Spelling Test Tomorrow

Today we worked on reading poetry with fluency and expression.  We started to write character poems about ourselves.  Your child's rough draft is in their binder.

We are also reviewing the four sentence types: expository, declarative, exclamatory, interrogative.

You can click here to take a practice test for our spelling test tomorrow:

Unit 1 Spelling Practice Test

I am looking forward to seeing many parents tonight at our 5:30 Expectation Night.

Story Test Today

Today we took our story comprehension and vocabulary test over The Hot and Cold Summer.  Students are allowed to use their book to locate the answers to the questions, and vocabulary sheets can be used on the test.  My goal is to help students become confident readers who know how to locate answers but can also apply and make inferences from their reading.  The test also contains a writing section that allows me to see students' growth while using complete sentences, punctuation, capital letters, and paragraphing strategies.

We have a spelling test on Friday.  We will be reviewing the words in class.  Part of your child's fourth grade homework will be to study and prepare for tests at home.

We are continuing to work on the skill of identifying character traits.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you on Thursday evening for Expectation Night at 5:30.

The Hot and Cold Summer

Today we read the story The Hot and Cold Summer from our Storytown book.  On Tuesday I will read aloud and discuss the story and vocabulary with the class, and the homework assignment on Tuesdays will always be to reread the story.  There is a homework sheet to be signed and returned tomorrow.  We also completed Practice workbook page 1 to learn the vocabulary words.  Tomorrow we will have a story test over the comprehension and vocabulary.  The students WILL be allowed to use their books for the test.

Here is a link to the Storytown book:

eBook

Tuesday is also our library day.  Books will be due every other Tuesday.

See you on Thursday at 5:30 for Expectation Night!

Spelling Unit 1

Today we worked on practicing and learning our Unit 1 spelling words.  These words have short vowel sounds.  We completed Spelling workbook pages 3 & 4 together in class. They are in your child's binder to review at home for our test on Friday.  Here's a link to this year's word list:

Spelling Lists

We also have been learning about Nonfiction Text Features, and we are using old World Almanacs for Kids to search for examples of illustrations, bullets, text styles, charts and graphs.  Since the World Almanacs are outdated versions that the library is weeding out, students were allowed to keep the almanacs for fun reading.

Our skill this week is learning about "Character Traits."  Tomorrow we will be introduced to the characters in The Hot and Cold Summer.  

Here's a link to the reading book stories online:

eBook

We are also reviewing complete and incomplete sentences.  There are lots of great grammar games for you to play at home at this web site:

Fun Brain Games

I'm looking forward to seeing you on Thursday for Expectation Night.  Fourth Grade Expectation Night begins at 5:30 in the gym.

Our First Week

We completed our first week together in language arts!  Your child has a Friday newsletter in their take home folder.  Next week's spelling words are listed on the letter, as well as a raffle ticket for Monday.

Today we worked on identifying Non Fiction Text Features.  We used a World Almanac and found examples of charts, graphs, text styles, diagrams, glossary and index pages.

Block 1 is enjoying our read aloud story Herbie Jones, Superhero, and we are working on finding subjects/predicates and using complete sentences.

Block 2 is reading The World According to Humphrey.  

I'm looking forward to seeing you on Thursday for Expectation Night.  You will begin in the gym at 5:30 and come to the classrooms at 5:45.  There will be times to meet both of your child's teachers.  Fourth grade Expectation Night will end at 6:30.  Fifth and sixth grade will begin at 6:30.

WELCOME - LANGUAGE ARTS 2015-2016 CLASSES!

Welcome to fourth grade language arts.  Students should have a letter in their blue binder that provides an overview of the subjects that we will be covering in our class.  Please look for it at home.  Please also bookmark this site so that you can check back often for nightly homework, spelling words, test dates, and stories.

This link will provide a list of our weekly spelling words:  Spelling Lists

You can find a copy of our reading book online by clicking here:  Storytown Book

Here's the Nelson Ridge Web Site: Nelson Ridge Web Site

I am hoping to see many of you at Expectation Night next Thursday evening, August 27.

Please feel free to email at any time: sdanforth@nlsd122.org

Please sign or initial your child's assignment book nightly.  It is a useful method of communication between home and school, and it helps your child to know that we are working together.

We are off to a great start!

How the West was Won

We are continuing to read about our final section of the the United States, the West.   Here's a kids' video about the western states of Hawaii and Alaska:

Hawaii

Alaska

The Gold Rush Video

The video "Tour the States" is a great way to always remember the states and capitals.  I would encourage you to bookmark it on your computer at home and review it often this summer.  The class LOVES to sing this song.  The "Tour the World" video is more complex but very much enjoyed and a great challenge for those students who love geography.

Tour the States Video 

Tour the World Video

We will have a 50 states and capitals extra credit test on WEDNESDAY.