It was an exciting day in third grade! The children received their assignment notebooks. This is a big jump in terms of their responsibility. Each day, children should fill out their assignment notebook with that day's assignment. (It will be posted on the smartboard for them to copy.) When they return home in the afternoon, they should open to the correct page (it will be marked with a sticky note so it's easy to keep track). They should read their assignment notebook before completing any homework.
We also talked about being responsible about returning the assignment notebook each day. I suggested to the kids that they should put their assignment notebook in their backpack immediately after completing their homework. At the same time, they should put their homework back in their folder and their folder in their backpack. That way, the next morning they will be ready to go!
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the assignment notebook.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Time for Kids
Time for Kids is a wonderful, weekly magazine written for kids. We will spend time each Tuesday reading parts of it together. The children will bring it home to share with you. You may want to share with them similar stories that you have read in magazines or the newspaper. You can also check out www.timeforkids.com for supplements to their weekly articles.
This week the company did not send us the proper number of magazines. Therefore I made extra photocopies to be sure that each child could bring one home. If the company makes that mistake again, I will be sure to call the company to rectify the situation.
Have fun reading together! :o)Melanie
This week the company did not send us the proper number of magazines. Therefore I made extra photocopies to be sure that each child could bring one home. If the company makes that mistake again, I will be sure to call the company to rectify the situation.
Have fun reading together! :o)Melanie
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Patterns on the Hundred Chart
As we played a game on the hundred chart called "Plus, Minus, Stay the Same" the children have discovered a pattern that can help them as mathematicians. As you travel down a column on the hundred chart, the digit in the ones place stays the same, but the digit in the tens place increases by one. We practiced this pattern counting by tens starting with different numbers. We can count 7, 17, 27, 37, 47, etc... Or going backwards 92, 82, 72, 62, etc...
Although it's wonderful to find patterns, it's important to understand WHY they work and how they can help us. We had an interesting conversation about the why. With a little bit of debate, the children realized that the pattern works because you aren't adding any ones, you're just adding a ten each time you go down a column. It can help us add numbers quickly. For example, I can solve 42 + 14. If I know 14=10 + 4, I can add 10 + 42. Using our pattern, I quickly know the answer is 52. The final sum is 56 because 52 + 4 (leftover from the 14) is 56.
Talk about it with your children at home! :o)
Although it's wonderful to find patterns, it's important to understand WHY they work and how they can help us. We had an interesting conversation about the why. With a little bit of debate, the children realized that the pattern works because you aren't adding any ones, you're just adding a ten each time you go down a column. It can help us add numbers quickly. For example, I can solve 42 + 14. If I know 14=10 + 4, I can add 10 + 42. Using our pattern, I quickly know the answer is 52. The final sum is 56 because 52 + 4 (leftover from the 14) is 56.
Talk about it with your children at home! :o)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Curriculum Night
Thank you so much to all who were able to join us last night. It was truly a pleasure meeting and working with all of you. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. I look forward to a wonderful year together.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I am From... poems
Proud poets in 221 have begun "I am from..." poems. We began by hearing some model poems from last year's third grade class.
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. Finally, we turned our brainstorms into poems. We added significant and precise details, we paid attention to sound and feeling. Soon they will be hung on the closet doors attached to the unique self portraits we will create.
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 poem. 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.
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. Finally, we turned our brainstorms into poems. We added significant and precise details, we paid attention to sound and feeling. Soon they will be hung on the closet doors attached to the unique self portraits we will create.
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 poem. 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.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Guided Discovery
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. Although guided discoveries take up a lot of our time at the beginning of the year, it really helps set the stage for a year of respect, caring and learning. They will help make our jobs easier as the year goes on. 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.
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.
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.
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