Thursday, October 27, 2011

Word of the Week

Each day a member of the Room 221 community is the "Word Wizard." The Word Wizard collects new words that he/she hears when the class is in a lesson, listening to a story, or having a discussion. At the end of the day, many of the words are shared. They are then put in our word jar. (Ask your child about the chapter book "Donovan's Word Jar" by, Monalisa Degross.)

Every week the class will vote on one word to highlight. This word will be placed in large letters on the wall for all children to see. We will challenge ourselves to use the highlighted words whenever possible. This will make the words part of our standard vocabulary.

I plan to post on the blog each time we choose new words so you can try using the words at home!I will post the third grade definitions that we came up with.

Last week's word was:

miscellaneous - a group of unrelated, random things

This week's word is:

flame (inspired by the wonderful band we saw last week :o) - burning, fire

Spelling Test Tomorrow

Hopefully your child has made you aware that we have our first spelling test tomorrow. Our super spellers have assured me all week that they have been studying. Today, we learned some fun strategies for studying.

Khameran taught "Rainbow Words." All you need is some paper and several crayons. Write a spelling word in one color. Write the same spelling word in a different color on top of the first one. Repeat in many different colors.

Austin taught us to use our white boards. Write the spelling word at least 3 times before erasing, to study a new word.

Jesse introduced us to "Look, Say, Spell." First, you look at the written word. Second, you say the word. Next, you spell the word. Finally, you cover the word and try writing it on your own. After that, you check the spelling.

Alex and Satsita taught us about "Pyramid Words." You write the first letter of the word. Directly below that letter you write the first two letters of the same word. Directly below that, you write the first three letters of the same word. Repeat the process until you have spelled the entire word. For example:
t
th
the
ther
there

I hope these strategies help make study times a little more fun! Thanks to all who helped teach these important new strategies.

Spelling Words

Thanks to Sandy Jacobs for asking me about this spelling letter. I didn't realize I had never sent it out! Always feel free to ask me for something I said I would do. Sometimes things get lost in the shuffle... :o)

In third grade children are taught that writers spell correctly out of respect for their readers. "Dictionary" spelling is much easier to read than invented spelling. Writers want readers to easily read and understand what they're trying to say. There are many ways we teach children to improve their spelling so they can be more respectful of their readers.

Each week the children learn and practice phonetic concepts and skills through the Fundations program. This program presents information through systematic and explicit instruction. At the end of each unit all children will take a test to demonstrate their understanding and facility with the skills and concepts presented. In addition to this, writing will be assessed to see that each child is applying these skills and concepts to their spelling in context.

Third graders are also responsible for spelling "trick words" that were introduced in kindergarten, first and second grade. (Most of these words do not follow phonetic patterns or rules.) Students were given an assessment on their spelling of these words. The words they were not able to spell correctly were placed on a list called "Words to Learn". They will choose 10 words from this list each week to bring home and study. Each Friday they will take a spelling test to demonstrate their mastery of these words. If a child makes an error on a word it will be placed on their list for the following week.

Some children did very well on the pre-assessment and therefore had very few words on their "Words to Learn" sheet. These children will not take very many individualized spelling tests. However, they will engage in other Word Study activities that are appropriate to their ability level.

We are looking forward to continued work with your child to improve their spelling.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Spelling Words

Third graders brought home spelling words today. They should study 5-10 minutes each night. Look for a yellow letter in their folder tomorrow explaining our spelling program.

Fossils

Have you ever imagined yourself as a paleontologist? Digging up dinosaurs bones from deep beneath the ground? Most of your children have. They are very excited as we begin our dinosaur unit. Last week many fossils (and replicas) were spread throughout the room. The children acted as true scientists as they drew observational sketches and took notes about what they drew. At the end of the two sessions, we held a scientific meeting. The scientists shared their findings and made theories about what they noticed.

