Addition and subtraction algorithms

Announcements: NO SPELLING WORDS every week. Instead, we took a spelling inventory pre-test today to create an individualized spelling list for your child. Our goal is to learn spelling generalizations rather than memorization!

OPEN HOUSE IS 8/26 at 6:00!!!!!!! Please come by and say hello!

In math we have been working on addition and subtraction standard algorithms. Ask your child how these methods work! When I was in elementary school, I just learned to add and subtract by following the steps. It's so wonderful to now UNDERSTAND and MAKE SENSE of why these standard algorithms work. 

The beginnings of Writing Workshop

Lots of things happening here in our fourth grade! On Thursday August 21 at 5:30 we will have our mandatory parent IPad meeting. We are hoping to roll out the iPads and have them in our fourthies hands starting Monday!

Meanwhile, in Writing Workshop, we have been learning about good writing workshop guidelines and how to use our writers notebooks. I want to share a piece of writing one of my students wrote in her writers notebook:

In Texas I want cake
Then I step on a rattle snake.
I got to the bakery just in time
Then the police thought I was doing a crime.
I ran and ran around and around
Soon I had to hide in the pound.
The police got stuck in a bunch of fog,
Then they ended up chasing a frog.
I finally made it to my house
And guess who had to chase a mouse.
He ran and ran as his ears started to flap,
I got bored and made a trap.
He fell for it and got a brake
Wow all this for a piece of cake.
I ate the cake covered in nuts,
Man now I want a donut.

By: Lennon

Isn't it so wonderful! We definitely have some FANTASTIC writers in our class!

Here are some photos of "tableaus" or "frozen pictures" we created today to represent different guidelines of Writing Workshop:

Have supplies ready

Listen carefully and participate



















Think, imagine, and write!



Stay on task

Place Value

This week we have been working hard in math at place value. We started out learning our digits from ones to ten thousands and how to write them in standard, word, and expanded form. The kids rocked it! We then constructed a 10,000 chart. Yes, a 10,000 chart! We have been discovering many patterns on the chart and it is helping us to justify comparing and rounding numbers. Here are just a few patterns we noticed:

• 10 100s make 1,000 or 10x100=1,000
• 10 1,000s or 10x 1,000 makes 10,000
• As we move down the chart the hundreds column stays the same, but the thousands digit moves up a thousand. 

We have a game coming up with adding multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000 to numbers mentally. Help me challenge your student by giving them numbers and have them add/subtract these multiples!