Reading
I have begun the individual Fountas and Pinnell reading tests with the students. This will give us an excellent picture of the progress they have made in Reading Level, Word Attack, Fluency, and Comprehension.
This week we will study the genre of Biography. Each student will read a biography and do some activities related to the book they read. I have biographies on many different reading levels. It would be wonderful if they also read some biographies from your family library or the public library at home this week.
Next week we will be moving on to Autobiographies. Each student will be writing a book of memories called "When I Was Young..." I am sending home a planning page for this writing assignment. Please help your child complete it and return it by Friday the 28th.
Math
We are completing our unit on measurement which includes perimeter and capacity.
We will be reviewing for the CRT testing. Some review will be oral, some will be on worksheets and some will be in game format. I really try to make this fun as we remember and use all the mathematics we have learned this year.
Spelling
This week we are working on comparisons using words with -er and -est such as bigger, biggest, happier, happiest, nicer, nicest Remember the spelling rules which are: Add -er or -est to show how one thing compares with another. Double the consonant and add -er or -est to words ending in a short vowel and one consonant. Change the y to i and add -er or -est to words that end in y. Add -r or -st to words that end in silent e to make the -er or -est ending.
The test will be on Thursday.
Vocabulary
We will be reading a book titled "Montezuma's Revenge". I forgot to bring home the list of vocabulary words so I will add them tomorrow.
Schedule
You may want to keep track of the following dates:
Tuesday May 25th Jumpathon must have $5.00 donation to go to the jumpathon
Monday May 31st Memorial Day - no school
Thursday June 10th Red Butte Garden Field Trip and PTA Carnival
Tuesday June 15th Bike Rodeo, must have a helmut to participate I need 2 volunteers to help, please (look for note)
Thursday June 17th Class Talent Show (look for note)
Thursday June 24th Class Pet Show 8:30 am on the blacktop parent must bring the pet and take it home right after the show. (look for note)
Friday June 25th 2nd Grade Mini-Musical "Stone Soup" 9:15 in gym parents etc. invited (look for notes)
Tuesday June 29th 2nd Grade Spelling Bee
Please return any Field Trip Notes ASAP
The keyword is "Biography"
I need to have a token store this week probably Thursday or Friday. I will need 1-2 parent volunteers to help. I would ask that if any of you parents are able I would appreciate any donations of toys, treats etc. for the token store. Send by Wednesday please.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Back on Track, Ready to Run to the Finish Line
I hope you all had a nice off track time. We only have 8 weeks or 39 days left to enjoy our class camaraderie. We have a lot to learn yet and we will be reviewing to solidify many concepts we have already learned.
Spelling
This week and next week we will be immersed in contraction action. We will be learning about forming contractions with not, are and have this week. We will also be learning about contractions with is, will, am, would, had and has. Please reinforce with your child that the apostrophe shows where letters were left out as the contraction was formed.
Vocabulary
We will read a book called "Chato's Kitchen". It has some Spanish words in the story which forces the children to try to understand the words through context in the story. This is a good skill to learn for when they come upon any word they don't know in their reading. This week's vocabulary words are: vibrated, reassured, dumbfounded, cowered, suppressed, and dismayed.
If you can use any of these words in conversation with your child they can listen for them and mark on the vocabulary chart that they heard the word used.
Math
The students did very well on the fractions test on the section dealing with fractions of a geometric shape. Several students are still struggling with the concept of fractions of a set. We will be reviewing and reteaching this information. An example of this topic is: If I had six cupcakes and I ate 1/3 of them how many cupcakes did I eat? The first task is to make 3 equal groups out of the six cupcakes. If I made 3 equal groups each group would have 2 cupcakes. 2+2+2=6. If I ate one of the three equal groups then I would have eaten 2 cupcakes. 1/3 of 6 is 2.
We will also be working on measurement with standard and nonstandard measuring tools and I will give the students a broken ruler and see if they can use it to measure correctly. We will also learn about capacity. This deals with cups, pints, quarts, half-gallons, gallons etc. and their relationship to each other.
We are beginning our reviewing of math concepts for the CRT Testing. This testing will take place on June 7-9. Please make sure your child will be in school on those dates.
Reading
We will begin a study of literary genres. This week we will learn about Historical Fiction. Some of the children will just be involved in discussions and my reading to them. Other children have been reading a book about the San Francisco Earthquake. They will do some work related to this book and this genre.
