Thank You!

During this gift giving time, I want to thank you. It is truly to teach this group of children. It is a privilege and a pleasure working with them each day. They are smart, funny, inquisitive, strong, caring, fun and so much more! Thank you so much for sharing them with us.

Happy New Year!

:o)Melanie

Writing Workshop

In Writing Workshop, we are working to take all that we learned from our first units and automatically incorporate it into what we're writing today. We're hoping to constantly lift the level of our writing by planning how we'll make it better.

Yesterday, the children made careful plans. They wrote in a box in their writer's notebook that they would: use specific details, add more dialogue, stay focused on a small moment, and more... When I asked the children about their plans, they were able to articulate them. In addition, they were able to show me evidence of their goal in the text! I was so impressed!

Although this unit of writing again focuses on personal narrative, our content is changing somewhat. This unit we are trying to make our writing more powerful. Powerful writing often comes from strong feelings. Children have spent time brainstorming turning points in their lives - first times and last times that are significant to them. They are also remembering times when they felt very strongly. They may have felt sad, embarassed, worried or hopeful.

You can help at home. Talk to your child about the most meaningful times in their lives. Reminisce together. Encourage them to fill the pages of their writers notebooks with these memories. (I promise we'll send them home so you can read them.)

Telling Time

Do you have digital clocks all over your house so your third grader will know what time it is? You don't have to anymore! The children are becoming time experts. Right now most children can tell time to 15 minutes. We are practicing telling time to the minute.

Here are some tricky parts you can practice together:

1. When it is half past the hour (30 minutes past), the hour hand is half way to the next hour. (Often children will see that it's 3:30 when the hour hand hasn't reached the 3 yet.)

2. The kids are really good at saying it's 9:45, or 10:50. But when I ask how many minutes until _______. It get's trickier. We are learning that it's 10 minutes before 11:00 when it's 10:50. You can practice counting how many minutes until ________ at home.

After break, we'll practice elapsed time!

Inferring

Do you remember being asked to make inferences when you were in third grade reading groups? I do. And although I was considered a strong reader, I had no idea idea what an inference was.

We've been working hard to take the mystery out of inferences, because we make them every day. To make an inference you use your schema (background knowledge - the stuff that's already inside your head) plus the clues that you see (or hear) around you. For example, if I hear my dog scratching at the door, I can infer that he wants to go out.

Readers do the same thing with texts. They use their schema plus clues from the text or the illustrations. We learned that readers can infer in three different ways:

1. Infer the meaning of an unknown word
2. Infer to make a prediction
3. Infer to deepen our understanding of what's happening in the text

Share the inferences you make as you read with your third grader!

Yikes! I've been slacking off!

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I honestly don't know where the time goes... Is there anyone else putting TIME on their holiday wish list??????????

I'm going to try to catch you up the best I can. In case anyone wants to chat about school over vacation! :o)

Symphony of Powerful Writing

Today we created a beautiful symphony. You may be surprised to hear however, that there was no musical instruments. We created a symphony of powerful words.

We began our new unit in Writing Workshop learning that writers can learn from other writers. We have been studying powerful stories, so we can try to do the powerful things that these authors do.

This morning, the children reread these texts and highlighted a sentence or phrase that was their favorite. The children practiced reading their phrases so that it sounded like powerful text. I conducted by pointing to each child. As I pointed, the child read the line of text. It was quite beautiful.

You can help your child read like a writer at home. When you're reading together, notice what the author does. Perhaps they include tiny details to help the reader experience the action. Perhaps they include the internal story (the feelings or thoughts) of a character. Perhaps writers show strong feelings by describing a characters actions. The possibilities are endless.

Happy reading!

Word Study

In Unit 4, we will continue to practice our cursive writing with new letters. We will also review the exceptions to the vowel-consonant-e syllable and learn a new spelling rule.

The review Concepts for Unit 4 are:
• exception to the silent e rule: “ ive”. “ive” is pronounced with a short i sound. The “e” is added because words in English language do not end with the letter “v”.
ex-- give, olive
• “ive” can also be a suffix. ex-- inventive, active

The new concepts for Unit 4 are:
• spelling rule: When adding a consonant suffix to a word that ends in a silent e simply add the suffix ---ex safe+ly= safely. If the suffix begins with a vowel, drop the e and add the suffix. ex-- confuse + ing= confusing, brave + est = bravest
• cursive letters: d, g, q (• 2 o’clock cursive letters: These all start on the grass line and move up to the plane line to the 2 o’clock position.

• Homophones (Sound alike words):
week 1: mail male
plane plain
week 2: mind mined
find fined

***You can support your child by holding them accountable for the rules when they're spelling at home. Please don't correct all they do, but you can challenge them to find 3 words that are misspelled in their homework or writing. If you know that they've learned to drop the -e before adding a vowel suffix, you can suggest they try that. Happy spelling! :o)

Ordered Pairs

We have been working with coordinate grids. A coordinate grid can help us find information, usually on a map. In my map book, there is a coordinate grid that tells me where I can find a street on a map of a particular town. Coordinate grids are labeled with numbers on the x and y axis. The first number in an ordered pair tells you how many to go over (on the grid). The second number tells you how many to go up.

I made a coordinate grid on the floor in the pod. The children had a great time playing Twister! Ms. Barry called out left hand, left foot (etc...) and an ordered pair. The children had to figure out how to get their body part to the right coordinate. You can make a coordinate grid and play at home.

