About the TEKS

Good morning!

You will notice in the Reader's Notebook pictures that I am including charts with the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) curriculum on them.

These are the actual standards the state requires I teach your child in fourth grade reading.  We have them for every grade and in every subject.

As part of a new initiative we are teaching students the exact wording of the TEKS so they know exactly what is expected of them to know by the end of fourth grade.

The charts we are learning include across the top the verb that the state wants the student's to be able to apply to each TEKS such as "Understand" or the biggest ones for reading "Analyze", "Infer", and "Conclude."  

In teaching these higher level thinking verbs we hope to improve test scores and student understanding of what they are learning and why they are learning it.  Each chart had something students should remember from our anchor lessons as well.

By providing this information I hope you feel more involved in what is going on in the classroom and are reassured we are learning the appropriate curriculum for fourth grade reading.

Thanks again for all that you do! :)

What we are learning in class...

September 15-19

Good morning!

This week we are continuing to learn about the genres of fiction!  Students should re-watch the genres of fiction video as a refresher tonight.

This week we will be working more in depth with Character Traits and Character Changes.  We will also be comparing and contrasting the characters of traditional literature and their adventures.

We will also be working with multiple meaning words this week.  Students have homework tonight, the back side of their vocabulary page 15-16 which is not due until Wednesday.

Today we have compared and contrasted fairy tales, fables, myths, legends, and tall tales.

We will continue to work with these genres, study plot and theme, and analyze characters throughout the week.

I will be posting some more videos and hopefully some vocabulary tonight.  Until then please have students study their multiple meaning words and re-watch the videos already posted as review.

In social studies this week we will be learning about the 7 Regions of Texas.  We will have a study guide sent home tonight and a quiz labeling the regions and their borders on Friday.

Thanks for all you do! :)

Reading Passages and Vocabulary

Good evening!

I just finished grading papers from today and wanted to share a few things with you.

We completed a vocabulary assignment today in class that many of the students seemed to have misunderstood.  The assignment used the words for the week in a question that they then needed to answer.  For example: What did you eat at your most recent meal?  The answer should have been whatever food the student had eaten last.  Many of the students, instead of answering the questions listed the meanings of the words.

While it is wonderful and necessary for students to know the meanings of our words the most important thing they can learn this year is how to use the words in context.  This means that students need to be able to apply the definitions by understanding them in a question as today's assignment required, or identifying their correct usage in a sentence as tomorrow's test is required.  Practicing doing this by writing sentences or answering questions in casual conversation you ask them is the best way to practice this at home.

Due to this misunderstanding many students had very low grades on today's assignment which I did clearly explain but students seemed set to write those definitions!  Because of this I am not recording this assignment in the grade book.  It will be coming home with graded papers tomorrow in their Conduct Folders.  Please review it and keep practicing using these words in context even after tomorrow's quiz.  This will benefit students greatly.

On another note I was incredibly excited to give and grade our first reading passages of the year over plot and theme today!  The grades were fantastic!  I was incredibly excited and happy about them!

Thanks once again for ALL that you do! :)

Science

Working on the Scientific Method this week in Science!  I posted a video with a song students may listen to to help them remember the steps!  (It's not as fun as some of the videos I have found I do admit.) 

We will have a quiz over the scientific method Thursday so make sure they study!  Science journals will come home Wednesday night so they will have their notes to study from as well.

Side-note parents... I truly appreciate all the help you provide at home! :)  Thanks for all you do!

Scientific Method Song

P.S.

I forgot (since it was the weekend) we are beginning vocabulary practice and homework this week.

This week we will be focusing on dictionary skills.

Tonight the students will bring home their vocabulary list with their homework on the back side of it.  This homework will be due Wednesday.  We will go over it in class and if they attempted to do it... 100! :)

They need to study their words each night and will have a quiz Friday.

The quiz will use the words in context not simply ask for definitions so practice using the words in sentences in the correct context as often as you can!  Our goal for vocabulary is to not just memorize words and definitions but to be able to figure out unknown words through context and to be able to apply different vocabulary skills.  This way we are teaching students a life-long skill and not relying on memorization. :)