MAP Testing Begins April 22nd
April 21, 2014
Hello Tiger Team families. We are ready to begin one of the most anticipated weeks in the lives of our 3rd graders, MAP testing. Students even invented a new word to describe their feelings today...NERCITED (one part nervous and one part excited) We have prepared for this test all year long, and while we know students may feel apprehensive, we hope that feeling is overcome by confidence in themselves. They are ready and we see the fire within them. We have gone to great lengths to alleviate any kind of homework for your child over the next few weeks, but what we are assigning is a bit of "homework" for you. Here's what you can do to help support your child this week and next...
1. Send your son or daughter off each morning with reassuring words and a hug. At this point they just need to know how proud we are of them and that their BEST is all we expect. We may feel that we do this already, but it never hurts to say it one more time, especially now.
2. Make sure your child eats a nutritious breakfast each morning and is fully hydrated. An empty belly is a tough way to go through a test. A snack will be provided each day, but sending your child to school with a belly full of power food will sustain them until snack time comes.
3. PLEASE be sure you child is getting plenty of rest each night. Your child will benefit from the extra sleep. We need our students to be well-rested so that they can focus on the task ahead of them.
4. PLEASE have your child at school on time each day of testing. We begin promptly at 9:00 after a restroom break and gathering necessary testing materials. If students arrive after testing has started, they will not be allowed to enter their classroom until after testing has finished. Furthermore, we will need to schedule a separate day to re-test. The best environment possible for your child is testing with the entire group in their normal environment.
We are looking forward to seeing our students at their best and we thank you for all you are doing to help your child.
1. Send your son or daughter off each morning with reassuring words and a hug. At this point they just need to know how proud we are of them and that their BEST is all we expect. We may feel that we do this already, but it never hurts to say it one more time, especially now.
2. Make sure your child eats a nutritious breakfast each morning and is fully hydrated. An empty belly is a tough way to go through a test. A snack will be provided each day, but sending your child to school with a belly full of power food will sustain them until snack time comes.
3. PLEASE be sure you child is getting plenty of rest each night. Your child will benefit from the extra sleep. We need our students to be well-rested so that they can focus on the task ahead of them.
4. PLEASE have your child at school on time each day of testing. We begin promptly at 9:00 after a restroom break and gathering necessary testing materials. If students arrive after testing has started, they will not be allowed to enter their classroom until after testing has finished. Furthermore, we will need to schedule a separate day to re-test. The best environment possible for your child is testing with the entire group in their normal environment.
We are looking forward to seeing our students at their best and we thank you for all you are doing to help your child.
February Updates
February 17, 2014
Hello Tiger Team Families! I thought I'd give a quick update on what is going on in our classroom.
Math-In math we are studying fractions. However, these are not your typical 3rd grade fractions. Since Common Core was fully implemented this year we are adjusting our standards to fit the new expectations. This means that some math standards are being pushed down from as high as 5th grade. We are working on adding, subtracting, and comparing comparing fractions. Students will be asked to determine the value of a fraction in whole number format (i.e. 5/5 is equal to one whole and 4/1 is equal to four whole) You can foster this concept by creating situations for your child to solve.
Writing-In writing we are still deep into our opinion/persuasive unit. This style of writing is unique and students are learning how to create STRONG statements that explain a feeling or a belief. Students have practiced this style by bringing attention to problems that need fixing such as needing more computers, a need to clean up our courtyard, or a plea to classmates to stop picking their nose! What I'm finding is it's hard for students to find much they are "passionate" about at such a young age. To create good writing in this genre, students must have a passion for what they want or a convincing list of reasons for what they have to say or their writing will fall flat. Not only do students have to state their opinion, but back up their opinion with reasons. Not only do students have to give reasons for their opinions, but back those reasons up with evidence, anecdotes, or examples. As you can imagine...this style of writing can be quite tricky for some. To help this process along, you can ask your child to voice their opinions concerning dinner choices, family activities, tv shows, etc. Encourage your child to back up their opinions with support and reasons. (I think Austin and Ally is the best show on tv right now. First of all, it is appropriate for kids my age. Even though the characters are teenagers, they still behave in a way that is appropriate for kids my age to watch. Secondly, the characters make me laugh in every episode. The character I like the most is Dez. There was one episode when he screamed like a girl when he got scared. It was hilarious! Finally, I like that each episode includes music that is catchy and fun. From the opening credits to the songs they perform during the show, they keep me humming along. My favorite song is "Made for You". So as you can see, Austin and Ally is the very best show on tv right now. You can catch new episodes every Sunday night on the Disney Channel.
Reading-We are headed into our unit on Biographies. This is sure to be a fun unit as we will be studying some great inventors along the way. Our theme for the next few weeks will be "Inventors" so our Biography reading unit couldn't have come at a better time. I'm sure our students will have a great time learning about amazing inventors from George Washington Carver to Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin to The Wright Brothers. Students will be learning how a biography is a special kind of non-fiction writing. You can support us at home by asking who they learned about at school each day.
Have a wonderful week Tiger Team families!
