Spelling Words, Vocabulary Words, and Writing (1/17-21)

Spelling Words
1. brother     11. shelter
2. together   12. deliver
3. dinner      13. theater
4. center       14. hanger
5. summer    15. cellar
6. clever       16. caterpillar
7. supper      17. regular
8. pitcher      18. similar
9. filter         19. calendar
10. never      20. popular
*If you child has the 10 spelling word list he/she will do #1-10

Vocabulary (These vocabulary words have been taken from this week class story we will read called Navajo Code Talkers.)
ad-vance in front of others; forward
de-vel-oped brought into being or activity
ex-haus-ting very tiring
head-quar-ters place from which the head of an army, police force, and so forth, sends out orders
im-pos-si-ble not capable of being, being done, or happening
in-tense very much; very great; very strong; extreme
mes-sag-es words sent or delivered from one person or group to another
re-veal make known

Writing
This week we will write expository nonfiction pieces about codes. Expository writing explains something-- it gives information on a topic. Nonfiction is writing about real people, places, and events. Expository nonfiction tries to explain how or why something happens in real life. Writers of expository nonfiction rely on research and facts to present information.
We will be focusing on writing at least 4 paragraphs-- Introductory, body, and conclusion. The students need to be sure they indent, start their paragraphs with a topic sentence, start sentence with a capital letter, end their sentences with correct punctuation, and have correct spelling of words.

Math
We will be testing for math, chapter 12, on probably Wednesday or Thursday. (ca.gr4math.com can be referenced for extra help. So far, students had the most difficulty with Chapter 12 Lesson 5 "Functions".)

AR
All the students (except the few new students) have taken home their AR goal sheets. These sheets tell what the student's reading level is.  For example, if the reading level says "4.6," it means your child is reading at a mid 4th grade level. If the reading level says, "3.7," it means you child has a high 3rd grade reading level.
The number in the "ones" place indicates the grade of the reading level. The paper will say what reading level your child should be reading. It may something like "3.3-4.1"; that means your child should be reading a book that falls between those levels.
The books the students check out from the library have a sticker on the spine that says the exact reading level of the book and the points it will give once it is read and tested.
Students are required to have an "AR Book" at their desk at all times to read for our reading time. When the students complete the book, they take a comprehension test on the computer. If they pass the comprehension test, they will receive the points for reading the book. For students to participate in the AR PARTY at the end of the quarter, they need to attain 100% of their AR points and have an reading comprehension test average of 85% accuracy.

Tests
We took our "Weekly Test" last Friday, which will be coming home on Tuesday (Monday is a holiday). This will happen each week so that you can monitor the progress of your child. The "Weekly Tests" include Vocabulary, Word Analysis, and Reading Comprehension.