SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

• Read aloud picture books. Young readers benefit from hearing the rich language and looking closely at the kid-friendly art of picture books, even though they themselves cannot yet read these conventionally on their own. Reading to your child in English or a mother-tongue language and talking about the story and the pictures will deeply support an appreciation of reading as a social, meaningful activity. If you have older children, they can also read to their younger siblings, benefitting both readers.

• Encourage young readers to reread a familiar book, approximating reading. This is known as “emergent storybook reading.” When a child knows a book almost by heart, it’s natural for them to want to read it themselves, though they are not going to read it with complete accuracy. You might make a bin of favorite picture books that you’ve read many times, and set up times for your child to reread them out loud, alone or with you. Celebrate that they’re turning the pages, looking at the pictures, reading with a storyteller’s voice, and getting dramatic with dialogue! Here’s a video of an entire class working on this at the same time:

  • Emergent Storybook Reading

• Listen to audio books with your child. There are some amazing recordings of picture books available through the local libraries. Hearing the language of children’s literature will build vocabulary not typical of everyday spoken language. When listening with very young readers to picture books, looking at the physical book together will be helpful so that the pictures are part of the experience. Be ready to pause the recording to be able to linger on a page. Although this list says “for Preschoolers,” it is just fine for your Kindergarteners as well!

  • 20 Audiobooks for Preschoolers

• Engaging your child with their leveled books. Starting in October, based on assessments, children in JA will bring home books that they are ready to read themselves in their book baggies, in addition to other books they are interested in (which you can read aloud as mentioned above). Books at the earliest levels are likely to have a pattern that repeats across pages. You could start by taking turns reading pages. Even though these books are very short and have minimal content, try your best to use the pictures and the words to have a conversation! Expect kids to read out loud and to point to each word as they read it as a tracking support. After you’ve read a book together, you can encourage the child to reread the whole book at least one more time, more fluently and without your reading every other page. This video shows an example of what it’s like to work with a young child with a leveled book:

  • Partner Reading with a Leveled Book

• Label your home! Ok, maybe not everything in your home. But putting labels on your kitchen cabinets and drawers that say “Dishes,” “Glasses,” “Silverware” can support children in learning what these everyday words look like. You might decide to label in the language you speak at home - either instead of or in addition to English labels. Encourage your child to read the label out loud as they look for “pants” in the pants drawer. This just makes for lots of opportunities to put reading in the context of home life.

• Make kid-friendly grocery lists. (see below) As you walk the aisles, get your personal helper to read aloud the next item on the list, then have them check it off when you’ve got it in your cart/basket.

Phonics:

• Letters, Letters, Letters! Make letters accessible in a variety of formats and in many places in your home. The classic refrigerator magnets are great, especially if you are able to engage your child in letter play while you’re doing other things in the kitchen. You can do a kind of scavenger hunt with questions like “Find the “D”!” What letter does “sink” start with?” (Don’t try that one with “knife” 😃.) Bathtub letters that stick to the tub are also fun, and you can play the same kind of game. Keep the tone light and fun, and quit when the child gets bored or frustrated. No need to push - the whole point is to bring joy to this learning and to embed it in fun family scenes.

• A bin of alphabet books. This can be a revolving bin from the public library, in case you don’t want to invest in many alphabet books. But the more of these books that you can have on hand for your child to look through and practice associating letters with words that start with that sound, the better! It helps them to transfer their understandings and solidify the connections they’re making between written letters, sounds, and words with meanings.

• Online apps that playfully support phonics learning. Some examples of high quality online phonics apps are:

  • StarfallStarfall: https://www.starfall.com/h/abcs/index.php

  • Montessori Letter Sounds - Phonics in English, Spanish, French and Italian

  • Montessori Letter Sounds - Phonics in English, Spanish, French and Italian (on iOS devices only for $3.99) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id479243891?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

• The Story of your Flags: Take some time to learn about the history and meaning behind the flags of your nationality!

Counting

• Counting Fish The player counts small numbers of animated fish. Talk to your child about different ways to count the fish, perhaps by finding groups of 2 or 3 fish. Players scoring 70% or better will move to the next level. The directions are spoken aloud.

