Dear Families,
We've
started our second week of school and the class did so well today. I was very proud of them. We are creating a culture that is respectful,
kind and busy!
Today
we talked about homework. They took home
a math sheet that is due on Friday. It
is mostly review but please glance over it before they bring it in on Friday. It is one page, back to back, sometimes it
will be more. I also talked with them
about the homework expectations I have for them this year.
Note: Most homework goes out on Monday and comes
back to class on Friday.
- · Every week there will be some math homework connected to our Bridges Math Curriculum. After assessments are complete I will differentiate the homework to meet the needs of students. For example, some kids will get addition practice, but a level ahead, some might need more review. I will make those decisions with each unit.
- · Students are expected to read (outside the classroom) at least 20 minutes each day. Next Monday they will bring home a graph to chart their reading from Monday through Thursday. I’ve already talked with them about strategies to get to that number, considering their very busy lives. They can always read more.
- · On the other side of that graph is one for Math Facts Practice. I am asking for 15 minutes a day of practicing Math Facts - Addition Facts, Subtraction Facts, Multiplication and Division. This can be as simple as Flash Cards or throwing out math problems in the car on the way to soccer. But http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/resources/families is a great website from our Bridges publisher. Scroll down to Online Skills Practice, click on third grade and scroll down to the games. Math Magician is great for basic facts. We want them solid in addition and subtraction facts before they move to multiplication and division. These skills are the foundation of all the Math learning in third grade. Please give them some time to practice.
The
graphing and practice at home is differentiated because students are reading
books at their level, and they are studying the math facts at their own
pace. It also cuts down on huge homework
packets and tons of paper. On my end, I will be assessing their ability
to recall basic math facts with Fluency Checkups. These can be stressful for some kids because
they are timed. The more they practice,
the less the stress.
- · We’ll also have weekly spelling and a test on Friday. We won’t start that until we finish Henry Huggins’ Neighborhood. I have some fun ways for kids to practice spelling words. Look for them in a couple of weeks.
- · Occasionally, there will be some science or social studies related homework. Not a lot, most of the work we do in science is experiential and done in the classroom.
- · Finally, we’ll assign a few home projects that require more than a week of work to prepare. These projects, like the Egg Drop, require students to plan, draft, revise and prepare a final project. Students will have between three to five weeks to finish this type of project.
I hope this gives you a sense of what to
expect from homework. We will talk more
about it at Back to School Night.
.
Thanks
for all your support,
Valerie
McKenzie
