*Homework: a class discussion*

"Add your two cents!" How is homework going for you? Any thoughts on time management? What has helped you this week?

Don't forget to take responsibility for what you
write! Sign you name:)


**Allisyn

*Homework, Part II*

smart*ugh*wow*challenging*easy*sometimes hard*get it in on time!*medium*neat handwriting*effort*thinking*dumb*great

These are words your children used to describe homework from the homework survey that was sent home last week. For our range of learners, there are ranges of responses! Some students have a positive attitude towards homework, some negative, and others, indifferent.

Have a “grown up” conversation about how homework is going for your 4th grader. Take the time to firm up the following so that you can help your child get into an INDEPENDENT homework routine:

*Does he/she have a quiet place to do homework, with easy access to supplies (writing utensils, paper, ruler, dictionary, etc.)
*How long do they usually take to complete their homework? Is it a reasonable amount of time? If not, WHY?
*What could you both do to make homework go smoother? Make a list and write it out if you need to!

About Homework:
4th grade is an important year for children to become more independent students. One way the 4th grade teachers are working with students to practice and learn independence is through homework. Your children are in a time of transition with homework, moving away from receiving a packet that they complete over a week, and moving towards working on weekly assignments that they turn in once a week, and nightly assignments that they need to turn in the following school day.

I purposefully create certain assignments, which are open-ended, allowing for every student to demonstrate what their best effort looks like, even though it might not look the same as another students. Please emphasize that no matter what academic level your child is performing at, his/her best effort is expected on every assignment, whether it is a one-page homework assignment or a 3-page research project! My “Best Effort Expectations” have been made very clear in class, and include:

o Evidence of time management (doesn’t look rushed – you can tell that a reasonable amount of time was put into it)
o Legible handwriting
o Correct spelling of any words you have access to (title, author, word wall words)
o Correct punctuation
o Treat materials (notebooks, paper, etc...) properly and TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK!

One hour to an hour and a half is what we deem to be a reasonable amount of time for 9 – 10 year olds in 4th grade to spend on school homework.

When you factor in after school activities, parent schedules, dinner, and hopefully the occasional shower or bath (!), we feel that one hour, give or take a bit, will help your child develop the strong study, organization, and time management skills they need to succeed as they progress through school, while allowing for time to play and just be a kid! Three hours of homework in 4th grade seems absurd – that might be the case in high school, but certainly not now! If students ever get stuck on a problem or assignment, and have put in their best effort, they know to circle the problem and move on, and to be sure to bring it in the following day to go over with me. We don’t want students doing that on tests, so let’s help them develop the habit of “moving on and coming back to it.”

We'll be talking about time management A LOT in class this week, and I've broken down some approximate times allotted for each subject area each night. Every kid is different and has different needs -- this is just a basic guide for what we feel is reasonable, taking into account after school activities, etc. The hour (give or take) can be broken up in whatever way works best for your family/4th grader.

Reading: 20 min./night, 7x/week

Writing: 10 min./night, 4 – 5x/week

Math: 10 – 15 min./night, 4-5x/week

Social Studies: 10 min./night as assigned

Words of the Week: 5 min./night, 4x/week

Business: 2-3 minutes as needed.
*PLEASE review and sign papers that need to be returned by the deadlines.

Tips:
*Start off the homework routine by checking in with your child to find out exactly what their homework is. They record their homework in a black & white composition book each day in class. If needed, ask them what a reasonable amount of time is to complete each task, and have them jot it down. For students who need extra time management support, break the assignments down into one thing at a time, and check in with them after 20 minutes of reading, and remind them to take 5 minutes to complete their reading log. Setting a timer is another way to foster independence.

*There’s nothing wrong with taking breaks! If a solid hour feels overwhelming to your child, then help them make a plan to work for 15 minutes on math, take a dinner break, work on writing, etc...

*Incorporate some homework into transitional times, like going to school. This is a great time to check in with your child’s automaticity of math facts or Words of the Week. Turn it into a game!

*Talk with other families and ask how the homework routine works in their home. Share ideas!

*If your child is breezing through homework assignments, encourage him/her to go above and beyond.
Suggest they take it to a higher level, which demonstrates a deep understanding of the assignment and above and beyond effort.

*If your child struggles with handwriting, let homework be a place that they concentrate on improving legibility. Homework that is handed in illegibly will not be graded or posted.

Making a promising homework plan with your child will be the foundation of your child’s homework routine for the rest of the year. Now is the time to establish a successful year of homework for your child!

*Finally! Downloads Available!*

I finally figured out a place to store class files. Bookmark this link & feel free to download as needed:

http://www.geocities.com/allisynl/



**Allisyn

*We're on the News!*

Local cable news channel New York 1 News did a really fun
piece on the museum and the kids look great!!! Check it out!!
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=8&aid=62810 (If you clickhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
on the blue/yellow logo you can watch the piece with Real Player. Real
Player can be downloaded for free at www.real.com).

