Publishing New Writing

Holy cow! Your children are incredible writers. They are currently working to publish their second personal narrative. Each child has shown tremendous growth. At the coffee next week, we'll show you both published stories. We know you'll be very impressed.

This time around, the children created timelines of their topic. Each step in the story had it's own spot in the timeline. But we didn't stop there. For each dot, we created 3-5 sentences explaining the original dot with SPECIFIC detail!

For example, one super author originally wrote, "My dad picked me up and carried me away."

She took that one sentence and turned it into, "My dad lifted me off the ground and put me on his shoulders. I wiggled. I shrieked really high. I thought, 'What's he doing?' I looked back at Stephanie. My eyes watered. My dad carried me to the car. I tried to stand up but I was strapped in. I frantically grabbed Kiwi and started to cry."

Now that's specific detail!

Ask your third grader some examples of specificity in their writing. They'll be able to show off to you at our coffee next Thursday, February 7.

Timed Math Quizzes

I must offer my apologies for the confusion about timed quizzes. There was a mix-up when I was out last Thursday and I've been searching for time to figure it out.

The result is - I will give the kids the week off! There will be no timed quiz this week. They will resume next Thursday.

I promise I will send home study sheets no later than Friday.

Thanks so much for your patience. :o)Melanie

Multiples

I have been very excited to see how well your children are understanding multiplication! It's as if they were born knowing it. :O)

We have learned that multiplication deals with equal groups. We have also learned that multiplication is the same as repeated addition. So, 3 x 5 = 5 + 5 + 5.

Over the last couple of days children have been skip counting. And wouldn't you know it, skip counting is just like multiplying! The children have used hundred charts to record their skip counting by 2s, 3s, 4s... all the way to 12s.

The children have learned that the numbers they are skip counting with are actually multiples of the original number. So if you are skip counting by 2s - 2,4,6,8,10... All the numbers you say are actually multiples of 2. If you are skip counting by 7s - 7,14,21,28,35... All the numbers you say are actually multiples of 7.

In order to connect it back to multiplication, think of it this way:

I know 28 is a multiple of 2 because I skip count 14 times to get there
(2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28) OR 2 x 14 = 28.

I know 63 is a multiple of 9 because I skip count 7 times to get there
(9,18,27,36,45,54,63) OR 9 x 7 = 63.

When children practice skip counting by different numbers, they are remembering multiples, but also beginning to memorize their multiplication facts!

Exciting Trip

My family and I are leaving tomorrow morning on an exciting trip! We're headed off to Disney World to see Mickey! I will miss school on Tuesday and Wednesday, but will return Thursday. Miss Barry will teach the class while I'm gone with the assistance of a guest teacher. (I feel very fortunate to have such a fantastic assistant. I know lots of learning will continue to happen despite my absence. :o)

Please don't hesitate to contact Miss Barry if you have any questions or concerns. Enjoy your weekend! :o)Melanie

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today we read about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Scholastic News. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is not only a holiday, but is considered a "national day of service." The children were asked to respond to the following:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve."
Give an example of how you do (or how you can) serve your community. Include a topic sentence and at least 2 details that explain.

Have a conversation at home with your child tonight. Maybe you can choose a service project that you can work on as a family.

Timed Math Quizzes

Oh, the dreaded quizzes! I'm sorry if I make life miserable at home, but these quizzes (although unpopular :o)are quite necessary. It is essential that children know their addition facts fluently as we move on to more sophisticated math.

Today the children were particularly frustrated because only four of them passed. I had a conversation with the children this afternoon. They absolutely need to be studying 5-10 minutes/day, nearly every day. Most children admitted, that's not what they are doing.

I want to make sure parents are aware of this issue. But I'm also writing as a cheerleader. You're kids can do it! They can memorize those facts. (We all did. :O) Please work with them. It can be in the car, at the bus stop, waiting in line at the grocery store.

Kids think that they are studying when someone is quizzing them. Remember, they need to spend time memorizing before they can be quizzed. See my post here from September for new studying strategies.