• Counting Games Choose from an assortment of games: Teddy Numbers, Underwater Counting, Gingerbread Man Games, Ladybird Spots.

• Number Frames Use frames to count, represent, compare, and compute. This free manipulative is available both as an app and online.

• Number Rack Count and compare movable, colored beads. This free manipulative is available both as an app and online.

• Ten-Frame Select from several games that challenge students to count objects, build numbers, or answer basic addition problems using a ten frame. A Five-Frame is also available.

Numbers: Recognize, Order, & Compare

• Connect the Dots with Art Games Connect dots by clicking on numbers in order to make a picture.

• Numerical Order Players order numbers from 1-10 (Level 1) and 11-20 (Level 2). Audio directions.

• Number Bubble: Count to 100 Fill in the missing numbers by popping bubbles and dropping the number on the correct spaces.

• Balloon Pop Comparison Pop the balloon to match a statement, either "greater number" or "lesser number."

Basic Addition & Subtraction

• Marble Math Players see and hear an addition problem. They can drag marbles onto a work surface to help them figure out the problem. Play includes five levels of addition, starting with simple 1-digit problems. Players must score 70% or greater to advance levels. Audio directions.

• MathTappers: Find Sums An app compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, this simple, free game uses ten-frames and is designed to help learners make sense of addition. It's an excellent game to explore with your child while you're on the go.

• Math Lines In this game, race to pair numbers that add up to a target sum. Before your child plays, review the pairs of numbers that add up to the target sum. You might even look at different ways to make the number using game pieces, marbles, or pennies.

• Fuzz Bugs Number Bond Select a target sum and challenge your child to click and drop the missing number into the number bond at the bottom of the screen. Consider using 10 as a target sum or choose from another number from 5–20.

Ensure your child is reading on a daily basis. There are three ways they can do this, all equally important.

• Listening to Reading - listening to an adult, peer or audio book

• Read with Someone - shared reading

• Read to Self - independent reading

Online Reading

• Razkids https://www.kidsa-z.com/main/Login

• See your child’s homeroom teacher for their login

Before Reading

• Have your child keep a log of all the books they read and note the time. How long are you reading??

• Make Predictions what do you think your book will be about. Use the title and the picture on the front cover to help make your predictions.

• Check for comprehension Stop half-way through the book. Turn and Talk with your adult. Who is this book about? What is happening in this story? Where is the story taking place?

• Draw or write about your favorite part. A sentence starter could be:- My favorite part of this book was when ………….

• Do a short vowel word hunt in your books. Identify short a, e, i, o , u words

After reading

• DO SOMETHING! Maybe you will: (retell the story, re-read your favorite page, copy your favorite words or sentences, talk about the book, then write down what you discussed, draw a picture)

Have your child engage in writing for authentic purposes. What does authentic purposes mean?

AUTHENTIC WRITING IDEAS

Make Lists: Lists can be great first writing experiences for beginning writers because they do not require full sentences. Think...

• Grocery lists

• Wish lists for birthdays or holidays

• Reading lists for books read or books a child would like to read

• Goals for school, extracurricular activities, etc

• Invitation lists for gatherings

• Places to visit

• Things observed at an event or place like the zoo or a park

STORYTELLING IDEAS

• Comic Creator: Try the new website to create your own comics. http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/

It is a free website for you to enjoy.

• Story Narrator: Explore these two free websites to write the words to the stories. www.storybird.com/ and www.storyjumper.com

• Encourage telling stories with a clear structure and some detail. Your children will be focused on narrative writing this term. They will be encouraged to tell true stories in writing and drawing. Encouraging young writers to practice storytelling by telling stories about their day can be a huge support. Some prompts might sound like:

  • • Tell me the story of your time on the slide.

    • What did you do first? Then what? At the end what did you do?

    • What was the best part of being on the slide? Tell me what you were thinking and feeling!

• Invite children to draw and write story booklets as gifts. These can be wonderful surprises for family members! Put together a booklet by stapling together or binding pages like the one found in this link. The picture boxes are for kids to tell the story across pages in drawings. The lines below are for them to write as best they can the words that tell the story - the beginning, the middle and the end. If they need more pages, you can add them on for a longer story. https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1VRWOuGvc61cNCwLbaQ4uDihJarmmJcwV

Play storytelling games. Story cubes (search for Zygomatic Rory’s Story Cubes) and story blocks (search for Melissa & Doug) can be fun ways to co-author stories with your family.

