We are off to a great start this year. It's so hard to believe that it's the middle of September already. Mrs. Mutschler will be back in three weeks. I am enjoying my time with these fabulous fourth graders and will miss them when I leave. They have learned the classroom procedures already and have begun settling into their routines.
Here is a glimpse of what we have been working on...
READING
We began the year by picking out just right books for our reading level. Your child should be able to find a book that he/she can read fluently on their own. If your child is reading a book at home and has difficulty reading three or more words on each page, encourage him/her to pick a book that is a little easier. We are also learning how to read more smoothly by making sure our eyes follow the words and pausing at the punctuation marks. I have been demonstrating how to read with expression and encouraging them to do so as well. In the up coming days we will be discussing how to tackle those difficult words and how to connect with the characters in the story. Please have your child read for 20 minutes each night. This will help him/her become an expert reader.
For our read aloud we have chosen the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. Ask your son or daughter to retell the story to you. It's a very exciting book and they are enjoying it greatly.
Writing
We are working hard at creating a personal narrative. This is a story that revolves around a small moment in the child's life. That moment could be about a birthday party, the birth of a sibling, the death of a pet or any memorable moment in that child's life. After brainstorming ideas for several days, they picked their top two or three ideas and expanded on them. From there they narrowed it down to their favorite story. It is from this moment that your child will be creating the personal narrative. We spent two days this week studying good leads and learning how to write our own. I am impressed with the creative ways they have "hooked" the reader into their stories.
Social Studies
Our year kicked off with the Economy Unit in Social Studies. We have been learning about key concepts such as consumers and producers, goods and services, interdependence, trade, imports and exports, scarcity, supply and demand, and money. We will continue expanding on these concepts in the days to come.
Math
We have been reviewing rounding to the nearest place value. This is a difficult concept for fourth graders. We continue to practice it and I feel like most are making good progress. It seems to help when we work in smaller groups. We are also extending the place values out to the millions place. That is a big number! These smart kiddos are catching on fast. Our next step is to add and subtract these big numbers. Whew!!!
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to working with these amazing students in the next three weeks.
Mrs. Karen Dombrowski
Here is a glimpse of what we have been working on...
READING
We began the year by picking out just right books for our reading level. Your child should be able to find a book that he/she can read fluently on their own. If your child is reading a book at home and has difficulty reading three or more words on each page, encourage him/her to pick a book that is a little easier. We are also learning how to read more smoothly by making sure our eyes follow the words and pausing at the punctuation marks. I have been demonstrating how to read with expression and encouraging them to do so as well. In the up coming days we will be discussing how to tackle those difficult words and how to connect with the characters in the story. Please have your child read for 20 minutes each night. This will help him/her become an expert reader.
For our read aloud we have chosen the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. Ask your son or daughter to retell the story to you. It's a very exciting book and they are enjoying it greatly.
Writing
We are working hard at creating a personal narrative. This is a story that revolves around a small moment in the child's life. That moment could be about a birthday party, the birth of a sibling, the death of a pet or any memorable moment in that child's life. After brainstorming ideas for several days, they picked their top two or three ideas and expanded on them. From there they narrowed it down to their favorite story. It is from this moment that your child will be creating the personal narrative. We spent two days this week studying good leads and learning how to write our own. I am impressed with the creative ways they have "hooked" the reader into their stories.
Social Studies
Our year kicked off with the Economy Unit in Social Studies. We have been learning about key concepts such as consumers and producers, goods and services, interdependence, trade, imports and exports, scarcity, supply and demand, and money. We will continue expanding on these concepts in the days to come.
Math
We have been reviewing rounding to the nearest place value. This is a difficult concept for fourth graders. We continue to practice it and I feel like most are making good progress. It seems to help when we work in smaller groups. We are also extending the place values out to the millions place. That is a big number! These smart kiddos are catching on fast. Our next step is to add and subtract these big numbers. Whew!!!
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to working with these amazing students in the next three weeks.
Mrs. Karen Dombrowski