Parent Letter -
If you need to contact Enstrom Studios about the class picture, there website is www.enstromstudios.com. There phone number is (866)574-1694.
April 16, 2013
Dear Parents,
Today we completed the first two sections of the MCA reading test. We will be working on the last two sections tomorrow. If your child was absent during testing time, they will make up the test on a different day. This may mean that your child has some homework that night because they were not in the classroom to do their work.
We will have our spelling test on Friday. We are working on Unit 24.
The MCA math test will be the first week of May. The dates for the third grade are May 1st and 2nd. The students take this test on the computers. We gave the students a math pack that reviews for the test. If your child brings this home, please assist them with any questions they may have. These packets are not graded, but will help them with areas that they need work on. If you have access to the internet, ixl is another place the students are able to practice their math skills. I have encouraged your child to work on their math facts.
Due to the snow, we are still asking students to bring their boots, snow pants, hats, mittens, and winter jackets. If the temperature is above 32, they do not need to wear the snow pants, but they will need boots until the snow is gone. If we ever do get to the muddy season...mud boots are ok.
The rough drafts of the reports were due on Monday of this week. I need to thank all of the parents that read the rough drafts at home. That certainly helped them as well as me. This week the students are busy with their projects and writing/typing their final copies. The final copy and their projects are due on April 26th. We will present to a small group of students on that day.
March 18, 2013
Dear Parents,
This week is a four day week. The students do not have school this Friday due to the third quarter coming to an end. It's hard to believe that we are starting to count down to the end of the year. The last quarter always flies by. We will be sending home report cards in a few weeks. They will come home in Tuesday folders. Please call if you have any concerns you would like to discuss.
This week we will have our spelling test on Thursday. We are studying Unit 21 words. The words can be found on this website as well as the Spelling City website. Please encourage your child to use the Spelling City website to practice their words through the week. I am also working with a small group of students each week on spelling rules. I am thankful for the families that are working with their children at home each week. It is noticeable and making a difference.
In science this week the students are working on the space standards which states that the sun and moon have locations and movements that can be observed and described. They need to be able to describe the daily and seasonal changes in the position of the sun. They also need to recognize the apparent changes in the moon's shape. They also need to understand that objects in the solar system as seen from the Earth have various sizes and distinctive patterns of motion. They need to recognize that the Earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and that the moon orbits the earth. The students will be creating a diagram of the solar system putting the planets in their correct position in relation to the sun.
Last week the students created their costumes for their Biography Living Museum. Their paragraphs are written. We're ready to go. With a couple of practice sessions planned, we will be invited younger students to come and view our museum next week. I will let you know the various times we will be invited students in...just in case you would like to visit our class as well. If your child has clothes or props that they would like to use for their presentation...they are welcome to do that. It should be a lot of fun! I was impressed with how easily the students wrote in the first person...as if they were the subject of their biography.
In math the students have started working on division facts. They are working on dividing by 1's, 2's, 5's, 7's, and 10's. Please encourage your child to continue working on their facts at home...subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Have a great week!
Dear Parents,
This week is a four day week. The students do not have school this Friday due to the third quarter coming to an end. It's hard to believe that we are starting to count down to the end of the year. The last quarter always flies by. We will be sending home report cards in a few weeks. They will come home in Tuesday folders. Please call if you have any concerns you would like to discuss.
This week we will have our spelling test on Thursday. We are studying Unit 21 words. The words can be found on this website as well as the Spelling City website. Please encourage your child to use the Spelling City website to practice their words through the week. I am also working with a small group of students each week on spelling rules. I am thankful for the families that are working with their children at home each week. It is noticeable and making a difference.
In science this week the students are working on the space standards which states that the sun and moon have locations and movements that can be observed and described. They need to be able to describe the daily and seasonal changes in the position of the sun. They also need to recognize the apparent changes in the moon's shape. They also need to understand that objects in the solar system as seen from the Earth have various sizes and distinctive patterns of motion. They need to recognize that the Earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and that the moon orbits the earth. The students will be creating a diagram of the solar system putting the planets in their correct position in relation to the sun.
Last week the students created their costumes for their Biography Living Museum. Their paragraphs are written. We're ready to go. With a couple of practice sessions planned, we will be invited younger students to come and view our museum next week. I will let you know the various times we will be invited students in...just in case you would like to visit our class as well. If your child has clothes or props that they would like to use for their presentation...they are welcome to do that. It should be a lot of fun! I was impressed with how easily the students wrote in the first person...as if they were the subject of their biography.
In math the students have started working on division facts. They are working on dividing by 1's, 2's, 5's, 7's, and 10's. Please encourage your child to continue working on their facts at home...subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Have a great week!
Dear Parents,
This week is our first full week back after vacation. I want to personally thank all the volunteers that came in before Christmas to help with finishing our projects, helping at our party, and watching your child at our program. I also want to thank the families for their generous gifts that made our Christmas Party a success. We had a great day. Personally I appreciate all that my families did to recognize me this past Christmas...from cards, to pictures, as well as the gifts. I am blessed by your children each day.
Our students have started a mystery unit in reading this month. They are each reading a mystery within a book club. Some of the students are also reading their own mystery novel. We are also reading a mystery book together as a class. With all these mysteries going on...the students are becoming great detectives. We are even enjoying a good game of Alibi at our Morning Meetings each day.
I have asked the students to continue this reading at home each night. You should see their red journals coming home for them to record the titles of their books and the time that they spent on that book along with the page numbers. You may want to ask to see this journal. It would be very helpful to your child’s reading success if you were working with me to encourage their reading at home.
