Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you all enjoy your time with your families. I am so thankful for all of you, have a wonderful day!
Friday, November 20, 2009
It's Almost Turkey Time!
I had a great week, meeting with all of you for conferences. I loved getting to know you and having the opportunity to share some of the things that we’ve been doing here at school. If at any time you have additional questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Language Arts: As we get ready for Thanksgiving, we discussed different things that we are all thankful for and typed up our top ten lists in the computer lab. I also hope that you enjoyed the letters that the children wrote to you. I know that they put a lot of thought and effort into what they wanted to say.
Math: Our new concepts we’ve been learning are multiplication facts starting with 0’s, 1’s, and 2’s and division. We will be starting multiplication testing next week so flashcards are a great addition to the daily homework routine.
Science: We have just started our “Earth and Me” unit. We started out doing a rock hunt. The kids found some unique and very interesting rocks. We then looked at the many different characteristics of our rocks and wrote a descriptive paragraph. After looking closely at our rocks we also brainstormed a list of many questions that we have about rocks. If your child has any interesting rocks that they would like to bring in and share, feel free to send them in!
Social Studies: We are learning about mapping skills and the geography of Michigan. We are also learning about the very interesting history of Michigan before statehood.
Spelling: Since we only have two days…no spelling next week!
Dates to remember:
November 25th, 26th, and 27th, No school.
December 4th: The Holiday concert at RHS Auditorium.
December 19th: Holiday celebration
December 20th: Last day of school before the Holiday Break.
Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, comments, or concerns. The next weekly report will be coming home December 4th due to next week being a short week.
Language Arts: As we get ready for Thanksgiving, we discussed different things that we are all thankful for and typed up our top ten lists in the computer lab. I also hope that you enjoyed the letters that the children wrote to you. I know that they put a lot of thought and effort into what they wanted to say.
Math: Our new concepts we’ve been learning are multiplication facts starting with 0’s, 1’s, and 2’s and division. We will be starting multiplication testing next week so flashcards are a great addition to the daily homework routine.
Science: We have just started our “Earth and Me” unit. We started out doing a rock hunt. The kids found some unique and very interesting rocks. We then looked at the many different characteristics of our rocks and wrote a descriptive paragraph. After looking closely at our rocks we also brainstormed a list of many questions that we have about rocks. If your child has any interesting rocks that they would like to bring in and share, feel free to send them in!
Social Studies: We are learning about mapping skills and the geography of Michigan. We are also learning about the very interesting history of Michigan before statehood.
Spelling: Since we only have two days…no spelling next week!
Dates to remember:
November 25th, 26th, and 27th, No school.
December 4th: The Holiday concert at RHS Auditorium.
December 19th: Holiday celebration
December 20th: Last day of school before the Holiday Break.
Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, comments, or concerns. The next weekly report will be coming home December 4th due to next week being a short week.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Conferences
Just a reminder that conferences are this week Tuesday and Thursday. I look forward to seeing all of you!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Just a Reminder!
If you are selling Sally Foster, the order forms are due by Friday November 13. Thanks so much!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Conferences are coming soon!
This month we have many fun and exciting things going on. We have report cards, conferences, and Thanksgiving! Thank you for returning conference confirmation slips. I am sending back slips today to show your scheduled time. If it will not work please feel free to contact me and we will change it. I look forward to seeing all of you!
Spelling: This week we studied words that have the short e sound. Just a heads up that we will have no spelling the week of Thanksgiving.
Language Arts: The children are enjoying the anthology “Chicken Little”. We also have been learning different strategies for writing during our writing workshop. Our strategies include writing about a person, place, or special object, and telling about a specific memory. I’m trying to get the children to give more details and try to write more in depth.
Math: We are now in unit 3. The children are doing a tremendous amount of measuring, figuring of perimeter and area, and more practice with money.