Math-In math we are studying fractions. However, these are not your typical 3rd grade fractions. Since Common Core was fully implemented this year we are adjusting our standards to fit the new expectations. This means that some math standards are being pushed down from as high as 5th grade. We are working on adding, subtracting, and comparing comparing fractions. Students will be asked to determine the value of a fraction in whole number format (i.e. 5/5 is equal to one whole and 4/1 is equal to four whole) You can foster this concept by creating situations for your child to solve.
- If you divide a casserole into 10 pieces, ask your child how much of the casserole they received (1/10) How much did the family receive? (6/10) How many more pieces must be eaten to make a whole? (4/10) What is the fraction for the whole? (10/10)
- Try dividing a dessert unevenly into 8 pieces and ask your child if it is divided into eighths. They should be able to answer with "No, because fractions are always equally divided."
Writing-In writing we are still deep into our opinion/persuasive unit. This style of writing is unique and students are learning how to create STRONG statements that explain a feeling or a belief. Students have practiced this style by bringing attention to problems that need fixing such as needing more computers, a need to clean up our courtyard, or a plea to classmates to stop picking their nose! What I'm finding is it's hard for students to find much they are "passionate" about at such a young age. To create good writing in this genre, students must have a passion for what they want or a convincing list of reasons for what they have to say or their writing will fall flat. Not only do students have to state their opinion, but back up their opinion with reasons. Not only do students have to give reasons for their opinions, but back those reasons up with evidence, anecdotes, or examples. As you can imagine...this style of writing can be quite tricky for some. To help this process along, you can ask your child to voice their opinions concerning dinner choices, family activities, tv shows, etc. Encourage your child to back up their opinions with support and reasons. (I think Austin and Ally is the best show on tv right now. First of all, it is appropriate for kids my age. Even though the characters are teenagers, they still behave in a way that is appropriate for kids my age to watch. Secondly, the characters make me laugh in every episode. The character I like the most is Dez. There was one episode when he screamed like a girl when he got scared. It was hilarious! Finally, I like that each episode includes music that is catchy and fun. From the opening credits to the songs they perform during the show, they keep me humming along. My favorite song is "Made for You". So as you can see, Austin and Ally is the very best show on tv right now. You can catch new episodes every Sunday night on the Disney Channel.
Reading-We are headed into our unit on Biographies. This is sure to be a fun unit as we will be studying some great inventors along the way. Our theme for the next few weeks will be "Inventors" so our Biography reading unit couldn't have come at a better time. I'm sure our students will have a great time learning about amazing inventors from George Washington Carver to Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin to The Wright Brothers. Students will be learning how a biography is a special kind of non-fiction writing. You can support us at home by asking who they learned about at school each day.
Have a wonderful week Tiger Team families!
Time to Reflect and Perfect
December 18, 2013
Going into this year Mrs. Yates and I both knew teaching as a team would be beneficial to students. We were eager to begin the year and optimistic that our vision would go exactly according to plan, however, whenever you attempt something for the first time you are sure to be faced with challenges and situations that didn't quite fit into your mold. Even though things haven't always gone as expected, there is quite a bit going well for us in TIGER TEAM. Mrs. Yates and I are constantly reflecting and revising our original plan to fit what is best for our students. As we wrap up 2013, we felt like it was the perfect time to share just a few of the highlights going on in our classroom.
5. Proficiency in Google Drive
As a teacher Google Drive completely changed the way I work and collaborate. I was introduced to the program a little over a year ago and it was tough...real tough for someone who thought they already knew quite a bit about technology. It wasn't easy for me and I hated that. Reluctantly, I jumped on board and began using it. I like it more and more every day and, in fact, I feel I can't live without it most days. At the time if you told me that my third graders would be using Google Drive as their preferred resource for writing and collaboration I would have "lol". I never dreamed students would come to rely on it as much as they do. The set of Chromebooks and the introduction to Google Drive has opened up a whole new world for our kids. I love that our students are creating work outside of the school day. Many students are eager to work on side projects during indoor recess or at home, choosing Google Presentations instead of playing video games. Our students are hungry for technology and feel proud of what they are able to produce in Google Drive. We even had a few students who wanted to create an All About TIGER TEAM presentation to share with our Superintendent. (Can you say adorable!?) They started the file, shared it with others, and are working on it in their spare time. Students feel especially proud when they are able to teach Mrs. Yates or I a thing or two.
Here's are some links to a just few of our AWESOME presentations:
All About Gymnastics by Emily
All About Cougars by Matthew
All About Football by Kyden
All About Poisonous Dart Frogs by Jackson
All About Koala's by Bianca
4. Collaboration
To piggyback onto #5, I am loving how much students are working with one another. Not only on Computer projects, but also in math, reading, writing, and so much more. In a group our size we must find ways to get kids working together. In math, we encourage students to tutor their peers when they struggle. In reading, students are paired with an accountability partner that helps them choose books and holds them accountable for their reading at school. In addition to this, students are seeking out opportunities to collaborate on projects with their classmates whenever there's a free minute. Just today, I had two students decide to check out a set of 3 books on a topic (Armed Forces). Together they are reading these books, sharing what they learned with each other, and creating a presentation all about it. How cool is that?! One of the greatest benefits to being in a group this size is that students are given double the choices and opportunity to work with others.