Some of the students also have homework in math each night. Please ask your child if they completed their math assignment in school. There are two reasons a student does not have math homework and those are...we had a test that day or they completed it and already handed it in. Many of our students are needing to work on their multiplication facts at home now. We have completed work with our 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, and 7’s. Please help your child on these facts. It won’t be long and they will need to know all of them. We are starting to prepare for our 3’s, 4’s, and 11’s.
This week we are studying Unit 12 in Spelling. Our test will be on Friday.
Next week is the last week of the quarter. We do not have school next Friday. Our spelling test will be on Thursday.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
This week is our first full week back after vacation. I want to personally thank all the volunteers that came in before Christmas to help with finishing our projects, helping at our party, and watching your child at our program. I also want to thank the families for their generous gifts that made our Christmas Party a success. We had a great day. Personally I appreciate all that my families did to recognize me this past Christmas...from cards, to pictures, as well as the gifts. I am blessed by your children each day.
Our students have started a mystery unit in reading this month. They are each reading a mystery within a book club. Some of the students are also reading their own mystery novel. We are also reading a mystery book together as a class. With all these mysteries going on...the students are becoming great detectives. We are even enjoying a good game of Alibi at our Morning Meetings each day.
I have asked the students to continue this reading at home each night. You should see their red journals coming home for them to record the titles of their books and the time that they spent on that book along with the page numbers. You may want to ask to see this journal. It would be very helpful to your child’s reading success if you were working with me to encourage their reading at home.
Some of the students also have homework in math each night. Please ask your child if they completed their math assignment in school. There are two reasons a student does not have math homework and those are...we had a test that day or they completed it and already handed it in. Many of our students are needing to work on their multiplication facts at home now. We have completed work with our 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, and 7’s. Please help your child on these facts. It won’t be long and they will need to know all of them. We are starting to prepare for our 3’s, 4’s, and 11’s.
This week we are studying Unit 12 in Spelling. Our test will be on Friday.
Next week is the last week of the quarter. We do not have school next Friday. Our spelling test will be on Thursday.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
Dear Parents, Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost children and family in today’s shootings in Connecticut.
Our school has a crisis plan in place that we are continually practicing. Sometimes it may feel like a practice is so different than when we were in school and may be an inconvenience, but be assured that it is directly related to the safety of our students.
The following link was posted on a neighboring district's website. I think it has some good suggestions: How To Talk with Kids about a School Shooting
On a more positive note...Thursday is our Christmas party. The students that need to bring a treat were each given a note to bring home on Friday. Students 8 - 15, except for #9 who switched with #21. Student 9 will bring treats for Valentine's Day.
We are not exchanging presents at the party. The third grade chose to focus on having fun activities...like a class Bingo game...which will include prizes of gently used items. If you would like to donate some items for that event...please feel free to do that. The students will also have a visit from Santa. He will be handing out some special presents that have been donated to the students by the Vets Club. We will also have time to play some board games that the students bring from home. Please label the games with your child's name. It should be a great day. Our party will begin at 1:05 - 2:30.
We will also be studying Unit 11 in spelling this week. Thursday morning will be our spelling test.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year's Eve. We will be returning to school on January 2. I am looking forward to some time off, but also returning rested and ready for the new year.
Have a wonderful holiday!
Mrs. Dorholt
Our school has a crisis plan in place that we are continually practicing. Sometimes it may feel like a practice is so different than when we were in school and may be an inconvenience, but be assured that it is directly related to the safety of our students.
The following link was posted on a neighboring district's website. I think it has some good suggestions: How To Talk with Kids about a School Shooting
On a more positive note...Thursday is our Christmas party. The students that need to bring a treat were each given a note to bring home on Friday. Students 8 - 15, except for #9 who switched with #21. Student 9 will bring treats for Valentine's Day.
We are not exchanging presents at the party. The third grade chose to focus on having fun activities...like a class Bingo game...which will include prizes of gently used items. If you would like to donate some items for that event...please feel free to do that. The students will also have a visit from Santa. He will be handing out some special presents that have been donated to the students by the Vets Club. We will also have time to play some board games that the students bring from home. Please label the games with your child's name. It should be a great day. Our party will begin at 1:05 - 2:30.
We will also be studying Unit 11 in spelling this week. Thursday morning will be our spelling test.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year's Eve. We will be returning to school on January 2. I am looking forward to some time off, but also returning rested and ready for the new year.
Have a wonderful holiday!
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 12 - Parent Letter
Dear Parents,
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The class came back ready to work today, but we were all saddened by Tehya’s news that her house burned down on Saturday. We are hoping that we as a class can support her by donating gently used clothes. Her favorite color is pink. She wears a size 1 shoe. She wears a size 8 in pants...although she is quite thin. She also wears a medium top. She told us that she lost everything, but the items she already had at her mom’s and her grandma’s. So she does have a few items at this time. We found her a size 2 pair of tennis shoes, which she seemed happy with. The office is collecting items to deliver to the family. She also has two siblings that lost everything as well as her father.
Joe (Dad): XL shirts/jacket, 34x32 pants, med undershorts, sz 11 shoes (has no winter coat)
Tehya (female): sz medium shirts, sz 8 pants, sz 1 shoes (also needs pair of sz 1 winter boots)
Shea (male): sz med shirts, sz 7/8 pants, sz 1 shoes
Yamka (female): sz 4/5T clothing, sz 10 shoes
We also want to extend our feelings of sorrow to Jaidan...his grandmother passed away this past weekend. The students really felt bad for him. I was impressed with how many of the students added their concern for these two students in their Santa letters, which I will try to email a copy of the letters if you have an email address on record. If not, the students’ letters will be read on the radio and if you like, I could make a copy of each and send it home.