This week, we are learning that a fossil is the "preserved remains of plant or animal life." Together we read Aliki's book, "Fossils Tell of Long Ago." We will also learn how a fossil is formed.

Stay tuned for more details!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

New Dictionaries!

Thank you so much to the Needham Rotary Club! Yesterday morning each student received their very own dictionary - inscribed with their name. The looks on each child's face was priceless. Each child was truly excited. They can't wait to share them with you. We love words! :o)

The class worked together to write a thank you letter to the Rotarians. Check it out!

October 14, 2011

Dear Rotarians,

Thank you for the dictionaries. We love every part of them! We love how much information they give us. We like learning about the planets. We notice that Earth is tiny compared to many of the planets. We like that there is sign language in them. The pictures above the letter show us how to make that letter. We like the longest word in the English language. We learned that it’s the name of a chemical. It is fun trying to pronounce it.

We find it easy to look up words and their meanings in our new dictionaries. We can find new and interesting words that we haven’t learned before. The Word Wizard in Room 221 finds new and interesting words during our school day. For example, when Mrs. Sullivan reads aloud our chapter book, the Word Wizard listens for new words and writes the words down on a sticky note. At the end of read aloud, we share the words and talk about their meaning. One word we think is cool is “puzzled.” It means “confused or not understanding.”

Thank you again for the dictionaries.

Sincerely,

Room 221

Friday, October 14, 2011

Timed Addition Quizzes

On Monday, the children will bring home their corrected math quizzes. In order to move to the next quiz they need to have no more than 2 problems wrong. In addition, they need to finish the quiz within a certain time. (I don't tell them what the time is, because that tends to stress them out. :o(

The children corrected their own quizzes this afternoon using an answer key. This weekend, I will review the quizzes and add a score to it written as a fraction - the number correct over the total number of problems. Many children completed their quiz accurately, however, most of them did not complete the quiz quickly enough. If I write "You got it!" on the quiz, they passed and will go on to the next quiz (+1,+2,+3). Those children will receive 3+ flashcards to study for that quiz. They should cut the flashcards out and begin studying Monday night.

If I write "Keep studying" or "Study harder so you can go faster" on the quiz, the child needs to keep studying +2 so they can complete the first quiz more quickly. (If anyone needs new +2 flashcards, they are welcome to them.) I have emphasized to the children that I don't want them to worry, I just want them to study hard.

The next quiz will be given next Friday. (Typically quizzes will be given twice each week - Tuesdays and Fridays. We ran out of time today to make that possible.)

As always, don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

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. This morning 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 Americas and "discovered" a land that had been inhabited for thousands of years. He claimed that inhabited land for Spain.

Before we started, Mrs. Butchart and I did a role play. She was sitting beside the group searching through MY pocketbook. The conversation went something like this:

Mrs. S: What are you doing with my pocketbook?
Mrs. B: This isn't your pocketbook. 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.
Mrs. B: But I found it and I want to keep it...

As Mrs. Butchart and I "argued," you could hear the light bulbs going off in the kids' heads. 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!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Timed Addition Quizzes

As you may know, it is imperative that your child memorize their addition facts to 20. It will make the study of mathematics so much easier for them if they no longer have to count on their fingers or use cubes to find sums. Memorizing facts opens space in their brain for the more sophisticated math problems they will encounter.
Please take the time at home to help your child study these facts for 10 minutes each night. I encourage the children to study them by repeating them out loud at least 3 times while looking at the numbers in the sentence. Saying them, hearing them and seeing them repeatedly should help them stick in their brain. Some children benefit from singing them or “writing” them on a cookie sheet filled with salt or shaving cream.
Often children think they are studying when a family member is quizzing them. Please remind them, they need to study BEFORE they can be quizzed. Find what works best for your child. Study throughout the day - in the car, waiting at the bus stop - whenever you have a few minutes.
Room 221 will take addition quizzes each Tuesday and Friday. As children pass their quizzes within the allotted time, they can move on to the next quiz. (The numbers gradually get higher.) For those children who do not pass, they will take the same quiz again the next time. For those who do, they will be studying +1,+2,+3 for the next quiz. (I will give them the new flashcards.)

