We are mathematicians.

Sammy and Sean play Name that Number

This week in math, we end unit three. In this unit, students have learned about factors, multiples and fact families, reviewed measurement and have practiced completing What's My Rule? tables. Of course, these skills have been taught before, but as we spiral through the program, they become more challenging. Students have also encountered the beginnings of algebra, identifying true and false number sentences, focusing on using parenthesis to change the meaning of number sentences and solving number sentences that include variables. We also focused on strategies to solve multi-step problems (what we would have called story problems when we were in school!). Students have enjoyed playing many games to help support the skills in the unit. Particularly enjoyable have been Multiplication Baseball, Name that Number and High Number Toss.  For students who enjoy pushing themselves, all games have more challenging versions that students may opt to play.

As we have moved through the unit, we have also been focusing on quick retrieval of multiplication facts. Multiplication facts continue to be pieces of information students need to know quickly and accurately in order to expand their foundation of knowledge in math. Within this unit, students began taking quick timed tests to help them judge their accurate retrieval of multiplication facts. Be assured that the days of timed tests with results compared amongst students are gone. These assessments are instead designed to help students focus on their own progress as they graph their accuracy over time. So far, students have taken just two of these timed tests; another will happen this week. Students are able to see what they are able to complete in a one-minute as well as a three-minute time period. While the first experience with the facts assessment can be a bit stressful, students quickly become focused on how their recall and accuracy change over time rather than on how they compare to their peers.

Samuel, Ryan and Joshua play High Number Toss

This week, we will begin a teaching new model in math two days per week. On Mondays and Wednesdays, students will work in groups and cycle through various activities and teaching so that I may better differentiate instruction. Students who happen to be struggling with a particular skill will receive more guidance, while those who need to be challenged in a particular area will be pushed. As with any new set of routines, this will take some time to learn, but hopefully soon we will be running through this cycle smoothly.

In fourth grade, students receive homework based on what was taught in class that day. With math lessons nearly every day, students will almost always have a study link to complete each night.  Of course, there is an expectation that students are reading at home each night for a minimum of 40 minutes and completing their reading logs. We hope that time spent reading each night is focused and on task, else it serves little purpose. In time and on occasion, students may be asked to reflect on their home reading with a writing task. In addition to math and reading, students may also have some combination of social studies, vocabulary and spelling work, depending on what was taught that day.

From 8:05 until 8:30 nearly every morning, students check their study links and complete a math box activity. During this time, every student checks in with me, reviewing with me their math box work; at this time, if they have questions about homework, students are expected to ask. Periodically and randomly, I ask students to bring their study links with their math boxes for my review. Other work in vocabulary, spelling and social studies is collected and reviewed, but not daily. Problems encountered in those subject areas are addressed during instructional times throughout the day.

Ultimately, with regard to math, students' math boxes are a far better indicator to me of problems than are study links. Because students have the answers for the study links at home, and because some of them complete their work with parental guidance (which is perfectly acceptable if you choose to do it), the study links do not reliably indicate students' challenges to me. For this reason, it is far more valuable for me to spend time reviewing math boxes, which I will continue to on a daily basis. My periodic checks of study links look for evidence of correcting mistakes they have made and then found when using the answer key. Simply changing the wrong answer to the correct one is insufficient. On days when I do not ask to see the study links, students are expected to come to me with problems they may have encountered on their study links.

This week, student will engage in a brief spelling unit on the silent e generalization. On Monday students took a pre-test; any words that students do not know how to spell will become a part of their spelling pool for this unit. Students are also expected to learn the generalization. Next week, students will take an assessment on the words they have been studying. Students will also need to record the generalization on the test as well. Finally, all students will be given three new words; in order to correctly spell these new words, students must know and apply the generalization.

This weekend, students completed the first unit in their Vocabulary from Classical Roots books. We are very excited to be using this book as a part of our vocabulary instruction as it emphasizes root words that, when learned, will help students understand words beyond those that they study as part of each lesson. Once students have completed the first three units--learning six roots--they will choose six focus words from a list that includes eighteen words they have seen in the book as well as new words. Students will engage in activities to better learn their six focus words but will not be responsible for the entire list (as they were for Edward Tulane).

These eighteen words will also become students' spelling words, which will be studied as they engage in work surrounding their focus words and only after our current mini-unit in spelling. At the beginning of the process, students will also take a pretest on all eighteen words. Students will then only be responsible for learning to spell the words that they did not already know how to spell. To culminate, students will take their vocabulary and spelling assessments on the same day. The entire cycle--from the Roots book to the assessments, should take about three weeks.

Picture retake day is next Tuesday. If you sent an order in for the first round, the office held onto those and we will redistribute them on Tuesday. I imagine that the photos already taken will be distributed this week, so that if you are dissatisfied with the picture, you may also have it retaken on Tuesday.

Important Upcoming Dates:
October 14: no school
October 17: our class presents at Town Meeting
October 18: picture retake day
October 25: author celebration (8:30 a.m.)
October 28: Fall Festival--10:00 a.m. dismissal