-Trey Moynihan (Zora's mom who works for the museum & arranged this special field trip for us!)

*Our Time Away From School*

September 21, 2006

When we got to the Museum of American Indians in the
Smithsonian Museum, we saw a performance of a hoop
dance. The dancing was creative. The dancers were
children like us and wore interesting clothes. We saw
2 kinds of dances – one was a hoop dance and the
second was an Eagle dance. Before we saw the Eagle
dance they said the Bald Eagle was the American
national bird. After the dancing, we saw and talked
about the clothing from different cultures, and what
they used, including beetle wings from the Amazon.



-Cole, Mo, Erica, India, Kameron, & Allie

*Field Trip!*

This Thursday, September 21, is our first field trip of the year. We're headed to the museum of American Indians to launch our first Social Studies unit on Native Americans. Please check out their website for more info: www.americanindian.si.edu

We will leave promptly at 8:45am and return by lunchtime. No need to pack a special lunch.


**Allisyn

*First 2 Weeks of School*

Instead of the usual, introducing ourselves & sharing something we did over the summer, we did things a bit differently this year. Students picked a partner to interview. They had to ask one another a series of questions, and added on some of their own. Listening carefully and jotting down notes helped prepare for introducing one another's partners to the entire class.



Another activity we did involved me sticking a colored dot on each student's head! They had to figure out what color their dot was, find other classmates with the same colored dot, and find the table that matched their dot, all WITHOUT TALKING! We have very impressive problem solvers.

In math, we've been working on different ways to arrange cubes into groups to efficiently show 100. This helps build strong number sense. It also involves using Snap Cubes to show your thinking, which is way cool!



After planning, recording, and sharing our work, students worked with a partner to create something using 100 Snap Cubes. Their creations were so amazing, we decided to create a museum. Here is a sneak peek, but you'll have to come to Curriculum Night for the limited-run exhibit!



We've been working hard on getting back into the swing of writing. In 4th grade, it's no big deal to write a whole page in 1 sitting! We timed ourselves and realized we can write even more than that. Right now, we're working on Personal Narratives -- true stories about tiny moments in our lives. 4th graders write with focus and detail. We "SHOW, not tell." Showing means stretching your story out with details, including setting, dialogue, action, feelings, internal thinking, etc... Telling is more of a distanced commentary, listing what happened first, next, next, etc... For more information on writing, check out the Homework Tips section!



Once some new technology equipment arrives from a grant I received, the students will be taking over much more of the blog. We will be a technologically decked-out classroom! I think the blog will be a really powerful tool for teaching kids to take responsibility for their work, and for providing us with a broader audience to share our work with. Hopefully, we'll get lots of feedback so the kids can see how much their work matters and can impact others. In other words, please give us lots of feedback and spread the word on our class blog once it gets going! Thanks. For now, I leave you with these happy campers and look forward to seeing you tomorrow for Curriculum Night, from 6:00 - 8:00pm!

**Allisyn

*424 Schedule*

Mondays -> Computers w/Chris 11:15 - 12:05

Tuesdays --> Science w/Carmello 9:25 - 10:15

*Wednesdays --> Dance w/Karyn 10:20 - 11:10

*Thursdays --> Gym w/Donald 10:20 - 11:10

Fridays --> Art w/Stephanie

*Please be sure your child is dressed appropriately
for Dance & Gym (sneakers!).

*Welcome!*

Hello! Welcome to our class blog. This is a website you can visit to communicate with our class, find out what we've been up to, and even participate in some special projects. You will also be able to download school documents you might need at home.

*Homework Tips*

Fourth grade is all about choices. I want to create opportunities for students to make decisions for themselves, both as a means to customize their learning and to foster responsibility. I am trying out a different homework format this year that allows for students to take more ownership of their learning, and challenges each student to work to his/her potential. We will talk more thoroughly about homework at Curriculum Night, and I will update the blog with tips as needed.

Homework Basics for 424:
Homework should not be a nightmare! 1 hour of homework each night seems like a reasonable amount for 4th grade. 2 hours or more does not! Please always encourage your child to write me a note and move on if they are stuck on something that they put their best effort into trying and you aren't sure how to help them. I expect that they will see me the next day about it so we can go over it, and not wait until the end of the week when homework is due to ask for help. It is your child's responsibility to make sure he/she has all of the materials needed to complete assignments. If materials are needed, please ask! I will provide students with everything they need, as long as they ask.


Reading:
Each night your child is expected to read for at least 20 minutes (this can be silent reading or have your child read aloud to someone). They are also expected to fill out a nightly reading log. The reading log will be handed in each day this week to help develop this routine. Once this routine is established, reading logs will be due on Fridays.

