First Week of Third Grade

It has been a busy week in Room 210. We have been learning classroom routines and expectations and building class community. We have reviewed what it looks like to show PRIDE and have learned a new classroom management approach called CHAMPS. PRIDE is showing Patience, Respect, Inclusiveness, Determination, and being Extraordinary. CHAMPS is an acronym that reflects the expectations for every major activity and transition that occurs in the classroom. I ask for your support at home by having discussions with your child about how they can show PRIDE and CHAMP it up in the classroom!

During our reading block, we have been learning, practicing and using the important comprehension strategy called “Check for Understanding.” Your child is learning that readers stop often to go back and remember what they are reading by doing a quick re-tell before moving on. When you are reading with your child stop every page or so and model “Check for Understanding.” That means you talk out loud about what you just read. We also use the prompts of WHO and WHAT when we Check for Understanding. Example, “I just read that Lily (who) loved her new pencils for school (what).

Students have also learned to read “Good Fit” books. “Good Fit” books are books that students choose that are interesting to them and where they can read most of the words. Reading “Good Fit” books is absolutely imperative if students are to progress as readers. Children must spend the majority of their independent reading time engaged in books which they can decode and comprehend at very high levels.

Students made self-portraits this week and used adjectives to describe themselves. They put these adjectives into a Wordle. Take a look at the slide show to see some of the creative and fun portraits that are displayed in the hallway.

Cut Paper Portraits Plus a Wordle! on PhotoPeach