nightly practice should make it second nature over time, with the goal that these become generalized habits for reading and writing. I will update which checklist skills we cover at school in the blog so you know which ones your student is responsble for. The first week's homework goal is simply to get students into a routine and I will accept most homework regardless of the skills demonstrated.
Nightly Reading Homework Sample
Parent - Student Reading Homework Checklist
Please note that checklists are much easier if students focus on a single task (e.g., capitals) for all of the sentences, rather than trying to check for multiple tasks (e.g., capitals and punctuation) at the same time. Please sign off on your student's reading homework checklist.
I will work hard to identify students' reading levels as quickly as possible, but will start the year assigning everyone the same homework.
Math: Math instruction has probably changed more than any other academic area since most of us were in school. Where we learned algorithms and memorized linear math, today's students are taught to truly understand math and problem solve using a variety of possible strategies to arrive at a single common answer. Your student's math homework will review common linear concepts and support fact fluency. Your student's familiarity with these more basic concepts will support their ability to do far more complex math at school. The front of their homework will be a Drop In The Bucket review sheet (see below).
Nightly Math Homework Sample
The back of their math homework will be a series of addition (later multiplication) facts based on strategies. These strategies, which I will share explicitly on the blog as I introduce them, will be your student's anchor to recalling or quickly solving these facts. It provides them with a way of organizing facts into groups (e.g., spelling patterns) without having to memorize 100 seemingly independent math operations.
Nightly Math Fact Fluency Sample
I will discuss mutli digit operations at our Parent Information Night. Please hold off on teaching your student traditional algorithms until we've had a chance to discuss these.
Keyboarding: Keyboarding is becoming an indispensable skill for all students, especially for those with fine motor challenges. Future assessments will be taken solely on computers, even for 3rd graders and their ability to concentrate on their work, rather than hunt and peck on a keyboard, will make a significant difference in how they perform. Our 3rd grade team is working hard to collaborate on ways to provide frequent and consistent keyboard practice. However, with so little time in the day, your student will greatly benefit from five to ten minutes of keyboard practice at home. I will share how they can download great free software to use at home at our upcoming Parent Information Night.
Challenge Homework
Many families request additional or "challenge" homework for their students. Here are some suggestions for families who desire more, and more importantly, differentiated work.
Reading for enjoyment with your student develops a joy for reading as well as showing them you value reading. Students can respond to their reading by journaling or discussing. There are no limitations. A former student used to make Lego movies of his favorite scenes from books. Students who struggle with reading may enjoy reading harder texts along with a book on CD. Our Windermere library and all of the Upper Arlington library branches will be happy to help you match books with CDs.
Your student can click on their name and they will be redirected to their home page. Please explore this page with your student to learn more about the many options they have. The page will offer at-level texts specifically chosen for your reader's needs. I have made initial assignments based on your student's end of year Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) score. (If I do not have DRA scores I assigned your student a level 28, on grade level end of 2nd grade.) It also offers assessments and even a reader so your student can listen and follow along. There are fiction and non-fiction texts, as well as core curriculum science and social studies links as well. It's a great resource. Many students have had direct experience with this site at school. No alignment is perfect and some students may have a too easy or too challenging text level. Please let me know if the text is too difficult. I will be able to adjust and monitor student progress. I would recommend reading one story per night on school nights. I am very comfortable assigning your student additional reading if this makes this otherwise optional homework less of a fight for you at home.
Math: Students can always practice math facts to develop proficiency, but you may want to focus on problem solving, simply starting with creating your own story problems. I advocate using the
part + part = whole
model where students have to first identify the missing addend or factor before solving the problem. Construction projects and science experiments provide great opportunities for utilizing math in meaningful ways. I will share websites you may want to visit at our Parent Information Night.
Ohio Department of Education: Families that want to get a better idea of the types of testing their student will experience this year can visit the ODE's website and view previously administered 3rd grade reading and math assessments.
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=240&ContentID=4348&Content=126215
Sick & Vacation Homework
I do not assign homework for students who are ill or take planned absences during the school year. If a child is ill I want them to rest, recover and rejoin us as soon as possible. For those who are travelling, I do encourage them to read for enjoyment, practice math facts and journal about their adventures. I do not hold them responsible for missed homework.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Welcome to Room 120
Welcome to Room 120 for the 2012-2013 school year. I hope you've had a great summer and are as excited to start as I am!
Please note: if you formerly had a student in my room and are still receiving email updates, this post is not intended to communicate your current third grader has been assigned to my class. You will receive a Welcome Postcard Saturday or Monday telling you your student's teacher assignment for the 2012-2013 school year. My apologies for any confusion.
Please plan to introduce yourself at our upcoming Back To School Night (see below for date and time). I'm looking forward to meeting all of you. Get a good night's rest and have a big breakfast to prepare for our first day together.
Click on the following link to learn more about school supply options.
http://www.uawindermerepto.org/index.html
You have a little homework before school starts. Please choose a book to bring on our first day that you would like to start or continue reading. Your only other homework is to bring lots of questions and prepare to try!
We will have specials each day this year. We do not have specials on the first day of school. You will need athletic shoes on all gym days and should plan to leave an art smock in your locker. Our special areas schedule is:
A Days - Gym 12:10-12:45
B Days - Music 12:10-12:45
C Days - Art 12:10-1:20
D Days - Gym 12:10-12:45
E Days - Music 12:10-12:45
The school calendar's ABCDE schedule is as follows (Click on the images below to enlarge.)
First Semester
Second Semester
Important Dates
August 15, 2012 - New Family & Kindergarten Ice Cream Social at 7pm in the courtyard. August 17, 2012 - PTO Supply Sale 10am till 12pm in the Multipurpose Room.
August 18, 2012 - PTO Supply Sale 10am till 12pm in the Multipurpose Room.
August 20, 2012 - Back to School Night from 4pm till 5pm in Room 120.
August 21, 2012 - First day of school:)
August 30, 2012 - Parent Information Night from 7:50pm till 8:30pm in Room 120.
September 3, 2012 - No School in honor of Labor Day
September 5, 2012 - Picture Day
September 12, 2012 - Early Dismissal for professional development at 1:15pm
October 2, 2012 - Ohio Reading Achievement Assessment (Please avoid scheduling absences on this date)
October 3, 2012 - Walk To School Day
October 8 through 12, 2012 - PTO Book Fair
October 12, 2012 - Fall Family Night from 6pm till 8pm and Windermere Spirit Wear Sale
October 22, 2012 - No school, professional development day
October 24, 2012 - Picture Retakes
October 26, 2012 - End of the first quarter
October 29, 2012 - No school, teacher grading day
October 31, 2012 - Halloween party (extended lunch from 12pm till 1:30pm, most students go home to change into costumes)
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