It was nice to see many of you at Back to School Night! Here is an update of what the resource room students are up to lately…

In Reading Workshop, third graders have been learning strategies for summarizing what they read, making predictions, and practicing fluency. This week we’ve done some partner reading to act as fluency “coaches.” In Writing Workshop, we selected our “one” personal narrative idea that we will develop and eventually publish. We will be working on using sensory details, descriptive language, and transition words throughout our story. We will also incorporate some grammar instruction while we are working on our narratives.

In math, we are working on learning multiplication strategies, beginning with the easier facts (2a, 5s, 10s), and also understanding strategies for multiplying by 1 or 0. We are creating Multiplication Facts Binders to represent each fact family in different ways. Just a reminder that the best way for students to become fluent with their basic multiplication facts is to make it a habit to practice regularly at home. They can use their fact triangles, traditional flashcards, online math games, or even practice orally while driving in the car or at the dinner table. Make it fun, but make it a habit! We are winding up our first unit soon. In Unit 2, we will work on number stories (AKA word problems) for all four math operations. They will use diagrams, arrays, pictures, words, and number models to show the word problem and how it can be solved in more than one way. We focus on finding clue words in the problem so we know which operation to use. Don’t forget to have your child keep using Dreambox at home!

Fifth graders are continuing to read our novel Home of the Brave, while practicing how to respond and write about our thoughts as we read. The students are learning routines for jotting their thoughts after finishing each chapter, then choosing a few to keep in their notebook after they finish the book. In Writing Workshop, we selected our “one” personal narrative idea that we will develop and eventually publish. We will be working on using sensory details, descriptive language, and transition words throughout our story. We will also incorporate some grammar instruction while we are working on our narratives.

In math, fifth graders are starting Unit 2, in which they are exploring patterns in the base-10 place value system and representing large numbers. They will use estimating when computing mulitdigit numbers, and learn traditional multiplication (the way most of us multiply!). Then they will learn a strategy for division called partial quotients. Keep practicing multiplication facts at home, and use Dreambox to reinforce their math skills!