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

We’re almost there! Just a couple more snowflakes and we’ve reached our goal and earned our special day. As a special reward for demonstrating good work habits, students are invited to wear pajamas to school Friday. Please keep in mind the following guidelines for appropriateness and safety:

1. Kids will be going outside, so dress for the weather: PJs with tops and bottoms are best. Sweats work equally well, or a combination of the two.
2. Sneakers or regular footwear are a must for coming to school/going home/recess. Kids are allowed (not required) to bring slippers–but keep in mind they’ll be wearing them all over school, including the bathrooms!
3. No toys, stuffed animals, or accessories, please.

On Friday, we will celebrate by making crafts; practicing summarizing skills using Hans Christian The Snow Queen; singing together at an all-school sing-a-long; and more!  Thanks for the countless ways you support your child’s learning. These kids are so well cared for physically, emotionally, and academically and I’m proud to be sharing their journey with you. I wish you the happiest of holidays, and all the best in 2020!

We’re wrapping up our study of Opinion Writing in style! Here are some from 1) Ved and 2) Nicholas, on why kids should have and iPhone; and 3) Oliver, and 4) Sophie on why they shouldn’t: 1) My first reason is, if you’re lost your parents can track you down. For example, if you’re lost in the woods your parents can find you because your iPhone has a tracking chip. 2) My second reason is, in an emergency they can dial 911. For example, if there was a fire you can call 911 for help from the firemen. 3) My first reason is, they could play games all day. For example, if they run off and play on it all day they will not get any smarter. 4) Kids might fool around and dial 911. If they call 911 when it’s not an emergency they can get in really really big trouble. Great job stating opinions and supporting them with evidence!

In math this week, students will be applying their new knowledge of multiplication and division when solving word problems. This week’s math homework asks them to draw pictures or symbols to show their work when solving these. One method we’ve taught them is to draw circles and stars, like in the picture below:

These can be used in division, too. Here’s how: when you know the total and the number of groups and you want to find the number in each group, draw circles for the groups and deal (like playing cards) stars to each circle. In the above picture that would look like this: 8 ÷ 2 = 4. Kids would draw 2 circles and then put one star in the first circle, then the second circle, then repeat until you have “used up” the 8 items. This shows them there are 4 in each group.

Now let’s say you know the total and the number in each group, and want to find the number of groups. In the above example that would look like 8 ÷ 4 = 2. In this case, you draw groups of 4 until you “use up” the 8 items.

The ‘circle and stars’ idea comes from a game that kids can play at home with any numbers: Circles and Stars

Here’s us in action, using nonfiction text features to make sense of expository text!

 

This week I will be starting a snowflake jar (like a marble jar) in class for earning points toward a class celebration the Friday before vacation. I’m looking to encourage habits of mind, especially good cooperation skills and self-regulation. Each day the kids will evaluate themselves with my help, and snowflakes will be added for each accomplishment, helping us reach our goal.

Our celebration will be on Friday, December 20. Kids will be invited to wear pajamas at school (more on the details to come), and we will spend the day honoring each other’s accomplishments so far. In addition, we’ll have a winter sing-a-long with the whole school; create winter crafts; write a narrative to accompany Raymond Brigg’s The Snowman; and more!

Report cards will be coming home next week. A few notes about grading: Gone are the days of letter grades, and the system now works a little differently. A “3” is Achieving the standard, and that is similar to an “A” grade. A “2” means students are making continuous progress and/or can do it some of the time, or with help. A “4” is rare: it means students are working one grade level above grade 2 benchmarks. A “1” is even rarer: should any student have been heading there, we would have communicated it well before now (and no one is)!

To be achieving on this term’s report card, students should be reading on level 20K, and reading fluently while comprehending text on whatever level they may be at. In writing they should be able to write complete sentences; to show evidence of correctly writing opinion and informative pieces; and to write with spaces, correct upper/lowercase letters, correct punctuation, and mostly correct spelling. In math, they should have passed math facts level 10; they should be able to make sense of and solve problems in daily work and on tests; and they should be able to accurately add and subtract 3-digit numbers with regrouping.

