Word Study, Week One!
We’re learning! Both students and teachers that is!
Celebrations:
Kids said that they really understood patterns of their words. We noticed that the words were mostly on their level from the initial assessment, making the list appropriate for their orthographic developmental stage. We will continue to monitor and adjust. Most students spelled their words correctly.
Challenges:
We discovered that time constraint was our biggest challenge. We had planned a week of activities working with their words. We discovered that in this place in our journey, we needed to slow down, and pare down the practice piece.
Test Day:
The process goes like this; review the words and the pattern, teachers say the words, and students write the words correctly in the correct column to show they understand the spelling of the word and the pattern. Then students correct (with the teacher) their own work immediately in order to understand any mistakes. All things considered, it went pretty well! That said, some groups didn’t get to self-correct their words and one group didn’t get their take-home list for next week.
Volunteers:
Volunteers will certainly help move this process along. If you signed up at open house or indicated to us that you would like to help, we’ll be in touch to see if you can help.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks so much for your patience and support as we work through the bugs.
BOOK ORDERS
Some classes didn’t get their Scholastic book order forms until today. We will happily accept orders through Wednesday. Hope this helps!
READING HANDOUTS
Some students are bringing home "guided reading" worksheets today. They are just for your information. We work through them as a group. Not all parts are written if we are short on time. Spelling is not corrected at this point in the year if we are looking for ideas about a story. They don’t need to be finished. They are simply to let you know what your child worked on in his/her reading group. Use them to ask about the story if you like!
Have a great weekend!
As always, be in touch with questions.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
September 21st, 2007
CLASSROOM INFORMATION NIGHT
Thanks to those who made it to Classroom Information Night. It was a great turn out on a rainy night! The first group got quite rushed, so please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or would like more information. Third grade can be a hard transition in any school. It is truly the bridge between primary and intermediate, with one foot in each area. It is often described as the year when students move from learning to read to reading to learn. You can imagine the extra effort required by our students who are trying to make that transition in two languages! We’ll try hard to keep you up to date on what we are covering and what the expectations are. Please be in touch if you have questions so we can make this as smooth and positive a year as possible.
WORD STUDY
www.prenhall.com/bear
We want to make sure we get off to a good start and that everyone feels comfortable with this new system. It’s a change from the way you’ve probably done spelling in the past; however we know it’s going to help our kids become better spellers. We are posting the weekly routine so you get a sense for the kind of word exploration they are doing in class. Be the end of the week, they will really know the pattern and be able to apply it independently. One “nuts and bolts” detail you may want is the test procedure. On Wednesday, students will take their test in a small group. We will help them self-correct so they will know right away how they did. They will be tested on 15 of the words from their list. We will reassess after many kids have worked through short and long vowels, as this concept is particularly hard for our immersion learners.
GUIDED AND INDEPENDENT READING
We have cause for celebration; they are amazing individuals and students with open ears, watchful eyes and warm hearts. In addition to the fantastic job the students did with the new routines of word study, we also started our guided reading routines. Guided Reading is a time when we teach to small groups at their instructional level. Our Houghton Mifflin series gives us many materials to reach almost any stage in the developmental reading continuum. We have slowly started our independent reading routines as well. This involves choosing the “just right” books we talked about at classroom information night. Next week we will be firming up our routines and procedures for this process. You are more than welcome to start the 15-20 minutes of independent reading at home each night. Again, we’re looking for smooth, fluent reading. This means, students aren’t stuck on words and have 5 or fewer that are hard on a page. It is really important that they read at this level to make progress in reading, as fluency is tied to comprehension, and reading for meaning is the goal. If they love an author series that is too hard to fit that “fluent” category now, please share those books as a read-aloud or in addition to independent reading time. You can certainly read a story to your child and then have him/her read it back to you to boost fluency. Rereading old favorites also work well for building fluency patterns.
ASSESSMENTS
We have started developmental reading assessments with all children, but have very few completed. It is a long, one-on-one process. We will be in touch if we see anything of concern.
