Decimals, Levers, Multiplication Facts and Realistic Fiction

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their nice, long weekend.  Although I am sitting at meetings today, it is nice that the students had an extra day to relax.

As the title to my blog states, we are jumping into decimals in math.  While it is challenging to start with, students are grasping the concepts as long as we model it with base 10 blocks and use the language of "longs" for tenths and "cubes" for hundredths.  I also try to relate it to money as dimes are "tenths" and pennies are "hundredths".  We will be working on decimals this week as well.  I will also be adding some online games to the right of my blog that focus on place value, but some of the "place value" online games listed already do contain decimal place value.  Keep practicing them at home as well as reviewing multiplication facts.

Levers....our first simple machine for science.  While we are just getting started with simple machines, the students have a great understanding of force and motion thanks partly to our previous literacy theme on "Science and Sports".  We will be experimenting with friction and motion Wednesday and Thursday as well.

As writers, we are going to leap into the genre of realistic fiction and pull in some "word choice" activities and lessons.  I would like to connect this to some independent reading.  Sometime this week, I will be sending home a realistic fiction book for your child to read at home.  A letter will be sent as well explaining responses/activities I would like the students to do as well to build their comprehension skills as well as fluency.  Each 3B child will be responsible for reading the book at home and doing the activities.  (The letter will explain more, but I wanted to give you a heads up.)    Look for the book to be sent by the end of the week.

Miss Ogden, our JTerm student from Luther, has taken over the read aloud to the students at the end of the day.  She has also been working with small groups throughout the day (with my guidance) to gain a better understanding of teaching as well as students.  She is fitting in well, and we are lucky to have her!

A letter is coming home today or tomorrow explaining an incentive activity we are doing to encourage students to work on their multiplication facts.  It is called the "Walking Taco" celebration, and the details are explained in the letter.  When your child has mastered a fact family (such as the 5 family), please have them let me know so that I can assess them quickly and they can begin practicing other facts.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

You may have noticed that I have added something new to the right of the blog.  I am hoping that by sharing some comprehension strategies we are working on at school, parents can reinforce them at home as well when students are reading.  I am just getting started and have listed a few with more to come.  Definitions, ways to help at home, and online practice will be included once I get it going.  (Give me a few days to finish those that are there, please.)  If you have any questions about any of these, feel free to contact me.

Enjoy the rest of the week and stay warm!

Great Start to 3rd Quarter!

Well..we are back at it and having fun!  I am so pleased with the students and how hard they are working after returning from a holiday break!  They amaze me every day, and I love it!  I couldn't be more fortunate to have such a great bunch of students and parents to work with!

Hopefully you received your child's report card yesterday.  They were sent home in an envelope that required parent's signature.  If you have not seen your child's report card, please ask him/her for it.  I would also like all envelopes with signatures returned by this Friday!  Remember that if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or email me.  I did take some time to go over report cards (scoring, literacy, math, etc.) with the students so that they understood what the report card stated about them. Hopefully there were no surprises for the students.

Last week I introduced a new online program that can be used to create digital movies and video.  It is a program called Animoto, and a letter was sent home to all parents explaining the program and how to use it.  I also sent home my login name and password for the students to create their own videos at home through my account.  We used the program in our literacy curriculum to create digital video about our theme of science and sports.  The students LOVED the program so much, and it is so easy, that I see many students are making their own videos at home!  Excellent!  I will be sharing the Animoto videos via my blog page when they are all completed.  If you can't wait, have your child log in to my account and have them show you their creations!  Lots of great learning and application from our literacy reading to create a visual presentation!

3B is lucky to have a JTerm student from Luther this month.  Miss Ogden joined us yesterday and will be with us throughout the month observing and starting to work with students.  I have asked that she create a letter to you, the parents, introducing herself and explaining why she is here so I will not go into much.  I just wanted to welcome her and be sure you knew about her if your 3B child has mentioned it at home.

Remember that if you did not return your December Book-It calendar to do so.  They were due last Friday.  A new calendar for January was sent home last week.  The required time has gone up each month so keep reading!

