Homework will be posted weekly to my planbook website. Here is the link:
https://planbook.com/planbook.html?t=981245&k=4COXHW
The 4-H Presentations on the students' narrative essays will be NEXT Tuesday, October 13. By now, all students should have written three paragraphs and be working on editing and revising. Today, we talked about adding a "hook" at the beginning and adding a small amount of dialogue. Here is the checklist of all components of the essay: Narrative Essay:
First-person point of view (I, me, my)
about an event they will never forget
a "seed story"- one small event that happens in one part of a day, not a week-long trip
B-M-E
Beginning- characters and setting (somebody)
Middle- action, problem (wanted, but, so)
End- resolution, happy ending, how was the character different? (then)
adjectives- describe nouns
adverbs- describe verbs, adjectives, adverbs
sensory words- see, hear, touch, taste, smell
feelings, emotions
have a "hook" at the beginning
a little bit of dialogue
each paragraph should have 5-7 sentences
picture to go with the story- if you have one, you may email it to me or send it in. If you do not have one, I will help your child find an appropriate picture to use.
Students will be working with a partner to revise these essays tomorrow. It is imperative they bring the rough draft to class. You may also have them type the essay on Edmodo tonight and I will type editing/revising suggestions and print it out for them tomorrow to use in class. In addition, we will be working on activities using "hooks" and dialogue this week. You may see some activities come home to finish for homework. Don't forget Parent/Teacher Conferences are tomorrow from 3:30-6:00. I hope to see you then!
Fourth graders had their Math MAP Test today and will take their Reading MAP Test on Wednesday. This is to give us a starting point for the new year. In December, we will be looking to see how much growth (progress) your child has made during the first half of the year. In Language Arts this week, we are working on parts of speech. A great website to help your child practice identifying and using each part of speech is the following: http://www.brianpcleary.com/words/ We used it a little today and they loved it! We are also using the books associated with this website entitled Words are Categorical. Today we read all about nouns. Tomorrow, we will finish nouns and read about/work on pronouns. On Wednesday, we will read about adjectives. On Thursday, we will read about verbs. On Friday, we will read about adverbs. Students are also taking notes each day and completing one or more classroom activities on each part of speech. Homework will consist of finishing any classwork not completed in class, (Today there was none) and, if possible, using this website to practice using each part of speech. I gave a preassessment on nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The sheet is in the Keep At Home side of your child's folder. This will show you how your child did on sorting these parts of speech today. It was not for a grade. Also: in Art, students will be making reading mats. They will need to bring in as many old newspapers as you can get and some colorful duct tape. You can start sending these materials at any time. Thank you!
I gave out Missing Assignments sheets today. I was very pleased that there were a small number of missing grades! Missing work does need to be turned in tomorrow. If your child has a missing test, I plan on giving those tomorrow as well so please have him or her study and be prepared to take it. The Perfect Pet writing assignment can be accessed at home on Study Island, the Build-a-Story cannot. Students are working on those in Computer Lab and should have them finished by Wednesday. All students also have a packet to finish that they started on Friday and continued today on using Encyclopedias, a table of contents, and an encyclopedia index. They do not need any other resources to finish the packet, it is all there for them. We will be checking it in class tomorrow. Students received a green letter addressed to you from Dr. Sroufe. Please sign and return. Let us know if you have any questions. Throughout the week, we will be working on nonfiction text structures and following directions. Look for activity sheets to come home to be finished that we begin in class.
Again, Study Island and Quizlet are great study resources at home! I will add a nonfiction practice session on Study Island for your children to access. Students will be working on a new extra credit packet this week in reading remediation. Again, if they choose to finish it, following the testing strategy steps of highlighting key words in each question, highlighting evidence in the passage, and eliminating the two answers that make the least sense, they will earn extra credit. Fourth Grade Math Map Testing will be Friday, April 17 and Reading will be Monday, April 20. Make up Spring Picture Day is this Thursday, April 16, for students who were absent on the day pictures were taken. The Fifth Six Weeks STAR Activity will be next Friday and the students are very excited about it. Look for a permission slip to come home this week for "Breakin' the Rules Day"!
Parents of Fourth Graders:
In Language Arts this week, we are working on our review for the SOL test including following multi-step directions, parts of speech, guide words, and encyclopedias. Students will have any activity sheets for homework that they do not finish in class.
Students can log into Study Island: https://app.studyisland.com/cfw/login/ to work on Reading and Math practice questions. They can also study the terms on Quizlet. I will post the links below. We are making review flash cards in class for them to bring home to study, but if they can get on Quizlet they will be able to click on the pictures and zoom in to see them bigger, play review games, and take quizzes. It is also a great idea to go through their binders and look for relevant review materials for all three SOL tests.
