We had a great first full week of school! Students are really settling into their routines and I think next week will be even better. :) One thing we'll work on this week is handing in our homework each day and writing out names on everything. Students did a comprehension practice sheet in class and I was unable to give credit to 10 of them because their names weren't on them. I did notice a lot of students not having their homework completed this week or coming to school without it, so please check in with them about their homework and sign their agenda once everything is completed.
This week in ELA we will continue to review foundational skills which students tend to need review in but which don't come up in our curriculum til later in the year. We'll continue to work on non-fiction text features by reading the Scholastic News and Science Spin magazines. Students will also focus on differentiating between fact & opinion and finding the main idea. We worked on identifying synonyms last week & this week we'll identify antonyms. This will spiral through our curriculum throughout the year, but I wanted to go over this with students this week because synonyms & antonyms are references in their vocabulary workbook. Last week we practiced using the workbook in class, and this week students will learn the unit 2 vocabulary words and use the workbook for homework.
In writing, students will begin their first writing piece. They will write personal narratives about something they did this summer and we'll go through the writing process (brainstorm, first draft, edit, second draft, revise, etc.). When we do formal writing pieces, students will always complete 2-3 drafts, each time improving their writing. They'll also use their free-write journal to respond to prompts or just write about anything they'd like. :) This past week they made "maps of their heart" and brainstormed things they love which they could write about this year. It's helpful for students to write about personal experiences because they have more to say and are "experts". This year we'll also compose several persuasive, narrative, and informational writing pieces.
In math, both classes are working on place value, rounding, and addition fluency. My math class will have their first test on Thursday. If your child is in traditional math, they have Ms. Fischer, so please feel free to check in with her about anything related to your child's math. Her email is [email protected] and her website is: http://missfischer3a.weebly.com/
This week we'll continue to review map skills and we'll also begin science! In science students will learn about plants. We'll review the parts of a plant, what different parts do, and what a plant needs to live. We'll discuss photosynthesis and how seeds are spread,. Next week we'll also learn about coniferous and deciduous trees and why leaves change color.
This week in ELA we will continue to review foundational skills which students tend to need review in but which don't come up in our curriculum til later in the year. We'll continue to work on non-fiction text features by reading the Scholastic News and Science Spin magazines. Students will also focus on differentiating between fact & opinion and finding the main idea. We worked on identifying synonyms last week & this week we'll identify antonyms. This will spiral through our curriculum throughout the year, but I wanted to go over this with students this week because synonyms & antonyms are references in their vocabulary workbook. Last week we practiced using the workbook in class, and this week students will learn the unit 2 vocabulary words and use the workbook for homework.
In writing, students will begin their first writing piece. They will write personal narratives about something they did this summer and we'll go through the writing process (brainstorm, first draft, edit, second draft, revise, etc.). When we do formal writing pieces, students will always complete 2-3 drafts, each time improving their writing. They'll also use their free-write journal to respond to prompts or just write about anything they'd like. :) This past week they made "maps of their heart" and brainstormed things they love which they could write about this year. It's helpful for students to write about personal experiences because they have more to say and are "experts". This year we'll also compose several persuasive, narrative, and informational writing pieces.
In math, both classes are working on place value, rounding, and addition fluency. My math class will have their first test on Thursday. If your child is in traditional math, they have Ms. Fischer, so please feel free to check in with her about anything related to your child's math. Her email is [email protected] and her website is: http://missfischer3a.weebly.com/
This week we'll continue to review map skills and we'll also begin science! In science students will learn about plants. We'll review the parts of a plant, what different parts do, and what a plant needs to live. We'll discuss photosynthesis and how seeds are spread,. Next week we'll also learn about coniferous and deciduous trees and why leaves change color.