We hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Today in 4th grade math we learned long division. We taught the kids a method for remembering the steps called: Dogs Might Smell Bad. :-) Make sure your children explain this mnemonic device to you tonight. It's a great way to remember the order of the steps. In 3rd grade math, we continued building our fluency with multiplication and division facts 0-9 and did a puzzle chart that really made the kids problem solve!
In reading, we continued reading with our reading buddies. Kids were encouraged to explore nonfiction. We talked about some of the aspects of nonfiction books and how they are different from fiction books.
In social studies, we skipped ahead to read the chapter about government. This will help the kids enjoy our field trip Wednesday. Today we introduced the terms judicial, legislative and executive. If you have time at home, please chat with your kids about these terms. We just introduced them today, so many kids are still working on the pronunciation. We will continue to explore these terms in the future. The field trip this Wednesday will help bring these terms to life! Here are some things to remember for the field trip...
What do you need to bring for Wednesday’s field trip?
- Dress nicely (business
casual: pants that are not jeans or gym pants and a nice collared shirt or
sweater without words on it).
- Comfy walking shoes
- Winter jacket, hat,
gloves
- Nut free lunch and
drink—all disposable
- Book for bus
- Small devices with headphones if you want to use audio on the bus.
We started Word Study today.
Beginning today, students will meet with either Mrs. Davis,
Mrs. Harvath, Mrs. Maliszewski, Mr. Seley, or Mrs. Roberts, our instructional
specialist, each Monday afternoon for 35 minutes. Your child’s word study
teacher will provide instruction, introduce the words to each group, offer
practice activities, and pass out the weekly homework assignment. Tests will
also be done with the word study teacher. Every other Monday, look for a one
page Word Study assignment to come home with instructions for www.Spelling City.com and Words their Way
activities stapled to it.
Words Their Way is a word study program that is being
implemented across our district in grades K-5. This program is a research-based
developmental approach that results in word knowledge. Students gain general
knowledge about why combinations of letters are used to form words. Through
this general knowledge, students deepen their understanding of spelling,
phonics, and word meanings. As they actively examine and investigate words,
learners are improving their ability to understand new words that they
encounter in reading. They also develop skills in using words in their own
writing.
As a component of our overall literacy curriculum, Words
Their Way complements the instructional practices used in writing and reading
workshop. Students experience large group, small group, and
individualized instruction that is developmentally determined based on each
child’s demonstrated skill level. Learners are not expected to memorize lists
of spelling words or specific definitions. The curriculum is sequenced to
provide ongoing understanding of letter combinations and how those combinations
are used in the formation of words. Students are expected to apply this
knowledge to reading and writing. Here are some basic differences between a
traditional spelling program and word study:
Word Study Compared to Traditional
Spelling Programs
|
|
Developmental: Word Study
|
Traditional: Not Word Study
|
Encourages examination
|
Encourages memorization
|
Small group instruction
|
Whole group instruction
|
Spelling lists according to instructional levels
|
Spelling lists by themes or grade levels
|
Form generalizations about words
|
Learn spelling rules
|
Encourages the examination of words and word parts
|
Encourages the rules and exceptions
|
Integrated into literacy program
|
Taught as separate program
|
Students improve long-term memory by physically working with
cards of printed words in the course of word study.
During Words Their Way lessons, students are improving memory
as they are:
·
Actively
engaged and investigating
·
Manipulating
ideas and objects
·
Testing
hypothesis and making predictions
·
Using
language to clarify learning with peers in academic conversations
·
Recording
and constructing their own learning
Stages of learning are not assigned by grade in word study.
There are five stages, divided into a total of eight groups, into which all
students are placed according to their demonstrated understanding. As students
move into a new stage of development, they deepen their understanding of how
words work. The goal is not to move through stages quickly, but to fully
develop the application of concepts when reading and writing new words.
If you have any questions about your child’s word study or
Spelling City, please email your homeroom teacher.
Thank you!
Mr. Seley and Mrs. Davis
