Classroom Summary for November 13 - 17

Here's what we did this week...

In math we have been working on regrouping with addition using multiple double digit addends. It is amazing that just a few short months ago we were reviewing basic math facts like this:

    6

+4

10

 and now we're applying those math facts to problems that look like this:

2

   35

  20

  19

+17

  91

We learned to regroup ones every time we could make a ten. Our process was this: we began by using cubes and ten rods to physically regroup numbers and then we moved on to draw models of our regrouping on paper (using sticks and circles). Both moving the cubes and rods and drawing on paper helped us visualize how we were "regrouping" ten ones to make one ten. 

We then progressed to regrouping using partial sums (adding all the ones together and then adding all the tens together; putting both partial sums together to get the final sum) and ended with learning the algorithm of regrouping the ten by notation over the top of the tens place.

Along the way we also had to learn how to add numbers in a column which was where our math facts came in handy! We knew we could add our addends in any order so we looked for addends that made a ten or were doubles or near doubles! We will continue our practice of regrouping in addition over the course of the year. We will begin our subtraction unit in the upcoming weeks.

In Miss Varrell's Fundations class we have been working with closed and closed exception syllable types and ending word parts called suffixes. A syllable is a chunk of a word that has a vowel sound. Some vowel sounds are short and some are long. Some are "closed in" by a consonant and some are not. We are learning about the different syllable types so that when we read new words in sentences, paragraphs and texts, we can figure out how to say each "chunk", or syllable, of the word by applying our phonics skills. We will also be learning about the following vowel and consonant suffixes over the next couple of weeks: -s, -es, -ing, -ed, -y, -ly, -ty, -ful, -en, -ish, -ment, -able -ness, -less, -er, -est. 

In Miss Varrell's reading class we have been using a comprehension strategy called "sticky notes" to help us think about what we read AS we read it. We know that sometimes when we read a book cover to cover we don't always remember or think about what is happening in the story all the way through. Comprehension, or understanding what we read, is about having a deeper knowledge of reading than just knowing what happened "at the end." We will continue to work on our comprehension strategies throughout the year.

In Writing Workshop we have been working on writing more complete, detailed sentences. We used a strategy called the "Five W's and How" to pre-write some ideas for a sentence before writing our sentences. Here are some examples (apologies for the sideways photos!):

We have also been working on our personal narratives and revising them for "juicier" words and more detailed sentences.  During Writing Workshop we sometimes write quickly to "finish" a story and announce, "I'm done!" But Miss Varrell has a saying that she uses to encourage students to go back and revise their work when they finish before writing time is over: When I'm done, I've just begun! In other words, a good writer never actually finishes writing. He or she might be writing a first draft, or revising a draft, or editing for spelling and punctuation or illustrating or thinking of a title, or reading for research for their next story....

In science we completed our Matter and Materials unit a couple of weeks ago. We ended the unit when Mr. Musselman from the Burlington Science Center sent us some "mystery matter" and told us that he knew we were studying matter and materials and wondered if we, as matter scientists, could figure out what this mystery matter was that he found in the closet at the Science Center. Here was his question: Is this mystery matter a liquid or a solid? We used all our knowledge about liquids and solids that we had developed over the past two months to really think about that question. Below is a short video of our experimentation with the mystery matter and some of the conversation we had about it. 

Parent F.Y.I.

• Reading Corps slip #3 is due Tuesday, November 28. 
• Please keep working on math facts at home whether it is using STMath (the blue icon), Xtramath.org, flashcards or homemade practice fun with games and discussions with the family.
• Progress Reports for the first term go home Thursday, November 28. Inside the report card folder will also be documentation of your child's September i-Ready reading assessment. Please note that this document is a "universal screener" used to inform administrators and to  provide a part of a "bigger picture" to guide successful reading instruction.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences are Thursday, November 30. A reminder of your assigned time will be sent home in your child's report card folder on Tuesday.
• Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!