10/9/08 Writing, Spelling & Math

Part 1 (Daily Reading Homework): your child needs to read at least 20 minutes every night. Please record what they read, how long they read for and then initial it.


Part 2 (Writing): Every day in class we engage in writing. Parents, I’d like to have your children do some writing with you. I’ve sent home one of the “draw & write” sheets that we use in class. I’d like your student to do their best job drawing and writing about something that is fierce (one of this week's vocabulary words). Parents, see if your student is starting their sentences with capital letters and ending with punctuation marks. Do the sentences tell complete ideas? Is the writing neat and legible? Give your student about 20 +/- minutes to do this assignment and see how they do.  The assignment reads: "Draw and write about a creature that is fierce. Use a lot of details. Use complete sentences. Use describing words. Start sentences with capital letters and end them with punctuation marks."

Part 3 (Study for the Spelling Test): We have a spelling test tomorrow. Are you ready?

Part 4 (Minute Math): Minute Math is a daily activity. It is not due until Friday. The grade on Friday is calculated like this: 20 points per day Minute Math is done at home plus one point for every correct answer on Friday (a student who did their Minute Math every day and got 11 correct on Friday would get a grade of 91: 80 points for the days worked at home plus 11 for the right answers at school). Have your child finish as many of each day’s problems as they can with a pen in 1 minute. Mark how many they got right in 1 minute at the bottom and then initial. Then have your child finish the unanswered questions with a pencil. This needs to be done every day but does not need to be turned in until Friday. If you have any questions about minute math please contact me.