Weekly Wrap Up

Learning to identify the main idea of a section of nonfiction text is hard work for a third grader! Your children have been working SUPER hard at it this week with lessons from from Mrs. Steck, our Literacy Resource Teacher, and me. An example of the way your child is learning to identify and state the main idea is in the picture below.

If your child is reading a nonfiction book at home, you can ask him/her to pick one section of it and tell you the main idea. It should be in a full sentence.They might need a reminder that it should be what the whole section was about, not just one part of it. Next week we’ll work more on this skill, as well as identifying supporting details that tell more about the main idea.

Once the snow starts to fly and your child is wearing boots, feel free to send in a pair of shoes for them to change into if you don’t want them in snow boots all day. I’ll be sure to give them time to change back into their boots before they head out.

If you have any extra plastic grocery store type bags around your house, we could use them in the classroom. They come in handy when kids have a cold and need a personal trash bag for tissues, forget their backpack at home, or have more stuff to carry home than can fit in their bag. Thanks!

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Social Studies: Cultures Across CT
• Math: Multiplication
• Reading: Finding the main idea and supporting details in nonfiction texts
• Writing: Rough drafts of nonfiction (information) texts

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

Next week we finish up our study of addition and subtraction as your child learns to do what is called, “three digit subtraction across zeros with regrouping.”  What this means is learning how to do subtraction problems like 400-214. This can be a very tricky skill for third graders. I’ll be teaching it through the use of base ten blocks on the computer and iPad, which allows the students to drag and drop the blocks, as well as break them apart, which helps them see the regrouping needed. 

Since this skill can be so tricky for students, I’m going to make a change for homework next week only. Instead of math fact practice, I’m going to give them a regrouping practice sheet on Monday, and ask for it to be worked on at home during the week, and returned by Friday. It shouldn’t take them more than a total of 30-40 minutes during the entire week. If you find that it’s taking more, please have them stop, and send it back to me with a note. 

If you have an iPad and would like the same app we use, it’s Number Pieces Basic (by Math Learning Center). If your child wants to use the website, it’s linked off our class Just for Kids webpage. Also, your child can always re-watch the video that goes with lesson 3-9, found on the enVision website.

Our class wish list includes the following:

• Small plastic cups - for when kids don’t have a water bottle
• Animal print duct tape - great for repairing broken binders and notebooks, and so many other things 
• Ziplock type baggies with slider -sandwich size for storing word work materials each week, and many other uses 

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Unit skills review
• Writer’s Workshop: Putting together all the pieces that go into personal narrative writing, and working on individual goals
• Math: 3-digit subtraction with regrouping

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

What a fun first week of school we’ve had! We’ve eased back into the swing of school while having fun getting to know our new classmates, and learning about our new classroom. We’ve also spent quite a bit of time practicing third grade procedures. I think the children are really surprised by the amount of independence (in their eyes) and self-direction that comes with third grade.

Next week reading and math logs will come home in your child’s Jungle Book. Students should read for at least 20 minutes 5 days a week, and record their reading on their reading log. It’s the same log we’ll use in school, so it’s important they get in the habit of putting it back in their Jungle Book at home. For each night they read at home students earn 2 Tiger Tickets. Students are asked to practice their basic math facts for at least 10 minutes, 5 days a week, and record it on their math log. Students also earn 2 Tiger Tickets for each night they practice their math facts. Until we start on multiplication they should focus on practicing their addition and subtraction facts. Ideally, just as quickly as your child knows that 1+1=2, he/she should know other facts, such as 15-7=8.

 Here are some things you might have in your house that we could use in our classroom:

• Plastic spoons and forks for forgotten ones at snack time
• Plastic cups for forgotten water bottles
• Back issues of children’s magazines, such as Highlights, Sports Illustrated for Kids, or National Geographic for Kids

As a reminder, please look over your child’s behavior calendar and sign in the spot for parent signature. Don’t forget to follow our class on Twitter!

Here's what's coming up next week in our learning safari:

• Reader’s Workshop: Routines for Reader’s Workshop and building reading stamina
• Writer’s Workshop: Finding ideas for true stories
• Math: Place Value to 9,999 - including word, standard and expanded forms

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

Conference appointments have been set, and your form should be attached to this newsletter. Every effort has been made to accommodate your first choice of days, times requested, and to coordinate with teachers of your other child(ren). If you find that you are not able to make our conference please let me know as soon as possible and I’ll be glad to reschedule.

Your child will bring home his/her report card on Thursday. Only the envelope needs to come back (signed). Please keep the report card at home.

Our new math topic can be a bit tricky for some, especially finding equivalent fractions and comparing fractions. You might want to check on how your child is doing with his/her math homework each night.

We have a shortage of Kleenex at Toffolon right now, and I’m not sure when we’ll be getting more. Any donations for the classroom that you can send in for now with your child will be very gratefully accepted.

There are a few other items we could use in our classroom. Many thanks if you can send any of these in:

• Plastic spoons and forks for forgotten ones at snack time
• Plastic grocery store bags - Great for when kids forget their backpack or need to carry extra stuff home. We also use these for personal trash bags during cold season.
• Back issues of children’s magazines, such as Highlights, Sports Illustrated for Kids, or National Geographic for Kids - Great for something different to read!

Here's what we'll be learning about next week:

Reader’s Workshop: Biographies
Writer’s Workshop: Opinion Writing
Spelling: Unit 23 - Words home on Monday, test on Thursday
Math: Topics10 - Fractions
Science: Habitats

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. Together we are partners in your child’s education!