3. It takes a village...
I am eternally grateful for the teachers who play important supporting roles in helping our kids achieve their best. Ms. Burch, our third grade tutor, works specifically on vocabulary acquisition. Through this assistance we are noticing students using more specific words in their daily writing. Mrs. McKan, Mrs. Thompson, and Mrs. Arnold play a huge role in helping our struggling readers. They work daily on the essential skills needed to be successful readers. Working with our reading teachers provides our students with yet one more opportunity to read. Finally, we are thankful for our A+ tutors from our Willard High School, Haley and Taylor. They come in daily to help us as we wrap up our math lesson and they jump in to help students who still need that extra bit of assistance. Without the help of these wonderful people we would be lost!
2. Dexter's Responsibility Club
Recently, we began a club named after our guinea pig, Dexter. We saw a growing need for students to become more responsible for their duties at school as well as home. The rigor of Common Core left us no choice but to require our students to become more responsible through nightly reading, studying multiplication facts, and staying organized in general. Through the club we have discovered that most kids just needed a challenge to step up their responsibility game. For others, who may be overlooked for their responsible ways, we wanted to recognize them for their continued hard work.
Students are given 5 OOPS passes that they may use at any time, because we all forget things sooner or later. If they forget one of their responsibilities, they may use an OOPS pass. Students can earn also earn extra OOPS passes for being responsible above and beyond what is asked of them. Any OOPS passes remaining at the end of the month can be used towards purchasing prizes at our monthly party. Since starting the club we have seen BIG changes going on in our students!
1. Not a minute wasted
One thing I've noticed in TIGER TEAM is that we are learning...always. I feel like our day is filled as full as it possibly can with learning. In the constraints of a regular classroom, there are interruptions that can't be avoided. Nurse passes, tardy students, discipline issues, and phone calls just to name a few. Because there is always another adult in the room, there is always someone who is left to teaching while the other teacher can tend to the disruptions. "Never miss a beat" has been our mantra this year and I feel proud to be in a classroom like this. We are focused and driven to learn.
There's so much more I could share, but there aren't enough hours in the day. We want to thank you for your patience as we navigate through our first year of TIGER TEAM. Mrs. Yates and I feel strongly that this system is what is best for kids. As always, we welcome your feedback and would like to hear how we can reach your child better. On behalf of Mrs. Yates, I would like to wish your family a safe and happy holiday season.
Multiplying, Google Docs, and Celebrations...OH MY!
October 4, 2013
Math-Currently in math we are working on gaining fluency with our multiplication facts. So far, the kids feel pretty comfortable with our 0s, 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s. Although we've introduced some tricks, songs, and patterns in each family I would not say they are memorized. In cases such as these we have been working on finding a strategy to solve a more difficult multiplication problem.
We introduced the break apart strategy and I think the students are getting it for the most part. Just ask them how silly their teachers had to be to convey the breaking apart a factor (think lasers and Star Wars-ish sound effects). For instance, the problem 9 x 7 can be broken into 9 x 5 and 9 x 2. We broke apart the 7 into easier fact families that we already know...5 and 2. Students are then asked to add the products together. 9 x 5 = 45 and 9 x 2 = 18. Add the products 45 and 18 together to get 63. Therefore 9 x 7 = 63.
We also introduced building arrays, skip counting, drawing pictures, and numerous songs, and tricks. I can't say that we are 100% accurate, but at least we are teaching students the tools needed to solve a problem with a higher level of difficulty. Mainly, we are struggling with student error. (i.e. 7 x 3 becomes 22 instead of 21).
Of course we are still working on Fast Facts. Kyden McMain is in the lead at a level M! We want to thank the parents who are working with their children at home. We want you to know we see a BIG difference here at school. If a child is stuck on a level for a bit, we usually ask if they are studying at home first. Most of the time the answer is "no". When that component is put into place, it is amazing how quickly our students move! We plan to do fast facts for a few more months, so they definitely aren't going away anytime soon. There will be a banana split party at the end of our race to celebrate how far they were able to go on the rocket. We would LOVE to see some giant sundaes for all, but they won't magically appear...it will take some work.
Writing- We are working on revising and editing our second round of personal narratives. Next week we will be asking students to create a final personal narrative piece (Summative) to determine the learning gained in this unit. This week each student is being asked to put their final draft into a Google Doc. If you don't know what a Google Doc is, don't feel bad...it is fairly new learning for me as well. Basically, typing a story into Google Docs allows your child to work ANYWHERE on a story, not just at school. For instance, each student can log in to their account at home, share the document with me and I can help them from the comforts of my own home. We can both work side by side, each on a computer, and they can see changes I am making to their document in real time. We can have some good conversations about changes and revisions as they are going on. Also, the document can stay with them as long as they have their account. We can stockpile their work for years! Won't that be fun to see their work change as the years pass? If your child is interested in showing you their work they can log in at home by doing the following.
Type GOOGLE in the search bar.
Locate the word DRIVE at the top of your screen.
Use the following username and password format.
