Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Mangrove Wilderness

Our expository nonfiction reading story today is found on pages 628-642 in our reading book, and this text should be read again at home as homework.  We did discuss and review vocabulary words today in class, and we completed Practice Workbook page 143.

There is a spelling test on Friday.  These Unit 24 words are much "easier" to learn than last week's words, so I am expecting good grades!  By learning how to spell the base word, it will be easy just to modify the word with the suffix ending.

We reviewed past, present, and future tense verbs in Grammar.  We also continue to work on fluency.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Words with Suffixes in Combination

Today's spelling words contained suffixes in combination.  If students focus on studying the base word, adding the suffixes should be fairly easy.  Today we completed Spelling workbook pages 95-96.  Spelling retests were much better on Friday.  I've raised the gradebook scores to reflect the "higher" grade.

This week we will be reading "Mangrove Wilderness."  The red mangrove is a tree that supports a great variety of animal life along the southern coast of Florida.    We worked on fluency passages today.  Being a fluent reader is an important skill.  Any oral practice at home is beneficial.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Crickets and Insects

Today we worked on some factual research about insects and crickets.  We also took our spelling retest and will be moving along to a new spelling unit (unit 24) next week.  The words will be on the weekly newsletter.  Here's a link to all of the units:
http://highmail.highlands.k12.fl.us/~tarters/spelling

We took a verb review quiz in class yesterday and will be moving along to learn about pronouns.

Next week we will read the story "Mangrove Wilderness." Red mangroves are trees that support a great variety of animal life along the southern coast of Florida.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Verbs and Words

Today we reviewed for our Unit 23 spelling retest that will be given tomorrow.  We also reviewed and assessed our knowledge of action, helping, and linking verbs.

Tomorrow we will work on insect research.  We will learn about crickets ("The Cricket in Times Square") as well as other six legged creatures.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

"A Cricket in Times Square"

Today we took the story and vocabulary test over "A Cricket in Times Square."  Students who enjoyed this story can look for the chapter book in the library to read more about the adventures of Chester, Harry, and Tucker.  Here's a link to a video from this 1960's classic story:

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=cricket+in+times+square&vid=67030c861924d4c112e5d33e6d87bb04&l=24%3A41&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DVN.607991928386421605%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUOHr27acEno&tit=A+Cricket+in+Times+Square&c=0&sigr=11a1gg4li&sigt=10pau81rn&ct=p&pstcat=sports&age=0&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_003&hspart=ironsource&tt=b

Our spelling test will be given on Friday.  It is a RETEST over Unit 23.  We are working hard to practice these difficult words.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Tuesday - Cricket in Times Square

Spelling Unit 23 tests were so awful that I would like to spend another week focusing on these words.  INSTEAD of learning the Unit 24 words that were listed on the newsletter for the week, we will revisit and retest on Friday over the Unit 23 words.  Any student who received a 75 % or higher may KEEP THEIR GRADE and is NOT required to retest unless they would like to try for a higher score.  Students who are retaking the test will be tested over all 20 words, not just the words that they missed.

Our very last Book-it was due TODAY!

Today we read "A Cricket in Times Square" in our reading book.  Story sheets were sent home to reread for homework.  We also worked on vocabulary for this story.  

Monday

Spelling Unit 23 tests were so awful that I would like to spend another week focusing on these words.  INSTEAD of learning the Unit 24 words that were listed on the newsletter for the week, we will revisit and retest on Friday over the Unit 23 words.  Any student who received a 75 % or higher may KEEP THEIR GRADE and is NOT required to retest unless they would like to try for a higher score.  Students who are retaking the test will be tested over all 20 words, not just the words that they missed.

Today we completed Practice Workbook page 136 as a spelling review.

Book-it is due TOMORROW!  It is our last Book-it month.

This week we will be reading "A Cricket in Times Square" in our reading book.