Independence
Fourth grade is an important year for students to step into more independence. For this reason, my teaching style is to continue to put more responsibility on the students as we continue through the year.
If and/or when your child reaches a small stumbling block, we work through it in the classroom before I reach out to parents. Many times, the problem is solved before it needs to be communicated to parents. If something continues to be a problem, then I will reach out.
Behavior cards are a part of that independence. They will learn responsibility for turning in work, restroom breaks and merits/demerits. You can check the card or their assignment notebook every night if you would like to see a quick snapshot of their day.
Homework
Homework will mostly be work that is not finished during class time or work time. An example is Simple Solutions; if they are not able to finish during the time provided during the day, they will have homework. They may also be asked to bring home their work when reviewing before a test.
There are some lessons for CKLA that will have homework. Many of those homework assignments are to practice fluency and comprehension for the stories we are reading.
Nightly review of basics, such as math facts, spelling words, or vocabulary lists, is very helpful. Silent reading nightly is a great skill to start or continue at this age.
Friday Folders
Every Friday, your child will bring home a folder that has finsihed work from the week. There may also be important letters or information from the school or myself. Please check the folder and return it to school the following Monday.
Assignment Notebook
At the end of each school day, we will fill out the assignment notebook together. The assignment notebook should go back and forth from home to school each day, regardless of homework. You can check this to see what they learned and their assignments for the day. They will also record their spelling words in the assignment notebook weekly. Please sign the assignment notebook each night.