We made it!  It’s hard to believe we are in the final week of this year.  Students will be finalizing all of their projects for the Open House.  I hope you will all be able to attend and allow your student to present all that they have learned this year!

Thank you for a great year!

We have finished up our math unit and we will start our review for our Post Course Test.  We will also be wrapping up projects to share with you at the Spring Carnival.

In this chapter, your student is learning about equal shares, halves, and fourths of two-dimensional shapes. The lessons address identifying equal shares, partitioning shapes, and identifying shapes that show halves and fourths.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: equal shares, unequal shares, half of, halves, fourth of, fourths, quarter of, and quarters.

There are many opportunities each day to talk about shares, halves, and fourths with your student. Here are a few ideas for the kitchen:

• Discuss cutting food items, such as a sandwich, into equal shares. Have your student explain what equal shares means, then have him or her tell you how many equal shares there will be if you cut the sandwich into halves and how many there would be if you cut it into fourths. Have your student tell you where to cut to make equal shares. Place the knife as if you were cutting unequal shares and have your student tell whether or not the shares would be equal if you cut there and explain his or her reasoning.
• Allow your student to model equal shares by cutting a soft item, such as a banana. Ask your student to cut the banana into two equal shares. Ask, “What makes these equal shares? What is each of the two equal shares called?” Although a banana is a 3-dimensional object, your student should understand that the two halves are the same size. Repeat with fourths.
• Point out items that are partitioned into equal shares, such as graham crackers. Ask, “How many equal shares does the graham cracker have? What is each equal share called? If we eat one fourth, how many fourths are left?”

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for other items that represent equal shares, halves, and fourths, such as game boards or greeting cards that fold in half, dominoes that have two equal parts, or window panes that are divided into fourths.

Have a great time learning about equal shares, halves, and fourths together!

We will be wrapping up our Geometry Unit this week.  Our final unit will be fractions.

In this unit, your student will learn about two- and three-dimensional

shapes. The lessons address sorting and describing shapes, joining shapes to

make new shapes, and taking apart shapes.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: two-dimensional shape, vertex,

side, trapezoid, rhombus, three-dimensional shape, curved surface, flat

surface, rectangular prism, and edge.

There are many ways to have fun reviewing what your student is learning about

two- and three-dimensional shapes. Try some of the following ideas.

• Point out examples of various shapes in the real world and ask your

student to use the math vocabulary to describe the shape. For

example, point out a yield sign. Ask, “What shape is that? How many

straight sides does a triangle have? How many vertices?” Contrast the

two-dimensional triangle with a three-dimensional traffic cone. Ask,

“How are the shapes similar? How are they different? How many flat

surfaces does a cone have? How many vertices? How many curved

surfaces?”

• Make a game of incorporating the vocabulary in this chapter into your

conversations. For example, refer to the round trash can as the “trash

cylinder” or the soccer ball as the “soccer sphere.” You can even

incorporate these words into your next game of “I Spy.”

• Collect examples of the three-dimensional shapes, such as soup cans,

tissue boxes, and ice cream cones. Sit where your student cannot see

your items and use them to build a structure. Then, describe your

structure and have your student try to build an identical structure

without looking at yours. For example, set a box of tissues on top of

two soup cans. Say, “There are two cylinders beside each other. A

rectangular prism is on top of them.” Then compare structures to see

if they look the same.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the

learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your

student to find other examples of the shapes in this chapter.

Have a great time learning about two- and three-dimensional shapes together

We will continue our Geometry Unit.

In this unit, your student will learn about two- and three-dimensional

shapes. The lessons address sorting and describing shapes, joining shapes to

make new shapes, and taking apart shapes.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: two-dimensional shape, vertex,

side, trapezoid, rhombus, three-dimensional shape, curved surface, flat

surface, rectangular prism, and edge.

There are many ways to have fun reviewing what your student is learning about

two- and three-dimensional shapes. Try some of the following ideas.

