What We Learned This Week
Word Study
We continued our study of short and long o sounds and patterns:
VC/VCC (e.g., clock), VCe (e.g., vote), VVC (e.g., boat), and oddballs (e.g., love which has the VCe feature but makes a short u sound, instead of a long o sound). I have modeled and directed students to sort by letter patterns first (visual strategy) and then to check for oddballs using sound (auditory strategy).
Reading Workshop
Students continued to develop their ability to make inferences based on evidence. We also continued our ability to identify the lesson or moral in a fable. We are concentrating on Aesop's Fables. Students are learning there are more ways than one to say the lesson. They are transitioning from applying common precepts (e.g., Treat others as you would like to be treated.) to precepts that relate to the actual story. We are also developing our understanding that the moral is not literal. For example, the tale of the Tortoise and the Hare is not about turtles and rabbits, but rather the animals represent different dominant character traits of arrogance and perseverance.
Writing Workshop
Students concluded our initial "show - don't tell" with a descriptive writing for "It was a dark and stormy night..." These are in the hallway and have impressed the other 3rd grade classes (and their teachers). I had hoped to have these up in time for conferences, but did not want to rush them. Please stop by and read some when you have the chance.
Students are learning a key 3rd grade focus, responding to text. I am modeling planning and writing opinion pieces that are fully supported by evidence from a short text. I'm very pleased with the students' progress with this important and challenging merging of reading and writing. I am holding students accountable for editing of convention (indenting, capitals and punctuation) and am requiring them to check their work for these essentials.
We continued our Friday "Thank You" cards. I hope your student finds these meaningful to receive and to create. I ask students to wait till they get home to read them.
Math
Students worked on their 9's multiplication and division fact strategies. Students should find the non-9 factor in any single digit multiplication problem, reduce it by one and put it in the tens place of the product. Then they put the difference between the numeral in the tens place and 9 in the ones place. If this sounds confusing, take a look at the example below and challenge your student to explain it to you.
7 x 9 = ?
One less than 7 is 6. 6 goes in the tens place of the factor.
7 x 9 = 6?
The difference between 9 and 6 is 3. This goes in the ones place.
7 x 9 = 63
Division can be represented in many different ways so it is important to me that I present division problems in several ways to develop familiarity and comfort.
Any problem with a divisor of 9 can be solved using the following strategy.
45 / 9 = ?
The tens place of the dividend (45) is 4. One more than 4 is 5. So the answer (the quotient) is 5.
See if your student can show you these two reliable tricks for 9's. Ask them to show you our magic trick. More importantly, can they explain it.
I have also signed your student up for Front Row Math. This is a free online math program that I learned about during this week's professional development. Your student can access it by going to
https://student.frontrowed.com
They will be prompted to enter their first and last name and our class code. The code is 5vmnke. Students will take a short diagnostic assessment and then they will begin a personalized instructional program. This will offer students at all levels additional learning opportunities. I'm interested to hear your feedback and see if students are engaged in this. Please let me know if you are unable to log in and I'll check on my end. If your student goes by a nickname, I have probably used it.
Lastly, I introduced the commutative property. My favorite question regarding this property was, "Why do we need to know this?" This is always my favorite question and if I can't answer it, I need to figure it out! We learn the commutative property to understand which operations can occur in a particular order and why. We can use the commutative property for addition and multiplication, but not for subtraction or division. We also find that the commutative property can simplify math for us. For example: 2 x 8 (two groups of eight) is easier to think of for many students than 8 x 2 (eight groups of two). 6 + 1 (six and one more) is easier to do than 1 + 6 (one and six more). Here are some real life questions you can use to engage your student in their understanding and appreciation of the commutative property: Which of the operations below are commutative and which are not (and always important, why?)?
- To put on your coat and to pick up your boots.
- To wash your clothes and to dry them.
- To put on your left shoe and to put on your right shoe.
- To hand up the phone and to say goodbye.
Important Dates and Reminders
I will highlight new and changed dates on subsequent posts in red.
November 9 through 13 - Terra Nova3/InView
Next Week's special area schedule is changed due to our TerraNova and InView assessments.
Monday - Art
Tuesday - Music
Wednesday - PE
Thursday - Music
Friday - PE
November 25 through 27 - Thanksgiving Break
December 1 through 2 - Ohio English Language Arts Assessment
December 21 through January 1 - Winter Break
January 8 - End of Second Quarter
January 11 - No School Teacher Grading Day
January 18 - No School Martin Luther King Day
January 21 - Conferences, Early Dismissal at 11:05, NO LUNCH SERVICE
January 27 - Early Dismissal Professional Development 1pm
February 1 through 16 - Ohio Wildlife Center donation drive
February 15 - No School Presidents' Day
February 16 - Ohio Wildlife Center Visit
March 2 - Early Dismissal Professional Development 1pm
March 18 - End of Third Quarter
March 21 through 25 - No School Spring Break
March 28 - No School Teacher Grading Day
April 6 - Early Dismissal Professional Development 1pm
April 12 and 13 - Ohio English Language Arts Assessment
April 20 and 21 - Ohio Mathematics Assessment
May 27 - Last Day of School for Students
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