Games, games, games! Playing number based games as often as possible. This will help computational fluency. Adding and subtracting everything and anything. Just think cards, dice, board games, the LOT! Just like in writing, the more authentic the maths can be in their daily life the better! Games are one way of course but here is a list of a few more authentic ideas…

Number Sense and Counting

• Play the dice tally game- Roll a dice and represent the die numbers in tally marks.( Roll 2 or three die - add them together and then tally the total)

• NYC Street Math | Addition and Subtraction: Notice the New York City Streets and calculate how far you travel as you walk, ride, take the subway or drive. Ask your child “If we start at 33rd and end at 57th… How far did we travel? What math will you use to calculate?”

• Loose Change: Keep a coin jar. Give your child a handful to sort, classify, and count in different ways (i.e. How many of each color? Size? Value?)

• Count forwards or backwards to/from 100 by 10s, 5s, 2s. Start at different starting points

• Make a Game: Invent your own math game and teach to others! How will you make it harder, and then harder again!?

• Race to 100 game

• 10s go fish card game

• BrainPop Jr: Login in to BrainPop using the login below. Think about what you want to learn about and watch some of the videos and try the tasks! https://jr.brainpop.com/

Username: unis Password: unispop

Data and Measurement

Check the Temps | Calculations & Conversions: Practice reading a thermometer and keep a log of each day’s temperatures. Calculate the difference in temperatures between days and make educated predictions about the next day’s temperature. Advanced students can practice converting temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

• Support your child’s reading for at least twenty minutes per night. Your child should have a baggie with independent reading books to choose from at home. It’s likely that by now or at some point this term these books will be longer chapter books. You might help your young reader get started reading by asking, “Where are you now in this book? What kinds of problems are the characters dealing with?” You might set aside a similar time every evening for this reading, as well as a comfortable, cozy spot. Reading your own book at the same time can show that you also value reading in your life, and can help to build a feeling of connection around reading.

Check your favorite local bookstore for author visits and other events. We are lucky to live in the heart of book culture! There are always amazing children’s literature events just around the corner. Some notable destinations this fall could include: https://booksofwonder.com/blogs/upcoming; https://www.bookculture.com/event; https://www.bankstreetbooks.com/event.

Students will be working on opinion writing this term. Activities that encourage debate, along with explanations of reasons, can really support young writers.

• Would you rather? Answer the questions and provide reasons. Responses could be discussed, written or compared between family members.

• Check out Spaghetti Book Club: a site for children to share their opinions about books. You might even contribute one yourself.

• Encourage writing projects. If your child is passionate about a tv show, a restaurant, a book or series, or a social or political issue, you could encourage them to draw and write to tell others the reasons for their feelings. If they are interested in sharing their thoughts with a larger audience, you could help them submit their piece to an online or print magazine. Amazing Kids! accepts submissions from kids as young as 5.

• Emphasize reasoning when taking and making requests. We know that your kids make many requests: for more time at a friend’s, for that game or that toy that they just have to have. In these conversations, nudging your child to expand on the reasons why they are asking for something helps to build opinion-writing muscles. “What’s your first reason?” you might say; “What’s another reason?” You might also make clear the reasons behind requests you make by listing in this way.

• Read picture books that feature kids speaking out. The current Humanities unit focuses on the rights of children. Your child will benefit from additional thinking and conversations about children who have spoken out or acted to address issues in the world. Picture books are an excellent way to begin these kinds of talks. Here is just one list of possible titles, though a simple search will lead you to many more: 10 Books That Empower Kids to Stand Up and Speak Out.

• Watch: The World’s Largest Lesson Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cEUhHTlcDU&t=236s

How might you and your family invent, innovate and/or campaign.

• Watch the Needs and Wants BrainPop Jr video we watched in class. Choose an activity to complete online. https://jr.brainpop.com/socialstudies/economics/needsandwants/

Username: unis

Password: unispop

• Watch: What are child rights video - UNICEF Australia Reading/Viewing:

Rewatch the video: What are child rights? by UNICEF Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=47&v=V1BFLitBkco

Discuss what Ruby means when she says the Convention on the Rights of the child is like a promise.

• Together, make some essential Agreements for your home. Students in every class at UNIS, participate in creating class agreements to make the class safe, caring and joyful. Ask your child what some of their class agreements are. These are generally 4-5 rules that everyone can agree to follow.

• UNIS adheres to the IB Learner Profile which aims to develop learners who are: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective. We encourage the use of this Brain Tool to help your child reflect on their day and to encourage our students to care for their body and mind, and to maintain a balance in their busy little lives.

• Visit the 30 symbols of children, representing 30 children's rights. These are stationed outside the United Nations for the General Assembly to mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

With UN Day celebrations approaching, take some time to learn about the history and meaning behind the flags of your nationality, and some important facts you might like to share about your country and culture.

Addition

• Math Lines In this game, race to pair numbers that add up to a target sum. Before your child plays, review the pairs of numbers that add up to the target sum. You might even look at different ways to make the number using game pieces, marbles, or pennies.

• Addition with Manipulatives Players see and hear an addition problem. They can drag marbles onto a work surface to help them figure out the problem. Play includes five levels of addition, starting with simple 1-digit problems. Players must score 70% or greater to advance levels. Audio directions.

• Clear It Addition Create number sentences that add up to the target numbers provided. Earn stars for extra points and clear the board before the timer runs out.

Subtraction

• Balloon Pop Subtraction View a subtraction problem and pop balloons to figure out the solution. Three levels of difficulty available as well as audio directions.

• How Many Under the Shell? Determine how many bubbles are left under the shell after Otka hides them. Choose addition, subtraction, or both.

• Ducky Race Subtraction Race other players by being the fastest duck in the pond.

Place Value

• Give the Dog a Bone Find 10 "bones" by identifying numbers on a blank 100's grid.

Other Math Games (Offline)

• 10s go fish card game

• Addition battle

• Connect 4 Addition

• Race to 100 aka pig

• Doubles plus or minus 1 - a 9 sided die is needed for this game.

General Teacher Approved Websites for Children

• The Kid Should See This

• Wonderopolis

BBC Dancemat for typing Practice

• Support students’ independent reading by co-creating a space for reading at home. Reading at home is expected for J3 students. You might ask your child where in your home they feel most comfortable reading, and if they prefer to be sitting upright at a table or desk, or if they like to read on a soft couch or on a bed. Does your reader like pillows? Soft music that doesn’t have lyrics? White noise? Designing a space that’s personalized can help make reading more enjoyable.

• Set up times for side-by-side reading. When you read your own book, newspaper or magazine alongside your child as he or she reads, you’re doing many things at once. You’re modeling how adults can make time for reading, and also showing that you trust that third graders have their own reading to do: that you don’t always have to read to them.

• Read aloud longer chapter books as a family. Third graders are on the cusp of being able to read longer and more complicated stories; most of them can’t quite read these kinds of books on their own yet. But the support of hearing the book read aloud, and stopping to talk about the twists and turns and to remember who’s who - this can make books that are more independently appropriate for fourth graders more accessible to younger readers. An example of this kind of book is the Superfudge series by Judy Blume, or the Geronimo Stilton series.

• Encourage your child to teach you what they know and are learning. Third graders are working on informational writing this term. You can support this work by asking children questions about areas they know a lot about. For example: “Teach me about what you know about Legos. What kinds are there? How do you put them together? What can they make?” These kinds of elaboration are crucial to making information writing detailed and interesting! Practicing in talk helps to build these muscles.

• Ask your child to draw and write instructions for you. This could be instructions for how to set up a game they like to play, or how to prepare a sandwich just the way they like. Anything that has a real-world context they know and care about. Drawing labeled diagrams is just as important as writing out step-by-step directions.

• Collect books about animals and their habitats to read together. Third grades will be studying biomes and the interactions between animals and their environments. There are so many amazing resources for this content. Your public library can help!

• Visit any of the NYC zoos or the Aquarium. Talk to your child about the settings that the zoo has designed for the animals. How is the environment for the Red Panda different from the setting for the Snow Monkeys? These kinds of conversations will help to deepen kids’ understandings of the relationship of animals to their habitats.

• Connect with National Geographic. Their television shows, magazines and website are all excellent resources.