• Point out examples of various shapes in the real world and ask your

student to use the math vocabulary to describe the shape. For

example, point out a yield sign. Ask, “What shape is that? How many

straight sides does a triangle have? How many vertices?” Contrast the

two-dimensional triangle with a three-dimensional traffic cone. Ask,

“How are the shapes similar? How are they different? How many flat

surfaces does a cone have? How many vertices? How many curved

surfaces?”

• Make a game of incorporating the vocabulary in this chapter into your

conversations. For example, refer to the round trash can as the “trash

cylinder” or the soccer ball as the “soccer sphere.” You can even

incorporate these words into your next game of “I Spy.”

• Collect examples of the three-dimensional shapes, such as soup cans,

tissue boxes, and ice cream cones. Sit where your student cannot see

your items and use them to build a structure. Then, describe your

structure and have your student try to build an identical structure

without looking at yours. For example, set a box of tissues on top of

two soup cans. Say, “There are two cylinders beside each other. A

rectangular prism is on top of them.” Then compare structures to see

if they look the same.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the

learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your

student to find other examples of the shapes in this chapter.

Have a great time learning about two- and three-dimensional shapes together

We have started our Geometry Unit.

In this unit, your student will learn about two- and three-dimensional

shapes. The lessons address sorting and describing shapes, joining shapes to

make new shapes, and taking apart shapes.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: two-dimensional shape, vertex,

side, trapezoid, rhombus, three-dimensional shape, curved surface, flat

surface, rectangular prism, and edge.

There are many ways to have fun reviewing what your student is learning about

two- and three-dimensional shapes. Try some of the following ideas.

• Point out examples of various shapes in the real world and ask your

student to use the math vocabulary to describe the shape. For

example, point out a yield sign. Ask, “What shape is that? How many

straight sides does a triangle have? How many vertices?” Contrast the

two-dimensional triangle with a three-dimensional traffic cone. Ask,

“How are the shapes similar? How are they different? How many flat

surfaces does a cone have? How many vertices? How many curved

surfaces?”

• Make a game of incorporating the vocabulary in this chapter into your

conversations. For example, refer to the round trash can as the “trash

cylinder” or the soccer ball as the “soccer sphere.” You can even

incorporate these words into your next game of “I Spy.”

• Collect examples of the three-dimensional shapes, such as soup cans,

tissue boxes, and ice cream cones. Sit where your student cannot see

your items and use them to build a structure. Then, describe your

structure and have your student try to build an identical structure

without looking at yours. For example, set a box of tissues on top of

two soup cans. Say, “There are two cylinders beside each other. A

rectangular prism is on top of them.” Then compare structures to see

if they look the same.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the

learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your

student to find other examples of the shapes in this chapter.

Have a great time learning about two- and three-dimensional shapes together

This week, we will wrap up our unit on telling time. We will be focusing on elapsed time and understanding time using word problems.

In this chapter, your student is learning to tell time to the hour and half hour. We will start using only hour hands on an analog clock, then we will use the minute hand. Later, we will use digital clocks.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are:

analog clock, hour hand, hour, o’clock, half hour, half past, minute hand, minute, and digital clock.

Here are a few situations that you can use to practice telling time. 

• Guide your student to number a paper plate to look like the face of a clock. Start with 12 and 6, then label 9 and 3, and finally fill in the numbers between. Cut out hour and minute hands from paper and attach them to the clock using a metal brad or paper clip. Ask your student to show a given time on the clock. For example, say, “You have a piano lesson at 4 o’clock. Show the time on your clock.” Ask your student to explain how to set the clock. If your student confuses the hands, point out that “minute” is a longer word than “hour,” and relate this to the fact that the minute hand is longer than the hour hand.
• When getting ready for school, have your student watch the clock for given times. For example, say, “We need to eat breakfast at 7 o’clock. What will the clock look like at that time?” Then have your student tell you when the clock shows the given time. Repeat with other times, such as the time your student needs to leave the house.
• Throughout the day, ask your student to look at the clock and tell the time, then explain how he or she knows the time (to the hour and half hour only). If reading an analog clock, have your student tell what the time would look like on a digital clock, and vice versa.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for clocks and tell the time.

Have a great time practicing telling time together!