[email protected]
(first three letters of your first name, first three letters of your last name-ALL CAPS, birthday, @media.willardr2.net)
tiger3354
(tiger-LOWERCASE, and lunch code)
Celebrations-A big congratulations go out to our Tiger Pride Assembly Winners for the month of September. They are as follows:
Teamwork- Ivy Vestal (Vaughan) and Skylar White (Yates)
Academic- Jack Mails (Vaughan) and Kyden McMain (Yates)
Most Improved - Brendan Bethurem (Vaughan) and Sam Aye (Yates)
Character Ed/Respect - Derek Schapeler (Vaughan) and Bianca Niculcea (Yates)
Most Valuable Tiger - Klayton Kiser (Vaughan) and Emily Garoutte (Yates)
I'd also like to recognize our Student Council Members, Bianca Niculcea and Kyden McMain from Mrs. Yates' class and Jackson Wittmaier and Kailyn Washington from Mrs. Vaughan's class. I'm sure they will represent our classrooms well and work to do great things for our school.
Announcements-Today, an email was sent to our families with a link to a current progress report. You will find an information sheet in your child's Student Portfolio that explains how to access your child's information. Our Portfolios are also a great place to look for an accurate picture of your child's progress. Make sure to sign and return the portfolio by Monday. I might also mention that Parent Conferences are just around the corner. Stay tuned for information that will be coming home in the weeks to follow.
We introduced the break apart strategy and I think the students are getting it for the most part. Just ask them how silly their teachers had to be to convey the breaking apart a factor (think lasers and Star Wars-ish sound effects). For instance, the problem 9 x 7 can be broken into 9 x 5 and 9 x 2. We broke apart the 7 into easier fact families that we already know...5 and 2. Students are then asked to add the products together. 9 x 5 = 45 and 9 x 2 = 18. Add the products 45 and 18 together to get 63. Therefore 9 x 7 = 63.
We also introduced building arrays, skip counting, drawing pictures, and numerous songs, and tricks. I can't say that we are 100% accurate, but at least we are teaching students the tools needed to solve a problem with a higher level of difficulty. Mainly, we are struggling with student error. (i.e. 7 x 3 becomes 22 instead of 21).
Of course we are still working on Fast Facts. Kyden McMain is in the lead at a level M! We want to thank the parents who are working with their children at home. We want you to know we see a BIG difference here at school. If a child is stuck on a level for a bit, we usually ask if they are studying at home first. Most of the time the answer is "no". When that component is put into place, it is amazing how quickly our students move! We plan to do fast facts for a few more months, so they definitely aren't going away anytime soon. There will be a banana split party at the end of our race to celebrate how far they were able to go on the rocket. We would LOVE to see some giant sundaes for all, but they won't magically appear...it will take some work.
Writing- We are working on revising and editing our second round of personal narratives. Next week we will be asking students to create a final personal narrative piece (Summative) to determine the learning gained in this unit. This week each student is being asked to put their final draft into a Google Doc. If you don't know what a Google Doc is, don't feel bad...it is fairly new learning for me as well. Basically, typing a story into Google Docs allows your child to work ANYWHERE on a story, not just at school. For instance, each student can log in to their account at home, share the document with me and I can help them from the comforts of my own home. We can both work side by side, each on a computer, and they can see changes I am making to their document in real time. We can have some good conversations about changes and revisions as they are going on. Also, the document can stay with them as long as they have their account. We can stockpile their work for years! Won't that be fun to see their work change as the years pass? If your child is interested in showing you their work they can log in at home by doing the following.
Type GOOGLE in the search bar.
Locate the word DRIVE at the top of your screen.
Use the following username and password format.
[email protected]
(first three letters of your first name, first three letters of your last name-ALL CAPS, birthday, @media.willardr2.net)
tiger3354
(tiger-LOWERCASE, and lunch code)
Celebrations-A big congratulations go out to our Tiger Pride Assembly Winners for the month of September. They are as follows:
Teamwork- Ivy Vestal (Vaughan) and Skylar White (Yates)
Academic- Jack Mails (Vaughan) and Kyden McMain (Yates)
Most Improved - Brendan Bethurem (Vaughan) and Sam Aye (Yates)
Character Ed/Respect - Derek Schapeler (Vaughan) and Bianca Niculcea (Yates)
Most Valuable Tiger - Klayton Kiser (Vaughan) and Emily Garoutte (Yates)
I'd also like to recognize our Student Council Members, Bianca Niculcea and Kyden McMain from Mrs. Yates' class and Jackson Wittmaier and Kailyn Washington from Mrs. Vaughan's class. I'm sure they will represent our classrooms well and work to do great things for our school.
Announcements-Today, an email was sent to our families with a link to a current progress report. You will find an information sheet in your child's Student Portfolio that explains how to access your child's information. Our Portfolios are also a great place to look for an accurate picture of your child's progress. Make sure to sign and return the portfolio by Monday. I might also mention that Parent Conferences are just around the corner. Stay tuned for information that will be coming home in the weeks to follow.
The Ins and Outs of Assessments
September 9, 2013
We hope you and your child are becoming more and more at ease with our classroom routines and expectations as the weeks pass. We can see little kinks being worked out and less directions having to be repeated. It's a good thing! There is so much to remember, but the kids are doing GREAT!
