Greetings Parents,
We are entering the final third of the quarter. These next
few weeks will be important weeks for our students in terms of assessing where
they are academically. I would encourage you to make sure that your child is
finishing his or her homework assignments every night. Though this is important
for every subject, it is especially important for math. If students fail to
practice what they learn in class, it will be very difficult for them to retain
and refine these skills. That will lead to poor assessments, and, even worse,
great difficulty moving forward as we build on that foundation. Your efforts
are vital to the advancement and achievement of your child. Thank you for all
that you do.
Here are the lessons for the week.
Language Arts
Poem and Idiom
“By Myself,” by Eloise Greenfield
“Don’t cry over spilled milk.”
Spalding
The students have started the process of mastering cursive.
Please remember that it is a process. Handwriting is very important, but Rome
was not built in a day. There are assignments for Spalding each night. The
exercises should be done in the student’s best cursive. Little by little, the
students will arrive. It is also recommended that you dictate the words to your
students for spelling, as the words are beginning to increase in difficulty. As
your child writes the words, they should say the sounds they are writing and
then add the makings. They will be quizzed on Friday over the week’s spelling
words.
Literature
We are ramping up our reading and discussion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We
will be looking at chapters ten through thirteen. Students will also be tested
over chapters six through ten on Friday. Please be sure that they are
completing the study guide each night. The whole packet is due on Friday.
Writing and Grammar
The class has discussed nouns, verbs, pronouns, articles,
and adjectives. We have also learned how to diagram simple sentences that
contain these. This week we will be learning about adverbs.
Reading Log and
Phonogram Review
These items are not something that you will always see on
your child’s planner. However, it is their responsibility to ensure that they
are meeting the expectation for each. Students are expected to read for at
least twenty minutes a night. That might include classroom assigned readings,
such as the poem or another assignment, or selections made by you. This is very
important. Regularly reading good pieces of literature a vital part of
developing strong reading habits, spelling skills, and good writing.
Students should also be regularly studying their phonograms.
This is different for each student, but the expectation is that the students
have all of the phonograms memorized. For some students, they might need to
study the more challenging phonograms each night for five minutes. Others
students might need to look over them once a week to stay familiarized. It is
up to you to determine what your child needs. I will be sending the phonogram
reviews home each week so you know how your child is doing.
Singapore Math
Our studies in Singapore Math have been focused on addition
and subtraction where regrouping is necessary. This week we are continuing this
content, but in the context of word problems. This has been the most
significant challenge for our students this year. When the algorithm is given
they typically do well. I would encourage you to help your child with the
homework this week, but be careful not to simply give him or her the correct
operation. Use guiding questions to lead them to the right operation. If you
are uncertain, have your child address that problem with me the next morning.
History
A part of the Core Knowledge sequence is giving students an
appreciation and awareness of other nations and cultures. In third grade, and
beginning this week, students will learn about our neighbor to the north,
Canada.
Science
We will conclude our study of animal classification this
week. On Tuesday we will have a quiz over reptiles and birds and have our study
on mammals. The rest of the week will be spent reviewing animals classification
to ensure students have appropriately learned the material and in preparation
for the exam next Tuesday.