Unit 4 is now underway in both reading and phonics but our routines and practices are still being polished. Open-Court reading heads into "Our Neighborhood at Work" with stories about the people and jobs that help a successful community thrive. Some of the phonics skills students will encounter are identifying and spelling of the long vowels. There are a number of ways to make long vowels and this unit is just the beginning of the respective spelling patterns. Everyday Mathematics is moving into measurement (temperature, inches, and other various units) and beginning to enforce basic fact practice. Some other skills that will continue in this unit are telling time (to the quarter hour) and number order as applied in the creation of number scrolls.
Social studies is expanding beyond the community to the state and country. Along with building basic geography and map skills students will take a closer look at the United States' physical layout and begin to locate other states and their topographical features. Science is shifting from the identification of properties and object characteristics to closer analysis and comparison. Comparison is an important early skill in the development of investigation and inquiry based science methods.
Please continue reading at home and practicing those basic addition and subtraction facts. With fact practice your child can stay "ahead of the curve" with the upcoming strategies for basic facts in Everyday Math. If you're looking for fun ways to practice facts and read just check out the assortment of links on the right hand side of my blog. Thank you for those of you consistently keeping up with the HomeLinks and reading logs. I know the students turning in their homework enjoy being able to comment on how they solved problems or their homework routines.
December 10 is our Nutcracker field trip! There will be more information sent out early next week but please have your child dressed nicely as we take this opportunities to discuss manners, politeness and appropriate behaviors at such a special event as a ballet!
