PARCC Practice

PARCC Practice... This site has tabs for students to maneuver through practice tests for 3rd grade Math & Reading. Each student will need to record their answers on paper and then go check them with the Answer Key in a separate document. Students NEED to take these practice tests SEVERAL TIMES to become familiar with what is expected on the PARCC test in March and again in May!

Click on the "View Test  Preparation" Tab where a Drop down menu will appear and students should work their way through ALL THREE menus.

http://parcc.pearson.com/#

And our Multiplication Begins!!

It's finally here!! Multiplication has begun in our 3rd grade classroom!! YAY!! We will begin super simple by discovering multiplication is the total number of objects in equal groups. Students will learn about new multiplication vocabulary words like Product, Factors, Equal Groups, and Multiply!

Here are some great educational videos to help in learning beginning multiplication from Brainpop Jr.

This video shows about making equal groups:
http://www.brainpopjr.com/math/multiplicationanddivision/makingequalgroups/

This video teaches how arrays help students learn about multiplication:
http://www.brainpopjr.com/math/multiplicationanddivision/arrays/

MORE RESOURCE MULTIPLICATION WEBSITES....
http://harcourtschool.com/activity/elab2004/gr3/7.html

http://www.math-aids.com/Multiplication/


Also remember to go back to my June post (My blogs first post!!) and check out all the GREAT School House Rock videos I posted to help kids skip count by numbers.

MORE EDUCATION VIDEOS:

NINES TIMES ON YOUR HANDS...

3rd Grade Writing Standards....

The link below will explain the different styles of writing that is expected of your third grader. Please take a moment to look at these different writing examples. They will be required to perform their writing skills on the PARCC test in March and again in May.

http://www.ilwritingmatters.org/third-grade.html

3rd Grade Newsletter

October 2014

Third Grade

News

Math

In Math we were working on telling time to the minute, elapsed time, graphing, perimeter, and fact fluency. Our next skill is Area. Our long term goal for third grade is multiplication fact fluency.

Language Arts

In language arts we are working on close reading, vocabulary, and story elements: character, setting, theme.

Writing

In writing we are using dialogue marks and commas in our narrative writing.  We have created personal narratives, tall tales and we will begin our expository writing about food.  We are also learning our parts of speech. We need to know pronouns, verbs nouns, common and proper.

If you need our emails:

natasha.jackson@fsd145.com

lynn.jankiewicz@fsd145.org

jill.rogers@fsd145.org

Empire School Phone is: 815.232.0380

Homework:

Every night: read for 15-20 minutes

                        Study math facts

Monday-Thursday: Study Vocabulary and Word Study/Spelling

Friday: Test day for reading, vocabulary and

word study/spelling.

Math: Tests throughout the week.

Important Dates:

October 6:  Fire Safety Program

October 13:  No School

October 17:  End of 1^st Quarter

October 20:  Dental Clinic

October 22: Report Cards go home

October 24:  Eagle Pride Assembly

October 28: Picture Re-take Day

October 31:  Fall Festival                          Celebrations 2:30 pm

“Schoolwork"

by Jim Fay

---

You’re on your way home from work. You’re anxious for some encouraging talk and a little relaxation after a hard day. You need all the support you can get to recharge your batteries and feel strong enough to go back tomorrow and face another working day.

You are greeted with, "Hi, Honey. How was it today? Where are your papers? I want to see how you did all day." "It was OK," you reply. "I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m really beat." "Well, no wonder you don’t want to talk about it. Look at these papers. You can do a lot better than this. Where was your mind today? You sit down right now and we’ll go over these proposals you wrote and get the spelling straightened out. And look at these paragraphs. You’ll never get promoted at this rate. I don’t understand this. You have so much more potential than this."

How long would it be before you find a more comfortable place to go after work? "Who needs this?" you’ll say."I can find someone who can show me a little more appreciation for my hard work!"

Many school–age children face this same situation daily. They are greeted after school with, "What did you learn today?" and "Where is your homework? You get on it right now!"

Children are also requested to bring home their papers so that the mistakes can be corrected. Even though this is done with love and caring, it trains them to focus on their weaknesses.

The problem faced by students is that they can’t choose to go somewhere else after school. They can’t avoid facing a replay of their daily failures. They must return home and listen to whatever their parents have to say. It is very difficult for a child to say,"Mother! Do you realize you are training me to keep my school progress a secret from you?" Soon they quit bringing home papers. They make excuses and blame it on their teachers. "She never gives me my papers to bring home."

The next step is for the parent to go to school demanding that the teacher develop some sort of foolproof reporting method. Teachers are actually faced with writing daily and weekly reports for parents. This never provides a long-term solution because it addresses the wrong problem. It also robs teachers of valuable teaching and preparation time.

The real problem is that the child has learned that it is unsafe to discuss school with his or her parents. Rather than developing a reporting plan, it is much wiser to work on the real problem–helping children and parents learn to talk to each other in safe and supportive ways. This solution works, and it lasts a lifetime.

You can teach your child to discuss school with you. While you are doing this, you can also lay the foundation blocks that will build a true winner out of your youngster.

STEP ONE: Sit down with your children two to three times per week. Have them point out the best things they did on their papers.

STEP TWO: Make sure your child describes to you the reasons for his or her success. As they put these into words, the reasons for the success will be imprinted on their brain, never to be erased. They will start to believe they are in control of their success.

STEP THREE: Work with your children on their mistakes only when they ask for your help. Let the school work on deficiencies. Teachers have training to help with the deficiencies in effective ways.

STEP FOUR: Be patient. This is a real change in operation. It will take the child a period of time to believe that this is not just a new phase his parents are going through. Look for the real benefits to show up in several months or maybe during the next few years, depending upon the child’s past history.

Winners always think about how they are going to succeed. Losers always think about their possible failures.

©1998 Jim Fay
Permission granted for photocopy reproduction.
Please do not alter or modify contents.
For more information, call the Love and Logic Institute, Inc. at (800) 338-4065.

Hello Class Dojo!!

This is the new online Behavioral Program we are using in our 3rd grade room to reward good behavior and to help turn around the negative behavior. So watch the introduction video and check it out!! Your child's teacher gave you a parent letter and code to use at their website and become part of this really cool process!! Here's the video.....

BRAIN BREAK!!

Sometimes you just need to give your Brain a BREAK!! So click on this site and have some fun with these online jigsaw puzzles!!

http://www.thekidzpage.com/onlinejigsawpuzzles/

Here's more cool animal puzzles at National Geographic....

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/nature-puzzles

Online Stories to read aloud...

SUPER FUN!! Read stories here and use them for your nightly 20 minute reading time on your homework log! Here are a few of my favorite online stories that read to you or allow you to read to yourself. My students have absolutely LOVED these websites throughout the years....

Storyline Online has celebrities reading aloud their favorite picture books!
http://www.storylineonline.net/

Tumble Books....is a huge collection of online stories at various levels for kids!
http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/customer_login.asp

User: fbprimary
Pass: books

I will post more as I find them!! :) Enjoy!!!

Terrific FREE Math Sites for all 3rd Grade Skills!!

This site has all of the skills needed for 3rd grade math!! What a TREASURE!! So jump on, find what we're working on, and start playing a game for math practice!!

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills-3rd-mathbuilders.htm

Another goodie!!

http://www.thatquiz.org/