I am looking forward to seeing you all at some point this week to discuss your child's progress and goals for your child. Remember, there is no school for the students on Friday.
Reading: Students are completing a few activities with a short story we have been reading called "Firefly and Ape." Students are especially focusing on using specific examples from the text to prove their thinking.
Language: Students will be typing and editing their "Do Not Carve Me" essays.
Math: We are continuing to focus on multiplication this week. Students are all working on activities that challenge what they already know about multiplication. It is crucial that your child be fluent with his/her facts, so please continue to help your child practice multiplication facts.
Science: Students are learning more about the ear and how we hear. There will be a test on the ear early next week. Students will be sharing their instruments on Tuesday.
Alabama History: We are looking at the first explorers that came here to Alabama. We will be starting by looking at the Spanish explorers.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
4th Grade Store
This morning, the students celebrated the end of the first nine weeks by going shopping at the 4th grade store! They had a wonderful time choosing treasures to purchase with the money they have earned so far this year.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Second Nine Weeks, Week 1
Reading: We will be reading a short text this week called "Firefly and Ape." Students will be reading it throughout the week independently and with partners to answer some in depth questions about the text.
Math: Our focus is on multiplication. Students will be learning more about patterns in multiplication, how to represent multiplication with arrays as well as factors and multiples. (Don't forget that students should continue to practice those multiplication facts!)
Language: The students will be writing a persuasive paper this week from the perspective of a pumpkin who does not want to be carved. (I hope this won't upset any upcoming plans! :) )
Alabama History: We are completing our study on the first people in Alabama and will soon be studying the explorers who came to this area and how they interacted with the Native Americans who were already living here.
Science: We have completed our study of sound and will be discussing how our ears hear later this week.
Math: Our focus is on multiplication. Students will be learning more about patterns in multiplication, how to represent multiplication with arrays as well as factors and multiples. (Don't forget that students should continue to practice those multiplication facts!)
Language: The students will be writing a persuasive paper this week from the perspective of a pumpkin who does not want to be carved. (I hope this won't upset any upcoming plans! :) )
Alabama History: We are completing our study on the first people in Alabama and will soon be studying the explorers who came to this area and how they interacted with the Native Americans who were already living here.
Science: We have completed our study of sound and will be discussing how our ears hear later this week.
Owl Prowl
It was so great to see so many of you at the Owl Prowl yesterday afternoon on such a beautiful afternoon! I was so very proud of everyone who participated. I loved seeing students try their best, have fun and support one another. Congratulations to all who completed the 1 mile fun run! And a special congratulations to Arthur and Jack Bailey who both placed in 4th grade!
Here are a few photos from yesterday:
Here are a few photos from yesterday:
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Signposts
For weeks now, your child has been learning about Signposts in the classroom and I decided it was time that I explained just what these are to you as well.
Two years ago, teachers participated in a book study on Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst. I thought the strategies outlined in this book made a great deal of sense and would help the students to improve their reading skills, so I have implemented these strategies in my own classroom.
By the time most children reach 4th grade, they know how to read. Thanks to former teachers and parents, I do not have the daunting task of teaching children how to sound out words or how to make meaning of sentences. My job, as a 4th grade teacher, is to teach them how to read for understanding and of course to deepen their love of reading.
Students are reading chapter books independently, and while I have read many of them, in no way have I read all of them, and so helping students to keep up with their reading can be challenging. As we read novels together, I often point out things that stand out to me or that I notice, but I want to make sure that students know just how to do this on their own. That is where Notice and Note comes into play.
Beers and Probst spent many years talking with teachers, researching in the classroom and reading the books most taught in schools. Based on their research, they found six signposts that are present in a lot of books and that help children to better understand the story. These signposts, much like the signposts we drivers have to pay attention to, are signs for readers to stop and pay attention. By looking out for these signposts, the children are able to spot clues from the author that will help them better understand the characters, make predictions about what will happen, and help them decipher the theme of the story.
