January
Newsletter
Literacy
Keys to Reading
Remember to read daily with your child. The best way to for
students to become more fluent as a reader to develop a
love of reading and to read as much as possible. Here are
some tips for assisting when reading.
 Find the little word inside the big word (mice)
 At a hard word, skip it and read to the end of the
sentence then go back to the hard word
 Reread out loud to help understand what was read
 Think about the topic and try to come up with a word
that makes sense
 Ask yourself: does the word look right? Does it sound
right? Does it make sense?
 Create a picture in your head of what is happening
 Sound out words by chunking combinations of letters
you recognize
How to Nurture a Growing Reader
Here are some tips for nurturing your growing readers:
1. Read with your children at least once every day.
2. Make sure they have plenty to read. Take them to the
library regularly, and keep books and other reading
materials in their reach.
3. Notice what interests your child, and then help find
books about those things.
4. Praise your children's efforts and newly acquired skills.
5. Help your child build a personal library. Children's
books, new or used, make great gifts and appropriate
rewards for reading. Designate a bookcase, shelf or
box where your children can keep their books.
6. Check up on your children's progress. Listen to them
read aloud, read what they write and ask teachers
how they're doing in school.
7. Tell stories. It's a fun way to teach values, pass on family
history and build your children's listening and thinking
skills.
8. Be a reading role model. Let your children see you
read, and share some interesting things with them that
you have read about in books, newspapers or
magazines.
9. Encourage writing along with reading. Ask children to
sign their artwork, add to your shopping list, take
messages and make their own books and cards as
gifts.
(Adapted from the Reading is Fundamental website)
http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=6
Numeracy
This month we will be continuing to explore addition and
subtraction strategies will be introducing the students to the
concepts of multiplication and division. We will begin with
1-digit by 1-digit and progress to 3-digit by 2-digit
multiplication. There are a variety of ways that are
demonstrated and practised to understand the process of
multiplication and division. Therefore, do not be surprised if
your child shows you a new way that was different from the
way you learned. It is important that they be introduced to
several strategies and there is no “right” or “wrong “ way.
Each child will decide the strategy that works best for their
learning. Feel free to show them the way you learned as
well. Students are expected, by the end of grade 4, to
quickly recall addition and subtraction facts to 9 + 9 (19 – 9)
and multiplication facts to 7 x 7 (49 ÷ 7).
http://www.ixl.com/math/practice/grade-3-multiplicationsentences
http://www.ixl.com/math/practice/grade-3-multiplicationfacts-to-12
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade/third/
Social Studies
In Social Studies, we have completed our unit about
Alberta’s natural regions, geography, natural resources,
wildlife and vegetation. We are now moving into learning
about the First Nations people of Alberta and how they
were and continue to be a significant part of Alberta’s
history. Below is a site that you may wish to explore related
to this topic. We will also be discussing groups of people
that immigrated to Canada, and more specifically, Alberta.
Please talk to your child about your family’s origin. Where
did they come from before coming to Alberta?
http://www.abheritage.ca/eldersvoices/voices/index.html
21st Century
Competencies
The students have been exploring all of the 21st century
competencies. However, in term two, we are focusing on
being more globally aware, civically engaged and
media/information literate through programs that make a
difference in the community, such as Adopt-a-Family and
also with research projects for Science and Social Studies.
See the following links for more information about the 21st
Century Competencies.
http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/aisi/themes/21century.aspx
http://www.rockyview.ab.ca/21stC/learning/competencies
Calendar
*Please see the school-wide calendar for further information on
school-wide dates: http://edwards.rockyview.ab.ca/calendar
Agendas
Don’t forget to review and return your agenda to school everyday.
This is an important tool and allows students to be proactive and
take responsibility for communications between home and school.
Contact Us
We welcome your feedback, questions and suggestions about our
newsletter and best teaching practices.
E-mail, voice-mail, agenda notes, and visits to the classroom are all
time well spent.
Email:
Mme Soujah [email protected]
Phone:
École Edwards Elementary (403) 948-5922