We have started our new literacy theme about communities and geography.  It goes nicely with the social studies studies unit we just completed so students are grasping the concepts and vocabulary very well.  In writing, we are finishing up some letters to our pen pals, doing a creative writing activity with similes about our family members (look out!), and will be moving into writing realistic fiction pieces that focus on word choice and organization. We have also started our new science unit titled Force and Motion.  This also is good transition from our last literacy theme of science and sports.  (Isn't it nice how everything blends together????  :)  The students loved the start of our science unit as they had a chance to play with toys and talk about how they work.  Super fun!

Enjoy the sunshine and gorgeous day today.  I hear cold weather is coming, but we really can't complain can we?  It is January.  Have a great week!

Pizza and Reading!!! YUMMY!

Looks like we have a great week ahead of us as the sun is out and the forecast is great!  The students have a busy week so it will be nice to have sunshine to perk everyone up.

We started MAPs testing last week, the first test being math.  I was so impressed with how hard everyone tried.  Wow!  This week we will be taking science on Monday, reading on Tuesday, and language on Thursday.  The test are all at 1:15 in the afternoon except on Thursday, which is at 8:45.  Please be sure your child is at school on time that day because we will be starting our tests as soon as everyone is ready.  I appreciate the parents switching appointments around so that students are not missing these tests.  It makes everything a lot easier so thank you.  Give your 3B child an extra hug each night this week because some of the questions on these tests are pretty hard!  They have been troopers and giving their best!!!  Very proud of my 3B kiddoes!

3B has caught the bug...yes, we have a little bug floating around....and it's not the bugs we have been studying in science.  Lots of students sniffing, coughing, and feverish....including the teachers.  Please encourage your child to get lots of rest, drink plenty of water, and wash their hands as much as possible.  I have already refilled our hand sanitizer bottle 3 times and decided to purchase a big one because of how fast we are going through them.  If you would be willing to donate a bottle of hand sanitizer, we would greatly appreciate it.  We know it will be put to good use!!!

Last Friday we also finished our first math assessment over unit 1.  There are a few people who need to finish the assessment, so please look for your 3B child to bring his/her home by the end of the week.  I will also be sending home a letter explaining the assessment and the ratings that go with it.  I am pretty sure most of you are familiar with (B) for beginning, (S) for secure, and (D) for developing as that is the same ratings that were used in 2nd grade.  By the end of the week, I hope to be moving into unit 2 on addition and subtraction facts.

October kicks off Book-It!!!!  This is a reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut that a lot of students find pleasure in....who doesn't like Pizza Hut?????  A calendar will be sent home with your child October 1st stating the goal set for him/her based on minutes of reading.  Your child should record the amount of time he/she reads at home and return the calendar at the end of each month for their Pizza Hut coupon.  While I hope that all 3rd graders are reading at home, I do not require all students to participate.  This is a totally optional activity that runs each month October - March.  BUT.....and yes it is a biggy....those students who do participate all six months will celebrate by having a pizza party with me!!!!!  I will be supplying the pizza and drink in April for all the students who reach or surpass their reading goal ALL six months. Those that do not participate, will eat lunch in the cafeteria as usual with a different teacher.  So, I hope that you encourage your child to read and participate......now....GET READING!!!!

I also wanted to let you know that I will be starting guided reading this week.  3B has build our stamina up in read to self, read to someone, word works, and work on writing that we are ready to get rolling.  I have done various writing and reading assessments on students, held individual conferences, and am ready to begin guided reading.  Based on the spread of levels in our classroom, my goal is to meet with every student every day, but that may be through guided reading or individual conferencing.  The students are eager to start guided reading....so am I!!!!!

Hopefully your little scientists has shared all our findings and information about our insects and critters.  We now have aphids on our plants, fruit flies, an ant farm, daphnia, and damsel flies.  Friday we put the daphnia with the damsel flies.  This morning, many of the daphnia were gone!!!! Wonder what happened????? The students will soon find out. :)

Have a great week!

