Spelling

I wanted to let you know how I do spelling. I know that the second grade teachers did spelling a little different and had you all trained to do spelling sorts at home. The spelling program I use is written by the same author and is very similar. The difference is the students know what words I am testing them on. Students are still leveled in their abilities and are still learning spelling patterns and rules. All the sorts are completed in class. If your student brings home an extra list that is different then the words on their spelling homework, those are the words they should be practicing. I give the students many opportunities in class to sort and practice spelling their words, but they still need to practice at home too. I do a spelling pretest each Monday and that is how I determine which words your child has for the week. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. Thanks!

Math Facts- No more counting on fingers!

Starting next week, everyday students will be taking a fast math test. These are to help students to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. My goal is to have students all pass off their addition (1-9) and subtraction facts (addition facts 1-9 backwards) before Christmas break. We will be having a reward party for all students who reach this goal. It is very helpful for students to have their facts memorized or to know mental math skills to help them find the answer quickly. I will be teaching them many mental math skills to get answers quickly. Next month we will begin triple digit addition and subtraction, if students already know their facts, it makes it so much easier. Please work with your students at home to memorize their facts. A lot of students have them memorized already from 1st and 2nd grade, great job! Some recommendations are to learn doubles first (8 + 8) and then then continue with doubles plus or minus one. If you have any questions or need ideas to help at home please let me know. Thanks!