Class reads non-fiction book on reindeer

We had a busy, busy day.  We wrote our spelling words in alphabetical order for morning work.  

We took our STAR reading test today.  The results will come home in next week's Wednesday's folder.  

We also read a nonfiction book I just ordered about reindeer.  It was wonderful. It is one of Scholastic's science readers, and it is written below a third grade level, as a book should be when we are concentrating on the content.  Ask your child about this book.  They loved it.  Many didn't realize that reindeer were real. I had also written a research-type quiz to go along with it.  They had to answer several different type of questions.  They also had to refer to different sections of the book.  

In math we worked on counting money and whether or not a given amount was less than, equal to, or greater than $5.00.  

We took a spelling test!  We have had trouble getting those in lately, but we did it today.

We also got to do science!  Yay!  We made sandwiches to represent the different layers in the earth.  Since Oklahoma has been under water 3 times that historians know of, we used 3 different types of bread for the 3 layers.  We measured them.  Then we placed them under something heavy, as now we have to simulate pressure and time.  We will take them out on Monday and take a core sample, as well as measure the height.  We measured the height after making them today.

Book orders are due next Wednesday!

Third graders getting better at analyzing text of stories

Program day was busy today, but successful!  The children seem to be getting better at procedures, which leaves more time to get things accomplished.  

We were to finish our hidden pictures for morning work this morning.  If they didn't finish then they were to take it home.  The ones that have been turned in look great!  They are getting good at these.  And these are not easy.

We listened to The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree again.  We also took an open book test.  It is very important for them to go back into texts/books/passages and verify what they thing the answer is.  Some are too stubborn to go back to check.  This is where careless mistakes get made.  We are working on that.  This is a skill that will travel with them throughout their academic careers.

We had to read clues and determine the words that were then added to letters already on the line to make another word.  Then we had to find the word in the word search.  

In math we touched upon counting money and determining which boxes held sums of less than a dollar and more than a dollar.  

The program went well today.  I can't wait to see it tonight.  They looked adorable!

If your child requires make-up, he or she needs to be here by 5:30.  If not, then your child needs to be here by 5:45.

Students begin to read classic novel

The Christian Crystals had another productive day today!  Yay!

We started with a hidden picture.  It will be tomorrow's morning work, as well.  Some finished so they will be allowed to read silently.

We started a new book: Sarah, Plain and Tall.  I am excited about this.  The author is a friend of mine.  She is going to email  us next week. If you want a book autographed, you may buy the book and get it to me.  I will send it to her and she will gladly sign it. We read and discussed chapters 1 and 2.  Tonight's reading assignment is chapter 3 and 4.  These are short chapters.  We answered a few questions and went over some new vocabulary.

We also used clues to find words, but they had to be words that could be made using the letters in the word "football."  For example, one of the clues was "something worn on the foot."  The answer was "boot."  I knew they would like this, but they LOVED it!  They love using their minds!

In math we went to computers to take our STAR math test.  

Our last book orders before Christmas came home today.  They are due next Wednesday.  If there is something you want to get for your child for Christmas, just get the order to me and write "GIFT" on the order form.  When they come in I will email you and leave them bagged in the office for you!

We read about cranberries in science.