A Gorgeous and Busy Week

I hope this sunshine stays around for a while. It is beautiful outside. Of course the students think they don't need coats or sweatshirts. Not exactly that warm outside if you consider the time they are out before recess. Please remember that before sending your child to school without a coat or sweatshirt. The mornings are still chilly and many students spend a good amount of time outside before school starts. It's best to dress in layers so that they are not too cold but can take off a coat if needed. I also chatted with the students about paying attention to the weather this week. The weather man this morning said that it is to cool back down by the weekend with a chance of snow so don't put those boots away yet.

I am sending some information home about an upcoming activity revolving around reading a biography and then making a video playing the role of that person from the past sharing about his/her life. The students are very, very excited about it so I hope you take some time to read the information that was sent home. Students have until April 2nd to complete the book. During this time, they should also be thinking about a potential costume they could wear for the video cast. We would like to see each student assume the role of the character they are reading about and speak as if they are that person. In the past, we have called this the "Hall of Fame". Look for the information sent home today and further information to be coming.

I feel I also need to make a comment about responsibility. Many students in 3B have been having difficulty finishing the homework that is sent home. I can truthfully say that there is not a lot of homework sent home with 3B students as they know I want them reading every night. The homework that does come home each week should be easy to accomplish and complete. Last week I called many parents to discuss the problem students are having. I also brought in the 4th grade teachers to talk about responsiblity in 4th grade and preparing the students for more homework next year. Today there were students who did not have their homework done again. Please take some time to discuss with your student if they are having this problem and ways to help them be more responsible. It is disappointing when students don't take the time to finish activities sent home; but it is not all students. Many students do an excellent job completing activities when they are sent home. The problem is continuing for some so I thought it best I commented about it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Because of all the snow days, early outs, and late starts, we did not get all of our science unit done before the end of the quarter. Therefore, I am sending home a study sheet today and we will be having a short science quiz this Thursday. The study guide should be used to help the students review what we have covered thus far in science. Please return the book with your 3B student on Thursday.

Congratulations to Shane and Alison for conquering all of their multiplication facts!!!! Super job!

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great week!

Now Comes the Rain!

I was so excited last week that we made it through a full week of school without any late starts, early outs, or inservice! The kids were tired by the end of the week, but we did it. Guess we can't hope for that two weeks in a row. Here comes the fog! Not much we can do about it so we might as well just stay positive and keep trudging through everything. Spring will be here before we know it!!!

Because of having a "normal" week last week, we did get a lot accomplished. I have a few students who only have 1 or 2 sets of multiplication facts to accomplish before they have completed all of them! Great job to all the students who have been working at home. I can really tell who is practicing and who isn't. Along with this, we have moved into reading and writing decimals. This is a tough concept for most students, as it is a beginning skill. We have been using base 10 blocks to build a better understanding of tenths and hundredths, which seems to be working well. We will continue with decimals and large numbers throughout the week with an end of the unit assessment coming up soon. For now, keep working on those multiplication facts. Students have until the end of the month and first two weeks of April to master all of the facts through 10. I know they can do it!!!

Types of fiction has been the focus of some of our mini lessons in literacy the past few weeks. Students have done a great job becoming familiar with the elements of various types of fiction and recognizing the differences. This week, we will be moving into nonfiction by taking a look at biographies and autobiographies in preparation for an upcoming event that has been a favorite in the past. Look for information sent home at the end of the week about a biography project. This project will require a lot of dedication and time spent working at home so please be looking for it. More information will be sent home as well explaining the activity. I am very excited about and know the students will be as well.

We are also having a little fun by moving into figurative language. Thus far, we have discussed and done activities revolving around similes. Students will be writing simile poems about themselves this week as a culminating activity. We will then be moving into reading, recognizing, and writing phrases with personification, onomonopeia, and alliteration. These are all forms of figurative language that students should recognize as well as utilize in their writing. We usually have a lot of fun and read various types of poetry within this study as well.

Science. . . . we are trying to get through our unit on Force and Motion. Last week we did get a lot accomplished, which was nice. The problem is that when we have a late start or early out, science or social studies do not get done because our district wants us to focus on literacy and math every day. Therefore, we are having a hard time getting our science unit done. With the third quarter ending this Friday, I am looking at having some mini assessments over what we have covered thus far and then finishing the unit next week into the 4th quarter. I am still in the "organizing" stage of this and will let you know what I decide. If there is a mini assessment at the end of this week, look for science materials to come home midweek for students to study from. They are doing a superb job with the concepts thus far, which is great! If only we had more time in the day.