Our next area of study in math is multiplication. The focus for instruction is on recognizing that multiplication means adding equal groups of a set. Students will use objects, pictures, and symbols in order to show this addition. Then they will be taught the algorithm ___ x ___ = ___, in which the first number refers to the number of groups and the second number refers to the amount of objects which get added. For example, in 5 x 2 = 10, students should recognize that this means there are 5 groups of 2 objects which are added together to get 10 (illustrated below). At this time, there is no expectation that kids do this in their heads, only with support of objects and pictures.

 

In Writing this week, kids will state opinions and support them with reasons followed by explanations. Our topic is “The Perfect Pet” and is based on the book of the same name by Margie Palatini. Here it is being read aloud:

Peter T via Compfight 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I spent some long delayed time catching up with friends and family. I had much to be thankful for, including this great bunch of students and families!

We’re 1/3 of the way to grade 3! Students will be taking end-of-term assessments in writing, reading, math, science, and social studies. Report cards are due to come home just before the December break.

Our reading focus is on learning to use nonfiction text features to make sense of informative texts. Think about a magazine article you’ve recently seen. As accomplished readers, we never just dive in and hope we understand by the end of it; yet, that’s often what kids will do. Instead, we read and think about the title, headings and subheadings, pictures, diagrams, captions, maps, and all the other things that make concepts more comprehensible, all while relating them back to the main idea. This week we will learn many of these features, go hunting for them in text, and use them to improve comprehension. This Reading Mama’s blog puts it well (and is a good source for learning many elements of reading): http://thisreadingmama.com/comprehension/non-fiction/non-fiction-text-structure/  And you can practice using nonfiction text features to improve comprehension with your child by using magazines, websites, informational books, and at http://kids.nationalgeographic.com.

The kids are doing great things with opinion writing! Here are some reasons and examples on why animals should not be kept in zoos from: 1. Sami, 2. Gianna, and 3. Aayra: 1. To begin with, it’s like jail. For example, they’re locked in a small space without any freedom. 2. Another reason is, in a zoo animals just walk around in circles their whole life. For example, they have nowhere to go and they are used to big spaces. 3. Another reason is, if all animals were in zoos, there won’t be any in nature. For example, they are taken away from their herds. Great work!

This week we are learning to solve 2-step math problems. Consider the example in the picture below. It requires an extra step before finding out the total. Kids are being taught to read and understand the problem and tackle each step in order:

A “thank you” to Job Corps who sent representatives in to read to kids via the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury!

Thanksgiving Week Changes: There will be no math and reading homework next week, and this blog will take a holiday break too. There will be 2 optional challenge pages as usual, for kids wanting to keep exploring math skills. I hope you and your family have much to be thankful for this year, and I wish you the happiest of holidays!

Our CAFE focus this week is on summarizing by analyzing a character’s feelings. Reading is comprehending, and understanding the feelings of a main character helps us identify his/her motivation and reactions. We look to these as clues to determining the important parts in the story. Students will learn to summarize with familiar read-alouds and to apply it in their independent reading.

Our work with bar modeling is paying off! Students are becoming adept at relating them to parts-and-total problems, using them to make sense of problems, and understanding numbers involved by drawing them bars with appropriate scale. This week we are learning to use bar models to make sense of comparison problems. The model looks different from before because our thinking about solving the problem should be different. For example, consider this problem:

Notice how setting up the model this way shows understanding of what “more than” means. Using our knowledge of the parts-and-total bar model previously taught, it makes it easy for kids to see that what is required to solve this problem is addition.

The same can be said of using modeling to make sense of “less than” problems:

Students who set up the problem correctly can immediately see that Susan’s amount is smaller than Rosa’s, and that subtraction is called for to solve it. Like a parts-and-total frame, we subtract the part (157) from the total (824) to get the remaining part. See how helpful a tool bar modeling is?

