McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of December 8, 2014

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Reading Workshop

This week, we have been working on some basic nonfiction strategies, such as identifying main ideas and the details from the text that support that idea (tough work, actually!) and strategies to get our minds ready to read nonfiction text.  Students are self-selecting some of their own NF books to read, and for some purposes I am choosing text for them.  Once we establish as solid an understanding of main idea as possible, we will start a research project after vacation, and students will demonstrate their knowledge through a Keynote project on the iPads!

     Students are bringing home their Text Features Quizzes from last Friday.  I gave this quiz after some review of text features, because I wanted to see how much more instruction kids needed.  If a child scored 70% or below, I gave them a study guide packet and study suggestions for over the weekend and the beginning of next week.  I want them to have a second crack at a quiz next Wednesday, after some further review of the text features.  Please have your child show you her/his quiz, so you will know whether you need to support your child in studying for the quiz.  Part of that might involve looking at some NF texts at home.  We will continue using text features in the classroom as well.

Writing Workshop

I’m very pleased with the way our writing work is going with informational text!  Each child has chosen a topic in which they have personal expertise, and they are writing sections of text to include in a poster project that we’ll work on in class after vacation.  Back in the day, we used to have students work with us to design the criteria and a rubric for a project, and for many reasons we let that go.  However, I’ve been reflecting on the value of that time and energy: 

     •Kids know what is expected, because they help decide.

     •They understand what actions to take to demonstrate their understanding at a fourth grade    level (or to partially meet those goals, or even to exceed those goal).

     •They are more engaged in their work, because of their ownership in the planning.

     •They feel more empowered by/responsible for/in control of/accountable for their own learning.

So both writing classes have had discussions about what will make a high quality piece of informational writing.  We have studied the checklist assessment that our Units of Study Writing Program has published.  We have taken notes on this checklist, of which every child has a copy and keeps in the writing folder, and has on the table during each workshop.  We’ve put things into more kid-friendly language.  Finally, students told me what they want mini-lessons about for the remaining time of this unit, based on these discussions.  Yes—they’re reflecting on what they know and what they want to understand better, and they are asking for certain mini-lessons!  So far this week, we have focused on elaboration (and we’ve defined that as “writing more, explaining more”).  We’re using kids’ suggested strategies are learning new ones.  Good stuff!

Math

This week we really got started with our decimal unit. Students were busy reading, writing, comparing and ordering decimals to the hundredths place. When reading decimals I am asking students to read them correctly, for example: 0.47 should be read as “zero AND forty-seven hundredths”. It is important for students at this level read the number correctly so they begin to get a better grasp on the actual value of the decimal number. 

Spelling

This week we reviewed patterns for the /s/ sound (sc, s, ss, ci, cy, ce) as well as how to add suffixes (-s, -es, -ly, -er).

Theme

Students participated in Colony Jeopardy on Monday to review for Tuesday’s quiz.  Students took their quiz on Tuesday.  I noticed that many students made a bigger effort to take their time and check their work, which is reflected in how all three classes performed.  We are now working on a mini science unit about waves, which is a part of the HOT science curriculum that I am piloting this year.  Students observed waves in action (via a slinky and in water) and discovered how waves in deep water and waves in shallow water act upon objects differently.  After vacation we’ll start a unit on Magnets and Electricity.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 15th - Reading logs due 

Tuesday, December 16th - Study link due

Wednesday, December 17th - Early Release / Sneakers for P.E.

Thursday, December 18th - Holiday Activity Swap / Spelling due

Friday, December 19th - Team Reading Day / Holiday Assembly

Mr. Brookes’s class is holding their annual Penny Drive to benefit the Bruce Roberts Toy Fund.  Members of his class came by last week to describe the purpose of this event.  We have an envelope in our class to collect change until December 17th.   

Have a great weekend!