ANTHOLOGY READING
THE READING LINK www.eduplace.com/kids CONNECTING YOU & THE CLASSROOM
Theme 1.2 The Ballad of Mulan by Song Nan Zhang
Next week we will read a Chinese legend about a girl who disguises herself as a male warrior and goes into battle in place of her aged father. Below are some easy ways you can help your child practice reading skills.
QUICK TAKES: 10 Minutes Each
READ ALOUD
One definition of ballad is “a song that tells a story.” With your child, find the words to a song that tell a story, and read them together. (Folk and camp songs often tell stories.) If you wish, learn the melody and sing the song together.
TALK ABOUT IT
Ask your child what qualities he or she thinks a person would need to be a good soldier. What qualities would a general need?
INTERNET CONNECTIONS
Post a Review
What did your child like about The Ballad of Mulan? Ask him or her to write a review and post it on this link: http://eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/?grade=3
Vocabulary (eWord)
If your child could use some vocabulary building games, click on the story on the Education Place website.
http://eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/?grade=3
How about a challenge? Click on the link below and select “Fake Out.”
http://eduplace.com/kids/games.jsp
BOOK LINKS
If your child likes The Ballad of Mulan, check out these books:
The Drums of Noto Hanto
by J. Alison James
The Adventures of Sparrowboy
by Brian Pinkney
Need help finding other good books? http://www.eduplace.com/tacklereading/index.html
FUN FACT
Did you know that The Ballad of Mulan was composed as a popular song in China over 1,500 years ago? Since then the story has been retold in Chinese poems, essays, operas, paintings, animated films, and even comic books. Mulan means “magnolia.”
This information is adapted from Home/Community Connection Houghton Mifflin Reading 2005©. Permission for adaptation and use in classroom communication including posting to teacher web pages granted from Houghton Mifflin to the Edina Public Schools 2006.
THANK YOU
We are so amazed at the generosity of parents and families. Thanks to Lydia Reiner for bringing in the plants! They are a great addition to the room. Thanks also to the Makredes family for the electric pencil sharpeners. We really appreciate moving that pencil sharpening line along! It is such a pleasure to work in a school where we are so supported! Thank you!
Thanks to those who made it to Classroom Information Night. It was a great turn out on a rainy night! The first group got quite rushed, so please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or would like more information. Third grade can be a hard transition in any school. It is truly the bridge between primary and intermediate, with one foot in each area. It is often described as the year when students move from learning to read to reading to learn. You can imagine the extra effort required by our students who are trying to make that transition in two languages! We’ll try hard to keep you up to date on what we are covering and what the expectations are. Please be in touch if you have questions so we can make this as smooth and positive a year as possible.
WORD STUDY
www.prenhall.com/bear
We want to make sure we get off to a good start and that everyone feels comfortable with this new system. It’s a change from the way you’ve probably done spelling in the past; however we know it’s going to help our kids become better spellers. We are posting the weekly routine so you get a sense for the kind of word exploration they are doing in class. Be the end of the week, they will really know the pattern and be able to apply it independently. One “nuts and bolts” detail you may want is the test procedure. On Wednesday, students will take their test in a small group. We will help them self-correct so they will know right away how they did. They will be tested on 15 of the words from their list. We will reassess after many kids have worked through short and long vowels, as this concept is particularly hard for our immersion learners.
GUIDED AND INDEPENDENT READING
We have cause for celebration; they are amazing individuals and students with open ears, watchful eyes and warm hearts. In addition to the fantastic job the students did with the new routines of word study, we also started our guided reading routines. Guided Reading is a time when we teach to small groups at their instructional level. Our Houghton Mifflin series gives us many materials to reach almost any stage in the developmental reading continuum. We have slowly started our independent reading routines as well. This involves choosing the “just right” books we talked about at classroom information night. Next week we will be firming up our routines and procedures for this process. You are more than welcome to start the 15-20 minutes of independent reading at home each night. Again, we’re looking for smooth, fluent reading. This means, students aren’t stuck on words and have 5 or fewer that are hard on a page. It is really important that they read at this level to make progress in reading, as fluency is tied to comprehension, and reading for meaning is the goal. If they love an author series that is too hard to fit that “fluent” category now, please share those books as a read-aloud or in addition to independent reading time. You can certainly read a story to your child and then have him/her read it back to you to boost fluency. Rereading old favorites also work well for building fluency patterns.