This week the students are working on Unit 8 in spelling. The students had a difficult time with the new words. They are once, animal, life, enough, and took. I am sending home a list of the words along with the challenge words for the students that already mastered the list.
The next few weeks will be busy ones. If you are able to help with any of our projects please let me know. We usually start our projects on a Friday, but if you have a free day on a different day...I would gladly reschedule. It is much easier with two.
Have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Dorholt
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The class came back ready to work today, but we were all saddened by Tehya’s news that her house burned down on Saturday. We are hoping that we as a class can support her by donating gently used clothes. Her favorite color is pink. She wears a size 1 shoe. She wears a size 8 in pants...although she is quite thin. She also wears a medium top. She told us that she lost everything, but the items she already had at her mom’s and her grandma’s. So she does have a few items at this time. We found her a size 2 pair of tennis shoes, which she seemed happy with. The office is collecting items to deliver to the family. She also has two siblings that lost everything as well as her father.
Joe (Dad): XL shirts/jacket, 34x32 pants, med undershorts, sz 11 shoes (has no winter coat)
Tehya (female): sz medium shirts, sz 8 pants, sz 1 shoes (also needs pair of sz 1 winter boots)
Shea (male): sz med shirts, sz 7/8 pants, sz 1 shoes
Yamka (female): sz 4/5T clothing, sz 10 shoes
We also want to extend our feelings of sorrow to Jaidan...his grandmother passed away this past weekend. The students really felt bad for him. I was impressed with how many of the students added their concern for these two students in their Santa letters, which I will try to email a copy of the letters if you have an email address on record. If not, the students’ letters will be read on the radio and if you like, I could make a copy of each and send it home.
This week the students are working on Unit 8 in spelling. The students had a difficult time with the new words. They are once, animal, life, enough, and took. I am sending home a list of the words along with the challenge words for the students that already mastered the list.
The next few weeks will be busy ones. If you are able to help with any of our projects please let me know. We usually start our projects on a Friday, but if you have a free day on a different day...I would gladly reschedule. It is much easier with two.
Have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 11 - Parent Letter
Happy Thanksgiving!
This week is a three day week. That means we will not have a spelling test this week. We have been busy reading nonfiction articles, stories, and books related to the history of Thanksgiving. The students have learned how to write complete answers to questions from the stories they have read. We have also worked on comparing and contrasting what life was like during the 1600’s. The students were able to understand that the basic needs of the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people were the same as people today, but the way they met those needs was very different. After Thanksgiving the students will be reading about how life has changed over the years.
The reading challenge continues at King School. Each of our students have been asked to read 30 minutes a night at home. If you have lost your monthly recording slip, please feel free to use a blank paper, fill in the dates, times, and number of pages. Please sign the slip, verifying that your child read the amount of time on the slip. Our blue team is still in the lead...yeah!!! The amount a student actually reads at home is a huge indicator of the success they will have in school.
Next week is Spirit Week at King School. The days are as follows:
Monday - Camo-Blaze Orange Day
Tuesday - Pajama Day
Wednesday - Hat Day
Thursday - Sports Jersey Day
Friday - Blue/Gold Day
It should be a fun week for the students that participate. I’m looking forward to our celebration of their hard work.
If you were unable to come to conferences, I have sent home a copy of the report card as well as the I Can statements. The I Can statements will help you understand what your child was asked to do this past quarter. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or schedule a conference in the future.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving...I am truly thankful for the chance to work with your children. They are a special group of students.
Mrs. Dorholt
This week is a three day week. That means we will not have a spelling test this week. We have been busy reading nonfiction articles, stories, and books related to the history of Thanksgiving. The students have learned how to write complete answers to questions from the stories they have read. We have also worked on comparing and contrasting what life was like during the 1600’s. The students were able to understand that the basic needs of the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people were the same as people today, but the way they met those needs was very different. After Thanksgiving the students will be reading about how life has changed over the years.
The reading challenge continues at King School. Each of our students have been asked to read 30 minutes a night at home. If you have lost your monthly recording slip, please feel free to use a blank paper, fill in the dates, times, and number of pages. Please sign the slip, verifying that your child read the amount of time on the slip. Our blue team is still in the lead...yeah!!! The amount a student actually reads at home is a huge indicator of the success they will have in school.
Next week is Spirit Week at King School. The days are as follows:
Monday - Camo-Blaze Orange Day
Tuesday - Pajama Day
Wednesday - Hat Day
Thursday - Sports Jersey Day
Friday - Blue/Gold Day
It should be a fun week for the students that participate. I’m looking forward to our celebration of their hard work.
If you were unable to come to conferences, I have sent home a copy of the report card as well as the I Can statements. The I Can statements will help you understand what your child was asked to do this past quarter. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or schedule a conference in the future.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving...I am truly thankful for the chance to work with your children. They are a special group of students.
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 10 - Parent Letter
This week is conference week. I have all the students' report cards ready to hand out at conference time. I also have data to share from the numerous assessments we have given this fall. I will also be sharing the new I Can statements that each grade level has compiled. These should make the new standard's based report cards easier to understand. You can find the link to our I Can statements at the button below or on the King School Website.
I have only heard back from a few of my students. If you do not have your slip, please contact me asap. I would be glad to reschedule your time if it doesn't work out for you this week. Please call me at 246-8860 ext. 419 to reschedule.
This week the students are studying Unit 7 in spelling. The test will be on Friday. I will allow the students to retake the test online during computer time if they do not pass the test or if they would like to try to get a higher score. The idea is for the students to master the words...not to settle for getting a low score. We are using the site Spelling City to retest the words. They are encouraged to visit this site during the week as well.