This week, we will continue our unit on telling time.

In this chapter, your student is learning to tell time to the hour and half hour. We will start using only hour hands on an analog clock, then we will use the minute hand. Later, we will use digital clocks.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are:

analog clock, hour hand, hour, o’clock, half hour, half past, minute hand, minute, and digital clock.

Here are a few situations that you can use to practice telling time. 

• Guide your student to number a paper plate to look like the face of a clock. Start with 12 and 6, then label 9 and 3, and finally fill in the numbers between. Cut out hour and minute hands from paper and attach them to the clock using a metal brad or paper clip. Ask your student to show a given time on the clock. For example, say, “You have a piano lesson at 4 o’clock. Show the time on your clock.” Ask your student to explain how to set the clock. If your student confuses the hands, point out that “minute” is a longer word than “hour,” and relate this to the fact that the minute hand is longer than the hour hand.
• When getting ready for school, have your student watch the clock for given times. For example, say, “We need to eat breakfast at 7 o’clock. What will the clock look like at that time?” Then have your student tell you when the clock shows the given time. Repeat with other times, such as the time your student needs to leave the house.
• Throughout the day, ask your student to look at the clock and tell the time, then explain how he or she knows the time (to the hour and half hour only). If reading an analog clock, have your student tell what the time would look like on a digital clock, and vice versa.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for clocks and tell the time.

Have a great time practicing telling time together!

This week, we will be starting our unit on telling time.

In this chapter, your student is learning to tell time to the hour and half hour. We will start using only hour hands on an analog clock, then we will use the minute hand. Later, we will use digital clocks.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are:

analog clock, hour hand, hour, o’clock, half hour, half past, minute hand, minute, and digital clock.

Here are a few situations that you can use to practice telling time.  

• Guide your student to number a paper plate to look like the face of a clock. Start with 12 and 6, then label 9 and 3, and finally fill in the numbers between. Cut out hour and minute hands from paper and attach them to the clock using a metal brad or paper clip. Ask your student to show a given time on the clock. For example, say, “You have a piano lesson at 4 o’clock. Show the time on your clock.” Ask your student to explain how to set the clock. If your student confuses the hands, point out that “minute” is a longer word than “hour,” and relate this to the fact that the minute hand is longer than the hour hand.
• When getting ready for school, have your student watch the clock for given times. For example, say, “We need to eat breakfast at 7 o’clock. What will the clock look like at that time?” Then have your student tell you when the clock shows the given time. Repeat with other times, such as the time your student needs to leave the house.
• Throughout the day, ask your student to look at the clock and tell the time, then explain how he or she knows the time (to the hour and half hour only). If reading an analog clock, have your student tell what the time would look like on a digital clock, and vice versa.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for clocks and tell the time.

Have a great time practicing telling time together!

Dear Family,

This week, we will be wrapping up our graphing unit.  Students have learned to read and interpret data using tally charts, bar graphs, and picture graphs. We will also take our Cumulative Assessment Benchmark. 

Your student will use these types of displays to solve problems involving data.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are:

data, tally chart, tally mark, picture graph, and bar graph

Here are a few activities that you can use in the kitchen with your student to practice the skills of this chapter.

• When putting groceries away, have your student practice using tally marks. For example, say, “There are six juice boxes in this package. How do you use tally marks to represent six?” Have your student describe the tally marks or write them on paper.
• When packing lunches or preparing dinner or a snack, have your student count how many items there are of different types. For example, ask, “What types of fruit are in the fruit bowl? How many do we have of each item?” Then, have your student make a tally chart or bar graph to display the number of oranges, apples, and bananas. Ask questions such as, “How many more apples than bananas are there? How many pieces of fruit do we have in all?”
• Have your student post a blank tally chart in the kitchen and ask each family member to record how many servings of fruits and vegetables they eat throughout the day. At the end of the day, have your student use the data to make a picture graph. Ask, “Who ate the most fruits and vegetables? How many fruits and vegetables did our family eat in all?” Encourage your student to think of questions to ask you about the data as well. By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for other opportunities to represent and interpret data. Have a great time practicing tally charts and graphs together!