If your 3B child hasn't told you, we did start cursive last week. We will be using some of our "Morning Meeting" time to get through at least the lower case letters before the end of the year. The students were very eager to get started! If you remember, ask them to tell you what the "3 P's" are for cursive. I am pretty sure they will remember.

For those of you who signed up to be Mystery Reader, I will hopefully have schedules done this week. I am waiting for one more parent who called me last week. Thanks for being so patient.

Have a great week and stay dry!

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Wow! Where does the time go? I can't believe that tomorrow is Wednesday already. Gee! The days go by so quickly!

Hopefully you have had a chance to listen to our 3B podcast. The students were so excited last week to find out who their Luther podcast pal was and introduce themselves via a podcast! You can listen to your child's podcast, as well as other
3B or Luther podcast, by going to my web page. They are listed on the link "Podcast 09-10". The first podcast was meant to be an introductions. The next ones will all be 3rd graders orally reading and Luther students podcasting suggestions back and forth! Very cool!

We will also be starting our individual book blogs! They are so excited about this! Each student will have a blog page on my web page in which they will blog about books they are reading, share thoughts, and comments. Eventually, I hope to have the students also share some of their writing through their blogs but we go in baby steps. I will be modeling blogging about books before letting the students jump in, but you can look for some of their book blogs to be up next week! (I wish I was in elementary school to enjoy all this great stuff!)

Last week we jumped into Connections as a comprehension strategy while reading. We have learned about and discussed Text to Self Connections and Text to Text Connections. I think the students really love listening to various picture book read alouds and making connections with them. They come up with some great stories to share . . . . sorry Mom and Dads. hehehe Your stories are safe with me. Anyway, connections is one of the various comprehension strategies we focus on in 3rd grade. I am anxious to share some of their work with you at conferences. . . .which will be here soon! With literacy, we have also been working on "Tuning In To Vocabulary". Vocabulary always seems to be an area that our school district falls short of when it comes to standardized testing. So to work on expanding our vocabulary, students are "tuning into" interesting words that we can discuss and learn to increase our own vocabulary. Sometimes we pretend we have on binoculars and look for words by "tuning in" that way. The students love that! I have created a "word crawl worm" where we will add 2-3 words a week to work on. Each week, the worm will grow and grow with new vocabulary words that we have learned. I am anxious to see how far the worm gets by the end of the year! I haven't shown it to the students yet but plan on doing that tomorrow! The Daily 5 continues to be going very well. . . next week we will jump into "Listen to Reading" as the last component of the Daily 5.

We are almost wrapping up our science unit on Plant and Animal Populations. Today we did a great simulation of a food chain with aphids, ladybugs, and birds. Students were one of these and had to try and survive. I think it was the most concrete and beneficial experience the students had within this science unit thus far, and they totally enjoyed it! We have watched predator-prey relationships by watching damselfly nymphs eat daphnia and ladybugs eat our aphids. Gross but cool! I wish all activities were that awesome! Anyway, we will be wrapping up science with some activities this week, a project to be done at home, and preparing for the test set for next Tuesday - depending on how far we get this week. Look for study information to be sent home by Friday.

My last comment revolves around the new "Habitude" that we are discussing in 3B. Since school started, we have been conversing, reading, and writing about how important imagination is. Now we are moving into the habitude of "curiosity". I would love to see the students become so curious about something and set up an activity in which they can find answers to their questions. Think of the learning that could happen! I am part of a book club that discusses the six Habitudes that students of the 21st century need to possess. (written by Angela Meiers) It is really interesting to think about how we encourage students to use their imagination and explore when they are young, but that attitude seems to disappear as students get older and progress up the educational ladder. What happens? Not sure. My goal is for the students to understand how important curiosity is and to never let anyone stop them from being the curious one. . . . maybe they will come up with some great discovery or cure in the future from simply being curious and couragous! Wouldn't that be great!

Enjoy the rest of the week!