Social Studies: We have started learning about Michigan starting with the symbols and discussing the Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi Native American tribes. We have also been discussing map skills. We will have a fun Michigan Day where we will be rotating to each third grade teacher for different Michigan activities! One activity that I would like to do is to make special Michigan t-shirts. Over the next few weeks, if you could send in a white t-shirt with your child I would greatly appreciate it!
Computer Lab: We enjoyed making our top ten lists of why we are thankful. I know that I’m very thankful for my wonderful students and families!
Dates to Remember:
November
9th: Food Drive. Please send in non perishable food items to donate to needy families. This will go until the 20th. Thank you ahead of time for you extreme generosity!
13th: ½ day, dismissal at noon.
16th: Report Cards go home.
17th & 19th: Evening Conferences.
25th-27th: No school, Thanksgiving break.
December
4th: Christmas program at the High School auditorium
8th-10th: Secret Santa Workshop
Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, comments, or concerns.
phone: 616-863-6367 ext. 6711
Spelling: This week we studied words that have the short e sound. Just a heads up that we will have no spelling the week of Thanksgiving.
Language Arts: The children are enjoying the anthology “Chicken Little”. We also have been learning different strategies for writing during our writing workshop. Our strategies include writing about a person, place, or special object, and telling about a specific memory. I’m trying to get the children to give more details and try to write more in depth.
Math: We are now in unit 3. The children are doing a tremendous amount of measuring, figuring of perimeter and area, and more practice with money.
Social Studies: We have started learning about Michigan starting with the symbols and discussing the Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi Native American tribes. We have also been discussing map skills. We will have a fun Michigan Day where we will be rotating to each third grade teacher for different Michigan activities! One activity that I would like to do is to make special Michigan t-shirts. Over the next few weeks, if you could send in a white t-shirt with your child I would greatly appreciate it!
Computer Lab: We enjoyed making our top ten lists of why we are thankful. I know that I’m very thankful for my wonderful students and families!
Dates to Remember:
November
9th: Food Drive. Please send in non perishable food items to donate to needy families. This will go until the 20th. Thank you ahead of time for you extreme generosity!
13th: ½ day, dismissal at noon.
16th: Report Cards go home.
17th & 19th: Evening Conferences.
25th-27th: No school, Thanksgiving break.
December
4th: Christmas program at the High School auditorium
8th-10th: Secret Santa Workshop
Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, comments, or concerns.
phone: 616-863-6367 ext. 6711
Reading Strategies
During the year, I try to send you ideas and things that you can do at home with your child. Please feel free to use these reading strategies with your child if you would like.
STRATEGY ONE
Read To Them
The most important thing you can do for your reader is to read to him. Read things that he is interested in and
things for just pure enjoyment. Stop and talk with him about what you have just read - you thought it was
funny, he liked the way the author said something, you liked that idea. Talk about any part of the story or
writing that you want.
STRATEGY TWO
Uninterrupted Reading
Remember that the most important aspect of reading is constructing meaning. If you have a
reader who reads making some miscues (unexpected responses to text) that are mostly meaning-making, do
not interrupt except when the miscues do not make sense or do not sound like language.
STRATEGY THREE
Skip and Go On
Too often we have readers who will not take any kind of risk in an attempt to read something unknown. They
use no other strategy than sound-it-out or ask for help. So, when a reader comes to something he doesn't
know and cannot identify, after a very brief sounding out attempt (no more than a couple of seconds), ask him to skip the unknown and read on to try to gain the meaning.
STRATEGY FOUR
Predict To Make Sense
When the reader comes to something she doesn't know and she is unable to identify the unknown word
through a very brief sounding out attempt, ask her to skip the word and go on. If she is uncomfortable
skipping words entirely, try covering the unknown word up with your (or the reader's) finger. Then ask the reader to predict a substitute word that would make sense.
STRATEGY FIVE
Modified Cloze Procedure
The modified cloze procedure is also a way that readers can practice these strategies. To use this procedure block out words that could easily be predicted based on meaning and replace them with a blank. With the unknown words eliminated, the non risk-taking reader should be more willing to try to predict instead of sounding out.