• Make 10 This is a card game that your child will play in class. It is based on the classic 'Go Fish" but has a twist - instead of finding matching pairs, you need to find pairs that make a total of 10.

• What are the coins? You will need a group of various coins. Ask your child questions such as, I have three coins in my pocket. They are worth 7 cents. What do I have? (a nickel and 2 pennies). More sample questions here.

• Super Sums You will need playing cards, paper, pencil. Complete instructions here.

• Make the Most of It You will need playing cards for this place value game. See complete instructions here.

• Squeeze Play Another playing card game this time with a focus on difference. Complete instructions here.

MATH BOOKS

J3 is a big year for building new connections in mathematical understanding. It is important for students to use language as a bridge from what they know to the new concepts they are encountering. A great way to practice this is to discuss stories where math plays a role. Here is a list of some children’s books that contain ideas related to our work in this mathematics unit.

ONLINE GAMES

• Create Groups of 10 (can also be changed to practice with other number totals)

• Find the Next Number in a series while playing Whack-a-Mole

• Find the Matching Sums while Playing Addition Concentration

• Game that Uses Colored Balls to Show the Process of Addition

• Practice with Double Facts with a Robin Hood Theme

• Place Numbers in Order On a Number Line

• Vertical Addition with Numbers to 12

• Create Number Strings that Equal a Given Sum by Making Your Frog Hop on Numbered Rocks

• Addition Tic Tac Toe

• Practice with Doubling Numbers

• Part Part Whole Game that practices combinations of 100

• Practice Recognizing Place Value in a standard number and represented as rods and cubes

• Math Concentration with two-digit addition

Digital Math Manipulatives

• National Library of Virtual Manipulatives Organized by grade band and math concept, this Utah State University site contains a wide selection of virtual manipulatives.

• Support students’ independent reading by co-creating a space for reading at home. Reading at home is expected for J4 students. You might ask your child where in your home they feel most comfortable reading, and if they prefer to be sitting upright at a table or desk, or if they like to read on a soft couch or on a bed. Does your reader like pillows? Soft music that doesn’t have lyrics? White noise? Designing a space that’s personalized can help make reading more enjoyable.

• Set up times for side-by-side reading. When you read your own book, newspaper or magazine alongside your child as he or she reads, you’re doing many things at once. You’re modeling how adults can make time for reading, and also showing that you trust that fourth graders have their own reading to do: that you don’t always have to read to them.

• Consider starting a parent-child book club. If one parent and one child connects with three other children with a respective parent, a great tradition can be started (4 kids and 4 parents is a good number!). Choose a book a month (or every six weeks) to read and then discuss at one child’s home. You’ll learn so much about your child and their thinking by hearing them talk about a book with their friends. And you’ll get closer to the other parents as well!

• Encourage your child to teach you what they know and are learning. Fourth graders are working on informational writing this term. You can support this work by asking children questions about areas they know a lot about. For example: “Teach me about what you know about Legos. What kinds are there? How do you put them together? What can they make?” These kinds of elaboration are crucial to making information writing detailed and interesting! Practicing in talk helps to build these muscles.

• Ask your child to draw and write instructions for you, including maps. This could be instructions for how to set up a game they like to play, or how they would like their sleeping space redesigned. Anything that has a real-world context they know and care about. Drawing labeled diagrams or maps is just as important as writing out step-by-step directions.

• Collect books about weather and natural disasters. Fourth grades will be studying natural disasters and their effects. There are so many amazing resources for this content. Your public library can help!

• Connect with National Geographic. Their television shows, magazines and website are all excellent resources. They offer engaging informational texts in multimedia formats to spark conversations about natural disasters and their causes and effects.

Multiplication

• Times Square This game provides practice with multiplication facts as players race to be the first to get 4 products in a row on the game board. Use "guest pass" to enter the game list and play against the computer.

• Factor Dazzle Players score points for finding all the factors of target numbers set by their opponents. Use "guest pass" to enter the game list and play against the computer.

• MathTappers: Multiples App compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad for math practice on the go. This is a simple, free game designed to help learners make sense of multiplication and division using visual models.

All Basic Facts

• Xtra Math This free, web-based, math fact fluency program includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.