Reading Week of December 14, 2009

The holidays are right around the corner. I hope everyone has a safe and happy winter break!

This week we will not have a spelling list, vocabulary list, or reading focus due to the short week.

I will be reassessing students in reading at this time to measure growth from the beginning of the year. They will be completing a DRA2 reading assessment along with the FCAT practice test. We we return in January students will take the F.A.I.R. test to also show growth. After all the reassessments have been completed I will be looking closely at where students are and if growth has been shown from the beginning of the year. This will also be a time that if I have a concern I will be contacting parents for conferences.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to let me know! A note in the planner is a quick and easy way!

Until next time...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

R. O'Steen

Reading Week of Decemeber 7

We have now completed Theme 2 in our textbook series and are moving into Theme 3 Incredible Stories. Students will continue to have vocabulary, spelling and weekly reading focuses along with reading logs.


Reading

This week our focus is realism and fantasy. A realistic story tells about characters and events that can happen in real life. A fantasy story has features and events that can and cannot happen in real life . Through the week we will be reading stories and listing events as real or fantasy.

The selection story is Dogzilla in their student textbook. Vocabulary is on page 308. Students will have reading and vocabulary tests Friday.


Language

Students have been studying singular and plural nouns. We will continue to practice this week with a test on Friday.

Spelling

This week our spelling focus in to ow and aw sound like in clown and lawn. Look for their words in their planner.


Writers Workshop

We have moved into the report writing standard. We are writing a class report on the Statue of Liberty. Groups have been assigned individual topics. We are moving through the writing standard together to complete the first report in class. Ask your child what their topic is for their group and what they have learned about it.


Important dates to remember

Wednesday December 9.........early dismissal
Thursday December 17.......first day of winter break
Monday January 4.............first day back to school from winter break

Until next time,
R. O'Steen

Reading Week of November 23

This is a short week to say the least! But the learning must go on :-)

Reading

Due to the extremely short week the students will not have a reading focus, reading selection from their reading textbook, or vocabulary list this week. There will be no tests toward their reading grade this week either.

Monday we will take our third reading monitoring progress assessment. These are county scheduled assessments and are not part of the students reading grade. They are to be used to help determine which students are still have difficulties with FCAT type questions and standards.

Tuesday I have planned some fun yet still educational activities for the class during reader's workshop.

Students will still have a new reading log for this week. I have told them I expect them to read and log in everyday except Thursday they may skip if they want or need to.

Spelling

None this week

Language

We will start a study on singular and plural nouns. Comparing them to the common, proper and pronouns we have already learned.

Writer's Workshop

We will continue working on our narrowed patriotism reports in class.

Important Dates to Note:

Wednesday November 25-Friday, November 27.......No school Thanksgiving Holiday


I hope everyone has a safe, fun and yummy Thanksgiving holiday!
Until next time,
R. O'Steen

Reading Week of November 16

We are already at the end of Theme 2...I can't believe it! Time is just flying! Since we are at the end of the theme we are at a point called Monitoring Student Progress. Because of this there will be no new spelling list or vocabulary words this week. Our week will go something like this:

Reading
Monday we will review and finalize our focus on Main Idea and Supporting Details which we started last week. Tuesday we will take our skill and selection test on Main Idea and Dancing Rainbows.

Wednesday and Thursday we will read aloud and discuss the next two stories in the text; Miss Rumphius and Celebrating the Chinese New Year. Friday students will take a comprehension test on these two stories.


Language
As noted before there will not be a spelling or vocabulary list or test this week or next. We will work on various grammar skills through the week with a focus on singular and plural nouns.

Writer's Workshop
We have been focused on the Narrative standard in Writer's Workshop all year so far. We will being this week to move to a new standard-Informational Writing or Report writing. We will be working on a class project. Ask your child about his or her topic!

Students have been doing a great job of keeping up with their reading logs for their reading practice!!! Please continue to read with your child or ask about what they are reading at school and at home.

Important Dates to Note:
*Wednesday Nov. 18 early dismissal
*Friday School Fall Dance...parents must attend with their child
*Friday Sports Fest

Reading Week of November 9

We are already well into our second theme in Reading. Most students are doing very well. I am very proud of them! Just remember to ask your child what their spelling and vocabulary words are weekly.