This week, we will be wrapping up chapter 10, Measurement.  Your student is learning to compare and measure lengths of objects. The lessons address ordering objects by length, comparing the lengths of two objects using a third object, using like objects to measure length, and solving word problems that compare lengths.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: shortest, longest, length, measure, length unit, and inch.

There are many situations where you can practice measuring and comparing lengths. Look for opportunities to reinforce these skills while playing with your student! As you and your student spend time together, use his or her toys, games, and art supplies to practice math skills. Use the following strategies to involve your student:

• When playing a game, have your student compare the lengths of the objects involved. For example, ask, “Is the game card or the spinner longer? Is the board longer or shorter than the game money?”
• When drawing or coloring, select three objects, such as three crayons, or a marker, a paintbrush, and a colored pencil. Ask your student to order the items from longest to shortest or shortest to longest. Ask your student to explain how he or she determined how to order the objects.
• While playing with toys, choose three items. Compare two of the items to a third, then have your student compare the first two. For example, say, “The toy drum is shorter than the flute. The xylophone is longer than the flute. Is the toy drum longer or shorter than the xylophone?”
• Use a small item, such as a toy car, number cube, or playing card, to measure the length of other toys. First, have your student estimate the length of the toy in terms of the smaller item. Then, have him or her measure to find the length. For example, ask, “About how many cards long do you think the teddy bear is?” Then, line up cards side by side beside the bear without gaps or overlaps. Count to find how many cards in length the bear is.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for other opportunities to compare and measure lengths, such as measuring clothing items, snack items, or plant leaves. Have a great time practicing measurement!

Math

This week, we will continue chapter 10, Measurement.  In this chapter, your student is learning to compare and measure lengths of objects. The lessons address ordering objects by length, comparing the lengths of two objects using a third object, using like objects to measure length, and solving word problems that compare lengths.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: shortest, longest, length, measure, length unit, and inch.

There are many situations where you can practice measuring and comparing lengths. Look for opportunities to reinforce these skills while playing with your student! As you and your student spend time together, use his or her toys, games, and art supplies to practice math skills. Use the following strategies to involve your student:

• When playing a game, have your student compare the lengths of the objects involved. For example, ask, “Is the game card or the spinner longer? Is the board longer or shorter than the game money?”
• When drawing or coloring, select three objects, such as three crayons, or a marker, a paintbrush, and a colored pencil. Ask your student to order the items from longest to shortest or shortest to longest. Ask your student to explain how he or she determined how to order the objects.
• While playing with toys, choose three items. Compare two of the items to a third, then have your student compare the first two. For example, say, “The toy drum is shorter than the flute. The xylophone is longer than the flute. Is the toy drum longer or shorter than the xylophone?”
• Use a small item, such as a toy car, number cube, or playing card, to measure the length of other toys. First, have your student estimate the length of the toy in terms of the smaller item. Then, have him or her measure to find the length. For example, ask, “About how many cards long do you think the teddy bear is?” Then, line up cards side by side beside the bear without gaps or overlaps. Count to find how many cards in length the bear is.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for other opportunities to compare and measure lengths, such as measuring clothing items, snack items, or plant leaves. Have a great time practicing measurement!

This week, we will be starting chapter 10, Measurement.  In this chapter, your student is learning to compare and measure lengths of objects. The lessons address ordering objects by length, comparing the lengths of two objects using a third object, using like objects to measure length, and solving word problems that compare lengths.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: shortest, longest, length, measure, length unit, and inch.

