This Week's Instructional Focus

Math

We will continue our investigation into shapes. During this unit we will look at identifying shapes by various attributes. We will also compose and decompose two and three-dimensional shapes as well as describe spatial and numerical relationships found among shapes. While students will explore different shapes in this unit the underlying message is for them to understand the different situations where they can use repeated addition. Please continue to work with your child at home on their basic addition facts. Our timed, 3-minute, practice addition drills will continue until Thanksgiving.

Reading: Fables

This week we will focus on different fables. A fable is a short story that teaches a moral, or lesson. The characters in fables are often animals that act and talk like humans.

Phonics: Continued Review

· Long vowels: when a vowel is long it says it name.

· Short vowels: when a vowel is short it makes the vowel’s sound.

· Two sounds for g: hard g (/g/ in gem) and soft g (/j/j in germ).

· Two sounds for c: hard c (/k/ as in camping) and soft c (/s/ as in city).

· Double consonants: understanding that a double consonant stands for a single sound

Grammar: Revising Stringy Sentences

This week we will review the structure of a sentence. Please remind your child that a sentence is a group of words that tells what someone or something does or ends. Sentences begin with capital letters and end with a punctuation mark. Children often use stringy sentences in their writing; a sentence that has too many ands. My goal is to help them learn how to make their writing more concise by learning how to rewrite their own stringy sentences.

Spelling: Study these words at home. The test will be on Friday. Along with the spelling test, your child will be given 2 dictated sentences, which he/she will need to write. We are looking for words to be spelled correctly, as well as proper use of capitalization and punctuation.

animal, were, people, said, before, neck, lake, sick, ask, lick, pack, woke, kick, lock, poke

Writing: Narrative

We will continue looking at narrative writing until Thanksgiving. This week we will finish our story about a time when we were scared.

Science: Properties of Matter

In science we will begin exploring the properties of matter. This week we will look at the transformative property of matter.

This week we will be working on the following skills:

Math

This week we will begin our investigation into shapes. During this unit we will look at identifying shapes by various attributes. We will also compose and decompose two and three-dimensional shapes as well as describe spatial and numerical relationships found among shapes.

Reading: Owl Moon & Owls

This week we will review the comprehension skills that we have learned during Theme 2. The comprehension skills that we will be reviewing are as follows: compare & contrast, fact & opinion, and categorize & classify.

Phonics: Review

· Long vowels: when a vowel is long it says it name.

· Short vowels: when a vowel is short it makes the vowel’s sound.

· Two sounds for g: hard g (/g/ in gem) and soft g (/j/j in germ).

· Two sounds for c: hard c (/k/ as in camping) and soft c (/s/ as in city).

· Double consonants: understanding that a double consonant stands for a single sound

Grammar: Sentences

This week we will review the four sentence types: statement, question, command, and exclamation. A statement tells something about someone or something and ends with a period. A question asks about someone or something and ends with a question mark. Commands are sentences that tell someone what to do and end in a period. An exclamation is a sentence that shows strong feeling or emotion (such as surprise or fear) and ends with an exclamation mark.

Spelling

where, because, always, many, great, ready, around, laugh, sure, across, later, little, they, when, what

Writing: Narrative

We will continue looking at narrative writing until Thanksgiving. This week we begin a story about a time when we were scared.

Science: Properties of Matter

In science we will begin exploring the properties of matter. This week we will explore how objects can be described based on their physical attributes.

This week we will be working on the following skills:

Math

This week we will continue looking at addition and subtraction word problems. Please remember that each week we will have a timed drill on addition facts. You can help your child with this at home by using flash cards to practice the facts.

Reading: Around the Pond: Who’s Been Here?

Our comprehension focus will be on classifying and categorizing. When you classify, you group together several things that have something in common. When you tell how parts of the group are alike, you categorize them.

This week’s comprehension strategy is: monitor and clarify. When readers monitor and clarify they stop and make sure the meaning of what they have read is clear. They also stop to indentify words that they are unfamiliar with and sentences and phrases that need clarification. Correct utilization of this strategy means that students reread, look at the pictures, and read ahead if the meaning of a story doesn’t make sense.

Phonics: Double Consonants

We have been exploring the different sounds consonants make. This week we will look at words with double consonants. Double consonants are words where the consonant is doubled. For example: begged, bottles, collect, common, correct, different, hugged, jelly, latter, and lesson.

Grammar: Sentences -- Exclamations

We will continue working on sentences. In order to be considered a sentence the group of words must expresses a complete thought and have two parts: a naming part and an action part. The naming part tells whom or what the sentence is about; the action part tells what is happening. This week we will look at exclamations. An exclamation shows strong feeling or emotion and ends with an exclamation mark.

Spelling

across, great, water, because, around, bell, off, mess, add, hill, well, egg, will, grass

Sight Words: your child should be able to read the following words:

Around, caught, because, water, across, brother, great, stand, been, found, front

Writing: Narrative

We will continue looking at narrative writing. This week we will continue working on a piece that we started last week telling about a family vacation. Please remind your child to use a capital letter at the beginning of their sentence and a punctuation mark at the end.

Science: Properties of Matter

In science we will begin exploring the properties of matter. This week we will explore how objects can be described based on their physical attributes.