Our latest discovery is that our ceiling looks just like a coordinate grid. I've accepted the challenge to label each axis (on the ceiling) so each child can find the coordinates (ordered pair) for the location of their desk. Does anyone like to hang out on ladders??????? :o)

Have you heard our podcast?

The third graders interviewed Mrs. Gloria Greis from the Historical Society. We wanted to share what we learned with you. Click here to listen.

Schoolhouse

We traveled back in time today! We had a great time being students (and teachers) in the year 1850.

Here's what the day looked like:

*Opening - Children bowed or curtsied to the teacher. We said The Pledge of Allegiance and sang America. We reviewed the rules of the school and the thought for the day. When Miss Sullivan did roll call we answered "present."

*Reading - Each group had different books. They were assigned stories to read, spelling and vocabulary to memorize. Groups were called one at a time to stand with the teacher at the front of the room for a lesson.

*Recitations - Each child stood and recited a the spelling of a word they had memorized.

*Elocution - We learned the importance of speaking in front of a group with a loud, clear speaking voice. Several children recited two verses of a poem they had memorized.

*Lunch/Recess - Children sat on the porch and enjoyed their lunches. They were given time to play in the yard out front.

*Math - Children used slates and chalk to complete math problems from the board. They showed the problems to the adults in the room to be checked.

*Penmanship - Children used quills and ink to write in their copybook. They could practice making letters, writing their name, or copying passages.

*Spelling Bee - The day ended with a spelling bee. The girls were on one side and the boys on the other of course!


Thanks to Mrs. McConchie and Mrs. Garf for making the copy books!
Thanks to Mrs. McConchie, Mr. Peljovich and Mrs. Zagranitchny for chaperoning our trip!

Another Important Note

I asked the children not to wear sneakers to the schoolhouse. (If possible - sneakers weren't invented in 1850. Don't panic, if all your child owns is sneakers - they should wear the sneakers.)

As you may know, we have p.e. on Tuesdays. If your child is wearing dress shoes or boots to the schoolhouse, please ask them to put sneakers in their backpacks so they can participate in gym. Thanks!

Stereotypes and Native Americans

Our thinking about stereotypes has continued the past two weeks as we apply our understandings to Native Americans.

Consider the following:

"In 1963 President John F. Kennedy said, "for a subject worked and reworked so often in novels, motion pictures, and television, American Indians are the least understood and the most misunderstood of us all." Regrettably, this statement is as true today as it was more than forty years ago. Many negative stereotypes persist."
Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee) writes in "Do All Native Americans Live in Tipis?"

Check out this link for more:
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2007/10/do-all-indians-live-in-tipis.html

What was true in 1963 continues to be true today. Our society is filled with stereotypical images of Native Americans. There are so many sports teams, movies, and cartoons that keep people misinformed. At the beginning of our lesson Wednesday morning, I asked children to draw a picture of a Native American. Sure enough, just about every child drew a person with feathers in their hair. Although the children were certainly not trying to be mean or disrespectful, they were recreating the stereotype that they have learned throughout their lives.

Some third graders were shocked to hear that Native Americans still live today. It was also shocking for many to hear that Native Americans today don't wear feathers in their hair, (although some wear special costumes for pow-wows and special celebrations) and don't live in tipis. As a matter of fact, historically, Native Americans did not all live in tipis and didn't all wear feathers. Each Native American tribe was (and is) unique with it's own customs and culture.

Continue this conversation at home. Talk about the images of Native Americans that you see. Ask children to talk about if they are stereotypical. You can even do a google search. Just type in Native Americans and click images. There are many rich conversations to be had!

Thanksgiving Website

I know Thanksgiving has passed, but we went on an awesome website Wednesday I thought you might want to check out. Do you want to know the truths and myths about Thanksgiving? Plymouth Plantation has created a website to teach you the truth about Pilgrims and Native Americans. So much of what we know is based on ONE letter about "the first Thanksgiving" written by a Pilgrim in 1621. The children learned that this primary source gives us some answers, but also leaves historians with many questions. Let your third grader share the rest of what they've learned at:

http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html

Have fun! :o)

IMPORTANT

I am looking forward to our trip to the schoolhouse tomorrow! Please remember to send your child to school wearing 1850s clothes and carrying an 1850s lunch. Thanks so much for your support! :o)Melanie

Fundations - Unit 3

This week we will review previous concepts and learn to write some more cursive letters.

The review Concepts for the third unit are:

• vowel-consonant-e syllable ( v_e syllable)
If the syllable has a vowel, followed by a consonant or digraph, than an e,
the first vowel is long and the e is silent. ex. -- cape, home

• reading and spelling 2 syllable words with a silent e (v_e) syllable and closed syllables. ex-- invite

• spelling rule: Use the letter “k” to represent the /k/ sound in a silent e word ex--like
Use the letters “ck” to represent the /k/ sound at the end of a one syllable short vowel word. ex--lick

The new concepts for the third unit are:

• 2 o’clock cursive letters: c a o These all start on the grass line and move up to the plane line to the 2 o’clock position.

