Literacy Homework:
Nightly reading at home is very important to me. Research shows that this is THE BEST way parents can have a positive influence on a child's education. Your child will not make enough reading progress this year UNLESS they are reading at home in addition to all the things we do at school. ANY reading will do - you can read to your child, you can trade off pages, they can read independently, you can even read in another language... I just want students reading. That said, the best practice to improve your student's reading fluency is reading out loud to or with a stronger/more experienced reader. Reading at home should be neither too easy or too difficult for your child. The perfect reading practice includes just a little bit of struggle. Please try for at least 20 minutes of reading every night.
If you need reading material, there are several solutions to that. Granite students are eligible to obtain a library card at the Magna Public Library. Checking out books there is free as long as they are returned on time. There is online reading available as well. To sign up for a free Epic! account, click here and enter my classroom code: xhc3492. Your student can read up to 2 hours a week in this online library and it even has books that will read aloud while highlighting text. Of course, publishing books through our PTA book fairs or other methods is always an option as well. Please prioritize reading at home. Practice makes perfect!
We are sending home weekly reading logs. I need those returned each Monday (or the first school day of the week). I will award your student 1 Panther Pride ticket for every reading log returned.
We have class reading minute goals. When we reach our goals, we will celebrate with a fun activity, treat, or reward. Our goal right now is 50,000 minutes. We are earning a hats/hoods day. *Students can only participate in rewards if they have turned in reading logs.
Nightly reading at home is very important to me. Research shows that this is THE BEST way parents can have a positive influence on a child's education. Your child will not make enough reading progress this year UNLESS they are reading at home in addition to all the things we do at school. ANY reading will do - you can read to your child, you can trade off pages, they can read independently, you can even read in another language... I just want students reading. That said, the best practice to improve your student's reading fluency is reading out loud to or with a stronger/more experienced reader. Reading at home should be neither too easy or too difficult for your child. The perfect reading practice includes just a little bit of struggle. Please try for at least 20 minutes of reading every night.
If you need reading material, there are several solutions to that. Granite students are eligible to obtain a library card at the Magna Public Library. Checking out books there is free as long as they are returned on time. There is online reading available as well. To sign up for a free Epic! account, click here and enter my classroom code: xhc3492. Your student can read up to 2 hours a week in this online library and it even has books that will read aloud while highlighting text. Of course, publishing books through our PTA book fairs or other methods is always an option as well. Please prioritize reading at home. Practice makes perfect!
We are sending home weekly reading logs. I need those returned each Monday (or the first school day of the week). I will award your student 1 Panther Pride ticket for every reading log returned.
We have class reading minute goals. When we reach our goals, we will celebrate with a fun activity, treat, or reward. Our goal right now is 50,000 minutes. We are earning a hats/hoods day. *Students can only participate in rewards if they have turned in reading logs.
Math Homework:
Students will bring home Math fact games each week. Please make some time to play these games with your student. The games are fabulous for develop reasoning, strategy, and fact fluency. Fluency and automaticity with Math facts will have a significant affect on your student's success with Mathematics going forward all the way through high school and college. I suggest collecting these games to build up a library of practice materials.
Most of the games require 2-3 six or ten sided dice and some game markers. If you do not have dice available to use at home, simply write numbers on bits of paper and draw randomly from a bowl or hat. Game markers could be: buttons, cereal, crackers, beans, small toys, small candies like Skittles or M&M's, cut up paper squares, anything will do... You will just need to ensure different colors or materials are assigned to each player.
At the beginning of each new Math lesson, you will receive an informational page about what we are learning in school. Included in the information is an activity you can do at home to help your student develop understanding of this new concept. Students who complete these optional activities are more likely to master their 3rd grade Math standards.
Students will bring home Math fact games each week. Please make some time to play these games with your student. The games are fabulous for develop reasoning, strategy, and fact fluency. Fluency and automaticity with Math facts will have a significant affect on your student's success with Mathematics going forward all the way through high school and college. I suggest collecting these games to build up a library of practice materials.
Most of the games require 2-3 six or ten sided dice and some game markers. If you do not have dice available to use at home, simply write numbers on bits of paper and draw randomly from a bowl or hat. Game markers could be: buttons, cereal, crackers, beans, small toys, small candies like Skittles or M&M's, cut up paper squares, anything will do... You will just need to ensure different colors or materials are assigned to each player.
At the beginning of each new Math lesson, you will receive an informational page about what we are learning in school. Included in the information is an activity you can do at home to help your student develop understanding of this new concept. Students who complete these optional activities are more likely to master their 3rd grade Math standards.
Confused or frustrated by "new" Math? You are not alone!
I often hear complaints about the "new" way of teaching Math; and I know it can be frustrating to assist your student with learning strategies that are different from what you were taught. I think it could be validating and clarifying to watch these videos about why we teach Math differently now. If you need help, the internet may be able to offer some assistance. I will try to respond to Class Dojo messages if you send them at a reasonable hour (before 9 pm).
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In short, we want students to UNDERSTAND mathematical concepts rather than JUST teaching them how to arrive at the correct answer. As a child, I was convinced I was awful at Math because I was forced to memorize steps and procedures that seemed arbitrary and were poorly explained. It is my hope that students of today can avoid that feeling. Once they are exposed to various ways of approaching Math solutions, students can use the ones that work best for them. Your child can learn to be competent and confident with Math and number sense. It will be helpful if you and he/she approach Math with a positive, optimistic, and willing attitude. |