We have implemented math interventions with Mrs. Sirvio and Mrs. Hron this week. I do have a few students receiving this additional help. The math support will adjust to the needs of the students. As they move through the foundational skills needed for math success the membership in the groups will change. The first group is addressing the skill of counting forward and backward by ones. Sometimes third graders need additional support with this skills for a variety of reasons. One may be that they are not able to transition between tens. They may get to 169 and not know that 170 is next. A third grader needs to be able to start at any number between 0 and 1000 and go forward and backward by one.
In math class, the students are working on adding ten to a number...any number. To stretch the students, I have asked them to practice adding ten to numbers in the thousands. Many of the students are able to do this. To earn a 4 on the report card in math, the students need to be able to go beyond the third grade standards.
During the month of November, the students will be reading informational text during independent reading time. Many of the students love reading factual text...especially if it is about animals. I do allow students to read fiction during any other spare moment in they prefer as well as at home. The unit on informational text also brings us to our science and social studies standards. The students will be using various text to meet those standards. We have just started a weekly science magazine that will address all the third grade standards. You can access our 3rd Grade Informational Text standards below.
This week the students are studying Unit 7 in spelling. The test will be on Friday. I will allow the students to retake the test online during computer time if they do not pass the test or if they would like to try to get a higher score. The idea is for the students to master the words...not to settle for getting a low score. We are using the site Spelling City to retest the words. They are encouraged to visit this site during the week as well.
We have implemented math interventions with Mrs. Sirvio and Mrs. Hron this week. I do have a few students receiving this additional help. The math support will adjust to the needs of the students. As they move through the foundational skills needed for math success the membership in the groups will change. The first group is addressing the skill of counting forward and backward by ones. Sometimes third graders need additional support with this skills for a variety of reasons. One may be that they are not able to transition between tens. They may get to 169 and not know that 170 is next. A third grader needs to be able to start at any number between 0 and 1000 and go forward and backward by one.
In math class, the students are working on adding ten to a number...any number. To stretch the students, I have asked them to practice adding ten to numbers in the thousands. Many of the students are able to do this. To earn a 4 on the report card in math, the students need to be able to go beyond the third grade standards.
During the month of November, the students will be reading informational text during independent reading time. Many of the students love reading factual text...especially if it is about animals. I do allow students to read fiction during any other spare moment in they prefer as well as at home. The unit on informational text also brings us to our science and social studies standards. The students will be using various text to meet those standards. We have just started a weekly science magazine that will address all the third grade standards. You can access our 3rd Grade Informational Text standards below.
We will be working on bringing the studying of the Native American tribes into our classroom throughout the coming winter months. I'm sad to say that many times educators have only used the month of November to honor all the valuable contributions Native Americans have given our country. As we honor their history in our classroom this year, we will also use the myths and legends they have used to teach their youth during reading class. We will compare and contrast the customs of the past with those of today. If you have knowledge that you would be willing to share with our class, please take this invitation to heart and contact me. Some of our best education comes from those around us...include grandparents - our elders.
I am truly thankful for the students that have been entrusted to me each day. We will be thinking of what fills our hearts in the next few weeks...hopefully a spirit of thankfulness will be felt by all that enter our classroom.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
I am truly thankful for the students that have been entrusted to me each day. We will be thinking of what fills our hearts in the next few weeks...hopefully a spirit of thankfulness will be felt by all that enter our classroom.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 8 - Parent Letter
The students came back from MEA weekend ready to dive into their work. It felt good to have a few days off, but it also felt good to be back. We are into a better routine now. The students know what to expect each day. This week the students started reading in Literature Groups. The groups are working on understanding character and inferring what characters feel by their words and actions. The books chosen for the groups were picked by their level. Some groups will not be by level, but will be according to the strategy or skill they are working on. They should be practicing the inferring strategy in their independent reading. When a student is able to do this, they will bring higher levels of understanding to the book they are reading. Once a student is able to infer, they need to be able to support their thoughts with reason from the story. It is sort of like, having an opinion that you base off of some sort of evidence.
We are starting Unit 5 in spelling this week. The words are being sent home in their Tuesday Folders. The regular list and challenge list are posted on the website as well. We did not have a spelling test last week.
We had our 5th math test today. I am sending home the test and keeping a copy for conference time. I do put a letter grade on the test, but on the report cards it will be scored with a 4, 3, 2, or 1.
We have started working on cursive handwriting. The main purpose for doing this is for students to be able to read cursive writing. It is a form of communication that is losing some of its importance in our school day. The students are asked to practice this 3 times a week, but the practice is not laborious. It is a short lesson, which the students work on throughout the day. I do not ask them to do the entire sheet of practice. If I see signs of difficulty, I will work with them individually as time allows.
This week the students will be introduced to blogging. They have a username and password for kidblog.org. The students will be blogging once a week. The blogs will be edited and approved by me before they are posted. They will be asked to respond to their classmates blogs as well. Each response will also be edited and approved before it is posted. The theme for the week's blog will be given on Monday. The students will have time throughout the week to respond, but they may respond at home if they have internet access.
The King School Reading Challenge is going very well. Last week our class read a whopping 1070 min. The next closest class was a 5th grade class with 966. Way to go class! This week the class read 1420 min. That was the third highest class. I believe the time spent on reading is one of the most valuable homework assignments a teacher can give. Please continue to encourage your child...our motto is...It may not always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it!
