Reading Update with Mrs. Luyt

We are still working on work ethic with 4th grade in reading. I've sent home work that needs corrections and returned to school on Tuesday next week. These Scholastic article questions are part of their report card grades, so I have encouraged them to complete the corrections so they can improve their score. Thank you for your support!

Reading:  Last week we introduced text structures cause and effect and problem and solution. We also introduced new Latin/Greek words for a test on 3/1/18. We will be introducing new spelling words this week. In addition, we will be introducing text structures chronological order and compare and contrast. Latin/Greek test on 2/22/18.

Latin/Greek test on Thursday!


Homework: Read 20 minutes everyday and study for test. 

Math update with Mrs. Neal

Hello 4th grade families,

This week in math we continued working with fractions. We talk about improper fractions and how we can convert them into mixed numbers, as well as taking a mixed number and converting it back to an improper fraction. We have also worked on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with common denominators.

You should be seeing a half sheet come home soon with math fact goals on it. This sheet will tell you which facts your student has passed so far (multiplication and division only) and what goals they set for themselves. Please review these with your students and keep up the math fact logs, it is really making a difference!

Thanks and have a great week!

Writing Update with Mrs. Duarte

Fourth graders were diligent to get their Informational Essays completed on a specific animal's behaviors, survival skills, habitat, diet, and physical characteristics.  This was a great opportunity for them to go deeper with their understanding in relation to the animals they studied for their animal senses project.  They shared their writing with their peers in small groups and are now sharing their project power points with the class.  This next week we will be working on an Informational Essay Assessment, based on informational text about Abraham Lincoln.

Reading update with Mrs. Luyt 2/12-2/15/18

We are still working on work ethic with 4th grade in reading. I've sent home work that needs corrections and returned to school on Tuesday next week. These Scholastic article questions are part of their report card grades, so I have encouraged them to complete the corrections so they can improve their score. Thank you for your support!

Reading:  Last week we introduced text features table, timeline, fact box, diagram, bullets, graphs, maps, and key words We also introduced Spelling words for a test on 2/22/18. We will be introducing new Latin/Greek words this week. In addition, we will be introducing text structures cause and effect and problem and solution. Spelling test on 2/22/18.

Homework: Read 20 minutes a day. Study for test (spelling) for 2/22/18.

Reading update with Mrs. Luyt 2/5-2/8/18

Reading:  Last week we introduced text features caption, glossary, index, and table of contents. We also introduced Latin/Greek words for a test on 2/15/18. We will be introducing new spelling words this week this week. In addition, we will be introducing text features table, timeline, fact box, diagram, bullets, graphs, maps, and key words.  Latin/Greek test on 2/15/18.

As a reminder, any student who received a 1 on class assignments needs a parent signature and needs to correct the assignment and return it back into me for regrading. 

Latin/Greek test on Thursday!

Homework: Read 20 minutes everyday and study for test. 

Math Update with Mrs. Neal

Hello 4th grade families!

First off, a big thank you to everyone who attended math night! It was super fun and hopefully got everyone excited about math! If you did not attend you missed some important information: math homework will be changing for 4th grade. Instead of assigning IXL or paper homework, the homework expectations from now until the end of the year will be to practice math facts each school night for 20 minutes. Each student has a log that they are responsible for bringing to and from school everyday. It will be checked daily and if they do not practice or forget their log, they will be going to study hall.

At math night we discuss some different strategies for practicing math facts. Here is a quick overview of what we discussed:

Math Night Information

Time requirements per 50 facts:

• 3rd grade- 2 minutes and 30 seconds
• 4th grade- 2 minutes
• 5th grade- 1 minute and 45 seconds

Ways to practice math facts:

• Using a plastic sleeve and a math fact page, time the facts written with dry erase/vis-a-vis markers. Math fact pages can be found at www.math-drills.com
• Flash cards
• Make two piles, the known pile that is answered within 3 seconds and the unknown pile that takes longer than 3 seconds and practice the unknown pile
• Sandwich- take the unknown pile and the known pile and stack them with 3 knowns and 1 unknown, then three more knowns and 1 unknown.

• Apps
• Math fact master
• Math magician
• IXL math facts (found under third grade)
• Manipulatives
• Dice- roll two dice and multiply them. Or if working on a specific fact, take that number and multiply it by the number rolled on the dice. Writing a list of the facts solved on a whiteboard or paper as they go is a good way to keep track of work!
• Cards- same as dice
• Dominoes- grab a domino and multiply the two sides or two dominoes and multiply together.

If your child is unsure which math facts they have passed (hopefully they know as they are keeping a log and graphing their progress in class) feel free to e-mail me and I can tell you which facts they need to complete. 

Thanks and have a wonderful week!

Reading update with Mrs. Luyt 1/29-2/1/18

Reading:  Last week we introduced text features title, subtitle, heading, and subheading in non-fiction reading. We also introduced new spelling and vocabulary words for a spelling test on 2/8/18. This week we will be introducing text features caption, glossary, index, and table of contents. We will be introducing new Latin/Greek words and Latin/Greek word creations this week. Spelling test on 2/8/18.

Fourth grade has had trouble with their work ethic on completing assignments on time and doing a thorough job. I had several students who did not turn assignments in or turned them in with most questions wrong because they rushed to complete it. From now on, students will have a Scholastic News Article to read with questions to answer, a spelling practice worksheet, and a reading assignment focusing on what they are currently learning. These are all worked on during class and are expected to be completed by the end of class on Thursday. Students who do not complete assignments will be sent to study hall until they are complete. Also, students who receive a 1 on any assignment will have it sent home for parent signature and are expected to correct the assignment at home and return it the following school day.     

WRITING UPDATE

Students are wrapping up their research on their designated animal and have written their introductory paragraph for their Informational Essay.  They have started writing their body paragraphs around the sub-topics of:  Physical Description, Behavior/Survival, and Habitat/Food.  They are discovering some fascinating facts!