It’s been a great start to the year. We are having so much fun getting to know the children so far. They are proving to us just how intelligent and hardworking they are. We look forward to getting to know them better throughout the year. We also look forward to getting to know you — the parents and guardians — better, too. Developing a good partnership between school and home will help your child maximize their third grade experience.
We have a lot to accomplish in the next nine months. Along the way, we will have fun, too. Please understand that there will be times when your child may feel overwhelmed by the work he/she is doing here at school. This is normal. Be assured that we will work through it together to make it a most positive learning experience. There may be times when additional work may be given to help the children feel more comfortable with the new concepts they are learning.
We have taken a couple of timed fact tests already. We have begun working in the first chapter in our math books. It involves working with place value up through the hundred thousands. We continue to work on problem solving and learning strategies to make math more understandable. Instead of instruction and assessment organized by individual objectives, math concepts are organize around “Big Ideas” which correspond to Nebraska State Standards for each grade level. Chapter tests have two distinct parts — a Part A and a Part B. Assessments will be shorter than they have been in the past. Each “Big Idea” will be assessed rather than each individual objective. This new structure will allow us to focus on building a deeper understanding of important concepts.
What’s a LRP? They are Leveled Reading Passages that help us to determine your child’s reading ability. These passages measure reading accuracy, comprehension, and fluency. The results will be shared with you at the parent/teacher conferences. It is so important that your child read every day. Encourage your child to read both silently and aloud. More importantly, ask your child questions about what he/she has read. This will help your child to understand and comprehend what he/she has read. Reading aloud will help to increase your child’s reading fluency. We thank you in advance for encouraging your child to read every day.
Based on the Leveled Reading Passages given to the children at the beginning of the year, your child will be placed in a guided reading group. Some of the groups may change throughout the year, because we want to ensure that the children are reading and working at their instructional level.
If you ever have questions, please contact your child’s teacher by phone or by e-mailing them. We thank you for your continued interest and support. It makes such a difference in your child’s life.