Each morning when students check in with their STAR binder, I am looking for a few things. Students can receive tickets for...
Math-
It is really quite amazing how quickly we have jumped into lessons that we typically begin much later in the year. Due to the new Common Core Standards, we really have no choice but to push through and at the very least introduce concepts that will be masted by the end of third grade. At this time, students have been introduced to multiplication problems for the following families: 0's, 1's, 2's, 3's, and 10's. Although these may seem like easy facts to you, it is also easy for students to mix up their special "rule". Students have been introduced and now is the time to gain some fluency with these facts. I would highly suggest the math sites listed on the third grade resource page in the parent section of this blog. I might also suggest visiting www.multiplication.com for some cool games to help students gain speed in multiplying. We began our Rocket Math series last week which tests students on their speed and knowledge of multiplication facts. Students are given a daily test at the beginning of math and one minute to complete 40 problems. They can miss 2 or less to pass to the next level. We have a pack of students moving quickly through their facts while some are stuck on their 1's. Please help your child by reviewing these facts at home. Students are able to bring their previous day's test home to help them study. Each new level adds a few new facts to the ones previously mastered. (ex. 3x2, 2x2, 8x0, and 4x1 will add 3x3 and 3 x4 to the next level)
Reading-
We are heading in to our Fall DRA reading assessment this week and should have them finished by next Friday. These tests are pretty time consuming and are done one on one which is why it will take two full weeks to finish all 40 students. The DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) will assess students on both fluency (the rate and accuracy of their oral reading) and comprehension (understanding what is read). The full test is given at the beginning (September) and end (May) of a school year. Benchmark DRA's will be administered in 2nd quarter (December) and 3rd quarter (March). Students will be informed of their results to assist them in choosing just right books. If students plan on working with an adult, a book one level above would be appropriate. Working one level below would help students gain confidence in reading aloud f that is a weak area.
In addition to the DRA test, we will also be administering the SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory). Students will take the test by computer and results will be shared with you and the student. It is great tool for helping us further "diagnose" reading strengths and weaknesses in our students. The score will be equated to a Lexile level. Students in third grade should fall anywhere from 500-800. Of course students can also score above or below this range. The SRI tends to tell us a great deal about a student's vocabulary in particular. Students with a higher vocabulary tend to fair better on this test. It is possible for a student to do a little better on either the DRA or SRI due to such strengths/weaknesses. Do not be alarmed! It is all good information for us use so that we may take kids far as they can go.
Writing-
In writing we are continuing to work on our personal narratives. We've spent a few weeks gathering ideas and starting stories. Students will be choosing one of these stories to take all the way through the writing process by the end of this week. We are focusing on getting students to "rehearse" their stories before they begin writing because good storytelling has a lot to do with hooking a reader and making them want more through the details we add and the way we add them. You can help at home by asking your child about the stories they've been telling in writing and letting them retell the story to you. If they are having difficulty, try asking them to tell you the story using First, Next, Then, After That, and Finally. From experience I can tell you the more you tell a story the more details you remember. You may even encourage your child to choose one of their better stories on Friday if they tell you a few. Don't be afraid to tell a few stories of your own too. Modeling storytelling is a great way to foster this crucial part of the writing process. We've also been asking for students to find their "storyteller voice" instead of a "reporter voice". Do you know someone in the family who can tell a great story? (Come on...everyone knows someone like that!) Now is the time to encourage your child to call that special someone up and ask for a story.
Have a FANTASTIC week Tiger Team families!
Each morning when students check in with their STAR binder, I am looking for a few things. Students can receive tickets for...
- filling out their behavior calendar
- filling out their agenda COMPLETELY. Signatures will earn a ticket and a return to green if a student ended on yellow, orange, or red the previous day.
- filling out their Rocket Math recording sheet
- reading at home AND filling out their reading log
- emptying their red folder of completed/graded work and other items from their mailbox. (I could use a lot of help here in particular!)
Math-
It is really quite amazing how quickly we have jumped into lessons that we typically begin much later in the year. Due to the new Common Core Standards, we really have no choice but to push through and at the very least introduce concepts that will be masted by the end of third grade. At this time, students have been introduced to multiplication problems for the following families: 0's, 1's, 2's, 3's, and 10's. Although these may seem like easy facts to you, it is also easy for students to mix up their special "rule". Students have been introduced and now is the time to gain some fluency with these facts. I would highly suggest the math sites listed on the third grade resource page in the parent section of this blog. I might also suggest visiting www.multiplication.com for some cool games to help students gain speed in multiplying. We began our Rocket Math series last week which tests students on their speed and knowledge of multiplication facts. Students are given a daily test at the beginning of math and one minute to complete 40 problems. They can miss 2 or less to pass to the next level. We have a pack of students moving quickly through their facts while some are stuck on their 1's. Please help your child by reviewing these facts at home. Students are able to bring their previous day's test home to help them study. Each new level adds a few new facts to the ones previously mastered. (ex. 3x2, 2x2, 8x0, and 4x1 will add 3x3 and 3 x4 to the next level)
Reading-
We are heading in to our Fall DRA reading assessment this week and should have them finished by next Friday. These tests are pretty time consuming and are done one on one which is why it will take two full weeks to finish all 40 students. The DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) will assess students on both fluency (the rate and accuracy of their oral reading) and comprehension (understanding what is read). The full test is given at the beginning (September) and end (May) of a school year. Benchmark DRA's will be administered in 2nd quarter (December) and 3rd quarter (March). Students will be informed of their results to assist them in choosing just right books. If students plan on working with an adult, a book one level above would be appropriate. Working one level below would help students gain confidence in reading aloud f that is a weak area.