• Homophones (Sound alike words):
week 1: plain plane

Aunt Minerva

We played a new game at Morning Meeting yesterday. The kids thought it might be fun to play in the car/plane if people are traveling for the holiday. It's also just a fun game to play when you have a few extra minutes together. :o)

The person who begins the activity decides on a category such as "hot" but does not tell anyone else. Instead s/he gives several examples to demonstrate the category by telling things that Aunt Minerva likes and doesn't like. For example, if the category is "hot", s/he might say, "Aunt Minerva likes Florida but doesn't like Alaska. Aunt Minerva likes heavy down quilts but doesn't like thin sheets. Aunt Minerva likes soup but doesn't like ice cream." The other players try to figure out the category.
*taken from: "The Morning Meeting Book" by, Roxanne Kriete

School House Field Trip

Hopefully you have received (then signed and returned) a permission slip for our upcoming field trip. If not, please return it as soon as possible. We will be preparing for our trip in class on Tuesday and Wednesday, but we could use some help from home.

Please send in one (or more) brown grocery bags. We need these to make copybooks (the type of notebook that would have been used in 1850.) We also need volunteers to sew our copybooks together. Please let us know if you can provide any of the above materials, or if you are able to sew for us!

Thanks!

Activating Schema

Although you may not be aware of it, every time you read you use your schema. Schema is a fancy word for background knowledge. Proficient readers constantly use their schema to understand their reading.

Readers should activate their schema before they begin reading a new text. You might have schema about a particular author, genre, topic, or text feature. Getting ready to read by thinking about what you already know helps readers deepen their understanding of both non-fiction and fiction texts.

The next time you start a new book with your child, don't just jump in. Read the title carefully, notice the picture on the cover. Activate your schema for whatever you see or read. For example, when we read "Boundless Grace" by, Mary Hoffman on Friday, I immediately thought about my schema for that author and that character. Having read "Amazing Grace" I knew that Grace was a thoughtful, fun child. I also knew she loved stories and she loved to act them out. I know that Mary Hoffman writes realistic fiction. This information could help me understand the text as I read.

If you're about to read a story with a picture of a Halloween party on the cover, activate your prior knowledge of Halloween parties. You might expect children to be wearing costumes, bobbing for apples, or eating popcorn. This schema will help you understand more deeply.

Happy reading!

Ms. Kinetic

On Thursday, the children met Ms. Kinetic. I was out of the room when she came in, but according to Ms. Barry, Ms. Kinetic was in constant motion. She had representations of all sorts of energy all over her. Ms. Kinetic told the kids that she was constantly in motion and she's part of all forms of energy.

Ms. Kinetic also introduced the children to Ms. Potential. They didn't have much to tell me about Ms. Potential, except that she just sat there. She didn't make a move. They did mention however, that when Ms. Kinetic was getting ready to throw her, she magically became filled with potential energy.

Thanks to Ms. Kinetic for sharing her knowledge with us! Ask your child to explain kinetic and potential energy to you.

Energy

We HAVE lots of energy. But now, we're starting to KNOW lots about energy. Energy helps make the world go round. Energy helps us to move, grow, and change. We couldn't survive without energy.

There's a great acronym to help us remember 6 forms of energy:

SCREAM!

S-Sound
C-Chemical
R-Radiant
E-Electrical
A-Atomic
M-Mechanic

We're working through each forms, learning about each one. So far we've explored chemical and sound energy in depth. Ask your child to share what he/she knows about each.

Handwriting

We've learned 5 new letters over the past two weeks.

*r
Start at the grass line.
Glide up to the plane line.
Make half a swinging bridge.
Go back to the grass line and make a tail.

*s
Start at the grass line.
Glide up to the plane line.
Go straight down to the grass line, connect the lines.
Make a tail.

*t
Start at the grass line.
Glide way up to the sky line.
Trace back down to the grass line.
Make a tail.
Cross the t on the plane line.

*u
Start at the grass line.
Glide up to the plane line.
Trace down to the grass line, swing back up to the plane line.
Trace down to the grass line, make a tail.

*w
Start at the grass line
Glide up to the plane line.
Trace down to the grass line, swing back up to the plane line.
Trace down to the grass line, swing back up to the plane line.
Make a swinging bridge.

The Murals are Awesome!

If you get a chance, come check out the murals hanging outside the third grade pod. The kids did a marvelous job! They even used labels to help teach passers by how things have changed for children.

Next, third graders will use our murals to teach even more. Each mural group will write a basic paragraph explaining their mural. Today they learned that a paragraph can be like a hamburger! (Bet you didn't know that! :o) The top bun is the topic sentence. The hamburger, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles are the details. The details support the topic sentence. (Because without the juicy details, your burger won't taste so great.) Finally, the bottom bun is the concluding sentence which wraps the paragraph up. Notice that without the top bun (topic sentence) and the bottom bun (concluding sentence) your burger (paragraph) would fall apart!

Ask your third grader about the paragraph they started today. Ask them to share their topic sentence and the details they included to support it.

Mural

As a culmination to our study of Needham history, each third grade class is creating a mural. Room 221 is creating a mural that shows how the lives of children have changed over the years. We have divided our mural into fourths. (Insert short lesson on fractions here. :o) Each section is focused on a different time period.

The first section is focused on Native American children. We chose to put them first because the Native Americans were in Needham first. The second section is focused on children who lived in Needham around 1711, the year it officially became a town. The third section is focused on children who lived in Needham around 1850. This is the year we will pretend it is when we visit the schoolhouse. The final section is focused on the children of today.

Ask your child which section of the mural they are working on. Ask them how the children in their group got along, and how they solved problems. Finally, ask your children how life in Needham has changed throughout history.

