September 29, 2011

Math: Place value is so important to understanding all math operations. In unit 2 we are working on not just knowing the place value system, but understanding the value of digits in those places. This knowledge will help us add and subtract large numbers both mentally and using paper and pencil methods. Please be patient as your child tries various methods for addition and subtraction of larger numbers. The EDM Student Reference Book is a great tool taking you through the steps of these methods. Students will have to try these methods at school and at home, but then will be able to use their favorite (most successful) method.

Literacy: Connecting to our reading has been our focus over the last couple of weeks. Students have learned and reviewed text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. Making these connections while we read helps us understand characters, situations, settings, and information. We have also had the valuable discussion of making connections that help us, versus those that don't.

This week we also started to work on asking questions while we read. Questions really bring us further into our reading because we want to find the answers. Ask your child about connections and questions he or she has while reading at home. If your child says, "I don't have any," this could be a sign that the text being read is too hard, too easy, or just not interesting.

Our first personal narratives are under our belt. The kids have been doing a great job, overall, in zooming into detail, hooking their readers with exciting leads, and ending in meaningful ways. The students are proud of their work, many are sharing with the class. We are working on oral communication skills and giving positive, useful feedback to those sharing.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be focusing in on starting word study and convention study. Students will be bringing home word study words early next week. We will be discussing how to practice patterns and how to extend those words and patterns into our writing. We will also dive into what makes a sentence a sentence. It sounds basic, but we will look carefully and develop an understanding that should help us as we write.

Science/Social Studies: We are wrapping up our unit on electricity and magnetism. Students have been discovering the properties of magnets, making electromagnets, and finding out how electricity gets to our homes. In computer lab we went back in time to find out who made important discoveries in electricity.

We will begin social studies towards the end of next week. Our first unit is really getting familiar with the geography/topography of Wisconsin. Students will first review continents and oceans. They will learn about borders of our state, the Great Lakes, and major rivers in Wisconsin. Get out your maps! Go to Google Earth! Explore and have fun!

September 13, 2011

This will be your source for our classroom news and kid-friendly sites pertaining to 4th grade curriculum! Kordus classroom news will be posted approximately every other week.

Math: Geometry is all around us! Students are learning and reviewing a lot of geometry vocabulary. We are noting these words and their meanings in our math notebooks, and using our SRBs (Student Reference Books) for further understanding. Help your child by quizzing them on terms such as quadrilaterals, parallelograms, angles, polygons, and so on. Ask your child to give you examples of various geometry concepts.

Literacy: Students are building their reading stamina during our "Read-to-Self" time. They are doing a great job! I am conferring with each student to make sure they understand what a good-fit book is. Each student is reading to me and sharing their comprehension of their book. We are also discussing the key components to a retell and summary. DRA reading assessments will begin next week.

In writing we are generating a lot of ideas for personal narratives. We are brainstorming lists, drawing maps, and sharing ideas to spark possible small moment stories. We are zooming into one small event and the details that surround it. Students are beginning to draft their first small moment story. We are also building stamina for our "Write-to-Self" time. Ask your child what he or she is writing about.

Science: Wow! We are excited in science! Students are experimenting with electricity, thinking about what makes a circuit, how current electricity flows, and what conducts and insulates electricity. Students will learn how magnets are similar to electricity and how they help make electricity. Discuss the various appliances and fixtures in your home that work with electricity. Show your child the fuse box. Discuss electrical safety.