Fiction Elements, Visualizing, Good Citizens and Spelling Menu Practice

Reading- We will continue to discuss fiction text elements Students will be reminded of the importance of characters, setting, and plot (problem and solution) in fiction texts.  Then, we will move into visualizing.  This is an IMPORTANT reading strategy that helps kids and adults monitor comprehension as we read.  If we can't see it in our minds (visualize it) then we aren't understanding what's happening in the story.  We will focus on what words an author uses to help us create these images.

Writing- Your children have written two journal entries in their Writer's Notebooks.  Last week we learned about a sharing style called point.  The students reflected on what they liked about POINT and had this to say-- "You get to know someone better when you hear their story."  "I like that they told me something nice about my writing."  "It felt good to get a compliment."  As we work to write in a variety of ways this week, we will continue to use POINT as a way to reflect on our writing and get to know one another better.  

Word Work- This week, students will learn about our Spelling Menu.  We use a menu each week as part of our 3rd grade spelling homework.  Students will learn this week about each of the options on the menu and the where, when and what of spelling homework.  If you have access to a thesaurus and/or dictionary at home, great.  There are multiple choices about working with definitions, syllables,  synonyms or antonyms on our spelling menu. If you do not have access to a thesaurus, I will teach your child this week how he or she can check resources out from me each evening.

Social Studies- We will continue our work on Good Citizens this week in Social Studies.  Last week we learned about Ruby Bridges and Helen Keller.  This wee we will focus on Jane Addams, who started the Hull House, one of the very first community centers in America.  We will also learn about Clara Barton who was instrumental in starting the American Red Cross.  
Students will be encouraged to think about the power that volunteers have to make a community run well.  If you volunteer, please share what you do and why you do it with your child.
Towards the end of the week, we will learn about first responders in our community and nation.  Officer Miller will speak to our classes on Wednesday and we will have our Lunch With Heroes this week as well.  If there is anyone in your family or community circle who is a first responder, please talk about this person's commitment and dedication with your child.
Homework-Third graders will have 20 minutes of reading homework each night.  We checked out library books last Thursday, and will return to the library each week on Thursdays.  Students should record the book title in their planner each night to show that the required 20 minutes was completed.

Visualization, Connections and Community

Language Arts

Reading
I have been pulling your children in class to have them read for me.  I will be completing each child's reading assessment by the end of September. I am so thankful for the families who could meet with me last Saturday.  If your family did not meet with me last Saturday, then I will be pulling your child during class for him or her to read for me.
Our classes have been working on extending our ability to read independently during DEAR time (Drop Everything and Read)! 

Please know that your child's nightly homework is to read for 20 minutes. Then, he or she should write the title of the book and the book's genre in his or her planner.  I check everyday!  

In class we have started working on visualization.  Students have been asked to think about what images they see when they read or have words read to them.  We often refer to this as the movie in our mind.  They have been drawing their images for me and sharing them with the class.  These images that students create help solidify the meaning of the text.  If you can't picture it, you probably don't understand it!

We will review the idea of connects as the week closes, and work more closely with this next week.  Connections fall into three categories:  text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to world.  We will begin this week to create text-to-self connections.  
We will read and then work together to think...
What about this story reminds me of something I have done?...something I have experienced?...someone I know?These connections draw us closer to the text while building comprehension.
Writing
Over the summer I kept a gratitude journal.  I would journal each day about something I was thankful for.  I've discussed my experience with my classes and we have taken on a gratitude challenge.  Our goal is to write down 300 things we are thankful for by the end of the year.  Each day during our journal time, students add to their gratitude list.  Then, they either select a topic, or I provide one for them to journal about.  Our journals are not a place where spelling, punctuation and capitalization are important.  They simply serve as a place for us to get our thoughts and ideas out of our heads and onto paper.  It's been a great experience watching your kids share their thinking and their thanks.

Spelling

This was our first week for students to receive spelling words.  
Starting next week (this is a practice week), they should practice spelling and sorting the words each night using the activities found in the menu.  We will write the words in the correct sort inside their spelling spirals for them to have as a reference tool all week. 
I will collect spelling homework on Thursday mornings.  Thursday night your child's only spelling homework is to prepare for the spelling test on Friday. 
During the spelling test on Friday, students will be asked to spell and sort the words correctly.
This process will become routine and familiar with time.  Take deep breaths, and feel free to email me with any questions.  REMEMBER, this week is practice and NEXT week is our first week... so we will GO SLOW! 
Social Studies

We are continuing to focus on citizenship.  This week we have talked about Jane Addams, Ruby Bridges, Helen Keller, and Clara Barton.  These women made HUGE contributions to their communities.  We also took some time this week to focus on community heroes in honor of 9/11.  Students will have lunch with these heroes on Friday and present them with thank you notes and bookmarks.