December Arrives This Week!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe  Thanksgiving!  

We have three weeks to accomplish our December Goals and it’s going to fly by.

In the next three weeks we will be working on Parent Gifts (Remember to bring in those Cool Whip Lids), memorizing multiplication facts, learning the rest of the lower case cursive letters and working on a fun Grinch project.   

We will be starting to pass of our multiplication facts for the first time (we pass them off a variety of ways, numbers times) this week.  As we pass them off the first time, we will also be filling out a glyph (picture) that we will use to graph and take data from.  In the end we will have a Sundae Party (February 14th) where we will build a sundae to celebrate knowing our multiplication facts.  The students will have 1 minute to pass off the facts for each number group (Example: We will start with 2’s, then do 5’s etc).  

Homework:

This week we have one extra homework assignment.  Your child has written an article about the “History of Candy Corn”.  It would be helpful if you would read over it with them and help them edit, and/or add to it.  I DO NOT want you to rewrite it for them.  They are in the process of learning how to add to and fix drafts.  Ask them questions about what they have done.  Ask them questions you have about the candy corn, how it’s made, why it’s shaped the way it is, or things you think of when they read it to you.  They can access their piece by going to Utahcompose.com  I will send home their username and password on Monday. 

Math: We have started Multiplication!  This week we will be working on 3’s, and 4’s.  Math homework should happen 3 nights a week and may be done on the weekend.  Current options for math homework are any of the following:

Prodigy
Salute
PIG 
Chutes and Ladders (Game board was sent home 2 weeks ago)

We will be adding more multiplication games as we learn more of the facts.  Each night of homework is worth 10 points.

Reading: 20 minutes at least 5 times a week.  It is imperative that your child is participating in reading practice at home.  Studies have shown that the more words a child read, the better their achievement is in all other areas.   Not only are they given homework points for reading, but they are also given presentation points for being able to stand up and talk about what they read the night before. Reading is worth 100 points each week. I will be choosing our book talks from the Padlet Entries here, please have your child comment when they are ready to share the next day.  They only need to do a book talk once a month, but many of them like to do more:

Book Check In


Spelling Sorts: Sorts are assigned on Monday, so this sort should be the regular sort, allowing you to see what the focus for the week is and should be written after sorting.  Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, you get to choose the sorts.  I have told the students that if they choose the speed sort, to save it for a “busy” night as it does not need to be written.   If you have questions, please don’t be afraid to e-mail me.  Sorts are worth 10 points per sort every week.

When we test on Friday, I choose words with the pattern we have learned throughout the week.  I do not always choose words that were in the sort as we are looking for the use of pattern and their ability to use it in any word with that pattern.

BYU: Sort 10
Utah State: Sort 28
U of U: Sort 38
Weber State: Sort 38

Thanks for all you do for your student and our class!  Have a great week.