ASSESSMENTS
We have started developmental reading assessments with all children, but have very few completed. It is a long, one-on-one process. We will be in touch if we see anything of concern.
ANTHOLOGY READING
THE READING LINK www.eduplace.com/kids CONNECTING YOU & THE CLASSROOM
Theme 1.2 The Ballad of Mulan by Song Nan Zhang
Next week we will read a Chinese legend about a girl who disguises herself as a male warrior and goes into battle in place of her aged father. Below are some easy ways you can help your child practice reading skills.
QUICK TAKES: 10 Minutes Each
READ ALOUD
One definition of ballad is “a song that tells a story.” With your child, find the words to a song that tell a story, and read them together. (Folk and camp songs often tell stories.) If you wish, learn the melody and sing the song together.
TALK ABOUT IT
Ask your child what qualities he or she thinks a person would need to be a good soldier. What qualities would a general need?
INTERNET CONNECTIONS
Post a Review
What did your child like about The Ballad of Mulan? Ask him or her to write a review and post it on this link: http://eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/?grade=3
Vocabulary (eWord)
If your child could use some vocabulary building games, click on the story on the Education Place website.
http://eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/?grade=3
How about a challenge? Click on the link below and select “Fake Out.”
http://eduplace.com/kids/games.jsp
BOOK LINKS
If your child likes The Ballad of Mulan, check out these books:
The Drums of Noto Hanto
by J. Alison James
The Adventures of Sparrowboy
by Brian Pinkney
Need help finding other good books? http://www.eduplace.com/tacklereading/index.html
FUN FACT
Did you know that The Ballad of Mulan was composed as a popular song in China over 1,500 years ago? Since then the story has been retold in Chinese poems, essays, operas, paintings, animated films, and even comic books. Mulan means “magnolia.”
This information is adapted from Home/Community Connection Houghton Mifflin Reading 2005©. Permission for adaptation and use in classroom communication including posting to teacher web pages granted from Houghton Mifflin to the Edina Public Schools 2006.
THANK YOU
We are so amazed at the generosity of parents and families. Thanks to Lydia Reiner for bringing in the plants! They are a great addition to the room. Thanks also to the Makredes family for the electric pencil sharpeners. We really appreciate moving that pencil sharpening line along! It is such a pleasure to work in a school where we are so supported! Thank you!
Friday, September 7, 2007
September 7th, 2007
All About Third Grade English Language Arts
http://3rdgradeenglishlanguagearts.blogspot.com/
http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/normandale/classrooms/3rd/english/index.htm
This first year of formalized English Language Arts instruction is an exciting time here at Normandale. Our approach will integrate the Responsive Classroom techniques being employed by the classroom teachers in the building. For more information about this approach, visit www.responsiveclassroom.org.
We are so excited to welcome your child to this amazing year of learning in his/her first language. We will focus heavily on reading in the first trimester, although also spend time on writing and spelling. It is not uncommon to see students make a huge leap in these first few weeks. It is the first opportunity for students to explore the worlds of reading, writing and words in an academic setting. It is a year of tremendous growth for students as they transfer their language skills from French into written English. The students love to discover stories and enjoy the opportunity to express their ideas in their first language. We have seen the early emergent reader grow quickly into fluent expressive readers who savor the deeper meaning of text and their real world connections.
Who, What, Where, When
Lynnea West and Amby Takekawa job share the English teaching position. If your child has Mme Curran-Dorsano or Mme Livant, he or she will have Mme West for English. Their English class will always meet in the morning. If your child has Mme Meyer or Mme Johnson, he or she will have Mme Takekawa for English in the afternoon. The English room (# 237) is located in the 4th and 5th grade hallway next to Mme Meyer’s homeroom. The English classes are a mix of the homeroom students. We change these groups throughout the year to give students a chance to work with a wide variety of people.
