5/11/2018 0 Comments Mayer Memo 5-11-18Math Last week, we finished our work with unit 7. The children solved problems with multiplicative relationships to build a conceptual understanding of multiplication. For example, the students used connecting cubes to build a five floor building with 4 rooms on each floor. They wrote the equation: 4+4+4+4+4=20 to represent the building and noticed that 5 groups of 4 can be written as 5X4=20. They also used pattern blocks to build this understanding. For example, three rhombuses fit on one hexagon, six rhombuses fit on two hexagons, nine rhombuses fit on three hexagons, and 12 rhombuses fit on four hexagons. They wrote the equation: 3+3+3+3=12 to represent this situation and noticed 4 groups of 3 can be written as 4X3=12. Through these activities, our goal is that students understand multiplication is repeated addition; we don't expect students to write multiplication equations at this time. This week, we began working on unit 8 which is our last unit in the Investigations Math program. The first investigation focuses on subtraction fluency within 100. The second investigation focuses on models for adding and subtracting larger numbers. This unit is packed with problem solving activities which represent many problem types. So far, students have solved comparison problems with the smaller amount unknown. We are working to have rich discussions during our math talks. Our goal is for students to use the eight math practices throughout their math work, and especially during math talks. New subtraction fact fluency cards were introduced this week. Please remember to support your child's growth in mathematics by regularly quizzing him/her on addition and subtraction facts to 20! T-Shirts Needed for Tie-Dye Every second grade student needs a T-shirt to tie-dye! Please send your child with a clean, white, COTTON T-shirt by Friday, May 25! We will dye the shirts the following Tuesday and send it home so it can soak in the dye for a few days before you wash the shirt. Your child should wear the tie-dyed shirt on June 5 for the Poetry Coffee house and on the last day of school for Field day, Friday, June 8. Writing Workshop - Poetry The children are hard at work writing poetry, and I’m amazed at what they’ve created! Next week they will begin publishing their own poetry book! The children are enjoying this unit so much, and they can’t wait to share their work with you. Please mark your calendars so you can attend our Poetry Coffee House on Tuesday, June 5, from 8:30 to 9:30! You won't want to miss this! Reading Workshop The children continued their Patricia Polacco author study the last two weeks. They are working to become much more capable of writing in response to reading and supporting their ideas with details from the text. We are also looking for the author's message in Polacco's books. We finished reading Polacco's Just in Time Abraham Lincoln, and we've started reading Henry Cole's A Nest For Celeste. Ask your child to tell you about his/her writing in response to reading! Word Study For the past two weeks, students have worked on sorts at their own levels. Last week, some students compared long and short o words using the spelling patterns CVC for short o and CVVC (oa)/CVCe for long o. Others compared words that began with silent consonants. This week, some students compared long and short u words using the spelling patterns CVC for short u and CVVC(ui and oo)/CVCe for long u. Others compared words that ended with -le using the spelling patterns VCle for long vowels (open syllables) and VCCle for short vowels (closed syllables). The last weeks of school we will be reviewing all the spelling patterns the students have learned throughout the year. We will NOT have traditional word study, so the students will not have word study homework. Social Studies - Citizenship The children learned that state and local governments have the same three-part structure as our national government. They took the unit test and did a great job. New Science Theme - Insects! We were excited to welcome some insects to our class last week! We aren't sure what they are yet, but we designed and conducted fair tests, also known as scientific investigations, to decide what type of habitat our visitors will need when they are staying with us. We tested whether the visitors like to eat apples or potatoes, whether they like light or dark, whether they like to live in oats or wheat, whether they liked dry or wet, and whether they like their bedding shallow or deep. Our tests provided evidence that allowed us to make the following claim: Our visitors like to eat apples, they like the dark, and they like dry oats piled high so they can burrow in it and be in the dark. Next, we built habitats for the insects based on the claims we made from our fair tests. Finally, we carefully observe our insects using loupes, a magnifying lens we hold right up to our eye, and watch them grow and develop. Being like scientists, we made detailed scientific drawings and labeled our drawings using science words. The Library Lowdown As the year comes to a close, please return all library books by Monday, May 29th (the Monday after Memorial Day). If you cannot find a book, please send in payment for the amount of the book (located on the Friday overdue book email). If you find the book after submitting payment, Mrs. Brauweiler will happily return your money. She would definitely prefer to have the book! If you have any questions about a book, please contact Mrs. Brauweiler directly. Thank you for all your help in returning all books (or payment) by May 29th. We really appreciate it.
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Mystery State!Mystery state for June 1 Did You Know...New evidence links handwriting and educational success.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. "When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated,” said Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris. “There is a core recognition of the gesture in the written word, a sort of recognition by mental simulation in your brain. And it seems that this circuit is contributing in unique ways we didn’t realize,” he continued. “Learning is made easier.” Parent's attitudes about mathematics affect their kids!
"A 2015 study showed math-anxious parents who frequently helped their elementary schoolers with homework saw their kids learn significantly less math by the end of the year than kids whose parents didn't express an aversion to math." (Heidi Stevens, Balancing Act and Chicago Tribune) According to Jennifer McCray, Principal investigator at the Erikson Institute's Early Math Collaborative, "Statements from parents are extremely powerful in terms of helping a child decide, 'Who am I going to be relative to math" How should I feel about math?'" If you're a math-averse parent, the article linked above has great tips for addressing this! Archives
June 2018
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