October 3-9

It is hard to believe October is already here! Please ensure children have appropriate clothing at school for those cooler days.

Literacy:

As we continue to focus on Self Monitoring, we will begin to apply our strategies to non fiction texts as well. We will be looking at a variety of text features of non fiction texts (i.e. table of contents, index, glossary, text boxes, sub headings, illustrations, etc), and how these features can help us to better understand these types of texts. I have included a list of our strategies, so students can use them during their home reading as well. 

Don’t Get Stuck on the Reading Escalator!

How to Self Monitor to Understand the Author’s Message Readers notice when something doesn’t make sense. They have different ways to solve the problem.

Readers stop and think about what they know (connections)

2. Readers go back and reread the sentence or paragraph to check for the author’s meaning.

3. Readers continue reading and look for more information.

4. Readers ask questions, and search for answers as they read on.

5. Readers ask for help with understanding.

Ways Readers Solve Words

Readers look at the letters and the chunks to sound out words.

2.  Readers look at parts of the word.

3.  Readers use what they know about other words to figure out new words.

4.  Readers think about what would make sense in the sentence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrSUe_m19FY - this video highlights the importance of being willing to problem solve, just like we are doing as readers when we are self monitoring :)

We will also be reading a number of "recount" or "memoir" read alouds. These will be great references and examples for when we begin creating our own recounts. In the meantime we are continuing to build our writer's notebooks. I am very impressed at the variety of ideas that the students are coming up with, and am very much looking forward to some of the writing projects that will emerge from these "seeds" in the future!

Math:

We will be wrapping up our first unit on representing numbers (N1 and N2). We will have a short quiz at the end of this week. We will be moving on to Estimating Sums and Differences. It is important to review math facts (addition and subtraction) at home. 

Homework:

Thank you for your diligence with homework last week! We are starting with Word Study homework this week. You will see word study scribblers coming home in your child's homework folder. Inside the front cover you will find a schedule of activities, as well as explanations of these activities. Please ensure this scribbler is returned by, or before, Friday along with the reading logs and math sheets. Thanks again for your support!

Important Dates:

• Monday, Oct. 3 - Magazine Campaign wraps up. Please ensure any subscriptions and money are sent into the school. 
• Tuesday, Oct. 4 - Cross Country Meet
• Wednesday, Oct. 5 - Annual Walk to School