Quizlet- join my class here: https://quizlet.com/join/AZzzcKCXm
Or go directly to the card sets:
Language Arts Terms: http://quizlet.com/50994328/language-arts-terms-flash-cards/
Book Genres: http://quizlet.com/77460599/book-genres-flash-cards/
Prefixes: http://quizlet.com/65728282/prefixes-flash-cards/
Suffixes: http://quizlet.com/65745894/suffixes-flash-cards/
Roots: http://quizlet.com/69313339/root-words-flash-cards/
Independent reading is also very important! Students need to increase their fluency; increase their stamina to be able to sit for a long period of time and stay focused on the test; and be exposed to lots of examples of different types of reading materials- cookbooks, comic books, realistic fiction novels, informational text, newspapers, magazines, fantasy, historical fiction, biographies, science fiction, poetry, etc. I can tell you that typically realistic fiction, historical fiction, biographies, and nonfiction informational texts are heavy hitters on the SOL tests. They may also see fliers, web pages, instruction sheets, and poetry.
The dates for the SOL Tests have been changed. The 4th Grade Reading SOL Test will be Tuesday, May 5; the 4th Grade Math SOL Test will be Tuesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 13; and the VA Studies SOL Test will be Wednesday, May 20.
We are stepping up remediation and review at school. Some students need to replenish school supplies for this process: highlighters, loose-leaf paper, pencils, erasers, and index cards would be greatly appreciated. We are dividing the students into groups to have small group practice and instruction. Each student will have a 40-minute Math Remediation on either Monday or Tuesday, Reading Remediation on either Wednesday or Thursday, and may have VA Studies Remediation on Friday (as needed). Then we are also using 8th period for remediation. To enable time for this, you will notice your child has a homework sheet stapled in his or her planner each afternoon. Please sign these slips and leave them in the planner. He or she will be working on earning a trip to the store over a two-week period for having these signed and returning them. In this way, we can ensure you will see the daily homework.
Below are the Reading SOLs and Essential Knowledge for you to look over. There is SO much that students need to be ready for even though only SOLs 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6 are tested. Here is a testing blueprint that breaks down the questions on the test:
47 questions total on the Reading SOL Test:
4.4a-c, e Word Study 7 questions
4.5 a-e, g-j Comprehension of Fiction 17 questions
4.6 a-h Comprehension of Nonfiction 16 questions
7 field test questions
4.4 The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
a) Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
b) Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones.
c) Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
e) Use vocabulary from other content areas.
• The intent of this standard is that students will continue to build vocabulary by applying their knowledge of word structure and context cl
Monday and Tuesday we have been finishing up the Reference Sources and Fact/Opinion test from last week as well as the "Perfect Pet" essay, both were on Study Island. No new spelling list this week, or for the next several weeks, as we spend our time reviewing and preparing for the SOL Test, which will be May 12. Please have your child spend the time he or she would have used for spelling, to study the Language Arts Terms on Quizlet and on Study Island. In class, we are trying to catch up on some reference skills activities and then tomorrow, we will begin reviewing fiction texts- genres, main idea & supporting details, story elements- and will be using the comics they received from Comic Book Man last week. Please remind your child to bring those to class. They will have activity sheets on main idea & supporting details, notes on book genres, and they will be writing their own comics. Mrs. Service is going to work with them next week on illustrating their comics, also. They are very excited about this project. They will have a test next week on fiction, then we will begin reviewing nonfiction texts other than reference materials.
Monday: the Connect Four assignment for the Synonyms & Antonyms Spelling words was due today. Some students did not turn it in. Today we also talked about finding "sneak times". These would be times they could sneak in some reading, even if it was only a couple of pages. Students received information on the beauty pageant, softball, Spring Pictures, and the Scentsy Fundraiser today. Every student who sells 10 will participate in an ice cream sundae party!!!
Tuesday: we will have a visit from Comic Book Man today! Sammie Cassell will be talking to students about his love of comics, the artwork, the tradition, and the evolution in an effort to inspire children to read. Then, they will get to write and illustrate their own comic pages. They will also work on completing a reference source scavenger hunt in class. Wednesday: today is the last 4-H day. Mrs, Hughes will be visiting the classes to talk about the solar system. They will also be reviewing reference sources and, if iPads are available, work on Study Island practice exercises on Fact & Opinion and Reference Sources. These are practice exercises they can log into from home to work on as well. They also have their fact and opinion writing assignment, "The Perfect Pet" on Study Island to finish. They will have several review sheets we have gone over in class to use to study for the test as well as Quizlet cards. Thursday: test today on Fact & Opinion and Reference Sources. Spring Pictures will be taken today. Friday: Jamestown Trip!!! I sent a gold sheet home last week that gives lots of information about the trip. Please let me know if you have further questions.
