Reading/ELA Overview:

We are working with our novel study for Unit 2.1. The novel study will have its own vocabulary words to be tested at the end of the unit. The focus skills will be threaded throughout the novel study. Our reading focus skills will be the central idea (main idea) and details, theme, prefixes, and character traits. Our grammar skills will deal with nouns: identifying nouns in sentences, proper and common nouns, concrete and abstract nouns, singular and plural nouns, and those pesky irregular plural nouns. The progress monitoring assessment will probably fall during the last week of October. 

Spelling words for Week 6 will be introduced and tested this week

Spelling will occur only when we have a full five-day week. Mondays will always be a pre-test, and homework will be assigned based on the scores of the pre-test. Tuesday through Thursday we will do small activities/lessons in our reading block. Homework will be due on Thursdays. Friday will be the test. Spelling words and homework options can be found on the Reading/ELA page. 

Vocabulary and Grammar Assessments will always fall around the same time as the Reading Assessment, typically the day before. Reading Assessments (Progress Monitoring Assessments or PMAs) are "cold reads," passages the students have not seen before; they test the students on their ability to apply the skills that they have learned throughout the unit. **Students are permitted to use their reading/ELA notebooks as a resource for all assessments, with the exception of vocabulary.**

Math Overview:

Topic four dealt with multiplying numbers by two digits. We learned several strategies for this. There are videos in my digital math notebook on slide 8 that can help with these strategies, as they may seem foreign to many parents. Trust me, though, they do work well for many of the students. I tell them to pick the strategy that gets them the right answer, because that's what matters in the long run. The test will fall on October 21st. After that we head into long division.

Knowing multiplication facts is very important now, as multiplication facts will be used for all upcoming math skills. Please practice multiplication facts at home, or upcoming math skills will become very difficult as they all rely on knowing multiplication facts.

IXLs and Practice Buddies must be at a certain percentage to be considered "completed" as classwork or homework; however, the students typically have until the day before the assessments to take those scores as high as they can. These scores are averaged and entered as grades, and can help boost the students' overall math scores.

There will always be a practice test for homework that we review very carefully the day before the topic assessment. This can be used as a study guide to help prepare for the actual assessment. Students will be permitted (and strongly encouraged) to use their math notebooks as a resource when taking assessments.

Math grades are compiled from formative assignments such as assigned IXLs and Practice Buddies, and summative assignments including fact tests, basic concept quizzes, and the final topic assessment. Homework completion will also play a part in the final grade for the marking period.

Science Overview:

The students are with Ms. Moran for Social Studies for the remainder of the marking period.

They will return to me on the 24th for science.