No Spelling This Week

We have soooooooooo much to catch up on this week, I chose not to introduce new spelling words. We will have word study during the school day, but we won't be having a test on Friday. We'll resume our regular schedule next week. Thanks for understanding! :o)

Almost Forgot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow morning the Eliot School will march in our very own Red Sox parade! Wear your hats and t-shirts! If you're like me and you don't own Red Sox paraphernelia, just wear red, white and blue! Get ready to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!"

Pumpkin Math

Ms. Barry taught a great lesson today! She helped kids practice their estimating, rounding, and counting skills - all while having fun!

Each table received one pumpkin. (Thanks to Volante Farms for generously donating the pumpkins!) The children worked together in table groups to estimate the number of seeds in their pumpkin. Together, the class rounded the estimates to the nearest ten. Then plotted the estimates on a number line.

Next, we got messy! Third graders dug into their pumpkins, pulling out the seeds. They developed different strategies to count the actual number of seeds inside. Many children counted by tens. They recorded the actual numbers on cards.

Finally, Ms. Barry led the children in rounding the actual numbers to the nearest ten. These new numbers were plotted on the number line.

Tomorrow, as we learn to subtract with regrouping - we will find the difference between the actual number and estimated number of seeds.

Happy Halloween! :o)

Reminder

Scholastic Book Club orders are due tomorrow, Tuesday, October 30.

Handwriting

We learned new letters on Friday. The kids can practice at home!

i
*Start at the grass line.
Glide up to the plane line.
Trace down to the grass line and make a tail.
Add a dot.

j
*Start at the grass line.
Glide up to the plane line.
Go all the way down to the worm line.
Loop back up to the grass line, and make a tail.
Add a dot.

p
*Start at the grass line.
Glide up to the plane line.
Go all the way down to the worm line.
Trace up to the plane line, make a big belly.
Make a tail.

Halloween

As you have probably heard from our wonderful room parents, this Halloween we will have a party but will not wear costumes to school. Instead it will be silly hat day. Your children may wear their silliest hats (I'll even allow wigs) but no other costume items. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Happy Halloween!

Check This Out!

The self portraits and "I am from..." poems are online! Mrs. Martell has recorded each child's voice and posted the amazing results. Check us out here!

Stereotypes

This morning third graders were given a true/false quiz. They were asked to answer the following:

Kids who wear jeans are not smart.
Girls wear dresses.
Girls have long hair.
Doctors are boys.
Nurses are girls.
Girls play with dolls.
Boys play sports.
Moms do housework.
Dads go to work.
Boys like to build things.
Girls like to cook.

Their responses were fantastic! Many of them asked at the beginning, "Wait a minute. Girls don't always wear dresses. Not all girls wear dresses..." I asked them to complete the "quiz" the best they could and be sure to raise their questions and concerns during our discussion.

The discussion was quite animated. Many children had very strong feelings about the statements made. The most challenging to get over were - Nurses are girls and doctors are boys. Some children had difficulty being convinced otherwise.

The point of this experience of course was to introduce the children to the concept of stereotypes. A stereotype is when we make an assumption about a person based on the group they belong to - in this case 'boys' or 'girls.' We will have more conversations about stereotypes. Based on our conversation about nurses and doctors, I think we'll stick with gender for now and focus specifically on professions. You can have some interesting conversations about this with your child at home. :o)

Regrouping

Yes, the time has come. We are reviewing addition with regrouping. Although it may feel like torture to some children, they are doing quite well. We are even venturing into regrouping with 3 digit numbers...

As you are working with your children, remember that math instruction has changed since we were in elementary school. You probably know regrouping as carrying.
"5 + 9 = 14. Put down the 4, carry the 1..." Children can still solve addition problems this way. The only thing different for that method, is that we call it regrouping. They don't carry the one, they regroup the 10 (or the hundred).

You may have noticed children using other methods of solving however. They can even start in the tens place instead of the ones place! For example:

57 + 49=

Here's a process many children will use: 50+40=90, 7+9=16, 90+10=100, 100+6=106

Although this may seem complicated because you're not used to it, it's actually giving children the opportunity to use their number sense, and to use what they do know to solve what they don't.

Here's a three digit problem (a little trickier):

378 + 496=

300+400=700, 70+90=160, 700 + 100= 800, 800+60=860, 8+6=14. 860+10=870, 870+4=874

Remember, either process (or many I haven't mentioned) are acceptable as long as the answers are accurate and the children can explain their thinking.

Please don't hesitate to write or ask if you have any comments or questions! :o)M

New Cursive Letters

On Friday, we learned three new lowercase letters:

k
*start at the grass line
glide up to the sky line
loop down to the grass line
retrace the line straight up to the plane line
make a little belly
kick out to the grass line
make a tail

f
*start at the grass line
glide up to the sky line
loop down all the way to the worm line
loop up to the grass line
make a tail

b
*start at the grass line
glide up to the sky line
loop down to the grass line
make a big belly
make a tail

Have fun practicing together!

Sturbridge Village

As part of our study of the history of Needham, we watched a video about Sturbridge Village today. I wanted the children to have a better picture in their minds of what life was like in the early 1800s.

If you're looking for something to do with your family, it's a fantastic place to visit! Check it out online at
http://www.osv.org/.

