Challenge Spelling Words: Words that End with nd, ng, nk (F)
A couple of notes about homework this week:
1. Math homework might be a little sporadic over the next couple of weeks. I often use my own resources and they do not always align with the sequence of the math series, meaning that the homework doesn’t always match. If math pages come home out of order or your child tells you I changed the directions to match how we learned it in class, don’t be surprised.
2. There is a special I Love a Book Day project for Monday night’s homework. Make sure you check the blog for some examples to get your creative juices flowing. 🙂
Congratulations to last week’s Principal’s Award winner, Allison!
We have received our date for our FREE field trip to see the Orlando Ballet’s performance of Sleeping Beauty. It will be Wednesday, October 28th. Be on the lookout for a permission slip later in the week. Here is the updated calendar: October 2015 Updated PDF
Additional Reading Information:
For the next couple of weeks we will be focusing on identifying the main idea of an informational text. In addition to the pizza metaphor I mentioned in this week’s Fridge Notes, we will also be using a special “formula” and graphic organizer to help us break down the text and create a main idea sentence. The formula and graphic organizer utilize color-coding to help the students sort their thoughts. Blue is the topic, red it the point and green is for the supporting details. This is a very structured way to teach the concept of main idea, rather than relying on some of the traditional shortcuts that don’t always work (look at the title, check the first sentence and last sentence, etc.). Below are 2 documents that will help you practice finding the main idea with your child at home. You can use the graphic organizer with any informational text. Start small and pick one page or paragraph to focus on. I included an example graphic organizer to walk you through the format. I will also keep a copy of these documents posted under the “Resources” tab of the blog.
Additional Math Information:
This week we will begin our math unit on addition and subtraction strategies. You can find cheap sets of addition and subtraction flashcards at the Dollar Store to help your child practice math facts at home. The goal is for students to leave 2nd grade with all of their addition and subtraction facts to 20 completely memorized (response rate of less than one second) so they are ready for multiplication in 3rd grade. We are using Xtra Math at school to practice our facts, but here are a couple of other virtual flashcard websites you can use to practice at home:
http://www.aplusmath.com/flashcards/
http://www.factmonster.com/math/flashcards.html
http://www.math-aids.com/Flash_Cards/Addition.html (This one has a bunch of pop-ups, but it allows you to print your own flashcards)