Don't hesitate to write or call if you need help! :O)

Multiplication

We've started the exciting third grade concept of multiplication! We started off by making lists of items that come grouped in different amounts - things like 2 shoes in a pair, 7 days in a week, 12 eggs in a carton. Today we used these lists to make up our own story problems.

For example, one story could be:

There are 4 tricycles in the preschool playground. Each tricycle has three wheels. How many wheels in all.

We also learned that multiplications sentences can be written like this: 3 x 4= 12. Because multiplication is simply combining equal groups, I think of the x as "groups of". Therefore the sentence can be read: 3 groups of 4 equals 12.

Have fun practicing at home!

Second Step

Our class has started Unit II of the Second Step curriculum. It focuses on impulse control and problem solving. Impulse control means slowing down and thinking rather than doing the first thing that pops into your head. Problem solving is a strategy for dealing with problems we face with other people as individuals. Calming down techniques are taught to give your child the skills to compose him or herself so that a given problem can be solved more effectively.

Today we learned strategies to calm down. We can:

Take three deep breaths
Think calming thoughts
Talk to yourself
Count backward slowly

The next time your child comes in upset about a friend, or a fight with a sibling you might say, "Wow! I can tell that you're upset. Try taking three deep breaths, then count backward slowly before deciding what to do."

Next week we'll discuss the steps for problem solving.

Elapsed Time

Elapsed time is the amount of time that passes. Third graders usually understand the concept of elapsed time, but it is often challenging for them to solve elapsed time problems. I found a new strategy that works amazingly well. I have copied the explanation here - it's not easy to explain. Monday afternoon your children will be bringing home some examples. They can show you better. Let me know if you have any questions. Have fun!

1. Jamie put a pizza in the oven at 1:25. It cooked for 30 minutes. What time was it when the pizza was ready to eat?

The student draws a t-chart. At the top on the left side write the start time-1:25. On the top at the other side write min. Next, make several horizontal lines going down the t-chart. Under "min." write 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. On the other side, under 1:25, count up the time until it is on the same line as "30." The left side should say 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55. The answer is 1:55 and I have the kids circle it.

This will work with virtually any kind of elapsed time problem.

2. Kyle's soccer practice started at 4:10 and lasted until 4:40. How long did soccer practice last?
The student draws a t-chart. At the top on the left side write the start time-4:10. On the top at the other side write min. Next, make several horizontal lines going down the t-chart. Under the start time count up at five minute intervals until it shows 4:40. Under min. count up by fives until you are on the same line as 4:40 and there you have how much time has passed! (30 min.)

3. Tamia went to the mall at 2:20 and shopped for one hour and 10 minutes. What time was it when Tamia left the mall?

This time you will complete two t-charts, one for the hours and the other for minutes. Do the hour chart first. The student draws a t-chart. On top of the left side write 2:20. On the top of the right side write hours. Now make several horizontal lines and label the first underneath hours with 1. Now move 2:20 to 3:20. The next thing to do is create the minutes t-chart and use 3:20 as the start time.

Let me know how you do! :o)

Nonfiction

I started my focus lesson at Reading Workshop this morning with a story. It was a story about myself actually. I told the children about the fun I had shopping at New England Mobile Book Fair and Barnes and Noble. (Thanks to the PTC and to some generous holiday gifts, I felt rich with gift certificates!) Anyway, I bought a ton of series books for our classroom, and several books for myself.

Yesterday, I was making final choices at Barnes and Noble. I had in my hand a nonfiction book about Louisa May Alcott (author of my favorite book Little Women)and her life with other citizens of Concord, MA. In my other hand were several examples of realistic fiction and historical fiction. As I told the children, I decided to buy the nonfiction.

I bought it, not only because I love Louisa May Alcott, but because I don't read enough nonfiction. It's smart for readers to read widely, many titles, many authors and many genre. It's smart for the kids too. So for the next 5 weeks or so, children will be asked to read some non-fiction every day.

I hope they end up loving it. I hope they reach for nonfiction often in their readerly lives.