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
We are starting Unit 5 in spelling this week. The words are being sent home in their Tuesday Folders. The regular list and challenge list are posted on the website as well. We did not have a spelling test last week.
We had our 5th math test today. I am sending home the test and keeping a copy for conference time. I do put a letter grade on the test, but on the report cards it will be scored with a 4, 3, 2, or 1.
We have started working on cursive handwriting. The main purpose for doing this is for students to be able to read cursive writing. It is a form of communication that is losing some of its importance in our school day. The students are asked to practice this 3 times a week, but the practice is not laborious. It is a short lesson, which the students work on throughout the day. I do not ask them to do the entire sheet of practice. If I see signs of difficulty, I will work with them individually as time allows.
This week the students will be introduced to blogging. They have a username and password for kidblog.org. The students will be blogging once a week. The blogs will be edited and approved by me before they are posted. They will be asked to respond to their classmates blogs as well. Each response will also be edited and approved before it is posted. The theme for the week's blog will be given on Monday. The students will have time throughout the week to respond, but they may respond at home if they have internet access.
The King School Reading Challenge is going very well. Last week our class read a whopping 1070 min. The next closest class was a 5th grade class with 966. Way to go class! This week the class read 1420 min. That was the third highest class. I believe the time spent on reading is one of the most valuable homework assignments a teacher can give. Please continue to encourage your child...our motto is...It may not always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it!
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 7 - Parent Letter
This week is a short three day week due to the MEA convention in the cities for teachers. We are a little past the half way mark for the quarter. I have been busy gathering data on each of the students. I have listened to each of my students read orally. We have fluency scores on each of the students. Their MAPs scores are in as well.
With all of the data we have formed intervention groups for reading in three areas. One intervention is for fluency. Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. In order to understand what they read, children must be able to read fluently whether they are reading aloud or silently. When reading aloud, fluent readers read in phrases and add intonation, which is the rising and falling sounds of the voice when speaking, appropriately. Their reading is smooth and has expression. Children who do not read with fluency sound choppy and awkward. Those students may have difficulty with decoding skills or they may just need more practice with speed and smoothness in reading.
The second intervention is working on Word Work - which includes phonics work - Phonics teaches students the systematic and predictable relationships between the letters (graphemes) of written language and the individual sounds (phonemes) of spoken language. Phonics is the science behind learning to read and spell. Instead of just looking at a word and remembering it, phonics will help you to recognise the chunks of sounds that make up every word. The advantage of learning phonics is that you can read any new word...atleast that is our goal. Students that struggle with decoding or recalling how words are spelled benefit from a phonics intervention.
The third intervention is for those students that are struggling with comprehension. These students are working in small groups with guided instruction on the book they are reading. They are talking about the different comprehension strategies that good readers use. All of these strategies are also being taught in the classroom with books I read aloud to the students, during individual conferences, as well as small strategy group time.
We will be reevaluating the success of these interventions every 6-8 weeks. If the intervention is working the students will show growth or improvement. In some situations there will not be improvement. When that happens we will adjust the intervention. We will try one of the other interventions that we have to offer. The one intervention that all students can benefit from is increasing the amount of time they spend reading. All research emphasizes the importance of reading independently A LOT! Read further to see what the experts say about independent reading:
Independent reading builds fluency. There is evidence that unless children read substantial amounts of print, their reading will remain laborious and limited in effectiveness (Allington, 1984; Stanovich, 1991). Evidence exists which shows that when students do read substantial amounts of text, their reading performance improves (Bridge, Winograd, & Haley, 1983; Dowhower, 1987; Herman, 1985).
Our class is on the Blue Team - last week is was obvious that we are taking this very seriously. Not only was the Blue Team on top, but our class was Number One in reading minutes! YEAH - Blue Team! Way to go! Keep up the reading! The real winners are our students!
***We will NOT have a spelling test this week.
Have a great week-end!
Mrs. Dorholt
With all of the data we have formed intervention groups for reading in three areas. One intervention is for fluency. Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. In order to understand what they read, children must be able to read fluently whether they are reading aloud or silently. When reading aloud, fluent readers read in phrases and add intonation, which is the rising and falling sounds of the voice when speaking, appropriately. Their reading is smooth and has expression. Children who do not read with fluency sound choppy and awkward. Those students may have difficulty with decoding skills or they may just need more practice with speed and smoothness in reading.
The second intervention is working on Word Work - which includes phonics work - Phonics teaches students the systematic and predictable relationships between the letters (graphemes) of written language and the individual sounds (phonemes) of spoken language. Phonics is the science behind learning to read and spell. Instead of just looking at a word and remembering it, phonics will help you to recognise the chunks of sounds that make up every word. The advantage of learning phonics is that you can read any new word...atleast that is our goal. Students that struggle with decoding or recalling how words are spelled benefit from a phonics intervention.
The third intervention is for those students that are struggling with comprehension. These students are working in small groups with guided instruction on the book they are reading. They are talking about the different comprehension strategies that good readers use. All of these strategies are also being taught in the classroom with books I read aloud to the students, during individual conferences, as well as small strategy group time.
We will be reevaluating the success of these interventions every 6-8 weeks. If the intervention is working the students will show growth or improvement. In some situations there will not be improvement. When that happens we will adjust the intervention. We will try one of the other interventions that we have to offer. The one intervention that all students can benefit from is increasing the amount of time they spend reading. All research emphasizes the importance of reading independently A LOT! Read further to see what the experts say about independent reading:
Independent reading builds fluency. There is evidence that unless children read substantial amounts of print, their reading will remain laborious and limited in effectiveness (Allington, 1984; Stanovich, 1991). Evidence exists which shows that when students do read substantial amounts of text, their reading performance improves (Bridge, Winograd, & Haley, 1983; Dowhower, 1987; Herman, 1985).
