Homework Surveys:
Upon reviewing the fourth grade homework survey data, the majority of families are finding that homework is being completed within the suggested time (61%). About twenty percent of families are taking up to 90 minutes, and about another twenty percent are taking over an hour and a half. When all of the data is averaged, it looks like the average child is spending around 75 minutes a night on homework.
One common comment was that the homework load isn’t too much, except when there are test and quizzes to study for. There are three accommodations we are proposing to help resolve this concern.
The first is a student and parent accommodation. In the history and science notebooks, at the end of each unit or section, is the study guide for the next test. We recommend that students start filling in this study guide as they learn new information. As they learn this information, their focus should be on those things. We also recommend that they make note cards with this information for easier study. This way, they are working toward memorizing what is most important during the whole unit or section and not just in the last few nights before the test.
The second and third accommodations are teacher accommodations. First, instead of having the study guides due the day before the test, they will be due at least two days before the test. This will provide students with more time to study their finished and corrected study guides. Second, the two nights before any history or science test, students may use the 25 minutes of nightly reading time to study for the upcoming test.
For some families, these accommodations will not be sufficient to relieve the amount of time being spent on homework. If you are finding that your child is still spending more than 70-90 minutes on homework every night, please reach out to your classroom teacher.
This Week:
Math: Students will begin the week reviewing rounding and estimation on Monday before taking their test Tuesday on addition and subtraction. We will spend the rest of the week learning about multiplication and division, and we will be using estimation to help solve.
Grammar: Students will be taking their Classifying and Diagramming Test on Direct and Indirect Object, the ‘not’ adverb, helping and linking verbs, predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives. Students should use their graded in-class practice and homework practice to review over the weekend. If you are interested in supplemental sources to help your student understand Direct and Indirect Objects, Predicate Nominatives and Predicate Adjectives, or Linking Verbs and Helping Verbs, you can click the links for supplemental videos that briefly explain each.
Spalding: This week, students will be studying their next 30 words, Laid----- Publication. We will typically study 30 words every week; however, this is subject to change by a word or two from week to week depending on word groupings. A family member should dictate the words to the student each night for homework. Students will review words on Thursday and take the final test on Friday.
Science: Students will continue working through our Life Sciences Unit. On Monday, we will be finishing our foldable project as we continue learning about Taxonomy. Students will also learn the types of vertebrates before going on to learn about plants, the parts of a flower, photosynthesis, and vascular vs. nonvascular plants. Students will take a short quiz on Friday to review the life sciences terms they have learned so far.
History: In order to provide more review time for students, the Unit 2 Test on chapters 5-10 will be given on Tuesday and our review day will be on Monday. Students were given complete answers to every question except #4, #5, and #8. These questions they should complete for homework so we can review as a class on Monday. Moving forward, study guides will be due two days before the test is given. This one is due the day before since we have been working on it for the last three days. After the exam Tuesday, students will finish the week continuing to learn about life in the Middle Ages.
Students were assigned their country for the European Country project earlier in the week. The packet students were given has all necessary information required to complete the project, including a weekly outline as a guide for when things are due. The only specific due dates are for essays and the research packet, aside from the final project itself. Research and Essays need to be completed by the beginning of Quarter 2, Week 5. This will fall on the week following Veterans Day, so essays will be due on Tuesday, November 13 (no school that Monday).
Literature: Students will continue to study characterization as we continue reading “The Princess and the Goblin.” All students should bring in a copy of the book to use every day for literature.
Greek and Latin Roots: On Wednesday, students will be learning the next three roots and taking their weekly quiz. The weekly quiz will cover two previously taught roots from last week, and one previously taught root from the weeks before. Students need to know the meaning of the root and a derivative word of that root.
Helpful Links:
Singapore Math: If you are interested in additional resources to help your child study at home, you may reference these videos from Archway Glendale.
Grammar: If you are interested in supplemental sources to help your student understand Direct and Indirect Objects, Predicate Nominatives and Predicate Adjectives, or Linking Verbs and Helping Verbs, you can click the links for supplemental videos from the Khan Academy and Shurley English that briefly explain each.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to a lot of learning in the shortened week to come!
--Mrs. Conforti