This Week's Focus- Reference Sources Monday: I gave students a new Focus Wall. It is green and is titled, Synonyms and Antonyms. Print and Cursive are due Wednesday and Connect Four is due on Monday, March 16. That will also be the day of the test. Students have been working on a writing assignment called "The Perfect Pet". This is an opinion paragraph that should have at least seven sentences: an introduction sentence giving the student's opinion, five sentences containing facts about the pet they chose showing why that pet would be a good choice, and a conclusion sentence restating the student's opinion. They may work on this at home, looking up facts about the pet, filling in the graphic organizer they began in class, writing a rough draft, and typing the final copy on Study Island in the assignment listed in their homeroom class. Tuesday: Students learned a new procedure for ABC order to determine if an entry word would be found on a page for a certain set of guide words. Some need to finish the short assignment to show they understand this procedure. They had the guide words seal and stare and they had to use the procedure to determine which of these words would be found on a dictionary page containing these guide words: suddenly, scanty, steady, succeed, and special. Here is a video I made that shows the procedure. It does not have sound, unfortunately. I have also posted it on Edmodo for students to access. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKW067VJnWE Students enjoyed the NED assembly today. Be sure to ask your child what NED stands for! Oh, and they will also probably want to purchase a Yo-Yo. I made a suggestion to some this afternoon to try to earn money for the Yo-Yo. They will be on sale during breakfast in the cafeteria through Tuesday. Wednesday: I will collect print & cursive and the guide words grid paper activity. Students will be working on activity sheets on various reference sources. The first page of the packet is a practice sheet for the guide words grid paper strategy. They may have a portion of this packet to finish for homework. Thursday: I will be at the Virginia State Reading Conference today and tomorrow. While I am away, students will work on dictionary skills today. The STAR Activity bowling trip will be 8:45-11:00 for the fourth & fifth graders. They will have lunch about ten minutes late due to the trip. Then they will have one period of each of their classes in the afternoon (Language Arts, Science/Social Studies, and Math). They may have a portion of the dictionary skills packet to complete for homework. Report Cards will come home today, also. Friday: Students will be working on encyclopedia skills today. They may have a portion of this packet to complete at home for homework. Also, the spelling test will be Monday and the Connect Four assignment is due that day as well.There will be an awards assembly today in the gym at 2:15. On Study Island, I have created a practice assignment for Fact & Opinion and one for Reference Materials. These would be great for your child to work on at home. They will also have the opportunity to work on these practice exercises during 8th period remediation. Next week, I will give a test on these two areas. I am attaching a list of information about our trip next Friday. I will also send a hard copy home with your child, along with an official permission slip. On the permission slip, please be sure to put at least two contact phone numbers in case of emergency and so you can be notified when your child will arrive at HRMS on Friday night. I had students write in their planners yesterday the amount they still need to pay towards their trip. Please send this in as soon as possible. I had told them they would need to bring additional money for dinner, however, a few additional students have paid a deposit to attend the trip. Yay! So, as it stands, your child will have $8 for dinner that evening. Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.
Welcome Back! Unfortunately, I will be out on Monday and Tuesday with the Jr. Beta kiddos at the state convention. I will be back on Wednesday. The six weeks will now end on March 1. Everything that has been turned in to me by students has been entered in the grade book, with the exception of Plaster's homeroom. I missed one group of papers from them when I took everything home last Friday. I will get those updated when I return. Please don't forget to send in your next payment for the Jamestown trip if you are using the payment option. Homework for this week: Print & cursive is due Tuesday, February 24 (Focus Wall attached- their copies were golden yellow) Connect Four is due Thursday, February 26 Spelling Test on Homophones List 2 will be Friday, February 27 Students will be working on a couple of writing assignments in class this week on fact and opinion. I have set up a practice assignment on Fact & Opinion in Study Island that would be great for them to work on at home.
Students received a new Focus Wall on Friday (pink sheet) with a list of Homophones. The print & cursive assignment is due tomorrow. The Connect Four assignment is due Thursday, which will also be the day of the test. In looking at some of the print & cursive students had ready to turn in today, there are a few words giving them trouble. The top three sets were witch and which, weather and whether, principal and principle. I gave back the papers when I saw mistakes and asked the students to review since they were not due until tomorrow. I just wanted to make you aware of these challenges so you can spend extra time studying those sets. On the test Thursday I will call out the meaning of the homophone and the students will have to write the correct spelling so be sure to also go over the meanings listed on the Focus Wall. In class today, we went over the difference between homonyms (same sound and spelling- different meanings) and homophones (same sound but different spelling and meanings). Then they looked at Amelia Bedelia book excerpts to find places where she misunderstood a homophone, homonym, or figurative language or expression. You can check these excerpts out athttp://www.ameliabedeliabooks.com/books/amelia-bedelia-chapter-books. The kids thought they were hilarious! Even some of my more reserved students were laughing as they did this activity. Tomorrow we will finish those up and the student groups will write their own stories about Amelia Bedelia! Another activity I feel they will enjoy this week is a little friendly competition between homerooms to come up with a class list of homophones. On Friday, students will have a homophones and homonyms test. One way to help them prepare for the competition and the test is by helping them look for either type of words and review those definitions. The first payment for Jamestown was due Friday. If you are planning for your child to attend and you have not sent a payment, please let us know and send a deposit in ASAP. Thanks! Also, for the girls...send the money and permission slip for the Father/Daughter Dance by Wednesday.
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