Reading
This week's focus is Main Idea and Supporting Details. Main idea is the most important idea in a passage and supporting details are examples and bits of information that support the main ideas.

This is one of the more challenging skills for students to grasp. We will be using the story Dancing Rainbows in the textbook to practice determining main idea and details within the story.

Due to the holiday Wednesday, I have moved the reading tests to Tuesday, November 17. However spelling and vocabulary tests will still be on Friday, November 13. Students will have this noted in their planners too.

Beginning next week we will have completed the narrative standard in Writer's Workshop and will be moving on to the Informational Standard or report writing. This will give students another opportunity to work with main idea and details when writing their report. Their first report will be completed in class. Look for information for the second report to come later.

Vocabulary
Students are assigned the words on page 234 to know for the test on Friday. Study definitions from the glossary in textbook.

Spelling
The spelling focus this week is long i vowel patterns. Students will have their pretest Monday so they can focus their study to the words on their pretest that they missed.

Language
We have been focusing on the differences between common nouns, proper nouns, and pronouns. We will continue to have practice this week with a test on common nouns and proper nouns on Friday the 13th. Students have examples of this focus in their Language notebook that they can bring home to study and review throughout the week. Another way to study with your child is to ask them for examples of common nouns and proper nouns from their chapter book, reading textbook...anything they have read.

Reading Logs
Students are doing a GREAT job keeping up with their reading logs!!! I am so happy to see this as this is their time to practice their strategies and skills they have been introduced to in reader's workshop. It is also the way they will move their reading level throughout the year.

Please continue to monitor your child's reading logs, spelling words and vocabulary words. You should also see your child answering the questions at the end of the textbook story during the week. Look for homework reminders for exact assignment dates in their agenda planners daily.

Important Dates
Wednesday, November 11...no school in honor of Veteran's Day

Until next time,
R. O'Steen

Reading Week of October 19

Due to scheduled county assessments...our classroom schedule has gotten a little off our usual Monday introductions and Friday tests.

This week we will finish up our focus on Author's Viewpoint. Vocabulary and comprehension tests on The Keeping Quilt will be on Tuesday. Along with skills test and grammar test on compound words.

Students will receive Spelling words on Monday as usual and test on Friday.

Wednesday we will begin our new story, Grandma's Records with a focus on categorizing and classifying. Vocabulary, skills and selections tests on Grandama's Records and vocabulary will be on Thursday October 29.

Please continue to monitor your child's reading at home. They are assigned to read and log in everyday including the weekend. This is part of their reading grade.

Important Dates to remember:

October 21 Early Dismissal
October 23 End of the 1st nine weeks
October 26 Planning Day no school for students
October 30 Character Parade Day and report cards go home

Until next time,
R. O'Steen

Reading Week of October 4th

Reading

We are ending theme 1 this week. I can't believe how fast the nine weeks are flying by! Since we are ending our theme we do not have a specific focus. I use this week to reteach skills that the class did not do as well on throughout the unit. We will be reviewing sequence during this week. We will also be practicing comparing and contrasting characters and stories.

Students will have a selection test on Radio Rescue and Midnight Ride on Thursday. On Friday students will complete their first Theme test. The theme test will be different than their weekly tests. First of all there will be two passages they will read completely on their own. I call these a cold read because they have never seen the passage before and no one will read it to them or with them. Also the theme test is 20 questions long instead of 5 like the skills tests or 10 like the week selection tests.


Vocabulary

There will be no focused vocabulary words this week or weekly vocabulary test.

Spelling

There will be no focused spelling list or test this week due to the end of the theme.

Reading Logs

Don't forget to make sure your child is completing their reading logs each night. I grade them every Friday as part of their reading grade. The way to become a better reader is to read!

Dates to remember:
Fall fundraiser began Friday October 2
Early Dismissal Wednesday October 7

Until next time,
R. O'Steen

Reading Week of September 28

I am sooo pleased with the students' progress so far this year!! Here is an outline of what we will be focused on this week in Reader's and Writer's Workshop:



Reading focus this week: students will practice using sequence in a story...throughout the week they will find words that show sequence such as first, next, after that, finally and also use those words to put story events in the correct order that they happened.

