We were busy in 4th grade this week, establishing and solidifying our routines in reading, writing, and math. 

In writing, the first thing we did was personalize our journals. We used magazines to decorate our journals with things we are interested in and that we enjoy. Our first writing lesson was on complete sentences, using the 5 requirements of a sentence: correct letters, correct punctuation, makes sense, includes a subject (who or what the sentence is about), and includes a verb. We are going to be starting opinion essays next week.

In reading, we are working on the routine and expectations of our Reader’s Workshop. After our short mini-lessons, students have time to read independently. As the year progresses, we will begin to work on responding to our reading as we become stronger readers. Today, students were introduced to the 40 Book Challenge where they chose a category challenge to use as they choose their 40 books over the year. A copy of their challenge “lives” in your child’s orange folder–be sure to check it out!

In math, we are reviewing and learning base ten concepts with large numbers. Using a place value chart, we are learning to recognize what happens to a number when you multiply or divide by 10, 100, and 1000. This is an important concept to understand before we move into multiplying with larger numbers. 

Check out some pictures here!