In addition to the DRA test, we will also be administering the SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory). Students will take the test by computer and results will be shared with you and the student. It is great tool for helping us further "diagnose" reading strengths and weaknesses in our students. The score will be equated to a Lexile level. Students in third grade should fall anywhere from 500-800. Of course students can also score above or below this range. The SRI tends to tell us a great deal about a student's vocabulary in particular. Students with a higher vocabulary tend to fair better on this test. It is possible for a student to do a little better on either the DRA or SRI due to such strengths/weaknesses. Do not be alarmed! It is all good information for us use so that we may take kids far as they can go.
Writing-
In writing we are continuing to work on our personal narratives. We've spent a few weeks gathering ideas and starting stories. Students will be choosing one of these stories to take all the way through the writing process by the end of this week. We are focusing on getting students to "rehearse" their stories before they begin writing because good storytelling has a lot to do with hooking a reader and making them want more through the details we add and the way we add them. You can help at home by asking your child about the stories they've been telling in writing and letting them retell the story to you. If they are having difficulty, try asking them to tell you the story using First, Next, Then, After That, and Finally. From experience I can tell you the more you tell a story the more details you remember. You may even encourage your child to choose one of their better stories on Friday if they tell you a few. Don't be afraid to tell a few stories of your own too. Modeling storytelling is a great way to foster this crucial part of the writing process. We've also been asking for students to find their "storyteller voice" instead of a "reporter voice". Do you know someone in the family who can tell a great story? (Come on...everyone knows someone like that!) Now is the time to encourage your child to call that special someone up and ask for a story.
Have a FANTASTIC week Tiger Team families!
A whole lot of learning (and fun) is going on!
August 26, 2013
WOW! I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it is to teach with another adult in the room! There is so much we can learn from each other as teachers...just one more benefit to add to teaching in this kind of structure. Fortunately, Mrs. Yates and I both agree that learning can and should contain humor and fun to keep our kids interested. We hope the kids are having as much fun as we are. It's great to see their smiles and laughter as we try and sneak in humor throughout the day.
We started the week off with a bang! Just this morning I was "pulled over" by the capitalization cops when I forgot to capitalize important words on our morning meeting slide show. The proper nouns and beginnings of sentences were not pretty and the kids all noticed immediately. I was let off on a warning this time, but I'm going to have to do a better job in the future. I won't always be as lucky as I was today. On that same note, we are fortunate to have time devoted each day to language review. Our D.O.L. morning work provides much needed practice over language concepts such as punctuation, rhyming words, fact and opinion, proper sentence structure, analogies, synonyms and antonyms, and the list goes on. Even though we make time to go over this piece later in the morning it is important that your child come to class as quickly as possible to get started on this crucial part of their learning.
In writing we were able to gather a beginning of the year writing sample. Students were given a prompt in which they were told to write a personal narrative, or true story, about a moment in their lives. It's a great jumping off point to our narrative writing unit and so much information can be gathered from this sample. I can't tell you how much I love looking back at this piece of writing at the END of the year. It is AMAZING to see how much students grow and mature as writers in the time that we have them. Although we introduced the three main genres of writing (writing to narrate, writing to give an opinion, writing to inform) we will first focus on the narrative genre. Students will be asked to pick small moments in their lives and grow those small moments into beautifully written, detailed stories. Right now we are brainstorming and gathering ideas for our future stories in our writers' notebooks, sharing our small moments with others, and building our writing stamina back up after a restful summer. Students in third grade should be able to produce a page long entry in 45 minutes time. Right now, only a handful are able to produce that kind of writing without fail. On the up side, Mrs. Yates and I feel confident our students can and will get there eventually.
In reading, we talked about choosing just right books, how to read with a partner, how to read to yourself, filling out reading logs correctly, and using sticky notes to jot down our thinking as we read. I would say the hardest thing for students to do so far is pick out "just right books". So often students read far below where they should be, relying on comfortable favorites, or they are unaware when one a book is too hard. In the next few weeks we will be administering the DRA. This test will allow us to gauge our students' independent reading level. At that point, students should be finding books that fall in that range or one level above if they are working with an adult. All other "fun" books can be read at their leisure outside of reading block.
You might also notice that there is a reading log in your child's STAR notebook. Even though reading isn't being "required" at home, Mrs. Yates and I both know how much it helps students throughout the year if they can read at home. Thank you to all the families that are helping their children fill out their logs. We love to see that! Just as a rule of thumb, students should be reading at least 100 minutes a week which is not too bad when you break it down. (That's just 20 minutes after school 5 days a week!)