Our story this week is The Lost and Found. Read the story with your child and ask question such as what happened after...___________(give an event in the story) Or ask what happened before __________ in the story. You can use any of the books they are reading for practice. Students are also assigned the question on pg 116 # 2-5 to complete for comprehension practice.


Students are also assigned vocabulary words on page 90. They should define them in their readers notebooks and study them throughout the week..test on Friday.

Language focus this week: students will practice identifying the 4 kinds of sentences...statement, question, exclamation and command. You should find activities that they have completed in class in their language notebook...test will be on Friday.

Spelling focus this week: students are studying words with the long vowel sounds spelled with the vowel-consonant-vowel pattern...specifically the silent e...such as hope. Test will be on Friday.

Writer's Workshop: students will choose a piece of their writing..a story...that they want to take through the writing process. They will chose a piece of writing from their writers notebook, revise, edit and publish their story using the chart that we create in the classroom as their guide.
This piece of writing will be scored and added as a grade toward their Language grade.

Final Thoughts:
Please continue to monitor your child to make sure they are completing their reading logs daily. These are a part of their reading grade and zeros can begin to hurt their grade if they get too many. I collect the folders every Friday and grade them. If they are behind they can complete the log over the weekend and still earn their points.

Many times parents ask me how can I help my child do better in reading? My answer...have them read...with you or independently...the way to become a better reader is to read!!!

Until next time,
R.O'Steen

Reading Week of Sept. 22

Curriculum Notes for this week:

Spelling

This week our Spelling focus will continue to be short vowel stand alone with our list using the o and u. Words will be in the planner.

Language

This week we will focus on types of sentences: statement, question, command, exclamation.
We will also continue to focus on the narrative standard and write our own stories in writer's workshop.

Reading

Our reading focus this week is making inferences. This is when students have to use text clues and what they know from real life to figure out something in the story. This skill along with main idea will be one of the hardest we work on this year.

Our story is Mulan. Students will be assigned the vocabulary words on page 52 and questions at the end of the story.

Students should be bringing home their reader's notebook, reading textbook and reading log to complete assignments and study throughout the week.

If you have any questions please let me know. A note in the planner is the quickest.

Until next time,
R. O'Steen

1st Midterm Update

What a great start to the year!!

We have now completed the first story in the reading textbook. You should have seen your child defining vocabulary words, studying spelling, reading the story Cliff Hanger and answering the questions at the end of the story. We took our first Reading, vocabulary and Spelling tests Friday. I was very pleased with the scores! If the students continue to read and practice as they have so far, they should continue to do well.

We will now be on track with Spelling and vocabulary word introduction on Mondays. Students need to study and learn the words through the week. Students will also get their reading focus and story for the week on Mondays. We will work with the story and skill all week and have our tests on Fridays. They will have a Spelling, Vocabulary, Reading Skills test and Reading comprehension test every Friday.

I encourage students to read the story many times through the week so they do well on the test on Friday.

Just some friendly reminders:

Please make sure your child is reading every day and logging in their weekly reading log. Some students have time in class to finish their daily log however as we add to our workshop more and more of the logs will have to be completed at home for homework. This reading log is also part of their reading grade.

Progress reports go home on Tuesday the 22nd. Please review, sign and return within three days.

Early dismissal on Wednesday.

Thank you for checking your child's planner nightly and signing the Friday folders. So much important information goes home this way!

Until next time,
R. O'Steen

First Day of School!

We had a wonderful first day! The children were great listeners and followed directions well! You should see their planners coming home tonight for the first time. Please review each night and sign.

Thanks to all the parents who brought in supplies today!! We appreciate all you do!

Students received a code of conduct book today. There is a page in the back that needs to be signed and returned to school. Also please don't forget about the information packet sent home in the dolphin folder.

Here are a few pictures of the classroom for those who might not have been able to come in yet!










Until next time...keep treasure hunting!
R. O'Steen

Welcome to Our Class!

If you are reading this then it can only mean one thing...you are in Mrs.O'Steen and Mr. Gardella's third grade class at Crystal Springs. We are so happy you are in our class and we are excited about a new year teaching together this year.