STRATEGY SIX
Line Marker
Some readers have trouble focusing on lines of text or get distracted when there are several lines. Have your
reader use a word or line marker such as a pencil, index card or his finger to act as a guide to help her stay on track with the text as she reads.
STRATEGY SEVEN
Retelling
After your reader has completed a piece of text (a story, chapter, article, etc.) or at any good "stopping" point along the way have him pretend that you were not there listening and have him retell you what he read.
STRATEGY EIGHT
Responsive Writing
Ask your reader to write about the parts of the story that she likes best and share that writing with you. This will be a first draft effort, so again the focus is on meaning. Editing is important but will come later, after there is good content to revise and edit. You can vary open ended questions in any way including what he or she would do to change the story, what
the reader liked best or least about the story, what she would do if she was the main character, what she
would ask the author, etc.
STRATEGY NINE
Rereading
There are many things which will help your reader develop fluency. Encourage him to reread several pieces of text that he feels comfortable with. Each time he rereads the piece, the reading will become more comfortable and make your reader more sure of himself. These "warm-up" pieces of text will make your reader feel good and confident about his reading.
STRATEGY TEN
Reading Is Fun
Providing lots of fun poems, rhymes, short jokes, riddles, and predictable books etc. will also help your
reader develop fluency and feel good about reading. This will let her hear that she can make reading sound like language and that it can be fun and easy.
STRATEGY ELEVEN
Echo Reading/Partner Reading
Echo reading- the child's voice is close behind the proficient reader's voice as they read a favorite book or try out a new piece, or partner reading - the child and the proficient reader read a piece in a duet- are both strategies that can help your reader become more fluent in reading, support her efforts and help children move toward becoming independent readers.
STRATEGY TWELVE
Reading To Others
Having your reader read to younger children, into a tape recorder to share with younger readers, or even to a stuffed animal can help him achieve the fluency needed to develop good comprehension.
This encourages reading "for a purpose," and can help readers understand that they must read so that it can be
understood by their listening audience.
STRATEGY THIRTEEN
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) can help your reader become exposed to a wide variety of materials while
experiencing reading. As part of SSR it is important that your reader is given a wide range of choices
including story books, chapter books, reference materials, popular periodicals - any fiction or nonfiction that holds his interest.
STRATEGY FOURTEEN
Written Conversation
To help your reader become more fluent in writing you can take part in a Written Conversation. This involves a conversation in which two people "talk" to each other about topics of interest to both of you - on paper.
Again, this is first draft writing and the focus should be on the content, not the spelling or form. You can
demonstrate standard spelling and form in your end of the conversation. If you are not able to read what the
child writes, ask the child to read it to you.
STRATEGY FIFTEEN
Previewing a Text
Previewing a text can be an excellent strategy for familiarizing your reader with text. Previewing involves looking at pictures, graphs, charts, chapter questions, etc. to gain vital information from text.
STRATEGY SIXTEEN
Journal Writing
Journal writing can help both you and your reader connect text with your personal background experience and your lives in general.
STRATEGY ONE
Read To Them
The most important thing you can do for your reader is to read to him. Read things that he is interested in and
things for just pure enjoyment. Stop and talk with him about what you have just read - you thought it was
funny, he liked the way the author said something, you liked that idea. Talk about any part of the story or
writing that you want.
STRATEGY TWO
Uninterrupted Reading
Remember that the most important aspect of reading is constructing meaning. If you have a
reader who reads making some miscues (unexpected responses to text) that are mostly meaning-making, do
not interrupt except when the miscues do not make sense or do not sound like language.
STRATEGY THREE
Skip and Go On
Too often we have readers who will not take any kind of risk in an attempt to read something unknown. They
use no other strategy than sound-it-out or ask for help. So, when a reader comes to something he doesn't
know and cannot identify, after a very brief sounding out attempt (no more than a couple of seconds), ask him to skip the unknown and read on to try to gain the meaning.