In math last week we covered a number of topics. Honestly, I can't ever recall being this deep into math this early in the year. Due to our new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), we have no choice but to jump right in. In five short days we've covered the following concepts: standard form, expanded form, word form, place value to thousands, rounding to the nearest 10, rounding to the nearest 100, odd and even, multiplying by 0's, 1's, and 2's, and using an array to solve more difficult multiplication problems such as 7 x 8. When you consider in years past we would have spent 3 or more weeks on these topics, I'd say things have definitely picked up speed. You can help out by asking students to explain what these concepts mean. If they can't do that, chances are they just need a little more time for the dust to settle.
I might also add that before beginning any of our math units we will be asking students to take a Pre-Formative quiz to determine their competence on the topics we are about to cover. It allows us to be more efficient teachers as we plan to spend more time where the majority of the class is struggling and give more individualized instruction where just a few struggle. Again, like the beginning of the year writing sample, we expect to see growth by the time we finish our unit. This concept is a bit difficult to understand and accept for some kids. We tell them that it's okay to not know answers before we begin a unit and for some reason that still strikes fear into some. ("What do you mean it's okay to get them wrong?!") By the time we take our summative, or end of unit test, students will be amazed at how much they learned.
Don't forget to check out the photo gallery tab! Mrs. Yates has been busy gathering some great pictures to show what is going on in our classroom. I know as a parent I enjoy seeing the environment my kids are learning in. Stay tuned as we will update the gallery with pictures and videos frequently. I think our Rounding Rap will soon become a hit on the radio. (Thank you Connor for your mad skillz on the beat box.)
Have a great week!
We started the week off with a bang! Just this morning I was "pulled over" by the capitalization cops when I forgot to capitalize important words on our morning meeting slide show. The proper nouns and beginnings of sentences were not pretty and the kids all noticed immediately. I was let off on a warning this time, but I'm going to have to do a better job in the future. I won't always be as lucky as I was today. On that same note, we are fortunate to have time devoted each day to language review. Our D.O.L. morning work provides much needed practice over language concepts such as punctuation, rhyming words, fact and opinion, proper sentence structure, analogies, synonyms and antonyms, and the list goes on. Even though we make time to go over this piece later in the morning it is important that your child come to class as quickly as possible to get started on this crucial part of their learning.
In writing we were able to gather a beginning of the year writing sample. Students were given a prompt in which they were told to write a personal narrative, or true story, about a moment in their lives. It's a great jumping off point to our narrative writing unit and so much information can be gathered from this sample. I can't tell you how much I love looking back at this piece of writing at the END of the year. It is AMAZING to see how much students grow and mature as writers in the time that we have them. Although we introduced the three main genres of writing (writing to narrate, writing to give an opinion, writing to inform) we will first focus on the narrative genre. Students will be asked to pick small moments in their lives and grow those small moments into beautifully written, detailed stories. Right now we are brainstorming and gathering ideas for our future stories in our writers' notebooks, sharing our small moments with others, and building our writing stamina back up after a restful summer. Students in third grade should be able to produce a page long entry in 45 minutes time. Right now, only a handful are able to produce that kind of writing without fail. On the up side, Mrs. Yates and I feel confident our students can and will get there eventually.
In reading, we talked about choosing just right books, how to read with a partner, how to read to yourself, filling out reading logs correctly, and using sticky notes to jot down our thinking as we read. I would say the hardest thing for students to do so far is pick out "just right books". So often students read far below where they should be, relying on comfortable favorites, or they are unaware when one a book is too hard. In the next few weeks we will be administering the DRA. This test will allow us to gauge our students' independent reading level. At that point, students should be finding books that fall in that range or one level above if they are working with an adult. All other "fun" books can be read at their leisure outside of reading block.
You might also notice that there is a reading log in your child's STAR notebook. Even though reading isn't being "required" at home, Mrs. Yates and I both know how much it helps students throughout the year if they can read at home. Thank you to all the families that are helping their children fill out their logs. We love to see that! Just as a rule of thumb, students should be reading at least 100 minutes a week which is not too bad when you break it down. (That's just 20 minutes after school 5 days a week!)
In math last week we covered a number of topics. Honestly, I can't ever recall being this deep into math this early in the year. Due to our new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), we have no choice but to jump right in. In five short days we've covered the following concepts: standard form, expanded form, word form, place value to thousands, rounding to the nearest 10, rounding to the nearest 100, odd and even, multiplying by 0's, 1's, and 2's, and using an array to solve more difficult multiplication problems such as 7 x 8. When you consider in years past we would have spent 3 or more weeks on these topics, I'd say things have definitely picked up speed. You can help out by asking students to explain what these concepts mean. If they can't do that, chances are they just need a little more time for the dust to settle.
I might also add that before beginning any of our math units we will be asking students to take a Pre-Formative quiz to determine their competence on the topics we are about to cover. It allows us to be more efficient teachers as we plan to spend more time where the majority of the class is struggling and give more individualized instruction where just a few struggle. Again, like the beginning of the year writing sample, we expect to see growth by the time we finish our unit. This concept is a bit difficult to understand and accept for some kids. We tell them that it's okay to not know answers before we begin a unit and for some reason that still strikes fear into some. ("What do you mean it's okay to get them wrong?!") By the time we take our summative, or end of unit test, students will be amazed at how much they learned.
