Welcome to our 3rd Grade Back to School Night

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Welcome to our 3rd Grade Back to School Night

• Thanks for coming!

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Communication Arts
Goal To make meaning out of print

• Reading
• Writing
• Phonics/S-p-e-l-l-i-n-g

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Components of Balanced Literacy

• Whole group instruction
• Shared reading
• Small group instruction (guided reading groups)
• Project Read
• Independent reading

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1. Whole Group Instruction

• Comprehension strategies
• Decoding (phonics)
• Project Read
• Vocabulary

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2. Shared Reading

• Teacher and students share the text

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3. Small Group Instruction

• Guided reading groups
• Flexible groupings
• Skills, Interests, and Needs

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4. Project Read

• Focus is on letters and sounds
• All First and Second Graders have had Project
  Read
• Third Grade continues to reinforce and extend
  skills

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5. Independent Reading

• Occurs daily
• Students select books
• Provides opportunities to use strategies

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Assessments

• Continual assessment guides instruction
• Teacher observation
• 4-Sight
• Standardized test given four times a year
• Allows teachers to gain a snapshot of the student
  progress through the year
• Preparation for PSSAs
• STAR
• Computer program that monitors students ability
  to use words in context
• DIBELS
• Assesses oral reading fluency
• Core Phonics
• Assesses phonetic skills

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Narrative/Informational Writing

1. Modeled Writing
2. Shared Writing
3. Guided Writing
4. Independent Writing

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1. Modeled Writing

• Teacher models what good writers think about and
  do during writing.

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2. Shared Writing

• Teacher and students work collaboratively
• Focus is on writing skills and strategies

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3. Guided Writing

• Teacher serves as coach
• Student has opportunities to practice skills and
  strategies

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4. Independent Writing

• Ultimate goal for writing instruction
• Student selects topic

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Assessments

• Teacher observation
• Writing prompts (monthly and district)
• Narrative/Informational are aligned with
  instruction

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Math

• Continuation of mathematical concepts learned in
  K, 1, 2
• Curriculum spirals concepts are introduced and
  revisited throughout the year
• Family letters help explain the units topics and
  terms
• Some concepts are introduced differently than the
  way we learned them. Referring to the family
  letter will help you reinforce how concepts are
  being taught in the classroom.

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Mathematics Continued

• Key features of our Everyday Mathematics program
  include
• Problem solving in everyday situations
• Developing readiness through hands-on activities
• Establishing links between past experiences and
  exploration of new concepts
• Sharing ideas through discussion
• Cooperative learning through partner and small
  group activities
• Practice through games

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Math Centers

• Day 6
• In place of Social Studies/Science lesson
• Remediation/Enrichment
• Small Groups defined skills

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Rocket Math

• Purpose is to increase speed and accuracy in math
  facts
• Will improve students ability to learn and
  retain higher order math skills
• Goal for Third Graders is to master all addition
  and subtraction facts
• Some children may advance to other operations
• Rocket Math will begin November 3rd
• The first 9 weeks of school are spent focusing on
  building fact power strategies

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Social Studies

• Units of study include
• Pennsylvania
• Communities
• Local and National Government
• History
• Economy

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Science

• Units include
• Earth Materials
• Life Cycles
• Sound

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Ways to help your Third grader

• Homework
• About 30 minutes per day
• Reinforce the skills taught in school
• Math homelinks
• Phonics/Spelling
• Math Facts
• Read 10 to 20 minutes
• Communication
• E-mail
• Voice mail
• Handwritten notes

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Lets have a great year!