The fourth graders came into the second week of school like veterans. As the work load increased, so too did their focus.  They started their week, as they will start all weeks, with a spelling pretest and discussion of the word list for the week. Then the students worked their way through determining the long 'o' sound and the long 'i' sound through the pronunciation of words like tone and polite. By completing the assignments for each unit over the course of the week and checking them for accuracy in class, the fourth graders should all be well prepared for their first “real” weekly spelling test. This too should be the case for their “real” vocabulary test which they also took this Friday. As they will also do each week, the students read over, defined, corrected, and used some of their vocabulary words throughout the day at school. Such words as voracious and insipid helped the students understand more about the powerful words the English language has to offer its speakers, especially when discussing food. 

In literature, the fourth graders began reading Frindle, by Andrew Clements, by taking turns reading aloud and discussing questions along the way. By following the main character, Nick, the students will learn about his unique approach to understanding words and the English language. This sparked an interesting conversation about the words people use when they are first learning English. For example, as a child many people use made up words to describe the world around them. I asked the students to talk with their friends and family to uncover any words or phrases they used, or heard used, to describe common things using uncommon words. For example, in the book, frindle is the word Nick uses in place of the common word pen. Since this is our first literature book of the year, most of the reading of Frindle will occur in class in order to ensure effective comprehension and discussion of the various reading elements presented through Clements’ story.

In social studies, the students labeled and colored a map of the Fertile Crescent. During our map activity, the class discussed the locations ancient civilizations and the distinct geographical features that expose their similarities. Ask your child why the Mesopotamia is called the “Land between Two Rivers” and what major physical feature is the center or focal point for all ancient civilizations.

During math class, the students have been taking notes in their math journal over the various terms and concepts presented by Everyday Math®. They defined geometric terms such as: line segment, ray, angle, perpendicular lines, and quadrangles. These notes and discussions led the students request to design their own floor plan to a house of their dreams as an assignment. The students were instructed to make their homes as square (perpendicular and parallel) as possible in order to cut down on cost and material waste. The students will continue to explore, define, and analyze more geometric terms and practicing their basic math skills.

This week the fourth graders met with their first grade buddies and discussed the concept of friendship. They listened to a story, discussed the main idea(s), and made friendship bracelets to remember the experience. The fourth graders were excited to see their buddies, make new connections, and demonstrate their superior knowledge of being a big RWS student.

Another week down and the students and I are still sharing experiences, stories, and learning new things about the world in which we live. Next week the 5^th and 6^th graders will be in Canada, so the fourth grade will be the big kids on campus. Watch out RWS, here we come!