Our class is on the Blue Team - last week is was obvious that we are taking this very seriously. Not only was the Blue Team on top, but our class was Number One in reading minutes! YEAH - Blue Team! Way to go! Keep up the reading! The real winners are our students!
***We will NOT have a spelling test this week.
Have a great week-end!
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 6 - Parent Letter
The students were excited to see some big snowflakes falling. This is a little early for the white stuff to be falling, but not to early to remind all the students to have warm clothing to wear outside. The students are asked to go outside every day for about 25 min. They need to bring proper clothes to wear outside for that length of time.
I am asking that each child put their jackets inside their backpacks for a while. We have had lice in our classroom already this year. If your child's jacket is too big for their backpack, we will provide garbage bags for them to store their jackets in. Please remind your child not to share hats, combs, brushes, or to leave their jackets out next. I am not putting out my reading chairs at this time due to this problem. Hopefully we can be bug free soon.
This week we are studying Unit 4 in spelling. I have posted the words on my website. Your child has a list of these words in their Tuesday Folders. If your child had 100% on the pretest they will be practicing a challenge list for the week. The challenge list is not graded. They will be asked to participate in the phonics test and the sentence dictation with the rest of the class. I have included my spelling letter this week as well. I am sending home last week's test. Please go over the words that your child has missed. These words will be repeated throughout the year. There are places to practice these words on my website as well.
We are in the second week of our Character Study. During this month the students are reading realistic fiction. This means that the story is not true, but could be. The characters may be people, but they may also be animals...such as the Berenstain Bears. The students will be asked to work on visualizing, predicting, and questioning throughout this week. After giving a pretest to the class, it was very clear that the students need work on writing predictions. Talking about a prediction and actually writing one are obviously different skills. The students didn't seem to have any problem talking about what they thought was going to happen in the stories we read this week. I was surprised to see the difficulty they had writing a prediction while reading a short story.
One of the books we read this past week was, The Man Who Walked Between Two Towers. The book was used to teach visualizing. It is a true story. A great story for students to listen to and imagine what is happening, before seeing the pictures. I have posted videos of the day Phillipe walked between the Twin Towers on my website under student resources...Reading...Books Read Aloud. I hope the students will access this site at home and listen/watch the interview of Phillipe Petite. If you do not have internet access at home - I will ask the students to use their computer time to watch it.
In math, the students are working on rounding to the nearest ten. I have posted a couple of videos that explain rounding to the students. I will encourage my students to watch these, especially if they are having any difficulties. Place value is another concern for third graders. They are asked to know their places to the hundred thousands. I do expose them to higher place value. Once they understand the places of the digits, they need to be able to add 10, 100, or 1000 to a number. This seems to be easier for those students that have a good understanding of place value into the thousands.
Fractions were also introduced this week. Students need to understand the definition of a fraction - a part of a whole. We are working with 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/8. The students need to understand that the denominator tells them how many pieces the whole has been divided into. They also need to understand that the numerator is how pieces they have. As I checked their daily work it was clear that many of them either went to quickly or don't understand what it means to shade in 3/4's of a shape.
I had hoped to make a phone call to each of you before mid-quarter. This has not happened, which I regret. I hope that as you see your child's work and have questions or concerns, you will take the time to call me. I am always available for a parent call...and still hope to make calls to you. I am enjoying the students very much and hope to share their successes with you very soon!
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
I am asking that each child put their jackets inside their backpacks for a while. We have had lice in our classroom already this year. If your child's jacket is too big for their backpack, we will provide garbage bags for them to store their jackets in. Please remind your child not to share hats, combs, brushes, or to leave their jackets out next. I am not putting out my reading chairs at this time due to this problem. Hopefully we can be bug free soon.
This week we are studying Unit 4 in spelling. I have posted the words on my website. Your child has a list of these words in their Tuesday Folders. If your child had 100% on the pretest they will be practicing a challenge list for the week. The challenge list is not graded. They will be asked to participate in the phonics test and the sentence dictation with the rest of the class. I have included my spelling letter this week as well. I am sending home last week's test. Please go over the words that your child has missed. These words will be repeated throughout the year. There are places to practice these words on my website as well.
We are in the second week of our Character Study. During this month the students are reading realistic fiction. This means that the story is not true, but could be. The characters may be people, but they may also be animals...such as the Berenstain Bears. The students will be asked to work on visualizing, predicting, and questioning throughout this week. After giving a pretest to the class, it was very clear that the students need work on writing predictions. Talking about a prediction and actually writing one are obviously different skills. The students didn't seem to have any problem talking about what they thought was going to happen in the stories we read this week. I was surprised to see the difficulty they had writing a prediction while reading a short story.
One of the books we read this past week was, The Man Who Walked Between Two Towers. The book was used to teach visualizing. It is a true story. A great story for students to listen to and imagine what is happening, before seeing the pictures. I have posted videos of the day Phillipe walked between the Twin Towers on my website under student resources...Reading...Books Read Aloud. I hope the students will access this site at home and listen/watch the interview of Phillipe Petite. If you do not have internet access at home - I will ask the students to use their computer time to watch it.
In math, the students are working on rounding to the nearest ten. I have posted a couple of videos that explain rounding to the students. I will encourage my students to watch these, especially if they are having any difficulties. Place value is another concern for third graders. They are asked to know their places to the hundred thousands. I do expose them to higher place value. Once they understand the places of the digits, they need to be able to add 10, 100, or 1000 to a number. This seems to be easier for those students that have a good understanding of place value into the thousands.