Don't forget to check out the photo gallery tab! Mrs. Yates has been busy gathering some great pictures to show what is going on in our classroom. I know as a parent I enjoy seeing the environment my kids are learning in. Stay tuned as we will update the gallery with pictures and videos frequently. I think our Rounding Rap will soon become a hit on the radio. (Thank you Connor for your mad skillz on the beat box.)
Have a great week!
"We can do this!"
August 18, 2013
Tiger TEAM has three days under our belt and Mrs. Yates and I can see already that routines and procedures are becoming more and more smooth every day. Is that to say we are doing everything PERFECTLY right now?! Of course not! We still have a long way to go, but we are so proud of the accomplishments we have seen so far, both big and small. For instance...did you know both classes received a 5 in their special class today? That is HUGE! It means that both classes were doing their best to do exactly as their special class teacher asked. We have already reached 13 compliments on our ROAR chart and it's only day 3! We are seeing students becoming more confident about where things should be put which seems to be the biggest challenge so far. Some supplies are kept in desks in Mrs. Yates' room, some are kept in my room in the cubbies, and others are community supplies. Not only that, but our students have to figure out the layout of not only one classroom, but two! That means double the responsibility, but we are confident our students will eventually rise to the challenge! We will continue to work on our procedures until we are a well oiled machine! :-)
Just to review a bit about behavior status and agenda. You DO have to sign your child's agenda if they are on yellow, orange, or red. You DO NOT have to sign if they are on green or tiger stripe. ANY student that gets their agenda signed will get a ticket, regardless of their color. It's a ticket for responsibility. If the agenda is signed students will move back to green for a fresh start the next day. If the agenda is NOT signed, they will start out on the previous day's color the following day. You WILL be contacted in some way if your child is on red. We have been working with our students on how to make agendas easier for you to both see and sign. If your house are anything like mine, we are in constant motion from the time we walk in the door until we go to bed. Anything my kids can do to make my life easier is appreciated. I'm sure you probably feel the same.
Thank you for all you do to support your child. I've noticed several students marking their reading at home even though we haven't asked for this. That is EXCELLENT! We could not do our job without your help.
Here is a peek at our week's events...
Monday
Treasure boxes for Matthew R., James, Shaylor, and Aubri
Vaughan (Computers)
Yates (Library)
Tuesday
Treasure boxes for Riley, Hannah, Bradley, and Bianca
Vaughan (Art)
Yates (Computers)
Wednesday
Treasure boxes for Elaina, Malakai, Matt V., and Jack M.
Vaughan (Library)
Yates (Art)
Thursday
Treasure boxes for Abby, Ally, Gabby, and Klayton
Vaughan (Music)
Yates (PE)
Friday
Treasure boxes for Brady, Ivy, Brendan, and Emily
Vaughan (PE)
Yates (Music)
Just to review a bit about behavior status and agenda. You DO have to sign your child's agenda if they are on yellow, orange, or red. You DO NOT have to sign if they are on green or tiger stripe. ANY student that gets their agenda signed will get a ticket, regardless of their color. It's a ticket for responsibility. If the agenda is signed students will move back to green for a fresh start the next day. If the agenda is NOT signed, they will start out on the previous day's color the following day. You WILL be contacted in some way if your child is on red. We have been working with our students on how to make agendas easier for you to both see and sign. If your house are anything like mine, we are in constant motion from the time we walk in the door until we go to bed. Anything my kids can do to make my life easier is appreciated. I'm sure you probably feel the same.
Thank you for all you do to support your child. I've noticed several students marking their reading at home even though we haven't asked for this. That is EXCELLENT! We could not do our job without your help.
Here is a peek at our week's events...
Monday
Treasure boxes for Matthew R., James, Shaylor, and Aubri
Vaughan (Computers)
Yates (Library)
Tuesday
Treasure boxes for Riley, Hannah, Bradley, and Bianca
Vaughan (Art)
Yates (Computers)
Wednesday
Treasure boxes for Elaina, Malakai, Matt V., and Jack M.
Vaughan (Library)
Yates (Art)
Thursday
Treasure boxes for Abby, Ally, Gabby, and Klayton
Vaughan (Music)
Yates (PE)
Friday
Treasure boxes for Brady, Ivy, Brendan, and Emily
Vaughan (PE)
Yates (Music)
August 2, 2013
Hello! If you are visiting this site, chances are you may be a student or parent for the 2013-2014 school year! Welcome to Tiger TEAM! We are so excited to have the opportunity to work with you. We have so much we'd like to accomplish this year with your help and the only way we can reach our goals is by working together. Our district, school, and classroom theme "Student Focused, Strongly Connected, Success Driven" will play into this year a great deal as we implement a classroom structure new to Willard South. We are anticipating a very successful year and think you will soon see why we are so excited to begin. Stay tuned to this site as we add links and updates, giving you a peek into what is going on in your child's classroom.