ACADEMIC CONTENT/STANDARDS
*Homework: I try not to give much homework. I believe that children need to have well rounded experiences outside of school which will take up some time. That being said, we will do a lot of projects, but most are completed in class or mostly in class. This is a basic outline of what you can expect for homework:
Your child should spend about 30 minutes reading every night.
There will sometimes be math homework assignments. Students will always have time in class to work on the assignment while I teach the other grade level, but if they do not finish it in class, it becomes homework.They are also responsible for completing their assigned IXL practice and IREADY assignments/ Again, there is plenty of time in class to complete these if your child uses his or her time wisely.
NEVER SPEND MORE THAN AN HOUR on math homework. If you’ve given it your best shot, and you and your child are both frustrated, please just jot me a note. I’ve been there.
Spelling and vocabulary practice will be assigned to be completed over a two week timeframe. Your child will need to learn to budget his or her time and manage it wisely so as not to have too much to do right before the test. More details can be found below.
I will not give letter grades on homework; instead, students will receive completion points which will figure into the overall subject area grade
*Spelling/Vocabulary: I don’t have a traditional “spelling list”. Instead, we focus on a unit of words that share common Greek/ Latin roots. Students will be expected to spell the vocabulary list, but more importantly, they must understand the Greek/Latin roots and their meanings. This can best be achieved by regular practice using the daily assignments. Students should not wait to do the whole packet the day before the test. It is counterproductive and doesn’t teach much to just rush through it in one night. There will be a spelling test and also a vocabulary meaning test every two weeks.
*Language: Grammar lessons will be combined and will cover both 4th/5th grade standards. We do not use textbooks, as I will follow a scope and sequence for skills outlined in the standards. I will collect a language quiz for a grade about once a week. Students will have a few additional grammar and language assignments for grades as well.
*Writing: Each unit will have a genre focus and several writing craft, structure, and grammar focuses. I will use stories as mentor texts to model the type of writing I'm teaching for both grades. I will meet with students to view their notebooks and writing progress. Students will be expected to edit their writing with a peer before turning it in. Graded writing will be assessed with rubrics based on the skill focus for that piece. Generally, one published writing piece will be graded each month. Each assignment will have different requirements, and the rubric for these pieces will be provided to the students before they begin. I usually allow students to type their final drafts since they will be doing that in middle school.
Cursive: I will sometimes be writing in cursive to encourage students to learn to read it. While it is no longer required in Indiana elementary schools, I expect children to at least be able to write his/her first and last name in cursive, and to be able to read it. Cursive practice is usually provided to students to complete on their own in 2nd or 3rd grade. Students may write in cursive any time if it is neat and legible.
*Reading:
We will be reading class novels on a regular basis and comprehension questions will often be assigned for class novels.
Individual reading instruction will occur as I conference with students about their self-selected reading. I'll assess and take notes as they read to me, then guide and make suggestions individually.
Small group instruction for those who need it will be conducted weekly or twice weekly in order to help strengthen your child’s reading skills
Goal setting will be very important in our Accelerated Reader program. Point goals will be set based on individual reading levels. Students will set quarterly goals. AR quiz averages will be part of their reading grade. Students should read at least 120 min. per week outside of class.
EVERY month, students must read ONE AR novel (on their individual level) of MORE than 100 pages. They must pass the quiz over that book. This is another component to their reading grade. They should not wait until the end of the month to select a book!!
EVERY month, students must read TWO AR nonfiction texts (on their individual level) and pass the quiz. With the newest state standards, more emphasis must be placed on nonfiction reading, so this component will be a large part of the informational text grade.
The TSC uses an IREADY Diagnostic test three times a year to help determine your child’s needs and proficiencies in meeting the Indiana state standards.
*Math:
I will need to instruct the two grades separately most of the time.
Look for practice pages as homework if not completed in class. If a student is not doing his/her practice pages and turning them in, it will lower the grade because each completed homework assignment is given a completion point.
Students will also have weekly IXL assignments that will correspond to the skills being taught during the week. If your child uses his/her class time wisely, there is plenty of time to complete these in class.
Students will also be working through the daily online practice program that accompanies our math curriculum, called iREADY. All Wea students are expected to practice 10 minutes per day and I will provide time at school for this. If your child is using his/her time wisely, they should not need to do this practice at home.
Quizzes will be frequent in order to assess your child’s understanding of the concepts. These are typically worth around 10 points.
Tests will follow each major unit of study and are usually worth about 25-30% of your child’s grade.
The TSC uses an IREADY Diagnostic test three times a year to help determine your child’s needs and proficiencies in meeting the Indiana state standards.
In order to cover all standards for both grade levels, content for Science and Social Studies will be spread over two years so that anything not covered when your child is in 4th grade will be studied in 5th grade. Thus, they are prepared for the state tests!
*Science: We will be doing Science in units that will be designed to fit both grade level standards. I generally do not use the district’s adopted science curriculum and have curated my own lessons that I feel work best for my students. We will be very "hands-on," but we will also read plenty of science content as they need to learn content as well as discovery through inquiry. The students will learn to take notes and to use them to prepare for quizzes and tests on the content.
*Social Studies: Because the content for 4th and 5th is pretty different in social studies, we will use “Social Studies Weekly” publications for some content learning. Content reading may need to be assigned as homework. Tests and quizzes will be graded and recorded, and rubrics will be provided for projects.
STATE and CORPORATION ASSESSMENTS
ILEARN Checkpoints: These assessments are written by the Department of Education to closely resemble the state ILEARN yearly assessments. Checkpoints are given once a quarter and are focused on only a few skills each checkpoint. If a child does not perform at grade level on the checkpoint, he/she will be asked to take it again. The hope is to better prepare our students for the yearly ILEARN tests which are used to officially measure your child’s growth.
ILEARN State Assessment
Typically these tests are administered in the spring. They are used to assess your child’s yearly growth and the school’s performance.