Fractions were also introduced this week. Students need to understand the definition of a fraction - a part of a whole. We are working with 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/8. The students need to understand that the denominator tells them how many pieces the whole has been divided into. They also need to understand that the numerator is how pieces they have. As I checked their daily work it was clear that many of them either went to quickly or don't understand what it means to shade in 3/4's of a shape.
I had hoped to make a phone call to each of you before mid-quarter. This has not happened, which I regret. I hope that as you see your child's work and have questions or concerns, you will take the time to call me. I am always available for a parent call...and still hope to make calls to you. I am enjoying the students very much and hope to share their successes with you very soon!
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 5 - Parent Letter
This week the students had a great time finding out about the King School's PTKS Fund Raiser. All the classes went to the gym to listen to a presentation that definitely excited the students to try to sell the products. I'm sure if they could sell everything themselves they would. The prizes were amazing, especially the one for selling 25 - which is a ride in a stretch limo. There is also a possibility of winning an iPad just for registering...they don't need to sell anything to register. The celebration at the end of the fund raiser is something that all the students are looking forward to. The students definitely appreciate all that PTKS does for our school when it comes time for the field trip in the spring.
This week the students took the MAPs test. This is test is taken on the computers. It is not a timed test. It measures the students reading and math levels. It gives a snapshot of where the students are and what they need to work on. There are a few more assessments the students will be participating in this fall. One of them is called the BASS. This assesses the reading level that a student should be instructed with as well as their independent reading level. If a student's assessments indicate that they are having difficulty with decoding - sounding out words, they will also be given a phonics inventory. This assessment will tell us the sounds that they know and those that they need to learn.
Thursday night was the first PIE Night at King School. Our reading challenge was introduced to those in attendance. Our third grade class is part of the Blue Team. The students will be bringing home information explaining this challenge in their Tuesday Folders. Each student is asked to read 20 min. a night. They may be read to, read with a parent, or read independently. An adult needs to sign their reading sheet each week. The students return the reading slips weekly. There will be a prize for the winning team as well as a school wide celebration if we reach our goal.
We are reading the book Judy Moody was in a Mood. The character in the story is starting third grade. She isn't sure that she wants school to start. In the story Judy is asked to make a Me Collage, just as I have asked my students to do the same. Friday the students picked the poster that they would create. Each student spent time coloring, writing, and finding pictures in magazines that tell more about themselves. Some of the students were using photoshop to take pictures of themselves to add to their posters. You may have heard that they need to bring in pictures of themselves, which is certainly encouraged. We will be displaying these posters outside of our classroom.
Friday the students took their second spelling test. The first test was a practice test...it will not count towards their grade. I have included a spelling letter in their Tuesday letters along with their new list for the week.
As the month of October begins I am looking forward to establishing more routines. The reading workshop is still forming, but the framework is in place. We still need to establish our daily writer's workshop. The transitions between subjects needs to speed up a bit, but I'm sure as the students become more independent that will come. October's focus will be on studying how an author develops character. The MN standard for third graders states: A student needs to be able to: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
As students listen, read, and discuss stories this month, we will be focusing on the characters we meet. The authors use descriptive words to describe the characters, but they also use their conversations and their actions to demonstrate what type of a person they are. As you read with your child, continue having conversations about the characters in the stories. I hope you here your child tell you what they think and why. This is a good indication that they are connecting with the story...as well as understanding it - which is the main reason for reading.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
This week the students took the MAPs test. This is test is taken on the computers. It is not a timed test. It measures the students reading and math levels. It gives a snapshot of where the students are and what they need to work on. There are a few more assessments the students will be participating in this fall. One of them is called the BASS. This assesses the reading level that a student should be instructed with as well as their independent reading level. If a student's assessments indicate that they are having difficulty with decoding - sounding out words, they will also be given a phonics inventory. This assessment will tell us the sounds that they know and those that they need to learn.
Thursday night was the first PIE Night at King School. Our reading challenge was introduced to those in attendance. Our third grade class is part of the Blue Team. The students will be bringing home information explaining this challenge in their Tuesday Folders. Each student is asked to read 20 min. a night. They may be read to, read with a parent, or read independently. An adult needs to sign their reading sheet each week. The students return the reading slips weekly. There will be a prize for the winning team as well as a school wide celebration if we reach our goal.
We are reading the book Judy Moody was in a Mood. The character in the story is starting third grade. She isn't sure that she wants school to start. In the story Judy is asked to make a Me Collage, just as I have asked my students to do the same. Friday the students picked the poster that they would create. Each student spent time coloring, writing, and finding pictures in magazines that tell more about themselves. Some of the students were using photoshop to take pictures of themselves to add to their posters. You may have heard that they need to bring in pictures of themselves, which is certainly encouraged. We will be displaying these posters outside of our classroom.
Friday the students took their second spelling test. The first test was a practice test...it will not count towards their grade. I have included a spelling letter in their Tuesday letters along with their new list for the week.
As the month of October begins I am looking forward to establishing more routines. The reading workshop is still forming, but the framework is in place. We still need to establish our daily writer's workshop. The transitions between subjects needs to speed up a bit, but I'm sure as the students become more independent that will come. October's focus will be on studying how an author develops character. The MN standard for third graders states: A student needs to be able to: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
As students listen, read, and discuss stories this month, we will be focusing on the characters we meet. The authors use descriptive words to describe the characters, but they also use their conversations and their actions to demonstrate what type of a person they are. As you read with your child, continue having conversations about the characters in the stories. I hope you here your child tell you what they think and why. This is a good indication that they are connecting with the story...as well as understanding it - which is the main reason for reading.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Dorholt
Week 5 - Spelling Letter
Dear Parents,
I am sending home the first two spelling tests the class took. I do keep a copy of the tests so that we can look at any spelling patterns that are repeated. These tests help guide our intervention groups through the weeks. The test words do repeat themselves through the year, which makes it really important for the students to work on words they miss right away. Otherwise they keep repeating the same mistakes...which is actually practicing something wrong. It takes a lot of effort to undo something we keep repeating.