Communications
We will send a newsletter every other week. This year, our newsletter will take the form of a blog: http://3rdgradeenglishlanguagearts.blogspot.com/
Because we serve 50-plus students each, the district allows enough time for us to conference once with each family. We will have conference times in November to coincide with the first report card and in March for the second. That said, there are certainly situations that warrant a more flexible approach. We spend quite a bit of time reading with students one-on-one in the beginning of the year to help inform our instruction. Please know that we will be in touch right away if we see anything of concern. It is very typical for immersion students to enter this year below grade level. We try hard to get everyone on grade level by the end of the year. Because we see students for only 70 minutes, it is crucial to us that we optimize their learning time. We try to spend as much time with each student working at his/her instructional level as possible. We are passionate about instilling a love of reading and writing in each and every child.
First Weeks
We will spend these first two weeks building our community, getting to know students as readers and establishing routines. Students will be introduced to our reading series, our Writer’s Workshop routines, some independent reading routines and some early word study information. Our first theme is: Off to Adventure! Adventures come in all shapes and sizes.
Hopes and Dreams
We asked students this week to think about what their hopes and dreams might be for the English Language Arts classroom. In other words, what are their strategic goals for learning reading writing and all about words? As the student answered this question, we found that we need to believe certain things in order to achieve our hopes and dreams. You can ask your child what his or her hope and dream is for the year and what he or she needs to do to reach that goal.
Homework
One of the first questions of the year is always, “How much homework will I have?” We have tried hard to balance the French and English expectations so that students are not overwhelmed by work outside of the school day. That said, we ask that students read 20 minutes each day in English from a book that is “just right” for them. We will spend a lot of time practicing how to identify these books over the next two weeks. It is really crucial that children spend this reading time with a book at the right level to help them become better readers. Look for this expectation to begin in the next week or so.
The other part of English homework is spelling. Spelling is a skill that is difficult for most students. It is extremely difficult for immersion students in their first year of English. Written language is the last literacy skill to be fully developed and it can lag quite a bit behind reading levels. We have struggled to find the best way to meet the wide range of needs we have in the very short period of time we have for spelling each week. We have tried a range of programs and levels. We believe we have finally found the program that will meet all needs! It is called Words Their Way. It is a word study program rather than a traditional spelling list memorized by all each week. After pre-testing to assess needs, each student will work at his/her own pace and level. It is our hope and dream that students will truly understand the patterns and rules of our complicated language in a more meaningful way than by memorizing a list that may not be at their level. We will launch this program on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th . Look for more information that day. In addition, we will go through the program on Classroom Information Night on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th. We will also be looking for volunteers to help children sort, practice and test words. Look for a schedule and more information about this to come. In the first weeks we will guide the classes in the system, then introduce parent volunteers and finally, make it a homework activity.
Wish List
Kid Size Bean Bag Chairs
Small Lamps
House Plants
Electric Pencil Sharpener
*Your generosity is always appreciated!*
Media Center Volunteers Orientation on Sept. 14 at 9am
Are you looking for a rewarding and flexible opportunity to help the kids at school? If so, the Media Center is looking for volunteers to assist for either morning or afternoon time settings. Please contact Chris Sweeney at christine_sweeney01@hotmail.com to sign up or to learn more about this volunteer opportunity. You may also contact Tracy Pearson, media specialist at trapearson@edina.k12.mn.us The Orientation for volunteers will be held on Friday, September 14 at 9am in the Media Center and will last about 45 minutes. Thanks to those who have already volunteered to help this year!
http://3rdgradeenglishlanguagearts.blogspot.com/
http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/normandale/classrooms/3rd/english/index.htm
This first year of formalized English Language Arts instruction is an exciting time here at Normandale. Our approach will integrate the Responsive Classroom techniques being employed by the classroom teachers in the building. For more information about this approach, visit www.responsiveclassroom.org.
We are so excited to welcome your child to this amazing year of learning in his/her first language. We will focus heavily on reading in the first trimester, although also spend time on writing and spelling. It is not uncommon to see students make a huge leap in these first few weeks. It is the first opportunity for students to explore the worlds of reading, writing and words in an academic setting. It is a year of tremendous growth for students as they transfer their language skills from French into written English. The students love to discover stories and enjoy the opportunity to express their ideas in their first language. We have seen the early emergent reader grow quickly into fluent expressive readers who savor the deeper meaning of text and their real world connections.