Revised Homework Schedule

I'm changing things up a bit to make things more efficient for us in the classroom. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Monday - spelling
Tuesday - Scholastic News
Wednesday - Math
Thursday - grammar/word study

Choosing a Seed

No, we haven't started a garden in Room 221. We haven chosen a seed idea from the entries in our Writer's Notebook. Children were asked to choose stories that matter to them, stories that hold significance in their lives.

Ask your child to tell you the story they chose. Ask them not to summarize it for you, but to storytell it. Ask them to tell it long, to tell it so it gives you goosebumps.

When they've finished telling, please offer them a compliment or two. We are working to choose small moments, write (or tell) focused stories with lots of detail. Over the next weeks, we will get our stories down on paper. We hope to be published by
November 2.

Thundercake

This afternoon we read "Thundercake" by, Patricia Polacco. It's a story of Patricia as a young child being taught not to fear the sound of thunder by her Babushka (grandmother). At the end of the book, Ms. Polacco includes the recipe for Thundercake. I thought some of you might be interested in giving it a try. :o)

My Grandma's Thundercake

Cream together, one at a time
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated
(Blend yolks in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.)

1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
Sift together
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture.
Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2-inch round pans at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries.


P.S. We are learning to be better writers from Patricia Polacco. Ask your child what story they might write about a time when he/she was scared.

Cursive Letters

We have learned three lowercase letters! Below the letters are the keywords for helping children remember how to form them:


l -
*start at the grass line
glide to the sky line
loop back down to the grass line
make a tail

e -
*start at the grass line
glide to the plane line
loop back down to the grass line
make a tail

h -
*start at the grass line
glide to the sky line
loop back down to the grass line
retrace to the plan line
make a hump back down to the grass line
make a tail

Columbus Day

Most of you are probably aware of the year 1492. The year Columbus sailed the ocean blue on the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. The voyage when Columbus "discovered" America.

You may not have heard the story from the Native American point of view. I read "Encounter" by, Jane Yolen to the class - a piece of historical fiction that tells the Columbus story from the voice of a young Taino (Native American) boy. From that point of view, Columbus came to the America's and "discovered" a land that had been inhabited for thousands of years. He claimed that inhabited land for Spain.

Ms. Barry and I did a role play this afternoon. She was sitting at the back of the group pushing buttons on MY cell phone. The conversation went something like this:

Mrs. S: What are you doing with my cell phone?
Ms. B: This isn't your cell phone. I discovered it just a little while ago.
Mrs. S: Discovered it? You couldn't discover that! It belonged to me. I had it first.
Ms. B: But I found it and I want to keep it...

Apparently Ms. Barry and I are talented actresses, because many of the children thought the conversation was for real. I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces as we argued back and forth.

The kids got it though. They said, "You can't discover something that already belonged to someone else!" This in fact is true. Columbus did not truly "discover" America. From another point of view however, Columbus did introduce the New World to Europeans. Certainly a kind of discovery.

Talk to your child about Columbus. Talk about the story that you learned originally and how your thoughts have changed. Talk about how stories change depending upon the point of view.

Happy Talking!

Reminder

Scholastic Book Club orders were due today. I will hold off ordering until tomorrow afternoon. If you're interested, send them in tomorrow!

Fundations!

This year grade 3 will join kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 in using the Fundations Program. The Level 3 (Grade 3)program reviews and builds upon Level 2 (Grade 2). In addition, there will be new sounds to read and spell and new spelling rules to learn. The cursive writing program is integrated into the Level 3 Fundations Program and is slightly different from what students have used in the past. For example, this program allows for the different writing slant used by right and left handed people.

Our trick words (wall words) will focus on homophones ( words that sound the same but are spelled differently). We will discuss the meaning and practice using and spelling them correctly in sentences.

The review concepts for the first unit are:
• closed syllable
This syllable has only one vowel and that vowel is followed by one or more consonants. (ex. at, itch, scram) The vowel sound is always short.
• spelling of the /k/ sound
Rule: At the end of one syllable words, ck is used immediately after short vowels
(sick). If there is another consonant after the short vowel, you only use the k (milk). The letter c is most often used at the beginning of the word and the letter k is most often used at the end of the word.
•glued sounds (am, an, ang, ing, ong, ung, ank, ink, onk, unk)
•exceptions to the closed syllable (The vowel in these syllables has a long sound.) ild,ind, old, olt, ost.

The new concepts for the first unit are:
• tch sounds like /ch/ and is used in spelling after a short vowel (catch)
• w and qu change the sound of a as in: want wash, squash
• cursive writing: loop letters (Loop letters start on the grass line - the bottom line.):
l (orientation week) ,e,h,(week 1) b,f,k (week 2)
• homophones:
week 1: know, no
week 2: which, witch

We are starting week 1 today. Your child's spelling words will reflect the new concept of -tch and the review concept of /k/. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

History of Needham

This week begins our study of Needham. We're learning all about how our community has changed since the glacier covered the land 1,000,000 years ago. Our technology specialist, Mrs. Martell helped to create some amazing online resources.

Click here to see the website we've been exploring. I hope you're able to have some interesting conversations with your children. Maybe you can visit some of the historic sites

Reading is Thinking

Your children are enthusiastic readers! During Reading Workshop, you can hardly hear a pin drop, and all you see are heads bent over books. This is an awesome thing, because the more children read, the more they will improve as readers.

