Learning To Go Mr. Avery's Class on the Web 

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What a great time we had on Fall Festival! The kids had a blast making crafts, hearing stories, and singing along to songs by local performers, “Chuck and Peter!” Thanks to Diane Grande, Jill Magarro, Charolette Winder, and Ruchi Singh for leading activities and helping children along.

This week, there will be no homework on Tuesday. If you’re looking for things to keep busy, consider the optional math homework pages, RAZ Kids reading, or Greg Tang Math games.

In science this week we will learn about animal adaptations. In particular, we will be studying owl physiology and behavior as part of a research unit on nocturnal animals. We will be treated this Thursday to a visit from local raptor rehabilitator Jim Parks, as part of his educational Wingmasters program. Jim brings several live specimens and engages kids in learning about adaptations, characteristics, and conservation. You can learn much more about the program and local raptors at: http://www.wingmasters.net/aboutus.htm. And here’s a great collection of age-appropriate informative text and media about owls that kids can read at home to learn more about owls: http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season12/owls/facts.cfm

Our reading focus this week is on the comprehension strategy, Retell a Story. When students can name important characters, setting, problem, events, and ending in a story, it shows they understand what is important to know. At homework time, try asking your child to tell you any or all of the above to see if they were reading purposefully! A helpful meme for this kind of summary is called The 5 Finger Retell. It’s outlined and explained in this blog post from Reading Mentors: 5 Finger Retell.

Our work with narratives continues, with a focus on Entertaining Beginnings. Consider the difference between these two story starters about learning to ride a bike: 1. I went outside. I walked down the driveway. I went to my bike. 2. I dashed down the driveway and grabbed my helmet. I was going to ride a bike on my own for the first time, and I couldn’t wait!  See how much more engaging the second example is? Students will be taught this week how to hook their readers in using actions, sounds, and questions.

In math this week, students will be introduced to subtracting across zeros (e.g. 500 – 146 = _____ ). Although we’ve learned to regroup in the hundreds, tens, and ones places, this skill requires some extra thinking. I suggest students use the base ten blocks and mat in the h0mework folder to help them where the process of crossing out numbers is too abstract. Here’s a video that explains it with pictures, for extra support: Math Playground Video Subtraction with Zeros.

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Fall Festival is coming! In the classroom this Friday, students will have some fun making fall crafts, designing pumpkins to be used in descriptive writing lessons, and learning about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), celebrated by many South American and Mexican American families. More at http://www.celebrate-day-of-the-dead.com/day-of-the-dead-facts.html. Thanks to the parents who volunteered on Curriculum Night to lead groups on that day!

Our CAFE reading focus this week is on Fluency. Fluent reading means that the rate of reading aloud matches a person’s speaking or storytelling rate; that the reader uses long phrases instead of choppy short ones or word-by-word; and that key words in the sentence are accented. Think about this example: When an octopus loses an arm or leg, it can grow another one. Fluent readers (like you) would read to the comma, probably take a breath, and continue until reaching the period. This shows you know how to sound out, decode words, and anticipate the words coming up. In addition, you would accent the words octopus, arm or leg, and another. This shows you understand what you’re reading and what the author’s important points were. It’s because it encompasses so many fine points of reading, that students are graded on fluency at report card time. For more info, see Reading Rockets–a great source for everything reading!

This week in writing, students will learn about the qualities of good personal narratives. This is one of 4 genres that will be our focus this year, across Shrewsbury. Good personal narratives are about one moment in time, with the action stretched out and description thrown in to put readers in the picture. We will learn to generate topics to write about, and how to find the “story seed”–the small moment that should serve as the basis for the main event. As an analogy, we encourage students to think about a watermelon. The melon is your big idea, for example, My Vacation. A slice of the melon is your narrowed focus, for example, My Day at the Magic Kingdom. But the story seed, the one event that should comprise your story, would be one thing that you did there, for example, Going on Splash Mountain.

Students will continue to refine their small moment ideas this week, and delve into ways to start their stories with a bang.