STRATEGY FOUR
Predict To Make Sense
When the reader comes to something she doesn't know and she is unable to identify the unknown word
through a very brief sounding out attempt, ask her to skip the word and go on. If she is uncomfortable
skipping words entirely, try covering the unknown word up with your (or the reader's) finger. Then ask the reader to predict a substitute word that would make sense.
STRATEGY FIVE
Modified Cloze Procedure
The modified cloze procedure is also a way that readers can practice these strategies. To use this procedure block out words that could easily be predicted based on meaning and replace them with a blank. With the unknown words eliminated, the non risk-taking reader should be more willing to try to predict instead of sounding out.
STRATEGY SIX
Line Marker
Some readers have trouble focusing on lines of text or get distracted when there are several lines. Have your
reader use a word or line marker such as a pencil, index card or his finger to act as a guide to help her stay on track with the text as she reads.
STRATEGY SEVEN
Retelling
After your reader has completed a piece of text (a story, chapter, article, etc.) or at any good "stopping" point along the way have him pretend that you were not there listening and have him retell you what he read.
STRATEGY EIGHT
Responsive Writing
Ask your reader to write about the parts of the story that she likes best and share that writing with you. This will be a first draft effort, so again the focus is on meaning. Editing is important but will come later, after there is good content to revise and edit. You can vary open ended questions in any way including what he or she would do to change the story, what
the reader liked best or least about the story, what she would do if she was the main character, what she
would ask the author, etc.
STRATEGY NINE
Rereading
There are many things which will help your reader develop fluency. Encourage him to reread several pieces of text that he feels comfortable with. Each time he rereads the piece, the reading will become more comfortable and make your reader more sure of himself. These "warm-up" pieces of text will make your reader feel good and confident about his reading.
STRATEGY TEN
Reading Is Fun
Providing lots of fun poems, rhymes, short jokes, riddles, and predictable books etc. will also help your
reader develop fluency and feel good about reading. This will let her hear that she can make reading sound like language and that it can be fun and easy.
STRATEGY ELEVEN
Echo Reading/Partner Reading
Echo reading- the child's voice is close behind the proficient reader's voice as they read a favorite book or try out a new piece, or partner reading - the child and the proficient reader read a piece in a duet- are both strategies that can help your reader become more fluent in reading, support her efforts and help children move toward becoming independent readers.
STRATEGY TWELVE
Reading To Others
Having your reader read to younger children, into a tape recorder to share with younger readers, or even to a stuffed animal can help him achieve the fluency needed to develop good comprehension.
This encourages reading "for a purpose," and can help readers understand that they must read so that it can be
understood by their listening audience.
STRATEGY THIRTEEN
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) can help your reader become exposed to a wide variety of materials while
experiencing reading. As part of SSR it is important that your reader is given a wide range of choices
including story books, chapter books, reference materials, popular periodicals - any fiction or nonfiction that holds his interest.
STRATEGY FOURTEEN
Written Conversation
To help your reader become more fluent in writing you can take part in a Written Conversation. This involves a conversation in which two people "talk" to each other about topics of interest to both of you - on paper.
Again, this is first draft writing and the focus should be on the content, not the spelling or form. You can
demonstrate standard spelling and form in your end of the conversation. If you are not able to read what the
child writes, ask the child to read it to you.
STRATEGY FIFTEEN
Previewing a Text
Previewing a text can be an excellent strategy for familiarizing your reader with text. Previewing involves looking at pictures, graphs, charts, chapter questions, etc. to gain vital information from text.
STRATEGY SIXTEEN
Journal Writing
Journal writing can help both you and your reader connect text with your personal background experience and your lives in general.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween 09
What a wonderful party! A huge thanks to all of my awesome parents for your help and contributions. I also want to thank Mrs. Bargwell and Mrs. Stites for their incredible planning. The kids had a blast!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)