12/1/08

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. Thanks!

Part 2 (Mental Math): We are in a unit called Mental Math and the children are figuring out ways to quickly subtract numbers in their heads. Please have them finish today’s math mat. Please have your child come up with their own Journal problem for #15. They need a story that subtracts 20 from 42. For example:
I have 42 cookies. I eat 20 of them. To figure out 42 minus 20 I take two tens away from the tens place... 40... 30... 20. 40 minus two tens leaves 20. I don’t do anything to the ones place so 42-20=22!

The key is having your child understand that they can manipulate the tens place easily without having to make any changes to the ones place if the number being subtracted is a multiple of ten (10,20,30,40, etc.).

Part 3 (Math): Drops in the Bucket Math: we are reviewing many of the math facts that we have learned to date: comparing numbers, patterns, adding and subtracting, how many in all, money, place value, time, and shapes.
When working on Drops in the Bucket with your student please constantly ask them to explain themselves to you. Say things like: “How do you know that?” and “Tell me why.” when they give you answers. On problem #3 the students are asked to do some double digit addition and subtraction. Check to see if your student starts in the ones place. Problem #9 deals with telling time. Many of the children don’t know how to tell time on a clock with a face yet. If this is still hard for your child read the face to them, “12:05” and then have them write the time on the digital clock. Please work with your child on telling time! Please let me know if you are starting to work with your child on telling time on an analog (face) clock and how it is going. Problem #8 involves adding 44 to 44... the 44 on the left is pretty straightforward but the 44 on the right is tricky: there are 14 cubes in the ones place there and 10 of them should be regrouped into the tens place.

Part 4 (Minute Math): Minute Math is a daily activity. It is not due until Friday.