The Start of Week # 4

Wow time sure does fly! We have started to spend more time focusing on learning skills and how as a class we can set SMART goals to work on each month. Last week students created their first learning skills goal focusing on one of the learning skills (responsibility, organization, collaboration, independent work, self-regulation, and initiative).

Math

We have spent a week on addition and subtraction reviewing strategies to use and focus on solving word problems. Practicing mental math strategies for addition and subtraction are great to do at home. I found many students in Grade 4 and 5 needed the review.

Extra Math Help will be held every Wednesday and Friday at Nutrition Break for students who would like extra practice or help.

Great Math Practice

1. Create your own problem and go through the problem solving pencil to solve it!

2. Play addition around the world (add different amounts of groups).

Example start at 6 add 6 = 12, add 6 = 18

3. A free resource with lots of addition games all using a deck of cards

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-In-the-Cards-Math-Games-and-Activities-FREE-MATH-GAME-VERSION-492665

Language

Our reading Response books are set up and ready to go! Students will be stopping and jotting their thinking, writing me letters, recording new words in their expanded vocabulary list, practicing reading strategies, and reading aloud to work on fluency this year to enhance their reading skills.

In writing students did a great job decorating their writer’s notebooks. We will be working through the   6 + 1 writing traits (Voice, Ideas, Presentation, Conventions, Organization, Word Choice and Sentence Fluency) to enhance their writing skills.