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

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!

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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: