News and Notes 1/16

News and Notes

From Fourth Grade

Too Much Information!

Test makers can be tricky folk.  This week in math we talked about what to do when a test gives you too much information.  We determined that sometimes they seem to be playing a silly kind of game where they want to see if you really understand the question.  They do this by sticking in extra information as a kind of distraction.  The fourth grade problem solvers had to read through different math word problems and determine what information was essential and what information was just there as a distraction.  Once we sorted through what the important information was, we were then able to answer the questions.  To complete this task we had to rely heavily on our reading comprehension skills, as well as our math vocabulary and concepts.  Just knowing our math facts and how to solve multi-step computation problems isn't enough to be a successful mathematician.  We have to be on-the-ball, ready for anything, problem-solving kinds of thinkers!

The Best Part

As we continued working on our persuasive writing skills, this week we focused on writing paragraphs responding to a prompt.  The prompt asked the fourth grade writers what the best part of school was.  We worked through the stages of the writing process to develop an opinion statement (our topic sentence).  Then we built up our argument with strong supporting details.  We tested to make sure that our details were both relevant and accurate.  Then we looked for a strong take-away sentence that would summarize our opinion to close our paragraphs.  We tidied up our paragraphs by putting in strong sentence starters to help the reader follow the flow of our arguments.  By the end of the week we were editing and revising our paragraphs with small tweaks.  Next week we will have a class full of published persuasive paragraphs.  From recess to winter carnival to guitar club, the fourth graders will be able to defend so many of the "best" aspects of their school experience!

Painting with Words

To make an inference is to "read between the lines."  We have been working in reading workshop on how to understand a text more fully.  One essential reading comprehension strategy is making inferences.  A reader must collect clues to determine truths about the text that aren't explicitly stated.  The fourth grade readers have begun to sharpen their skills of inferencing by reading poetry.  In poetry the reader is often asked to make some leaps of understanding based on the limited clues given in the text.  Unlike prose, poetry is more music and art, so there is lots of room for interpretation and inferencing.  We have already seen that the fourth grade readers enjoy reading poetry - painting with words!

Halfway

As we close up the second quarter of fourth grade next week, I wanted to note that we are halfway through the school year.  Unbelievable!  If fourth grade families have any concerns or questions and want to schedule a conference to talk about progress and goals, please feel free to let me know!  Looking forward to a second half of fourth grade filled with learning and growing with these amazing students!