Mrs. Lowry's Classroom Update
Happy Autumn Fourth Grade Parents and Students!
I hope the start of the 2011-2012 School Year has been a good experience for all. Students and teachers are now getting into a rhythm of school and homework. We have a wonderful class this year, and with a positive attitude, I know that we can go far.
Here is a quick review of what we have accomplished.
Math: In math, we have completed Chapters 1 (Geometry), Chapter 2 (Using Numbers and Organizing Data) and Chapter 3, which is all about Multiplication. We are in the process of reviewing Chapter 3 for our end of unit test. Please have students study their multiplication facts every night, as this unit is the springboard for so many other concepts such as division, fractions, and probability to name a few. Your support in this area is key to your student's success.
~10 minutes of nightly math fact practice is needed to sharpen skills to make math fun and easy.
Reading: We have been reading and analyzing poems each week. We have noticed rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and sensory images that the poets use to bring their poems to life. Students have also completed the book, Fourth Grade Rats. Students responded in various ways as we read- oral, written, or in Socratic Circles. Discussions also included a comparison of the main characters, Joey and Suds to Bradley and Jeff in our read-aloud and bully prevention book, A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Jerry Spinelli. Students are now well into reading Frindle.
Students also continue to access the classroom and Jacobs School libraries to read "just right" books for their reading pleasure. 
Writing: Students keep writing folders, which include a student-generated list of topics, organizers,, a personal dictionary, a packet of "vivid words", a list of "frequently misspelled words", and various writing pieces at different stages of the writing process. So far this term, students have written personal narratives, a procedural writing describing "How to Build a Scarecrow", a summary of The Value of Believing in Yourself, The Story of Louis Pasteur, an essay on "Fire Safety", and various responses to math and science. Our focus has been editing for capitals and punctuation, as well as, extending our writing. In November, students have an
added focus- Open Responses for M.C.A.S. selections. Through careful modeling and practice, students will continue to improve on their responses to literature.
Spelling/Phonics: ~Students are responsible for correctly spelling all of the words listed on the "No Excuses Spelling" web page. Weekly at-home test should provide enough review to encourage students to use proper "fourth grade spelling" in their writing. Students add misspelled words to a changing list posted on their desk, so that they spell them correctly each time they write.
Month-to-Month Phonics involves using five strategies to attack phonics:
Goal 1: Learning high-frequency, commonly misspelled words
Goal 2: Learning words that follow a pattern
Goal 3: Spelling words with two or more patterns- what looks right?
Goal 4: Decoding and spelling polysyllabic words- root words, prefixes, and suffixes
Goal 5: Finding words in context- guessing the covered word
Social Studies: ~Students are learning about current events and mapping skills in Scholastic News. Also, they continue to practice tutorials and play mapping games on Sheppard Software to learn more about regions, capitals, and landscapes in the U.S.
Science: Students have begun to learn about Rocks and Minerals in the second part of our Earth Science Unit. Expect the Family Rock Hunt to come home before Thanksgiving. Students will be learning all about how to identify rocks and minerals using the properties of rocks and various identification techniques. They will also be learning about the rock cycle and how our Earth is constantly changing.
Classroom Wish List:
Clorox wipes
Kleenex
paper towels
hand wipes
Thank you!
Mrs. Lowry
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