Dear Families

October 22, 2013

Dear Families,

                Today I am sending home a reading and math practice log with your student.  I have included expectations for students and suggested ways to meet them.  I am trying to cut down on the huge amount of paperwork that homework creates.  Especially when I believe the best homework for students is to read, read, read, and to have basic math facts memorized.  I will continue to send home math that reinforces our Bridges Math curriculum and additional work as it comes up.  If your student needs a modification in these expectations let me know. 

                As students meet fluency benchmarks in class, they can move from one math domain to the next.   I will continue to send home the fluency checkups as they come up in the curriculum; so that you see those areas in which your child meets the benchmark.

                                                                                                                Thanks for your support,

                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                Valerie McKenzie

Practice Log

Expectations:  Reading Third Graders should read for at least 30 minutes a day.  That can include a combination of reading alone, reading with someone or being read to.  Third Graders are expected to read 25 chapter books in a school year.	Expectations:  Basic Facts Practice One of the new shifts in Common Core State Standards in Math is that third graders will commit times tables to 10 to memory.  That requires practice outside the school day.  It is assumed, in the new standards, that they will have the addition facts through 20 memorized in second grade.  Practicing math facts can be as simple as using flash cards or using computer math games. 15 minutes practice a day is the expectation in Room 21.
List the book title, pages read, minutes spent reading below.	List the math facts (add, subt, mult, div) practiced and time spent below.
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
Name:__________________________________ Date:___________________________________	Parent Signature:­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­__________________________

Reading/Math Practice Log

Dear Families,

I sent these attachments home with students yesterday.  Please return them with the Special Delivery envelopes on Monday.

Kids had lots of questions as we talked about the expectations.

-can we read more than 30 minutes a day?   -Yes!

-can we read to someone?  Yes, but the 30 minutes a day minimum is for reading books/magazines at your grade level. 

- what if we have soccer practice and basketball practice on the same day and no time for reading and math practice?  Number 1, school work comes first.  Number 2, parents can communicate with me, maybe you double up on Saturday or Sunday.

-can I do diffent types of math?  Yes, but continue to practice math facts.  We'll continue to send home Bridges Math as it comes up in the curriculum.  As kids hit benchmarks they can practice other math concepts, elapsed time, geometry, etc.

 Hope this clears any confusion you may have.

 

 

Henry Huggins Neighborhood

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