Due Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Family Writing: (In school we are working on telling stories and writing personal narratives.)
Our goal this year at Forest Ridge is to improve students’ writing. I’d like to encourage you and your child to write together. Write about something you did together. Tell a short story using setting (time and place), characters (example: you and your child—See if some personality can come out in the story!), and plot (simple problem and solution) Next, use details to make the story more clear and vivid. Finally, end with a satisfying conclusion. Writing together encourages your child to see you having fun with writing, and allows you an opportunity to spend time with your child while he/she learns.
Reading: (In school we are working on establishing strategies that readers use. Ask your child about text to text, text to self, slow down for meaning, read the first letter of an unknown word, read the rest of the sentence, and then back up to reread the sentence, back up to reread parts you don’t understand, cross check, and check for understanding.) Students need to be reading books at their INDEPENDENT reading level (only missing 1-3 words/page) while reading on their own. The bookmark has their independent level on it.
Language arts homework, “Two Boys, Big Plans” (3rd grade reading level) and “Dad’s First Day” (2nd grade reading level) are similar in format and skills to the Oregon third grade reading assessment. It will benefit your child greatly to complete it each week. PLEASE feel free to help your child with it, even on some of the reading, if necessary. I tried to give your child the story at the reading level that will benefit him/her the most.
Keep building up the reading time for this month from 20 to 30 minutes each day. Don’t forget to help your child remember to bring the RAH (Read at Home) folder back to school each day. If you don’t have time to read one evening, please still sign the card with 0 minutes written in. That’s ok once in awhile!
Math: We’ve been reviewing place value for 2 and 3 digit numbers, showing the standard form (234) the expanded form (200 + 30 + 4) and the models ( . . . .)
Your child needs to continue working on memorizing the addition and subtraction facts. Help with this would be appreciated. Soon I will be checking to see which facts your child still needs to work on.
* Math worksheets for second and third graders are in the packet.
In science we are studying matter. What is matter? (It is everything around you. It takes up space and has mass.) What are some properties of matter? (size, shape, temperature, how it feels, color, etc.) What are 3 forms of matter? (solid, liquid, gas) How can you tell which form matter is in? solid-has definite (stays the same) shape and volume; liquid-has no definite shape, but has a definite volume; gas-has no definite shape and no definite volume).
