Hello Third Grade Families,

As we approach the holidays, our calendars get fuller and busier. Please take note of the following dates:

Thursday 11/9 – Free Dress! Participating students should bring #1 (or more). We will have a patriotic theme, so be sure to wear red, white and blue. On this day, we will also have our school’s annual flag retirement ceremony in the morning.

Friday 11/10 – We will observe Veteran’s Day this Friday with a school holiday. Please take some time to thank a Veteran for their service.

This week…

Math: We will have our Unit 3 math test Thursday morning. While it will focus on measurement, keep in mind that all tests are cumulative.

For IXL homework this week, please complete the following Third Grade Skills…

 

FF.9 Create figures with a given area

FF.1 Perimeter of rectangles

Reading: 

This week each student will be tested using the Fountas and Pinnell reading assessments in order to find your child’s “independent reading level”. An independent reading level indicates your child’s reading comprehension level when reading alone. Keep in mind that when children read with an adult, they may read at their “guided reading level.” This is one level up from an independent reading level as it assumes the reader’s comprehension is being aided through discussion. The text level ladder of progress suggests that third graders start the year reading at level N and continue to progress one level at each trimester finishing at P.

Students will also be tested this week in reading fluency. This is an assessment of both speed and accuracy in reading. Keep in mind that students should be reading in bigger “scoops” by now (clustering words together to read in phrases rather than one word at a time), which speeds reading along and then in turns allows for greater comprehension. When practicing your fluency at home, always make sure that your child reads the first time “cold”: without any assistance. This allows for students to use their decoding skills and figure out those tough words for themselves, as our goal is for all students to be independent readers and thinkers.

This week’s homework: We’re back at full speed with fluency and reading logs. Happy reading!