updated September 18, 2017

Hold on to that Weekly Quiz

Help your children hold on to that corrected weekly quiz! The content will haunt them. Yes, concepts assessed with our weekly quiz come back throughout the year, most obviously in unit and chapter tests. I use the quiz data to inform my instruction. I’ll review, reteach or move forward as necessary… and then assess again in the form of checkpoints, chapter tests or unit tests. No matter how many times I tell them, this will not be real to fourth graders until they have a chapter test or unit assessment and recognize some of the questions. Then they’ll fully understand the importance of reviewing their corrected quiz and continuing to master skills or understand content. Help your child develop a routine for reviewing the corrected quiz each week. Celebrate the great learning taking place each day. Encourage continuing practice and study.

Weekly Quiz Routine:

A weekly quiz is given every Friday morning. This covers material taught that week, includes a fluency check from a read aloud students are familiar with and a written summary of an article from “Time for Kids”. Students take notes for this quiz in a composition book. Note taking is an emerging skill for most students, so I routinely send home teacher generated notes as well. Learning to study requires effort and time. Strategies that work best for some might not work for others. Where to start? See the study tips list included in the Fourth Grade Curriculum Packet. Can’t find that? Check out the tips listed at http://www.parenting.com/article/how-to-help-your-kid-study-for-a-test

Social Studies:

Fourth graders are practicing identifying hemispheres. We’ve read what our text offers, watched video clips, completed worksheets, discussed and practiced in small groups using classroom globes. Now we need practice at home!

Today each fourth grader is getting a small squeeze ball globe to keep as their own and use outside school. I’ve drawn rough Equators and Prime Meridians. Please spend time each day helping your child identify Northern vs. Southern Hemisphere and Eastern vs. Western Hemisphere. Toss the ball to your child. Have them name the hemispheres their right thumb touches. The Americas are in the West. Australia and Asia are in the East. North? Look for North America and Europe. South? Find most of South America and Australia. Identifying Hemispheres will be part of this week’s weekly quiz.

Dates to Remember

Monday, 9/18, 12:35 PM: Math MAPS testing

2:30 PM Gift Wrapping Kick Off Assembly

Charleston Wrap

Wednesday, 9/20: Picture Day, free dress

Thursday, 9/21, 12:35 PM: Reading MAPS

Tuesday, 9/26, 8:35 AM: Language Arts MAPS

Friday, 10/6: No School, Teacher In-Service

Friday, 10/20: Half day, noon dismissal

Saturday, 10/28: Halloween Carnival

Homework

Monday: Read for 20 minutes

Spelling worksheet – Complete one side. Silently read the flip side. Ask an adult to help with any words you don’t know. Put this sheet in a safe place. You will use it all week and turn it in on Friday.

Writing: Writing (and math) assignment

Give newsletter to parents.

Tuesday: Read for 20 minutes

Read spelling article out loud. Ask an adult to help you pronounce any words you don’t know.

Reading assignment

Math worksheet

Wednesday: Read for 20 minutes

Read spelling article out loud.

Try to sound like a news reporter on TV. .

Math worksheet

Science (and Reading) assignment

Thursday: Read for 20 minutes

Read spelling out loud. Be ready to read a portion of this to Mrs. Wilson. Have spelling sheet ready to turn in.

Study for spelling test and weekly quiz.

Helpful Websites

Cursive Writing Resources

http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/cursive/animation/lowercase.htm

To see the animation, move your mouse over a letter. Lowercase

http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/cursive/animation/uppercase.htm

To see the animation, move your mouse over a letter. Uppercase

http://www.donnayoung.org/penmanship/cursive-animations.htm

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for cursive letter animation video clips for each letter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PBUYzWXEIQ

Continuous video clip, capital letters first, then lower case… not exactly how OLG teaches them, but clear and concise.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cursiva-lite/id976052613?mt=8

One of several free apps… Try them and share your experience with the rest of us.

Social Studies

Youtube clip guides you to create a map of Washington State. We call the “Puget Sound Lowlands” the “Western Lowlands”. Otherwise, this is perfect for helping us learn our state’s geography.