Who, What, Where, When
Lynnea West and Amby Takekawa job share the English teaching position. If your child has Mme Curran-Dorsano or Mme Livant, he or she will have Mme West for English. Their English class will always meet in the morning. If your child has Mme Meyer or Mme Johnson, he or she will have Mme Takekawa for English in the afternoon. The English room (# 237) is located in the 4th and 5th grade hallway next to Mme Meyer’s homeroom. The English classes are a mix of the homeroom students. We change these groups throughout the year to give students a chance to work with a wide variety of people.
Communications
We will send a newsletter every other week. This year, our newsletter will take the form of a blog: http://3rdgradeenglishlanguagearts.blogspot.com/
Because we serve 50-plus students each, the district allows enough time for us to conference once with each family. We will have conference times in November to coincide with the first report card and in March for the second. That said, there are certainly situations that warrant a more flexible approach. We spend quite a bit of time reading with students one-on-one in the beginning of the year to help inform our instruction. Please know that we will be in touch right away if we see anything of concern. It is very typical for immersion students to enter this year below grade level. We try hard to get everyone on grade level by the end of the year. Because we see students for only 70 minutes, it is crucial to us that we optimize their learning time. We try to spend as much time with each student working at his/her instructional level as possible. We are passionate about instilling a love of reading and writing in each and every child.
First Weeks
We will spend these first two weeks building our community, getting to know students as readers and establishing routines. Students will be introduced to our reading series, our Writer’s Workshop routines, some independent reading routines and some early word study information. Our first theme is: Off to Adventure! Adventures come in all shapes and sizes.
Hopes and Dreams
We asked students this week to think about what their hopes and dreams might be for the English Language Arts classroom. In other words, what are their strategic goals for learning reading writing and all about words? As the student answered this question, we found that we need to believe certain things in order to achieve our hopes and dreams. You can ask your child what his or her hope and dream is for the year and what he or she needs to do to reach that goal.
Homework
One of the first questions of the year is always, “How much homework will I have?” We have tried hard to balance the French and English expectations so that students are not overwhelmed by work outside of the school day. That said, we ask that students read 20 minutes each day in English from a book that is “just right” for them. We will spend a lot of time practicing how to identify these books over the next two weeks. It is really crucial that children spend this reading time with a book at the right level to help them become better readers. Look for this expectation to begin in the next week or so.
The other part of English homework is spelling. Spelling is a skill that is difficult for most students. It is extremely difficult for immersion students in their first year of English. Written language is the last literacy skill to be fully developed and it can lag quite a bit behind reading levels. We have struggled to find the best way to meet the wide range of needs we have in the very short period of time we have for spelling each week. We have tried a range of programs and levels. We believe we have finally found the program that will meet all needs! It is called Words Their Way. It is a word study program rather than a traditional spelling list memorized by all each week. After pre-testing to assess needs, each student will work at his/her own pace and level. It is our hope and dream that students will truly understand the patterns and rules of our complicated language in a more meaningful way than by memorizing a list that may not be at their level. We will launch this program on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th . Look for more information that day. In addition, we will go through the program on Classroom Information Night on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th. We will also be looking for volunteers to help children sort, practice and test words. Look for a schedule and more information about this to come. In the first weeks we will guide the classes in the system, then introduce parent volunteers and finally, make it a homework activity.
Wish List
Kid Size Bean Bag Chairs
Small Lamps
House Plants
Electric Pencil Sharpener
*Your generosity is always appreciated!*
Media Center Volunteers Orientation on Sept. 14 at 9am
Are you looking for a rewarding and flexible opportunity to help the kids at school? If so, the Media Center is looking for volunteers to assist for either morning or afternoon time settings. Please contact Chris Sweeney at christine_sweeney01@hotmail.com to sign up or to learn more about this volunteer opportunity. You may also contact Tracy Pearson, media specialist at trapearson@edina.k12.mn.us The Orientation for volunteers will be held on Friday, September 14 at 9am in the Media Center and will last about 45 minutes. Thanks to those who have already volunteered to help this year!
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