The first one that we talked about is called Contrasts and Contradictions and it is one that you encounter not only as you are reading, but in your daily life as well. Imagine that your children always fight and argue with one another, but all of sudden they appear to be incredibly generous and kind to one another. I imagine your first thought is: "What are these two up to?" Same sort of thing when looking at this signpost. Let's say a character says or does something that contradicts what they normally do, you stop and ask, "Why is the character doing that?" By answering this question, you may be able to make a prediction or an inference about the character. For example: in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when Edmund first meets the queen of Narnia, she is harsh and even calls him an idiot, but upon learning that he is one of four siblings, she suddenly calls him "dear" and offers him food and warmth. Why? Well, of course she knew the prophecy about the four human children taking the throne of Narnia and she wanted to ensure that did not happen.
The second one that we discussed was Again and Again. How do you drop a hint for your children or spouse to do something? Do you often say it again and again? If you hear your child or spouse mention something again and again, do you start to think, "oh, this must be important!"? Well, it is the same with this signpost. When an author mentions something again and again, obviously there is a reason behind it, so you should stop and ask, "Why does this keep showing up again and again?" By answering this question you may be able to make a prediction about the theme or the plot. For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, at the beginning of the story, Harry and Hagrid made a trip to Gringotts, the wizard bank. Here, Hagrid took something from one of the safes. The safe number was mentioned over and over. Since we took note of that as we read, we soon realized that this safe had been broken into the next day and we made predictions about what might have been in that safe.
Aha Moments happen to us all of the time when we suddenly realize something. They happen to characters to. When a character realizes something, readers often ask, "How might this change things?" Perhaps the character has just solved a problem, which would help the reader to learn more about the conflict. Or perhaps the character just learned a shocking fact about another character which will help the reader to better understand the characters and often the plot. Or perhaps the character understood a life lesson and the reader now has insight into the theme of the story. In Crash by Jerry Spinelli, our main character of Crash has bullied a boy named Penn Webb for years. But when they are in middle school, Crash begins to realize that Penn is a great kid and should be treated with respect. In one moment before a deciding-factor race, he realizes that he could give Penn a great gift by allowing him the opportunity to win. In this aha moment, the story changes direction, the characters change and a great life lesson is learned.
Children ask lots of questions and while some of those are easy to answer, many of them are Tough Questions that may never really have an answer. When characters ask tough questions, sometimes aloud but often times to themselves, we can begin to understand the character better by putting ourselves into their shoes. When these difficult questions are posed, readers should ask: "What does this question make me wonder about?" to learn more about the conflict, to better understand the character and what will happen later in the story. Often, these questions are posed when a character is going through a difficult time (How will I ever get through his? Why did he die? Where am I going to live? Will I ever see them again?) or perhaps facing a difficult decision (What should I do? How can I choose between the two?). As a reader, put yourself in their shoes and begin to wonder with them.
I believe my favorite signpost is Words of the Wiser because it turned a seemingly difficult concept, theme, into one that seems easy to pinpoint. Children often struggle when trying to identify the theme of a story. But think back to some of your favorite books as a child.... Do you remember there being an older and wiser character? One that probably shared many life lessons with the main character? In Harry Potter there was Dumbledore, in Chronicles of Narnia there was Aslan, in Number the Stars there was Uncle Henrik, in Tuck Everlasting there was Mr. Tuck, in Charlotte's Web there was Charlotte and SO many more! Often times there is a scene where the wiser (and typically older) character has a quiet moment with the main character, sharing advice. This signpost reminds us to listen to that advice! By asking, "What is the life lesson and how might it affect the character?" a reader can probably pinpoint the theme of the story.
And the last one, a very easy one to spot, is Memory Moment. Often times authors interrupt the action of a story and tell you a memory. They are not doing this to fill pages, they must be doing this for a reason. Perhaps they are telling you more about a character, the conflict, the theme, or foreshadowing what will happen later in the story. Stop and ask, "Why might this memory moment be important?" How many times did your grandfather tell you the same story about himself as a child? Why do you think he did that? In thinking back, was it something really important that happened to him? Is it something that perhaps helps you to understand him? Sharing memories gives us an insight into people and helps us to better understand who they are.
