Hello to all of our 4H families! We had a full 5 day week back at school, and we were able to accomplish a lot in Room 117. Our students hung in there during two trips to the computer lab to complete their second of the three MAPS testing sessions for the year in Reading and Math. The new data will tell us details about progress in their learning goals, according to this one measure. Another day, I was also able to meet with a number of our students to administer a Rigby reading record, which tells me updated info on their reading level.
In addition, back inside our classroom, we are working hard to become proficient at multiplying two and three digit numbers. After presenting partial-products and lattice methods as alternative ways to multiply larger numbers, we are concentrating on the traditional method from here on out. The curriculum in future years does not require students to use these alternative methods, and if it works best for some, those methods are always available. We find out that the traditional method, in most cases, is the simplest and quickest way to come to our correct answers. This news should come as a relief to parents who want to help their child practice multi-digit problems! We have three remaining lessons in Unit 5, so by the end of the coming week, we should be in "review" mode, and please stay tuned for the exact date of our next Unit Test. Also, you should have found an envelope Friday in your 4th grade math student's Take Home Folder, which reports the current level of progress your child has made in mastering his/her basic facts. Some of our kids really do need to make some extra practice a regular part of their homework routine if they expect to make satisfactory progress!
Our literacy classes have been very satisfying and exciting for me as a teacher. This past week, I witnessed again the power of brainstorming and collective thinking and group discussion. Our very own students have come up with numerous inspired ideas together, and we are so proud of the lists we have created together. These lists are now written into our brand new Fiction Writing Notebooks, and will help us with ideas for coming up with creative story themes and deeper character development within those stories. This has been really fun. We are learning to create believable characters with personalities that match the story theme and setting, and this coming week we will use that information to realistically create the problem, conflict, or challenge facing each of our characters. What a wonderful and solid way this is proving to be in building our story writing skills.
The new spelling list given early this past week should be 'living' in each student's student's take home folder, and these words should be reviewed each day. The final test for this list of 20 (plus a bonus!) will be coming up later in the next week. Some students are not taking the time and effort they require to master these useful words. The words for each of our spelling lists come directly from the writing that our own students do - I take notes on frequently used words written by our fourth graders that I notice get misspelled, and it is these words that end up on our lists.
We will take some of our literacy time this week to dip into the art of writing Haiku poetry. Every year at this time, most of the 4th graders in all of Dane County have the oppportunity to submit their original Haiku in a contest. So we will all give it our best try! It is amazing to see what beautiful thoughts and descriptions our students can create, and some really get into it, creating several pages of them. Try it yourselves, parents! Haiku are comprised of three lines: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables, and usually describe topics in nature and/or relationships. Watch for some drafts to come home, and maybe you can all sit together to create some one evening!
I end this update with a request. We are trying very hard during this month in particular, to keep our room clean and as a germ-free as possible. We have run out of disinfecting wipes, and they are so handy to run over desks tops and other well used surfaces in the classroom. When you are out shopping next, would you keep Room 117 in mind and pick up a container for your student to deliver to school? Thank you so much!! May you all continue this winter to stay healthy and warm. Till next note, Melanie Hannam
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