Fabulous Fourth
Welcome!
This blog will provide a window into the wonderful learning experiences taking place in our classroom. Check back often
for updates and important information. You can always reach me at amy.smith@dmusd.org
for updates and important information. You can always reach me at amy.smith@dmusd.org
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Math Resources
These links might be valuable in both reinforcing and extending math work.
Dreambox
Math Playground
Fact Practice
Fact Monster
Math Baseball
Dreambox
Math Playground
Fact Practice
Fact Monster
Math Baseball
Homework Information
Fourth Grade Homework Information
Please
help your child establish important work and study habits by helping them find
an appropriate time and space to complete their work on a daily basis. In order
to help them have ownership over their time management skill development, work
together with them to establish daily after school routines that ensure
adequate time for homework completion.
Reading
In fourth grade, we strive to foster a love of reading. We want students to look forward to reading in order to enjoy the art of a story or reading to learn some new bit of information about a topic of interest. Please help encourage your child to read a variety of different genres and in a variety of different formats. Novel are always a great choice. You may also want to encourage some non-fiction reading as well. Child-appropriate magazines and online articles can also be good sources of reading material.
Additionally, as fourth grade teachers, we want to make sure students are feeling secure with skill-based reading and practice with strategies such as close reading, inferring, and finding evidence from the text. For this reason, we are asking that students spend 2 days a week reading on a program called RAZ Kids. Your child's username and password are the same as the username and password for Google Drive.
You will be asked to sign that they completed their reading homework each night. Beyond signing that they did read, please take some time check in with your child periodically an ask them about their free reading books as well as their RAZ kids reading.
Math
Monday/Wednesday students will complete 15-20 minutes of DreamBox
Tuesday/Thursday students will work on a spiral review page. This should be math work they can do on their own. If they are struggling, please encourage them to just try their best and try a variety of different strategies. If they are just plain stuck, please just have them bring it to class and we will go over it.
A Word About SpellingIn fourth grade, we strive to foster a love of reading. We want students to look forward to reading in order to enjoy the art of a story or reading to learn some new bit of information about a topic of interest. Please help encourage your child to read a variety of different genres and in a variety of different formats. Novel are always a great choice. You may also want to encourage some non-fiction reading as well. Child-appropriate magazines and online articles can also be good sources of reading material.
Additionally, as fourth grade teachers, we want to make sure students are feeling secure with skill-based reading and practice with strategies such as close reading, inferring, and finding evidence from the text. For this reason, we are asking that students spend 2 days a week reading on a program called RAZ Kids. Your child's username and password are the same as the username and password for Google Drive.
You will be asked to sign that they completed their reading homework each night. Beyond signing that they did read, please take some time check in with your child periodically an ask them about their free reading books as well as their RAZ kids reading.
Math
Monday/Wednesday students will complete 15-20 minutes of DreamBox
Tuesday/Thursday students will work on a spiral review page. This should be math work they can do on their own. If they are struggling, please encourage them to just try their best and try a variety of different strategies. If they are just plain stuck, please just have them bring it to class and we will go over it.
Next week we will be starting
our spelling program, Sitton Spelling & Word Skills. Your child’s
spelling this year may look different from the “traditional” spelling many of
us are accustomed to. We will begin this week by looking at a few spelling
concepts and patterns in class through various lessons. At the end of the week
of studying these concepts, students will be given a “check” to see how well
they are able to apply the concepts taught and spell an assortment of common-use words
correctly. There a formal list of words given on Monday for a test on Friday; the weekly Friday assessment is meant to be an
authentic gauge of their understanding of spelling concepts and their application.
After taking the assessment, children will have their own individualized list
of Words to Know that they have not yet mastered. The following week the
focus of their spelling homework will be on learning those words through fun,
multi-modality activities. If a student shows mastery of all words assessed,
a set of challenge words will be assigned.
In addition, students will have a packet with small, daily
proofreading and writing exercises for homework to help increase their accurate
application of the concepts being studied.
Haiku
Haiku is a new online learning tool that we will be using in our classrooms to provide information about learning experiences. It is a district initiative that is currently developing. You can look forward to learning more about it in the future! In the meantime, if you would like a sneak peak, you may log on with your child!
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