Dear Parents,

Your 4th 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 type of 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

                            Setting                                                        Sentences

                            Inference                                                    Nouns

                            Plot/Setting/Resolution                              Verbs

                            Main Idea                                                   Personal Voice

                            Prediction                                                   Sentence/Paragraph Development

                            Generalization                                            Personal Narrative

                            Cause and Effect

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,

Fourth Grade Language Arts Team

    Mrs. Evans

    Ms. Rampp

Dear Parents,

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

•     read, write numbers to the millions
•     knowing the value of a digit in a large number
•     comparing and ordering numbers
•     rounding
•     problem solving in addition and subtraction
•     basic addition and subtraction computation
•     estimation
•     locating a correct solution sentence that would solve the word problem  (23 + 15) X 2 = the solution to the problem
•     fact families (2 + 3 = 5,  3 + 2 = 5,  5 - 2 = 3,  5 - 3 = 2)
•     multi-step problems
•     missing information
•     subtraction computation
•     subtraction problem solving
•     subtraction solution sentences
•     basic multiplication concept and facts
•     multiplication patterns
•     multiplication problem solving
•     multiplication solution sentences
•     ranges (the most or least possible answers)

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 addition/subtraction facts to sums of 18 and his/her basic multiplication/division facts using the digits 0 - 9 in third grade.  However, after the summer break many students are finding it difficult to recall them.  Please reinforce these facts with daily drill.  Select three or four difficult facts and review those every chance you get.  That could be practicing orally while waiting on a traffic light or standing in line.  Once they are mastered, move on to three or four different facts, while continuing to review the first set just mastered.

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,

Fourth Grade Math Team

    Mrs. Ball

    Mrs. Clark