The grades are put on the test only for you to see what they would be if we were using an A, B, C grading system. When the report cards come out you will not see a letter grade for spelling alone. It is a language grade, which includes grammar work. The grade is on a 4, 3, 2, 1 system. This means that if your child exceeds the standard of a third grader - they will receive a 4. If they meet the standard - they will receive a 3. If they are progressing towards the standard - showing improvement through the quarter - they will receive a 2. A 1 is given when a student is showing minimal progress towards the standard - or if they are at a beginning/emerging level on the standards taught.
If your student is showing signs that they are below the standards in word work - spelling, we will intervene at school with a supplemental time where they will work on phonics skills. This time will be provided by our Title I staff. We will also provide supplemental work for your child to do at home - flash cards, websites to use, games, etc. I will work with your child in a small group as well, which will be in addition to the classroom instruction.
Each week your child will be pretested on Monday. This list can be accessed on my website. All of the units are already posted. Your child will then be given direct instruction on the words for the week, practice on these words, and a final test on Friday. In addition to the word list, they will also have a phonics skill that will be tested and a sentence dictation. Spelling is also expected to used correctly in their weekly writing. Each week the students will be writing paragraphs, stories, essays or reports. The students will be given a spelling grade on one weekly writing assignment. They will know which assignment that will be. The students have a list of words that need to be spelled correctly at all times. Those are the words that I will be checking for. This list is posted on my website.
The students that score 100% on their pretest will be given a challenge list to practice through the week. They will be tested on this list online each Friday. The challenge list is not graded with a letter grade - the pretest is their grade. They are able to retake the challenge test online to raise their score if they choose. Sometimes the students need a few tries to remember the correct spacing or how to use the shift key to capitalize. I do not want typing issues to be the reason they do not receive 100%. If a student works on the challenge words through the week and takes the challenge test - they will receive a 4 for the week in spelling.
Any student is able to take the challenge list or not take it. This is a choice that they are needing to make. A student that sees harder work as punishment may not want to challenge themselves...so they may take the regular test on Friday. I try to present the challenge words as more complex...not more work. The new standards in reading ask our students to go deeper...we need to provide the motivation for them to see a reason to do that and provide the opportunities for them to succeed once they make that choice.
You may access all spelling materials on my website or at http://www.spellingcity.com/sdorholt/
Please call if you have any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Dorholt
218-246-8860 ext. 419
I am sending home the first two spelling tests the class took. I do keep a copy of the tests so that we can look at any spelling patterns that are repeated. These tests help guide our intervention groups through the weeks. The test words do repeat themselves through the year, which makes it really important for the students to work on words they miss right away. Otherwise they keep repeating the same mistakes...which is actually practicing something wrong. It takes a lot of effort to undo something we keep repeating.
The grades are put on the test only for you to see what they would be if we were using an A, B, C grading system. When the report cards come out you will not see a letter grade for spelling alone. It is a language grade, which includes grammar work. The grade is on a 4, 3, 2, 1 system. This means that if your child exceeds the standard of a third grader - they will receive a 4. If they meet the standard - they will receive a 3. If they are progressing towards the standard - showing improvement through the quarter - they will receive a 2. A 1 is given when a student is showing minimal progress towards the standard - or if they are at a beginning/emerging level on the standards taught.
If your student is showing signs that they are below the standards in word work - spelling, we will intervene at school with a supplemental time where they will work on phonics skills. This time will be provided by our Title I staff. We will also provide supplemental work for your child to do at home - flash cards, websites to use, games, etc. I will work with your child in a small group as well, which will be in addition to the classroom instruction.
Each week your child will be pretested on Monday. This list can be accessed on my website. All of the units are already posted. Your child will then be given direct instruction on the words for the week, practice on these words, and a final test on Friday. In addition to the word list, they will also have a phonics skill that will be tested and a sentence dictation. Spelling is also expected to used correctly in their weekly writing. Each week the students will be writing paragraphs, stories, essays or reports. The students will be given a spelling grade on one weekly writing assignment. They will know which assignment that will be. The students have a list of words that need to be spelled correctly at all times. Those are the words that I will be checking for. This list is posted on my website.
The students that score 100% on their pretest will be given a challenge list to practice through the week. They will be tested on this list online each Friday. The challenge list is not graded with a letter grade - the pretest is their grade. They are able to retake the challenge test online to raise their score if they choose. Sometimes the students need a few tries to remember the correct spacing or how to use the shift key to capitalize. I do not want typing issues to be the reason they do not receive 100%. If a student works on the challenge words through the week and takes the challenge test - they will receive a 4 for the week in spelling.
Any student is able to take the challenge list or not take it. This is a choice that they are needing to make. A student that sees harder work as punishment may not want to challenge themselves...so they may take the regular test on Friday. I try to present the challenge words as more complex...not more work. The new standards in reading ask our students to go deeper...we need to provide the motivation for them to see a reason to do that and provide the opportunities for them to succeed once they make that choice.
You may access all spelling materials on my website or at http://www.spellingcity.com/sdorholt/
Please call if you have any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Dorholt
218-246-8860 ext. 419