Although I want children to work hard studying their facts, I do not want this to become very stressful. Please stay positive with your children and encourage them to do their very best. The first quiz is on Friday. Your child brought home flashcards today to study with. Please ask your child to cut them out.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to seeing your child memorize their addition facts! Thanks for your support.

Best regards,

Melanie :o)

P.S. For some children, this week’s +2 flashcards will be relatively easy. Please encourage your child to study anyway. I want them to develop the habits and routines for when the quizzes get harder.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Sock Donations

Yesterday, after lunch, the third grade community met on the rug in the pod to talk about sock donations. The teachers were wearing socks all over them! Every month, people will pick them up and deliver them to men and women who don't have enough. We made a graph to show how many socks we collect. Every time a person brings in two pairs of new socks, you can fill in a box on the graph. We hope to collect many socks!

by Room 221 authors

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Classroom Rules

Don't be surprised if your child comes home this afternoon saying, "Mrs. Sullivan climbed and rolled on top of the desks today." Don't be surprised if your child comes home this afternoon saying, "Mrs. Sullivan was 'in Keren's face' today."

Naturally, you would be surprised if your child came home and shared either of these stories with you. Unfortunately, if they do share, they will be telling you the truth! For a few minutes this morning, I worked hard to model for the Room 221 community what I mean by "unexpected" behaviors. (I succeeded. The kids were in shock! :o)

Third grade word wizards shared that expected means, "good behavior, something you know is going to happen, or something that usually happens." They also shared that unexpected means, "something you don't expect, something that is surprising, or something you don't know is coming." Expected and unexpected are terms all teachers at the Eliot school are using to help children dig deeper into our school community's expectations.

We used these terms today to dig deeper into our classroom rules.

Our classroom rules are:

Respect everyone and everything
Be safe
Always try your best
Have fun!


Based on these rules, children suggested the following "expected" behaviors:

Listen to everyone
Whole body listening
Raise your hand
Don't interrupt
Wait your turn
Wave silently (if you see a friend in line)
Be quiet in line
Walk in the hallway
Don't talk when others are talking
Enter a room quietly
Be friendly
Say nice things
Include other people
Smile!
Ask, "How are you?"
Say, "I'm glad you're back!"
Be quiet in the pod
Ask, "Are you okay?"
Help someone up
Make eye contact

Ask your child if they can think of any more!

Intersections


As you may have read in the parent letter for Chapter 2 in Think Math, Room 221 is learning about multiplication. Think Math teaches multiplication in a way that is new to me, so I thought it might also be new to you.

The third graders are taught to look at the number of vertical lines, the number of horizontal lines and the intersections that happen when the lines meet. The vertical lines represent one factor, the horizontal lines represent the second factor and the intersections represent the product.

For example, if you take 3 vertical lines and line them up with 2 horizontal lines, you will make 6 intersections.

| | | (3 vertical lines) __ __ (2 vertical lines)

For the intersections, please see the image above.

The matching multiplication sentence will be:

3 x 2 = 6 - factor x factor = product

Ask your mathematician how many intersections there would be if you had 5 vertical lines and 4 horizontal lines!

Math Assessment

Last week, Room 221 mathematicians completed Chapter 1 in Think Math! The following day we took a Chapter Test. I called it a "snapshot," explaining to the students that I wanted a look at where they are as mathematicians right now. (I want to send the message that what they are doing now might change. If one "snapshot" is hard for them, I will take another "snapshot" later which could go better.)

You can find your child's completed chapter test in their folder this afternoon. Please review it with them. First, notice what they did well. Then, discuss any areas for improvement.

Thanks for all your support!

:o)Melanie