Writing:
Monday night students will decorate their Writer’s Notebook and bring it into school on Tuesday. Other writing homework this week will be making jots in their Writer’s Notebook. Writing Notebooks travel to and from school each night there is writing homework.
4th graders should be developing the ability to hone their writing skills to focus in on a small moment. We are working on "showing, not telling." It is very common to see students write stories that tell action after action, and lack other elements of writing such as dialogue, setting, internal thinking, etc. We will be starting off in our Writers Notebooks by discussing the difference between a "seed idea," (a small moment), and bigger ideas. Please use the following chart as an example, which we'll be discussing in class, to help your child choose small, seed moments to gather and write about at home:

Generic Big Idea Seed
Important People My Grandma The time my Grandma Julia taught me how to cook cream of wheat

We are spending a lot of time discussing how to REVISE your writing to ensure it includes a balance of elements that SHOW, not tell your story.
An example of telling and not zooming in on the seed/small moment:
My New Bike
One morning I woke up and got dressed. I was so excited I was getting a new bike today. I brushed my teeth and waited around for Jason to wake up. Finally we left to go to the bike shop. I looked around and picked out a red bike. I rode it around the street. It felt good. I bought it!

An example of SHOWING and ZOOMING IN on a small moment (this is what we're going for!):
Super Schwinn Deluxe
I knew it the moment I laid my eyes on it. It was perfect. Maroon with black handlebars. Cool lettering. Just the right size. I gulped and looked over at Jason. "This is it," I whispered. I had found my new bike.
"Would you like to take it for a spin?" the shop owner asked me. I nodded as he wheeled it out the front doors of the dusty shop on Union Street. The sun was strong and I had to adjust my eyes. The bike looked even better outside! I carefully got on and looked both ways. I was a tiny bit nervous about riding in the street. I gripped the handlebars tightly and pushed off.

Math:
This is our first Math Challenge of the Week – your child will have a couple of problems to choose from and do at home. They must do the problem, show and write how they did it with words and a drawing (or graph, etc.), and write a reflection. This is due on Thursday. I attached a Grading Rubric with the homework. This Rubric is to show how the math homework will be graded. You should keep this at home, as it will be helpful to use throughout the year. I will be filling them out in class each week so keep an eye out after they are returned to your child.

To help your child get used to a weekly Math assignment, he or she can follow a weekly Math Challenge Schedule:

Monday: Review the problems. Pick one problem you would like to do, think about what supplies you will need, and bring any questions you have about the problem to share with Maureen and the class on Tuesday.

Tuesday: Start working on the problem

Wednesday: Continue working and revise your work

Thursday: Hand in your work

Math Facts: Your child should practice math facts every night. They should know their times tables up to 10 automatically at this point (as well as they know how to spell their names!). I am counting on you to help your child master these basic facts, as I must cover fourth grade math curriculum, which assumes that students' basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts are solid and automatic. Just from observing some math games in our classroom from the first week, I can see that many students have lost a bit of their basics over the summer. I will do my best to give them a boost at school, but I expect you will commit to working on these at home EVERY NIGHT! I don't suggest spending more thant 10 - 15 minutes (less if your child has got it down!) each night. It's the consistency of practicing that will ensure improvement, not cramming it all into one night! If you child already knows their tables up to 10 – then move them up to the 12’s or focus on division – or see me for other math supplemental homework ideas. Instead of sending home worksheets, I encourage you and your child to choose the best way to practice and review for your child. If flashcards work well, use flashcards. If there are websites your child enjoys using, that's fine too. Turn practice into a game whenever possible. I highly encourage you to mix up practice strategies so no one gets burned out. I am happy to send home any materials needed to create practice materials (i.e., index cards to make flashcards), just let me know. If you need help with establishing a way to review math facts at home come see me.

Social Studies:
We have our first Social Studies project homework this week. It is to generate excitement about the topics we will study this year, and to get an assessment on what the children already know and wish to learn about. It is designed to be an open-ended and fun project. There are many choices here for your child to choose from. If there is any confusion about the assignment bring your questions in. I also have construction paper, books on our topics and other supplies if you need them.

To help your child get used to a weekly assignment, he or she can follow this weekly Social Studies Project Schedule:

Monday: Review the project. Pick one topic, question, and project you would like to do. Think about what supplies you will need, and bring any questions you have about the project to share with Allisyn and the class on Tuesday.

Tuesday: Start working on your project

Wednesday: Continue working on your project

Thursday: Revise and Edit your work

Friday: Hand in your work

Word Work:
Each week I will send home a few words to learn. These will be a mix of high frequency spelling words, vocabulary words, and spelling patterns we are studying. We will have a short spelling quiz each Friday. Your child should study these words for a few minutes each night.


Hope this is helpful! As always, please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or comments**


**Allisyn
allisynl@yahoo.com