Heads up - Next week we will be working with Biographies and learn about Autobiographies. The students will be having a writing assignment that if done well could be a treasure for them for the rest of their lives. I will be sending a paper home about this assignment soon. You will just have to help your child list 6 of their favorite childhood memories. They will use these memories to make their own book. This project is like a capstone project and I expect them to do their very best work.
Soon I will begin the Fountas and Pinnell reading tests which help me more specifically determine your child's true reading level. Your children have been making great progress in their reading skills this year.
Science
We will be continuing our work with Life Cycles for several weeks. We are primarily studying the life cycles of: butterflies, frogs, plants and chicks. We will be watching the development of butterflies in a few weeks and we will also take a field trip to Red Butte Garden on June 10th. We are looking forward to that fun time.
I will be going to my son's graduation from Law School so I will be gone from school Thursday - Monday, May 13th, 14th and 17th. Mrs. Emily Crane from third grade, an off track teacher will be their substitute.]
We will also be having two assemblies this week. One is the kick off assembly for the American Heart Association Jumpathon. The other assembly will be a concert by the Bingham Jazz Band.
This weeks keyword is "Historical Fiction". Please write it on your child's tracking sheet and they will be rewarded for your diligence in reading the blog.
Thanks for all you are doing to help your child succeed in school.
Spelling
This week and next week we will be immersed in contraction action. We will be learning about forming contractions with not, are and have this week. We will also be learning about contractions with is, will, am, would, had and has. Please reinforce with your child that the apostrophe shows where letters were left out as the contraction was formed.
Vocabulary
We will read a book called "Chato's Kitchen". It has some Spanish words in the story which forces the children to try to understand the words through context in the story. This is a good skill to learn for when they come upon any word they don't know in their reading. This week's vocabulary words are: vibrated, reassured, dumbfounded, cowered, suppressed, and dismayed.
If you can use any of these words in conversation with your child they can listen for them and mark on the vocabulary chart that they heard the word used.
Math
The students did very well on the fractions test on the section dealing with fractions of a geometric shape. Several students are still struggling with the concept of fractions of a set. We will be reviewing and reteaching this information. An example of this topic is: If I had six cupcakes and I ate 1/3 of them how many cupcakes did I eat? The first task is to make 3 equal groups out of the six cupcakes. If I made 3 equal groups each group would have 2 cupcakes. 2+2+2=6. If I ate one of the three equal groups then I would have eaten 2 cupcakes. 1/3 of 6 is 2.
We will also be working on measurement with standard and nonstandard measuring tools and I will give the students a broken ruler and see if they can use it to measure correctly. We will also learn about capacity. This deals with cups, pints, quarts, half-gallons, gallons etc. and their relationship to each other.
We are beginning our reviewing of math concepts for the CRT Testing. This testing will take place on June 7-9. Please make sure your child will be in school on those dates.
Reading
We will begin a study of literary genres. This week we will learn about Historical Fiction. Some of the children will just be involved in discussions and my reading to them. Other children have been reading a book about the San Francisco Earthquake. They will do some work related to this book and this genre.
Heads up - Next week we will be working with Biographies and learn about Autobiographies. The students will be having a writing assignment that if done well could be a treasure for them for the rest of their lives. I will be sending a paper home about this assignment soon. You will just have to help your child list 6 of their favorite childhood memories. They will use these memories to make their own book. This project is like a capstone project and I expect them to do their very best work.
Soon I will begin the Fountas and Pinnell reading tests which help me more specifically determine your child's true reading level. Your children have been making great progress in their reading skills this year.
Science
We will be continuing our work with Life Cycles for several weeks. We are primarily studying the life cycles of: butterflies, frogs, plants and chicks. We will be watching the development of butterflies in a few weeks and we will also take a field trip to Red Butte Garden on June 10th. We are looking forward to that fun time.
I will be going to my son's graduation from Law School so I will be gone from school Thursday - Monday, May 13th, 14th and 17th. Mrs. Emily Crane from third grade, an off track teacher will be their substitute.]
We will also be having two assemblies this week. One is the kick off assembly for the American Heart Association Jumpathon. The other assembly will be a concert by the Bingham Jazz Band.
This weeks keyword is "Historical Fiction". Please write it on your child's tracking sheet and they will be rewarded for your diligence in reading the blog.
Thanks for all you are doing to help your child succeed in school.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)