Our work with subtraction has involved checking our answers by reversing the process using addition. The reason for this is that the brain learns and holds onto the process of addition better than subtraction, so it’s a useful tool for checking. Practicing this process helps to strengthen those neurons in the brain and leads to a solid understanding. The Greg Tang Math game Missing Numbers is a great way to practice! Select “Subtraction”; then any of the strategies (difference, subtrahend, etc.); then  “Easy” or “Hard”. Your child can have fun while internalizing these skills! Click on the picture below to get started:

Our first Grade 1 & 2 School Meeting was held on Friday, the theme of which was Growth Mindset: You can grow your brain! Students were introduced to “The Power of ‘Yet'”, as illustrated perfectly in this video! (Source: Sesame St. on Youtube.com)

What a great time we had at OSV! Students were highly engaged in hands-on learning during workshops and interactive demonstrations by villagers all day, seeing economics and history in action. A big thanks goes out to our chaperones for their time and care. They kept our kids safe and on track all day!

RAZ Kids is ready to go! Reading A to Z, or RAZ, is a website that kids use to read at home and on the go. It is the most authentic means of reading done electronically that I have seen. Please see the note coming home on Monday that provides information on the site. You’ll find your child’s password attached. Students may begin using it Monday night for homework, or just because it’s fun and smart! Our subscription is graciously funded by parents via the PTO. Please take time to help your child log in so they can get started and read often. Note: You can access the site via the link above under Student Resources. If you hover your cursor over the link button, it will show our class code.

At math time this week, students will be learning the fine points of regrouping when subtracting, across the tens and hundreds (think 264-158). They will be working with base ten blocks to model the process and show understanding. They will be showing it another way by drawing base ten pictures (squares for hundreds, etc., like on homework). And they will finally learn to “cross out” the number in the tens and hundreds place to regroup–what we used to call “borrowing”.

The difference between how we learned it years ago and how it’s taught today is that we’re making sure students have a real sense of the numbers involved and what the process of regrouping is really all about. In your homework packet in the center I have included a step by step picture guide so you can help your child at home if they need it (see Chapter 3). Whether they do or not, it’s always wise to ask them questions: How many hundreds/tens/ones are in that number? Will you need to regroup? How do you know? Does your answer make sense? Could you prove it another way?

Students will also be taught to use addition to check subtraction. This means to do the operation in reverse. For example, to check that 213-156=57, students must add 57 + 156 and do the math (e.g. not simply write 57 + 156 = 213). Since addition is always easier for us humans than subtraction, this is an effective means of checking accuracy. On the homework, it asks students to “Show how to check your work with addition.” They should be showing their regrouping when they add as they did all through chapter 2.

A great way to practice regrouping in the 10s and 1s is to play Funny Numbers at Greg Tang Math. Click on the picture above. Choose “Base 10” , then the operation “-“. Notice in the example above: you can regroup by taking 1 ten away from 3 tens and moving it into the 1s column. 3 tens and 4 ones is the same as 2 tens and 14 ones. Now the problem is easier understood and we’re not just crossing out the “3” and making it a “2”–which is too abstract a concept for most young kids to hold in their heads.

If you’re following along at home with the eBook, this is Chapter 3, lessons 1 & 2.

 

Our Field Trip to Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) is upon us! We leave Friday at 9:00. Please send in lunch with your child, in a completely disposable container (e.g. no metal silverware or Tupperware that you want returned). We will return at the end of the school day and eat snack then, so you can send that as usual. Also please dress your child comfortably in layers. In case of rain, raincoats=yes/ umbrellas=no. <“) If you drop your child off at school in the morning, please plan so that your child is here by 8:45. Thanks for helping with these details–it will help our day run smoothly so we can focus on the fun learning to be had there!

In particular, we’ll be observing and analyzing economics from a historical perspective. We’ll be learning in class what goods are, and to distinguish between want and needs, also the difference between goods and services, and where to find them in our community. We’ll bring this to bear during our walk through OSV, and introduce students to the importance of consumers and producers for the economy of a community. Students will then “produce” a “good” from long ago (toy; art; cookie) in activities led by OSV’s education staff. Try taking a virtual tour at home by using their interactive map with your child: https://www.osv.org/village-map

*Please note: Because of our trip, we will take our math facts quiz on Thursday this week. Homework is still due on Friday, both math and reading:

Reading The goal of reading at home is to instill a lifelong habit of reading for fun and for informative purposes outside of school or work. In addition, our young readers can benefit from practicing the reading skills and comprehension strategies taught at school. The amount of time spent on reading homework will vary depending on both the level and the length of the books. Students at levels below 18 may spend less than 20 minutes reading, while those at 20 and above may spend at least that long. Feel free to supplement books from school with books from home.

In any case, students will bring home one or more books, Monday-Thursday. Their job is to read; fill in the reading log each night (sent home each Monday); return the book(s) when done; and bring other books home. On the last day of the week, parents sign the bottom of the log and the student returns it for credit.

Some notes:

1. The log will come home each week in paper form. If your child loses the log, you can print a copy using the link under Parent Resources above. If that’s not an option for you, have your child write the books on any piece of paper, and sign it Thursday night.
2. It’s important that students read and record the book each night. One night of reading for 1 hour per week doesn’t help them meet the goal above. Please check that they’re following the expectation until they’re independent with this routine.
3. Although you don’t need to listen to him/her read, it’s a great idea to check in with your child by asking them to answer comprehension questions about what they’ve read (see Curriculum Night packet).
4. Students reading chapter books needn’t finish them in one night (think The Magic Treehouse series). Instead, they should write down chapters or pages read in 20 minutes. One chapter book may provide several night’s reading (which is authentically how adults read!).
5. If your child forgets or misplaces a reading book, simply have him/her read something from home or using online resources such as National Geographic for Kids.

Field Trip Resources The OSV website is fun and informative! Their videos page has some great starting points to explore economics at home with kids. Check out this example from the Tinsmith. What is the service he does for the community? What goods are produced there? Are they wants or needs? Where do we buy similar goods today?

Permission slips are coming home today for our field trip! Please return it at your earliest convenience. Checks should be made out to FSS Student Activity Fund. Chaperones who have already contacted me should send payment for both parent and child. I will send home information for chaperones next Monday in paper form.

Math facts practice begins this week! Our first quiz will be this Thursday, since there is no school Friday. 

Coming home today is 1) a cover letter with explanations and suggestions for nightly homework practice, along with your child’s level,  2) your child’s placement test(s), 3) math fact cards at your child’s level, and 4) two practice quizzes. I recommend at least 5 minutes per night for practice, since practicing for 20 minutes one night per week just won’t help kids retain the information. Quizzes are given on Fridays and returned on Mondays. The timed aspect of these quizzes tends to be the hardest thing to master. You can make additional quizzes by using the websites Math Fact Café (addition and subtraction) andMath Aids (multiplication and division). You can also make fancier flash cards at A+ Math Fact Flashcard Maker. All three websites can be found under the “Parent Resources” section above.

Students will be encouraged and praised for making progress toward the eventual goal of achieving math fact fluency to 10 by trimester one’s end; to 15 by the end of trimester 2; and to 20 by trimester 3 (report card expectations). Students who pass 20 will move on to multiplication, then division.

The website Xtramath.org has proven motivating and helpful for many students. Your child now has an account set up, and you can access it via the link under Student Resources above. It approaches math facts somewhat differently than our weekly leveled quizzes. Students are given a series of online placement quizzes on addition facts up to 10 to start (whereas most students in class have placed out on a level between 5 and 7), and students work with a variety of facts at a time. Still, it can be a fun supplement to weekly practice. The site sends me weekly reports on student progress. If your child has used it in the past, logging in with new credentials sent home today should reactivate their old account so they don’t need to start from scratch.

Our reading focus this week teaches students to Back up and reread. As I mentioned on curriculum night, the focus of reading instruction this year is on thinking while we read. It’s the difference between learning to read and reading to learn. Kids often will breeze past unknown words, or misread them and keep going. This week, students will learn to stop when words don’t make sense; don’t look right; or don’t sound right. When reading with your child, prompt them to go back to the start of a sentence and read slower, thinking what would make sense. If they simply don’t know a word and can’t infer what it means, it’s a good opportunity to teach it to them!

This week, students are being taught the ins-and-outs of Informative Writing. This genre of writing requires students to organize statements of fact around a main idea, to give examples to evidence their thinking, and to present their argument logically in order.What’s important at this time is for kids to write sentences that are clear to understand, with some detail and attention to basic spelling, grammar, and handwriting (no backward letters). As before, targeted writing lessons will be given to students to improve clarity; run on sentences; upper/lowercases; punctuation; and editing.