Mr. Gardella and I have been team teaching for the last 7 years but this year we will be co-teaching.
We will be working together to teach all of the subjects however I will focus on the Reading and Language Arts and Mr. Gardella will focus on Math, Science and Social Studies.

We will use this blog to keep you informed about important things going on in the classroom and school. Check in often!

Here are some important dates already to mark on your calendar:

September 9 Early dismissal
September 10 Open House for 3rd-5th grade


Basic classroom procedures

*Class will start promptly at 8:30 each morning.
*Students will have a planner to write homework assignments in every afternoon. Parents should review and sign the planner nightly. This will be the daily communication between home and school.
*Each Friday students will bring home a folder with important notices and a folder with graded work from that week to be reviewed, signed and returned to school the following Monday.
*Please not a new school policy which states that cupcakes, cookies, etc. will not be allowed in the class or cafeteria for birthday celebrations. Birthdays will be recognized monthly in the cafeteria and classroom.

Needed Classroom Supplies:

2 folders with prongs and pockets
2 spiral notebooks
1 composition notebook
1package erasable pens blue or black
1 package notebook paper
1 package post it notes
1 box of tissues
1 bottle soft soap
1 box large freezer zip lock bags

Wish list items for the classroom:

plug in air fresheners
stickers
chapter books

Ways to contact us:

*write a note in the planner
*leave a voice mail at 693-7645 ext 218
*email at osteenr@duvalschools.org

If you ever have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!!!

Update!

Well the students worked very hard on the FCAT test! Now all we can do is wait for the scores. Unfortunately it takes a while. We probably won't hear anything until May sometime. If I hear anything sooner I will let you know.

We also finished our book publishing project. I'm sure you heard about it at home. Thanks to all the parents who responded by sending in the slips about the books! Our publishing date was March 19 so I am looking for the books to come in shortly after Spring Break!

You should still see your child bringing home their reading textbook throughout the week to define vocabulary words, read the weekly selection story, and answer questions in the text. Many students aren't doing well on the vocabulary tests so be sure to ask your child about their words for the week. Also, discuss the text story with them. They always have a test on that story at the end of the week.

Hope everyone has a great Spring Break!
Until next time,
R. O'Steen

Reading Update

We are now at the end of Theme 4 in our reading textbook. That puts us in a review mode. Last week and this week students have not been assigned Spelling words. You should be seeing vocabulary words however for the two stories we are reading in the textbook; Alejandro's Gift and The Living Desert. I analyzed the grades in this theme based on spelling and reading skills. Based on that data we are reviewing fact and opinion, compare and contrast and test taking skills.

Students will have their vocabulary test on Thursday February 26 along with their selection test. On Friday students will take the Theme 4 test.

As far as their reading habits grade you should have noticed a weekly reading log and a book project so far. This week starting today you should see your child bringing home one passage a night from the FCAT released test. They will write their answers on the answer sheet that was given. By the end of the weekend they should have competed all 5 stories on the released test. This also will be counted toward their reading habits grade.

The FCAT is in two weeks. Be sure your child is practicing by doing their homework everynight.
Until next time,
R. O'Steen

Reading Update

Well we are a little past the half way mark. I can't believe how the year is flying by! You should have noticed some changes in what your child has been bringing home for reading logs. They no longer have a nightly log in sheet. You should see your child logging in the weekly story from the textbook on a reading log in their reading folder each week. You should also be seeing your child working on a book project as part of their reading habits grade. It will be in either a turquoise or purple construction paper folder depending on which homeroom your child is in. They are to have the project completed by the end of the nine weeks. There is a paper in the front explaining the requirements as well as a signature.

Another project we have started is a book publishing project. This is part of their writing grade this nine weeks. Ask your child what their book is going to be about. When your child is finished with their kit they will bring home a slip with an offer to buy a copy of their book. You do not have to purchase a book, they will receive a free copy of their book even if you do not purchase. All you have to do is check the box "no I'm not interested" and sign the slip and the company will publish your child's book. I have done this project for the last 2 years and it has been a great experience.

Lastly, the FCAT is coming soon. Read with your child everyday. Rereading the stories in the textbook is good or books from the library are great too!

Until next time,
R. O'Steen