 

Steve Baker via Compfight

Happy Veteran’s Day! A big shout out to all the vets who have given us much to be thankful for. In class, kids have been learning about this day via videos and informative texts with a focus on asking and answering questions while reading!

I look forward to our meeting this Tuesday! If you still need an appointment, please contact me. I will share with you your child’s reading assessment, math tests, and writing samples, and I’ll discuss progress being made in those areas along with successes and any learning targets. Admittedly, our time is brief! Think of this as another step in our yearlong discussion of your child’s education, and know that I remain available for further communication.

Rotary Readers are coming! In an effort to promote literacy across the town, Members of the Shrewsbury Rotary Club will visit next Monday and read to second graders using engaging picture books that they donate to each classroom’s library! We are grateful for the organization’s good works.

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. 

This week we begin a very important math unit. Chapter 4 focuses on bar models and using them to solve number problems and work algebraically. This way of doing math is extremely useful, and will benefit students greatly in the future when they apply it to multiplication, division,  fractions, measurement, and more!  As an example, consider the picture below as a way to model this problem: Jim is planning Thanksgiving dinner for 21 people. 15 people will be having turkey, and the rest are vegetarians. How many people will Jim plan a vegetarian meal for?

For students, setting this problem up can be tricky. We’ve learned to use parts and total boxes to model algebraic thinking: bar models are an even more explicit way to show our thinking about problems, one that helps us make sense of the numbers involved. Notice how the bars are drawn to scale in comparison to each other. This skill really requires students to understand the relative size of the numbers involved.

We’ll learn to use a different bar model for Parts-and-Totals, and for Comparison problems. Your Math Homework folder has a full explanation of the different kinds of bar models, to help if kids get stuck!

In science, students are learning to ask questions, use models, and observe changes as part of our study of erosion. Here are some pictures of us studying how canyons are formed:

The Floral Family Fun Fair needs YOU! Please consider signing up to lend a hand. Games Masters and Mistresses are especially needed: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e4fa9a82daaff2-20192Fall Festival was a big hit! The kids had a blast making crafts, hearing stories, and learning about our state history via the Salem witches. Thanks to Leann Rotolo for joining me in keeping the kids engaged and successful!

Detail and elaboration are what make good writing come to life! As part of our work with writing narratives, students went on a sensory walk outside the school. Then they learned to describe their experiences with carefully chosen words, which they used to create a description of setting–part 2 of our Narrative Writing Diamond. Here are some gems from: 1) Aadhya, 2) Anish, 3) Ishawn, and 4) Mason: 1) It was hard to miss the smell of coffee-smelling branches. 2) I was surprised to see round, emerald green plants! 3) I enjoyed the feel of fuzzy, soft branches. 4) Looking carefully, I noticed white foam on the water top. Awesome!

To complete our study of writing genres, students will be introduced this week to Opinion Writing. This genre is at the heart of most collegiate and professional writing as we know it, in which an author presents arguments backed up with evidence. To begin with, students will be taught the difference between fact and opinion; how to craft an introduction and opinion; how to use an outline to scaffold their writing; and how to write in complete sentences with correct punctuation and capitalization.

This Friday’s School Meeting offers all grades the opportunity to explore a common theme: perseverance. The book After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again), by Dan Santat, illustrates how failure can make us risk averse but if we keep the goal in sight we can reach it one step at a time. Here’s a real-aloud version you can enjoy at home:

The kids were treated to 2 amazing presentations by parents Claire McCoy and Kalpana Khanal this week as part of our Cultural Celebrations month! Through stories, art projects, and a Q & A created by the class, students learned about life in Ireland today and long ago and about the traditions of Dussehra and Diwali in Nepal and the US. Many thanks to these moms for bringing understanding and enriching our classroom community!

tdlucas5000 via Compfight

Fall Festival is coming! In the classroom this Thursday, 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. Kid-friendly info can be found at National Geographic: Day of the Dead. Thanks to the parents who volunteered to lead groups on that day!