Currently, we're working to take that a step further. Reading is more than saying the words from the page in your head. Reading is thinking. I'm challenging third grade readers to think, react and feel as they read. This is what proficient readers do.

Read with your children at home. Every once in a while stop and share what your thinking. You might say:

Wow! I can't believe that...
Did you know...
That happened to me once...
I wonder...
That reminds me of...

You can even model thinking with your own reading. If you're reading the paper or a magazine at the breakfast table, stop and share what you think about the article you're reading. You might agree, disagree, feel shocked or confused about it. Let them know.

The most important thing is that children see and understand that reading is thinking.

Happy reading!

Spelling Words

Our spelling program has officially begun. Children are bringing home a list of words this afternoon. This week, the words came from two places. Five of the words are words they chose from a list we provided. They are all words that include blends and short vowels. The other five words come from an individualized list. Every day last week, the children took a pre-assessment of "trick words". (Most words on the list do not follow phonetic patterns or rules.) The words they were not able to spell correctly were placed on a list called "Words to Learn".

As we've discussed before, all children have strengths and struggles. The children have individualized lists so they can choose words that are "just right" for them. The words should be ones they are close to knowing. (They can't spell them accurately, but their spellings are only off by a few letters.)

We teach children that we should spell correctly out of respect for their readers. "Dictionary" spelling is much easier to read than invented spelling. We want readers to easily read and understand what we're trying to say. Please be sure that your child studies 5-10 minutes each night to help them improve their spelling.

Flashcards Coming Home...

There's another quiz Thursday! Children should be studying their flashcards at least 5 minutes each day. In their folders this afternoon, you will find flashcards appropriate to the quiz they will be taking Thursday. If they passed last Thursday's quiz, they will have Doubles +1 flashcards (1 + 2, 2 +3, etc...). If they were not able to pass, they should study their doubles again.

Happy Adding! :o)

Timed Addition Quizzes

Today was the big day. We had our first timed addition quiz. In order to pass, children had to get 48/50 correct in two minutes. Although this may sound like a lot, it is imperative that children know their addition facts quickly and automatically.

Children will have the corrected quizzes in their folder this afternoon. Some children passed, but many children did not. I encouraged the children not to feel bad. They are still wonderful mathematicians if they didn't get them all right. I told them I know they're still smart, even if they didn't pass. If they didn't pass, it just tells me they need to study more, or study differently. Please discuss this with your child tonight. Decide if how they're studying, or how much has been effective.

New strategies to try:
*tracing number facts in salt, shaving cream or pudding (on a cookie sheet)
*write number facts in the bathtub with suds or tub crayons
*listen to addition rap (You can find in most music stores.)
*make up your own tune to memorize

Those children who did not pass will take the same quiz again next Thursday. For those who did, they will be studying Doubles +1 for Thursdays quiz. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

I am from...

Proud poets in 221 have begun "I am from..." poems. We began by hearing some model poems.

I am from old pictures
and hand sewn quilts.
I am from the Yerba Buena
to the old walnut tree that is no more.

I am from carne con chile
to queso con tortillas.
I am from farmers and ancient Indians
to the frijoles and sopa
they ate.
by, Lurdes Sandoval

Next, we got ready to brainstorm what might go in our own poems. I shared with the children the kinds of things that might go in my poem. We thought about: items found around our homes, items found in our yards, items found in the neighborhoods, names of special relatives, sayings, or names of special foods and dishes. The kids thought of other important special things that didn't fall into these categories. This week we will turn our brainstorms into poems. We will add significant and precise details, we will pay attention to sound and feeling. Soon they will be hung on the closet doors attached to our unique self portraits.

These poems give children the chance to share who they are. We all have different experiences, memories, and traditions that make us who we are. Each person's is different. It can depend on our culture, our religion, the color of our skin, where we grew up, or just the personalities of our family members. Ask your child about their brainstorm. Ask them to share about their experience trying to think of what to share. You can even share your own special memories from your own childhood. Maybe even challenge yourself to write a poem.

The Human Knot

We also tried a team building challenge today. We divided the class into two groups to keep it manageable. Each group formed a circle. We reached out and held onto other people's hands from across the circle. The hand holding results in a very large "human knot."

The goal is to get untangled without letting go hands. Trust me, this is not an easy task. It requires patience and LOTS of communication. I gave the children only two pieces of advice - be safe, talk and LISTEN. It was so interesting for me to listen as they puzzled through the challenge. Some kids are silent, they do as their peers ask. Others pop in with an idea now and then. Still others are huge leaders - directing the group confidently and respectfully. It helps me to learn so much about the kids as I observe.

The end result - one group got untangled. The other group ended up sprawled on the grass. :o) No problem. We'll try again next week. I think it will be interesting for half the class to participate and the other half to observe and listen. I hope this will provide for a rich conversation about the group dynamics and the communication that needs to happen to solve problems as a team. I'll keep you posted. :o)

9 Dot Challenge

Well, I'm probably getting to the computer too late for you to try this tonight... But, in your child's folder you'll find a small piece of paper with 9 dots arranged in 3 straight rows.

The challenge is to draw four straight lines in order, to touch all nine dots - all without lifting your pencil. I know it's possible (I saw it happen at a class I took this summer), but we were not able to solve it in class today. So, we opened up the challenge to the families. If you can't get to it tonight, try it over the weekend!

****This was a really good opportunity to discuss not getting overly frustrated when facing a very challenging task. I was very impressed with the children's ability to stay calm and keep trying.

*****Hint: Think outside of the box.

Just Right Books

Reading Workshop is in full swing! We start the workshop with a focus lesson. This lesson gives us something to focus on as readers each day. Today and Friday we focused on "just right books". I asked the kids to imagine they were riding a bike. They started off coasting down hill. Then they begin pedaling harder to get back up a steep hill. Finally, they are on relatively flat ground. They hit a few bumps in the road, a small hill here and there, but lots of smooth sailing.

I asked the kids to imagine that reading different levels of books is like riding that bike.

When they are reading books that are easy for them, it's like coasting down the hill. The kids describe reading easy books in these words:

1. You can read all the words.
2. There are few (or no) mistakes.
3. You can read quickly.
4. You read fluently.
5. You can understand what you are reading.

When children are reading books that are too hard for them, it's like struggling up that steep hill. Your muscles start to hurt. The kids described reading hard books in these words:

1. There are lots of really long words.
2. You have to solve lots of words.
3. You don't understand what you're reading.
4. You don't know what's going on.
5. It sounds slow and choppy.

When children are reading books that are just right for them, it's like riding on flat ground. You hit some bumps, a few small hills, but there's a lot of smooth sailing. The kids described reading just right books in these words:

1. You understand what's going on.
2. You can read lots of the words.
3. It feels sort of easy, sort of hard.
4. It sounds mostly fluent.

The vast majority of the time children should be reading books that are just right. Research has proven again and again that just right books will help children become proficient. Ask your child tonight if the book they are reading at home is just right. Challenge them further to explain what makes it just right.

Happy reading!

Venn Diagrams

A major goal for September and October is to build a hard working, caring community. One way we work toward achieving that goal, is by getting to know each other well. This week, we are creating venn diagrams. A venn diagram is a tool for comparing any two things. Ask your third grader what compare means!

We started by creating a venn diagram for Zuri and Danitra from Meet Danitra Brown. In order to do this, children needed to think about how Zuri and Danitra are the same, and how they're different. We emphasized the importance of focusing not just on external characteristics, but on internal ones. Again, we were very impressed by the children's ability to make inferences from the text to determine characteristics.

The children were then paired with another student in 221. They are currently working to complete a venn diagram about themselves. They didn't need a reminder to focus on internal characteristics. They did it on their own. We are well on our way to getting to know one another well. We are well on our way to becoming a hard working, caring community.

**Ask your third grader who their partner is.
**Ask your third grader to share some of their similarities and differences.

Good Books

Meet Danitra Brown by, Nikki Grimes is a story of two best friends, told in poetry. The poetry is written in the voice of Zuri, Danitra's best friend. It's a beautifully written piece and children can immediately relate. We read the story together and talked about friendship. I was extremely impressed with the children's ideas, their thoughts about the characters and their ability to back them up with evidence from the text. For example, a child might say, "I think Zuri sticks up for Danitra." My response is, "What makes you say that?" or "What evidence from the text leads you to that?"

Your child may enjoy reading this book again at home. You can find it in your local library or book store.

Instrumental Demonstrations

Check your child's backpack this afternoon for information about string lessons in the Needham Public Schools. Mr. Mark Smith came and played for the children this morning. They were practically spellbound. When he asked how many might be interested in playing a string instrument, nearly ALL children raised their hand. Please consider signing your child up. Musical intelligence is an important intelligence to be fostered.

Ask your child which string instrument plays lower - violin, viola, or cello.

Thank you!

Thanks so much to all the parents who came to Curriculum Night. Thanks especially for humoring me as I gave you "assignments". Hope you had some fun. I did. :o)

If you weren't able to make it, I'll be in touch soon. I'm happy to share the handouts and answer any questions you may have.

The First Six Weeks

We will be spending a lot of time during the first six weeks of school spelling out expectations, articulating rules and establishing predictable structures.

1. The children are participating in Guided Discoveries. In a guided discovery children discuss, explore and practice the use of classroom materials so that they can take care of the materials and each other. They role play what we can do when something goes wrong, or when another child wants to share.

2. The children have chosen one of their hopes and dreams for Third Grade. Each child will share their dream with the rest of the community. We will use these hopes and dreams as the basis for classroom rules. The discussion will begin with the question - “What rules do we need to have in our classroom so that everyone is able to fulfill their hopes and dreams this year?”

3. We are practicing, practicing, practicing all of the expectations. We practice lining up quietly, using quiet voices while working and even hanging up our backpacks in the cubbies. (**So far so good! The children have been fantastic and respectful. We are constantly amazed by them.)

4. We are teaching recess. This may sound strange to you, but it's very important. The purpose of recess is for all children to have fun. We have been playing games together as a community. We model and practice what it looks like to be sure everyone has fun and is safe.

5. Most importantly, we are getting to know one another. We are all special and unique and we have begun sharing small pieces of ourselves with one another

***We put a strong focus on all of these activities so that we can move toward an
orderly, cooperative and stimulating learning environment where children feel ownership and safety.

Hopes and Dreams

Today we began to think about our hopes and dreams for third grade. Children brainstormed what they might like to accomplish this school year. Next, each child completed a reflection sheet to help them narrow their decisions down. Finally, on Monday they will choose one aspiration to share. They can decide based on what's important to them at school, what they want to get better at, or what they care about.

