Dear Parents,

Your 5th grader will be learning many new skills in reading and language this year.  One of the most important ways that you can help your child is to continue reading aloud to him/her.  Study after study shows that reading aloud to children improves their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and best of all, their attitudes about reading.  It teaches them to want to read, a foundation on which to build a lifetime of learning.  A child is never too old to be read to.  Choose a book or magazine that  you both enjoy and read together.

Below are some of the skills your child will be working on in reading and language this nine weeks.  If you find your child struggling in one or more of these areas and would like assistance in helping your child, please contact your child's teacher.

                                    Reading                                                    Language

                            Inferences                                                    Sentences

                            Setting                                                         Nouns

                            Cause and Effect                                         Predicates

                            Character's Feelings & Emotions                 Personal Voice

                            Context Clues                                             Personal Narrative and Story

                            Predict Outcomes

It is also important that your child read every night from a book or magazine that he/she has chosen.  One suggestion is to set bedtime 30 minutes before you actually want your child to go to sleep and allow them to read in bed during that time.

Thank you for your support.  We are looking forward to working with you and your child.  We know that with your help, your child can have a fun and successful year.

Sincerely,

Fifth Grade Team

    Mrs. McPhail

    Mrs. Brown

    Miss Fawcett

Dear Parents,

Your fifth grader will be learning many new math skills this first nine weeks.  Below we have listed the concepts we will concentrate on during the first nine weeks of school.  If you find your child struggling in one or more of these areas and would like assistance in helping your child, please contact your child's math teacher.

•     using place value to read and write whole numbers through the billions
•     understanding the value of a digit in different place values
•     comparing and ordering whole numbers through the billions
•     rounding whole numbers through the billions in order to estimate
•     using place value to read and write decimals through the thousandths place
•     comparing and ordering decimals through the thousandths
•     rounding decimals to the tenths in order to estimate
•     problem solving with addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals
•     determining the correct operation
•     determining a solution sentence (125 - N = 100)
•     (matching number sentences to word problems)
•     problem solving to include extra and missing information, multi-step and reasonableness of solutions
•     mastery of basic addition and subtraction facts
•     mastery of basic multiplication and division facts

In addition, your child will have math homework almost every night.  Please help your child develop good study habits by setting aside time daily to complete homework.  Also, please check your child's homework to see that he/she understands the concepts being taught or reviewed.

Finally, your child should have learned his/her basic multiplication facts in the third and fourth grade.  However, after the summer break many students are finding it difficult to recall them.  Please practice a few minutes several times a day, if possible.  Some parents review facts while standing in lines.  Others practice while traveling in the car.  Create problems about everyday situations.  If there are 5 people in our family and we each have 8 french fries, how many do we have altogether?

• A few minutes often is more brain compatible than an extended period once a day.  The 6's, 7's and 8's are usually the ones needing the most practice.  Select 3 or 4 facts that give your child trouble.  Learn these over a period of days.  Then select a few more to concentrate on.  Review both sets of facts before learning more.

Thank you for your support!  We are looking forward to working with you and your child.  We know that with your help, your child can have a fun and successful year.

Sincerely,

Fifth Grade Math Team

    Mrs. McPhail