Our reading focus this week is on summarizing a story, this time using the Beginning-Middle-End strategy. Students will be taught to pause and think after each of these parts, and to restate the important characters and events. The key here is to focus on what actions led to the problem and to solving the problem of the story. It makes a great check in after your child has finished reading homework! More info, including printables, can be found at Reading Rockets.

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:

And speaking of GregTangMath, I’m sending home today a math challenge from his website. It’s a completely optional set of activities that use his online games. If you complete it and send it back by 11/4/19, I’ll send your name to the company for a chance to win and autographed math picture book of Greg’s. More info can be found by clicking the picture below!

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!

In reading this week, students will be learning to ask and answer literal questions. Using the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, we read a chunk of informative text and write down 3 facts learned. Then, we turn the facts into Who-What-When-Where-How questions. This leads them to reflect on and better comprehend what has been read.

In writing, students are learning to create Entertaining Beginnings that grab the reader’s attention. Here are some beginnings to a haunted house shared narrative from 1) Aayra, 2) Hunter, and 3) Oliver  1. I tiptoed slowly up the steps, and walked to the door. 2. I creeped up the stairs and cautiously grabbed the handle. 3) I slowly creeped up the steps and carefully reached out to open the door. Super!At math time this week, students will be learning to regroup when subtracting–what we used to call “borrowing”–across the tens and ones (think 264-128). They will be working with base ten blocks, using base ten pictures, and finally using crossed-out numbers to model the process and show understanding.

As with addition, I have included a step by step picture guide in your child’s homework packet so you can help your child at home if they need it (see Chapter 3).

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!

As part of our cultural celebrations month, students were treated to a performance by the Crocodile River Band who played African music while students joined in!

 

Our Field Trip to Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) is upon us! We leave Thursday 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 that we can take home,  in activities led by OSV’s education staff. Try taking a virtual tour at home by using their map (https://www.osv.org/village-map) and Historical Buildings Guide .

Fall Festival: If you couldn’t join us on the field trip, consider coming for Fall Festival. In lieu of Halloween parties, our school engages kids with activities and crafts around fall and halloween. We need 2 more parent volunteers to help run crafts on Thursday, October 31, 9:30-11:00. Please let me know if you can help out!

Math Fact Practice: Xtramath is a free online program designed to improve kids’ fact fluency. It’s just one more way for kids to practice at home and at school. A flyer is being sent home today with your child’s information needed to log into hisorher account from home. I’ve found the program motivating for some students, and I’m sent weekly reports to watch their progress. Participation is completely optional. If you’ve already got a good routine for studying math facts, stick with it. If you’re looking for something different, give it a try!

Note: If your child has used Xtramath in the past, the program will automatically start them at the last level they completed once you enter your information!

Here’s a parent introduction from the website: 

In science this week, students created models and collected data on how rivers flow as part of our study of erosion. They were super excited and engaged! If you want to try it at home, all it takes is paper, tape, a washable marker, and a spray bottle!

 

Our Field Trip is coming! All permission slips are due by this Thursday. Our Chaperone quota is full–thanks to all those who offered!

Also, due to the short week, our math fact quiz will be on Thursday this week!

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.

Reading Homework 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, the students’ job is to read; fill in the reading log each night (sent home each Monday); and return the book(s) each day if any were borrowed from school. 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. Students are encouraged to read a variety of print, such as library books; books and magazines from home; and online text such as that found at RAZ and National Geographic for Kids.

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 Social Studies we’ll begin to learn the ins and outs of economics in advance of our field trip. We’ll look at goods (including “wants” vs “needs”) and services. The OSV Youtube channel 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?

Here’s us in action researching landforms as part of our science work on erosion: