Language Arts: Students have been placed in guided reading groups and are working through "just right" texts. We have now been introduced to and are practicing all 9 reading strategies of self monitoring, questioning, visualizing, predicting, summarizing, determining importance, inferring, making connections, and synthesizing. Encourage the use of these strategies at home before, during, and after reading.
Math: Following CMT's and the April vacation, we will be revisiting a number of topics. Up first will be decimals! There will be a review of tenths and hundredths and an introduction to the thousandths place. Later we will take another look at how to collect and analyze data. This will include creating line plots and finding the mean, medians, and modes for data sets.
Basic Math Facts:
Every Friday students will be quizzed on their basic facts. The tests will rotate through the operations each week (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Students are given 5 minutes to complete 100 problems for each operation. It is expected that students practice the assigned operation for the week a little bit each night for homework. Fast Math students should be using the program at home through the Keeney Resource Page to help build fact fluency.
Science: Students will briefly be introduced to magnetism and how it relates to electricity in the week following the vacation. However, our next major unit of study will be Land & Water in which students will learn about the water cycle and create stream tables to get a better understanding of erosion.
Writing: Students are being introduced to a new type of writing...expository. This will ask students to respond to a prompt in a 5 paragraph essay. We will learn how to organize these paragraphs into an introduction, 3 main ideas, and a conclusion. We will also practice "spicing up" our writing with some golden bricks!
Social Studies: We have been learning about the 5 regions of the United States and how they are defined. We will now be taking an in depth look at each region, beginning with the Northeast. Students will learn the states and capitals of this region, the climate and major landforms, important resources, and some historical events that set it apart from other regions.
Spelling: Spelling words each week will be taken from student work so there can be a focus on words that are a common struggle in the class. Approximately 10 words will be introduced each week on Monday and quizzed on Friday. Students should be studying these words a little bit each night as part of their homework.
Grammar: We have already learned how to write a complete sentence, so now we are pulling apart those sentences and learning about words! We will tackle all the different parts of speech, but have begun by reviewing nouns. Students have learned the difference between common and proper nouns and how to turn a singular noun into a plural noun. This will certainly help us with our spelling! Students now need to work on transferring these skills to their everyday writing.
Important Info...
*Book Orders*: Every month a Scholastic Book Order will be sent home. If you wish to purchase any books, you now have two options! First, you can send in your order to school with your payment in the form of a check payable to Scholastic (no cash please!). The second option is to order the books yourself online! Simply follow the directions on the flier sent home each month with the book order.
Instrument Lessons: Our fourth graders are very excited to be learning musical instruments and lessons will be scheduled in the next few weeks! However, it is a big responsibility. Students are responsible for bringing their instruments to school and going to their lesson on time. Also, as students are leaving the classroom during this time, it is expected that any work that is missed will be made up.
Schedule: We are once again using the six day rotation schedule of days A-F.Each letter corresponds to the special for that day. Music will be days A and D, gym on days B and E, and art will be on days C anf F. Library is scheduled for E days, but will not begin until about the 3rd week of school. Instrument lessons will also be scheduled according to a letter day. This schedule should be available soon. Every month a calendar will be sent home on the back of the class newsletter, as well as posted as a link on the bottom of this webpage.
Homework: Students are to complete 20 minutes of reading, a reading assignment, and a math assignment each night. For any assignment(s) that is not turned in on time, a Homework Alert will be sent home and must be returned the next day with parent/guardian signature along with the missing assignment(s). A weekly homework planning sheet will be used along with a homework folder to help keep students organized and responsible.
Language Arts: Students have been placed in guided reading groups and are working through "just right" texts. We have now been introduced to and are practicing all 9 reading strategies of self monitoring, questioning, visualizing, predicting, summarizing, determining importance, inferring, making connections, and synthesizing. Encourage the use of these strategies at home before, during, and after reading.
Basic Math Facts: 
Science: Students will briefly be introduced to magnetism and how it relates to electricity in the week following the vacation. However, our next major unit of study will be Land & Water in which students will learn about the water cycle and create stream tables to get a better understanding of erosion. 
Writing: Students are being introduced to a new type of writing...expository. This will ask students to respond to a prompt in a 5 paragraph essay. We will learn how to organize these paragraphs into an introduction, 3 main ideas, and a conclusion. We will also practice "spicing up" our writing with some golden bricks!
Social Studies: We have been learning about the 5 regions of the United States and how they are defined. We will now be taking an in depth look at each region, beginning with the Northeast. Students will learn the states and capitals of this region, the climate and major landforms, important resources, and some historical events that set it apart from other regions.
Grammar: We have already learned how to write a complete sentence, so now we are pulling apart those sentences and learning about words! We will tackle all the different parts of speech, but have begun by reviewing nouns. Students have learned the difference between common and proper nouns and how to turn a singular noun into a plural noun. This will certainly help us with our spelling! Students now need to work on transferring these skills to their everyday writing.