I have already been pleased at how the children are spotting these signposts in their own books and in the books we read in the classroom. The signposts seem to be able to spark conversations and start good discussions about the books, which is a skill that is very hard to teach. We will continue to be on the lookout for signposts and discuss them as I do believe they will help the children to grow as independent readers.
Two years ago, teachers participated in a book study on Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst. I thought the strategies outlined in this book made a great deal of sense and would help the students to improve their reading skills, so I have implemented these strategies in my own classroom.
By the time most children reach 4th grade, they know how to read. Thanks to former teachers and parents, I do not have the daunting task of teaching children how to sound out words or how to make meaning of sentences. My job, as a 4th grade teacher, is to teach them how to read for understanding and of course to deepen their love of reading.
Students are reading chapter books independently, and while I have read many of them, in no way have I read all of them, and so helping students to keep up with their reading can be challenging. As we read novels together, I often point out things that stand out to me or that I notice, but I want to make sure that students know just how to do this on their own. That is where Notice and Note comes into play.
Beers and Probst spent many years talking with teachers, researching in the classroom and reading the books most taught in schools. Based on their research, they found six signposts that are present in a lot of books and that help children to better understand the story. These signposts, much like the signposts we drivers have to pay attention to, are signs for readers to stop and pay attention. By looking out for these signposts, the children are able to spot clues from the author that will help them better understand the characters, make predictions about what will happen, and help them decipher the theme of the story.
The first one that we talked about is called Contrasts and Contradictions and it is one that you encounter not only as you are reading, but in your daily life as well. Imagine that your children always fight and argue with one another, but all of sudden they appear to be incredibly generous and kind to one another. I imagine your first thought is: "What are these two up to?" Same sort of thing when looking at this signpost. Let's say a character says or does something that contradicts what they normally do, you stop and ask, "Why is the character doing that?" By answering this question, you may be able to make a prediction or an inference about the character. For example: in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when Edmund first meets the queen of Narnia, she is harsh and even calls him an idiot, but upon learning that he is one of four siblings, she suddenly calls him "dear" and offers him food and warmth. Why? Well, of course she knew the prophecy about the four human children taking the throne of Narnia and she wanted to ensure that did not happen.
The second one that we discussed was Again and Again. How do you drop a hint for your children or spouse to do something? Do you often say it again and again? If you hear your child or spouse mention something again and again, do you start to think, "oh, this must be important!"? Well, it is the same with this signpost. When an author mentions something again and again, obviously there is a reason behind it, so you should stop and ask, "Why does this keep showing up again and again?" By answering this question you may be able to make a prediction about the theme or the plot. For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, at the beginning of the story, Harry and Hagrid made a trip to Gringotts, the wizard bank. Here, Hagrid took something from one of the safes. The safe number was mentioned over and over. Since we took note of that as we read, we soon realized that this safe had been broken into the next day and we made predictions about what might have been in that safe.
Aha Moments happen to us all of the time when we suddenly realize something. They happen to characters to. When a character realizes something, readers often ask, "How might this change things?" Perhaps the character has just solved a problem, which would help the reader to learn more about the conflict. Or perhaps the character just learned a shocking fact about another character which will help the reader to better understand the characters and often the plot. Or perhaps the character understood a life lesson and the reader now has insight into the theme of the story. In Crash by Jerry Spinelli, our main character of Crash has bullied a boy named Penn Webb for years. But when they are in middle school, Crash begins to realize that Penn is a great kid and should be treated with respect. In one moment before a deciding-factor race, he realizes that he could give Penn a great gift by allowing him the opportunity to win. In this aha moment, the story changes direction, the characters change and a great life lesson is learned.