There are many situations where you can practice measuring and comparing lengths. Look for opportunities to reinforce these skills while playing with your student! As you and your student spend time together, use his or her toys, games, and art supplies to practice math skills. Use the following strategies to involve your student:

• When playing a game, have your student compare the lengths of the objects involved. For example, ask, “Is the game card or the spinner longer? Is the board longer or shorter than the game money?”
• When drawing or coloring, select three objects, such as three crayons, or a marker, a paintbrush, and a colored pencil. Ask your student to order the items from longest to shortest or shortest to longest. Ask your student to explain how he or she determined how to order the objects.
• While playing with toys, choose three items. Compare two of the items to a third, then have your student compare the first two. For example, say, “The toy drum is shorter than the flute. The xylophone is longer than the flute. Is the toy drum longer or shorter than the xylophone?”
• Use a small item, such as a toy car, number cube, or playing card, to measure the length of other toys. First, have your student estimate the length of the toy in terms of the smaller item. Then, have him or her measure to find the length. For example, ask, “About how many cards long do you think the teddy bear is?” Then, line up cards side by side beside the bear without gaps or overlaps. Count to find how many cards in length the bear is.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for other opportunities to compare and measure lengths, such as measuring clothing items, snack items, or plant leaves. Have a great time practicing measurement!

This week, we will continue Chapter 9, adding two-digit numbers.  In this chapter, your student is learning various strategies for adding two-digit numbers. The lessons address adding tens and adding ones, using a number line to add, and making a 10 to add. There are no new vocabulary words introduced in this chapter.

There are many situations that you can use to model adding two numbers. Pointing out real-world situations that use addition is a great way to help students connect math with real life! This will help reinforce the importance of addition, and answer the question, “When will I ever use this?” The maximum sum in this chapter is 99. This aligns well with many daily activities.

Use the following strategies to practice with your student:

• To model adding tens and ones, point out the number of items needed for an activity. For example, point out that you will buy a package of 25 plates and a package of 36 cups for a birthday party. Then ask, “How many ones are there? Are there enough ones to make a 10? How many tens are there? How many plates and cups are there in all?” Encourage your student to make a quick sketch of the tens and ones if needed.
• To practice adding tens and ones on a number line, point out the day’s low and high temperatures. Say, “It is 57 degrees now. Later, it will be 74 degrees. How many degrees will the temperature increase?” Or say, “It is 57 degrees now. The temperature will increase 17 degrees this afternoon. What will the temperature be then?” Ask your student to explain how to use a number line to find the answer.
• To practice using addition strategies to solve problems, point out how many miles you will drive for an event. Say, “We will drive 18 miles to Grandma’s house, then 24 more miles to the zoo. We have enough gas in the car to drive 50 miles. Do we have enough gas, or do we need to stop for more along the way?” Have your student explain how to find the answer.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for other opportunities to use addition, such as finding the total number of minutes needed to get ready and travel to school each day.

Have a great time practicing addition!

This week, we will start Chapter 9, adding two-digit numbers.  In this chapter, your student is learning various strategies for adding two-digit numbers. The lessons address adding tens and adding ones, using a number line to add, and making a 10 to add. There are no new vocabulary words introduced in this chapter.

There are many situations that you can use to model adding two numbers. Pointing out real-world situations that use addition is a great way to help students connect math with real life! This will help reinforce the importance of addition, and answer the question, “When will I ever use this?” The maximum sum in this chapter is 99. This aligns well with many daily activities.

Use the following strategies to practice with your student:

• To model adding tens and ones, point out the number of items needed for an activity. For example, point out that you will buy a package of 25 plates and a package of 36 cups for a birthday party. Then ask, “How many ones are there? Are there enough ones to make a 10? How many tens are there? How many plates and cups are there in all?” Encourage your student to make a quick sketch of the tens and ones if needed.
• To practice adding tens and ones on a number line, point out the day’s low and high temperatures. Say, “It is 57 degrees now. Later, it will be 74 degrees. How many degrees will the temperature increase?” Or say, “It is 57 degrees now. The temperature will increase 17 degrees this afternoon. What will the temperature be then?” Ask your student to explain how to use a number line to find the answer.
• To practice using addition strategies to solve problems, point out how many miles you will drive for an event. Say, “We will drive 18 miles to Grandma’s house, then 24 more miles to the zoo. We have enough gas in the car to drive 50 miles. Do we have enough gas, or do we need to stop for more along the way?” Have your student explain how to find the answer.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to look for other opportunities to use addition, such as finding the total number of minutes needed to get ready and travel to school each day.

Have a great time practicing addition!