Hello 3rd grade families!  Our week is off to a great start!  Here are a few updates on what we have been working on in class:

Reading:  Our main selection this week is a traditional tale called The Harvest Birds.  Students are using this story, as well as our small group books, to practice the comprehension strategies of predicting and inferring.  They have also been using Conclusion Maps to help organize their thoughts and draw conclusions from the texts. 

Spelling:  This week's spelling words focus on unexpected consonants.  Students are practicing spelling the /r/ sound with a wr, the /n/ sound with a kn, and the /ch/ sound with a tch.  Please encourage your child to practice his/her spelling words throughout the week.

Grammar:  We are practicing incorporating commas into a series of nouns and a series of verbs.  A sample sentence would be, "Mrs. Johnsen loves to teach, bake, and read."

Writing:  Students have been working toward producing brief summary paragraphs of texts in their own words.

Math:  Unit 3 will begin tomorrow with homeroom teachers.  The focus of this unit is on measurement.  All students should have brought home a Unit 3 Parent Letter. 

Science:  We are LOVING our Electric Circuits science unit!  This week, students will be exploring the "secret language" of electricians.  They will also be building different types of circuits and comparing them based on the brightness of the bulb and the length of time the bulb will light.  They will also be learning how to make switches to turn their circuits on and off!  Ask your child for more details about our investigations!

I hope you have a great rest of the week.  As always, please feel free to contact me via email or phone with any questions/concerns.

Mrs. Johnsen
johnsen.jill@iccsd.k12.ia.us