Have a conversation with your child this weekend. Talk about your hopes and dreams. You'll be able to see the children's final decision hanging in the classroom when you come for Curriculum Night, Tuesday September 11.

Book Fair

The Book Fair has come to John Eliot School! Room 221 will be visiting on Monday at 12:30. If you would like your child to purchase books you have two choices. They can bring money to school that day, or they can complete a wish list. You can return to the Book Fair after school or at Curriculum Night to purchase the books you would like your children to have. Happy Reading! :o)

Scavenger Hunt

Room 221 went in search of a missing watermelon this afternoon. Clues such as:

Walk down the stairs
and spy the fun
Don't get excited,
Your mission isn't done.
Walk down the hall
Past where the youngest students learn.
Stop at the next door and - turn.

were strategically planted (by Mrs. Sullivan earlier in the day) throughout the building so that the children could meet important people in our school community. Ask your child who gave us this clue. Or ask them to tell you about one of the people we got to meet.

(Fortunately, Mrs. Wilcox had the watermelon in her office. We all enjoyed a refreshing piece after music.)

Bathrooms

Your third grader may have come home today and told you that they visited a bathroom they don't normally visit. Yes, the girls went in the boys' room and the boys went in the girls' room. Don't worry, it was all completely supervised and we first made sure nobody was using them. It was all in an effort to review expectations and take the mystery away. The children handled it beautifully. Sure, there were giggles during the visits, but when we sat down to discuss it they came together nicely.

P.S. The boys were very impressed that the girls had 4 stalls! :o)

Guided Discovery - crayons

In Room 221 we learn about our supplies and routines through guided discoveries. A guided discovery is a short, interactive lesson where we practice and discuss how we can take care of each other, ourselves and our materials. This afternoon we did a guided discovery with crayons.
First I gave the children bowls of older crayons to share. They were asked to use the crayons in three different ways. Third grade artists immediately and enthusiastically got right to work with a quiet buzz. I watched in awe as their creations unfolded. After discussing, we realized that there are a tremendous number of things we can do with crayons. We can:

*draw lots of things
*draw an outline
*color in
*color dark, light or medium
*write lightly, color over it, and it looks darker
*mix colors
*do rubbings
*shade
*smudge
*doodle
*create straight, curved or zig-zag lines
*draw borders
*create designs

The children practiced these techniques by designing a name tag for their cubbies. (You can see their creation when you come for Curriculum Night on September 11.)
Finally, the community discussed how we take care of ourselves, eachother and the crayons while we are working. The children will remember to share. They might use words like, "May I use that?" "Of course." "When I'm done with it." They will also use crayons gently and clean up after themselves. Ask your child what they will do when they are using crayons.

Unwritten

It's here. The new school year has begun. The faculty/staff of Needham Public Schools gathered together at Newman School this morning for our annual district meeting. We listened to lots of speeches and lots of welcomes. Most memorable was the photo slideshow Needham High School students put together for us. They put the slideshow to the song "Unwritten" by, Natasha Bedingfield.
I wanted to share the lyrics of this song because they say so much about the children I'm about to meet, and the time we will spend together.

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
are outside the lines
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten.


I look forward to guiding your children along their third grade journey as their books become "written". I hope to help them live with arms wide open, reaching for things in the distance, and learn in a place where it's okay to go outside the lines. Thank you for sharing them with me.

Reminders

Just a reminder that third graders have assignments due on September 5. In case you forgot...

We are asking you to assist your child in selecting enjoyable and interesting books at their reading level. The book list from the Media Specialist (on the school website) and the public libraries will help you find books. Please arrange time for your child’s daily reading and help him/her fill in the attached reading log.
We also want children to understand that third graders think as they read. Therefore, we ask that children do the following two assignments:
1. Pick one book that you read in July. Draw a picture of your favorite part. Write at least three sentences explaining why it was your favorite part.
2. Pick one book you read in August. Write a short summary of the book, explaining what happened in the beginning, middle and end.

Please have your child bring the log, picture and summary to his/her teacher on September 5th. Thank you for your help.

Also, children should bring the following supplies/materials to school:

1. A two-sided homework folder with your first and last name on the front cover
2. A dozen sharpened pencils
3. One 10 pack of thick Crayola markers (Classic colors)
4. A box of tissues
5. One 16 pack of Crayola crayons.
6. 1 marble composition book
7. 2 spiral one-subject notebooks
8. Your summer reading list and assignments (posted on the Eliot School web site)
9. $3.25 cash or check made out to The John Eliot School for your assignment notebook
10. $3.95 cash or check made out to Scholastic

Parents have homework too! If you have not mailed the interview I sent home with our summer newsletter please mail it, or send it on September 5th. I look forward to hearing from you. :o)

Getting in the Mood...

The countdown begins! If you're looking to get your child in the mood, you may want to read a great "back to school" book together. The Horn Book has created a wonderful list. Enjoy! :o)

Tech Camp

This summer, I was lucky enough to participate in Tech Camp with Mrs. Martell! It was a lot of fun and I learned how to do lots of fancy things using technology. Ms. Wolfe gave me the idea for a project of which I'm particularly proud. Check out my VoiceThread to get a preview of the wonderful experiences we'll have together in third grade.

Welcome!

We are very excited to be working with all of you. We will post information on this blog regularly. Hopefully it will give you a small window into your child's day in third grade. Can't wait to meet you! :o) Melanie