Children ask lots of questions and while some of those are easy to answer, many of them are Tough Questions that may never really have an answer. When characters ask tough questions, sometimes aloud but often times to themselves, we can begin to understand the character better by putting ourselves into their shoes. When these difficult questions are posed, readers should ask: "What does this question make me wonder about?" to learn more about the conflict, to better understand the character and what will happen later in the story. Often, these questions are posed when a character is going through a difficult time (How will I ever get through his? Why did he die? Where am I going to live? Will I ever see them again?) or perhaps facing a difficult decision (What should I do? How can I choose between the two?). As a reader, put yourself in their shoes and begin to wonder with them.
I believe my favorite signpost is Words of the Wiser because it turned a seemingly difficult concept, theme, into one that seems easy to pinpoint. Children often struggle when trying to identify the theme of a story. But think back to some of your favorite books as a child.... Do you remember there being an older and wiser character? One that probably shared many life lessons with the main character? In Harry Potter there was Dumbledore, in Chronicles of Narnia there was Aslan, in Number the Stars there was Uncle Henrik, in Tuck Everlasting there was Mr. Tuck, in Charlotte's Web there was Charlotte and SO many more! Often times there is a scene where the wiser (and typically older) character has a quiet moment with the main character, sharing advice. This signpost reminds us to listen to that advice! By asking, "What is the life lesson and how might it affect the character?" a reader can probably pinpoint the theme of the story.
And the last one, a very easy one to spot, is Memory Moment. Often times authors interrupt the action of a story and tell you a memory. They are not doing this to fill pages, they must be doing this for a reason. Perhaps they are telling you more about a character, the conflict, the theme, or foreshadowing what will happen later in the story. Stop and ask, "Why might this memory moment be important?" How many times did your grandfather tell you the same story about himself as a child? Why do you think he did that? In thinking back, was it something really important that happened to him? Is it something that perhaps helps you to understand him? Sharing memories gives us an insight into people and helps us to better understand who they are.
I have already been pleased at how the children are spotting these signposts in their own books and in the books we read in the classroom. The signposts seem to be able to spark conversations and start good discussions about the books, which is a skill that is very hard to teach. We will continue to be on the lookout for signposts and discuss them as I do believe they will help the children to grow as independent readers.
Monday, October 5, 2015
First Nine Weeks, Final Week
Reading: We will be learning about the 6th and final signpost this week. We will also be working on annotating and discussing the text, using the text to form opinions, and continuing to work on the main idea.
Math: We are beginning multiplication this week by examining patterns in the multiplication table and discussing what multiplication really is. The students took a timed multiplication test on Friday to show me how fluent they are with their facts. As I've told the students, those tests really didn't affect their grades, but the better they know the facts, the easier it will be when we start multiplying larger numbers. They should be able to complete the 100 question test in well under 10 minutes. If they are not there yet, keep practicing those facts!
Language: This week, students are continuing to work on complete sentences by avoiding fragments and run-ons. They will be doing some opinion writing as we begin looking at persuasive writing.
Alabama History: Students will be learning about the Woodland Indians, the Mississippian Indians and the more modern Alabama tribes of Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Cherokee.
Science: We will be examining if sound travels through different materials such as solids and liquids this week.
Math: We are beginning multiplication this week by examining patterns in the multiplication table and discussing what multiplication really is. The students took a timed multiplication test on Friday to show me how fluent they are with their facts. As I've told the students, those tests really didn't affect their grades, but the better they know the facts, the easier it will be when we start multiplying larger numbers. They should be able to complete the 100 question test in well under 10 minutes. If they are not there yet, keep practicing those facts!
Language: This week, students are continuing to work on complete sentences by avoiding fragments and run-ons. They will be doing some opinion writing as we begin looking at persuasive writing.
Alabama History: Students will be learning about the Woodland Indians, the Mississippian Indians and the more modern Alabama tribes of Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Cherokee.
Science: We will be examining if sound travels through different materials such as solids and liquids this week.
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