Weekly Letter for August 20th

Dear Parents,

We are beginning our first theme of the 3rd grade this week: Off to Adventure! Your child will begin reading the first selection of the theme, The Lost and Found tomorrow.  The Lost and Found is about 3 students that discover a mysterious world in the lost and found bin at school.  Our strategy focus for this story is summarizing, the comprehension skill is sequencing of events, and the 4 grammar focuses are syllabication, base words, subject and predicate, and sentence versus fragments.  Your child's spelling words are focusing on the short a, e, and i sounds.  In literature, we will begin reading James and the Giant Peach together. In math this week, your child will be working on comparing numbers, least to greatest, rounding to the nearest tens and hundreds, and multiplying by 10's and 3's.  In Social Studies, they will be working on California Regions.  They are working on a Region book and they will create a Topographic Map of California out of salt dough.  

Ways to help your child at home this week:

*Since we are beginning to read James and the Giant Peach.  I recommend checking out this book from the local library, or you can purchase it at any book store for about 5 dollars.  They should bring the book daily, sot hey can read along with me.  It will also help them when they are asked comprehension questions regarding this book for homework.

* Multiplication Flash cards 

* If your child loves the story The Lost and Found they will love the following stories as well: The Secret Shortcut by Mark Teague, One Halloween Night by Mark Teague, Pigsty by Mark Teague, Dear Mrs. LaRue by Mark Teague, Sweet Dream Pie by Audrey Woods, and Frindle by Andrew Clement.

*Check out our classroom website: mrsmonroesclassroom.blogspot.com for practice links on all concepts.

The following will be your child's spelling words for the story The Lost and Found:

1. mix 5. last 9. friend 13. empty

2. class 6. thick 10. send 14. left

3. milk 7. thin 11. stick

4. smell 8. head 12. glance

The following are vocabulary words for the story:

1. plunged 6. muttered

2. narrow 7. visible

3. rumpled 8. unusual

4. grumbled 9. directions

5. groaned 10. dismay

Important Dates this week:

Tuesday, August 21st minimum day: 1:00 dismissal

I am looking forward to another great week of learning!  

Mrs. Monroe