Thank you for talking with your child about expected behaviors. We are succeeding more and more often. We can tell the class is truly working to think before they speak out or interrupt. You can see them questioning themselves and pulling back to refrain from joking at the wrong time or saying something in the hope it will get a laugh even if it may be unkind. At the beginning of our project it did get a laugh, but now more and more classmates are saying, “That’s not funny.” or “That’s not kind.” We can be proud to their growing effort to be up-standers, rather than bystanders. Slowly, but surely we are making progress.

We have enjoyed having Megan as part of our class for most of the month. Thank you for everything. We wish you all the best in your second semester – visit often!

Global Geography – Bring on the Research!

The children have selected their countries and they’ve begun reading and researching. The children began by taking time to write all they thought they knew about their chosen country and by thinking of questions they might have. Next they began to explore websites using KidRex.org, a kid friendly search engine and reading books. Learning about a different country is challenging. This week we spent time talking about how books and websites share what is different and special about a place. They don’t always share what is typical and ordinary. You may want to check in with your child to find out what he or she understands and clarify misconceptions (if you can – they don’t always want to listen.) It can sometimes make you smile as you imagine what your child is thinking – all Kenyans dressed as Masai warriors walking through the skyscrapered city of Nairobi.

Our global research project will be structured around the idea of gathering seven wonders from each country. We’ll be learning about the national symbols as one wonder. After that we’ll be looking to find a manmade and a natural wonder – at least one of each. Next we’ll be looking for a national pastime, a food the country is known for and a person who might be a source of national pride. And finally the children will be searching to identify what they have found most interesting about their country to share with others.

Next week we will talk as a class to plan when we will share our research. This will be another “museum event” in our classroom. We will decide on a date in mid-February and send it to you as soon as possible.

Humphrey Book Clubs – Fun! Fun! Fun!

We began our Humphrey books clubs this week. Children are meeting in small groups, agreeing on the chapters they’ll read for the next meeting and completing “bookmarks” for each chapter. When they complete a chapter they have been asked to think about and record the important events. Then they are considering all that they know about the story so far to make predictions and inferences about what they think is a likely possibility. This is all part of our grade level expectation that students develop strategies that deepen their comprehension of texts.

The groups are setting their own deadlines. It seems as though most of the groups are following through with reading and discussing.   They seem to have been realistic and respectful of different reading speeds and styles. This isn’t about finishing first – it is about thinking deeply. If your child is feeling pressure that s/he doesn’t want to say here at school, please let me know. From what I think I see and hear in the classroom, children are feeling excited about reading together and sharing.

Exploring Place Value

We are beginning to explore place value. We’ve started out slowly to discover what the children are sure of. They know tens and ones and how they are combined and separated. We are moving on to hundreds, and thousands and working to develop a more certain sense of the “power of 10.” Through practice we hope to help the children see the patterns of this work. The goal is to help all of them move from adding and subtracting in parts to using the standard algorithm with understanding.

Bits and Pieces –

• Game Club began this week. A big thank you to Alison Duffy for making this happen for our class. We had a great time playing together yesterday. If your child would like to join us, they are more than welcome. Just send a note giving permission. The more the merrier!
• We’ve continued reading a new fable each day this week. We read The Crow and the Pitcher, The Sun and the North Wind, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Fox and the Stork. We are enjoying them, along with the challenge of thinking about how the morals might apply to us now.
• We’ve begun our last set of lower case letters in cursive – the hills and valleys group. It’s pretty exciting to know that we’ll soon be able to write almost anything in cursive.
• We’ve spent time learning about comparative and superlative adjectives. We’ve learned about the syllable rule though we’ve not had much practice with using more and most.
• We completed Secrets According to Humphrey. This book explored the idea of keeping secrets in a classroom. At the end of each chapter, Humphrey always shared a helpful tip about secrets. In the book there were many secrets being kept in Room 26. The surprises and special projects were good ones because they were eventually shared and fun for everyone. The secret clubs and signals were bad ones because they were distracting and exclusive.   They hurt people’s feelings. When we finished the book we made scenes featuring Humphrey and Og. The students chose and wrote out their own helpful tip about secrets. They were very thoughtful and creative.
• We also began The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs as our sixth chapter read aloud. It is fun to read following the two Humphrey books because it is by the same author. It has, however, a totally different tone and voice. The story also connects with our search for “wonders” in our world and in our upcoming state research project that will begin in spring.
• Save the date: On May 25 we will be holding the grade 3 celebration of the United States with Parade of States starting at 4:45.
• We have a challenge next week, January 26 with Mr. Caron. Depending on the weather it may be outside so please be prepared.
• Thank you to the Duffy family for sharing snacks, tissues and disinfectant wipes for our classroom.

Thank you for all you do to support learning in 3E!