| Parent Information For Mrs. Hicks' Class |
| Parents, I am so thrilled to be teaching at Fielder and to have your childin my classroom! Below I have listed helpful information. We must work as a team to help your child succeed. Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns. You can find other information, such as schedule and procedures under class information. Email Me |
| How Can I Help my Child With Math? Your child will be learning many new concepts in math this year, and it is likely that your child may become bogged down or confused as we jump from one lesson to the next. Learning anything new takes much repetition and practice. Also, as you know, math builds on itself. You can't really learn how to divide if you can't multiply. First, try to have a positive attitude about math. Don't discuss how hard math was for you, or refer to it as boring, etc... Try to show your child how you use math in everyday experiences. 4th grade math is pretty basic. We probably all use 4th grade math every day without realizing it. Get out the measuring cup when you're cooking. Ask your child about the liter of coke in the refrigerator: "How many milliliters do you think are in there?" Have your child estimate how much money you will need for the items you have bought at the grocery store. If your child wants to give 2 treats to all 20 kids in the class, have him/her figure out how many treats to get. Try to get your child to see that math is useful, and can even be fun! Next, remember that correct answers are important in mathematics, but only useful if students can justify that they make sense and also figure out similar problems. Continually ask, "How did you get that answer? Does that answer make sense? Why, or why not?" Remind your child that it takes lots of practice to learn something new. How long did it take them to ride their bike? Learn to walk? Children want to be able to learn long division in a few hours or even days, but it just doesn't happen that way for most children. Use positive words to encourage. "You'll get it! Keep trying! You're almost there!" Break the problem or equation into several small steps. Show your child what they are doing right and wrong, and have them try again. Take breaks, of course! Help your child learn the multiplication facts 0 to 12!!! This is pure memorization and hard work. Children who do not know their facts are at an extreme disadvantage. They fall more and more behind as they count on their fingers instead of focusing on analyzing problems. Word problems are difficult for most of us. If you're like me, you look at a word problem, have no idea what the answer is or how to solve it, and just freeze up and get scared or frustrated. It happens to all of us! For this reason, mathemeticians have come up with strategies to help us solve word problems. Follow these steps when solving a problem: 1. Read the problem twice 2. Underline important words 3. Mark out extra information 4. Choose the strategy needed to solve the problem (see below) 5. Reread the problem and solve 6. Check to make sure your answer is reasonable Here are the strategies we can use to solve problems. We can use as many of these as we want to solve a problem. Strategies for word problems: 1. Act it Out or Use Objects 2. Make a Picture 3. Guess and Check 4. Brainstorm 5. Make an Organized List 6. Make it simpler 7. Use Logical Reasoning 8. Look for a Pattern 9. Make a Table 10. Work Backwards Daily Planners Students will be expected to write down their assignments in their daily planners every day. Even if students have no homework, they should just write "none". Please refer to this planner nightly with your child for assignments and upcoming due dates. Students who write down their assignments correctly each day will receive a sticker. Classroom Management Plan The past few years I have followed a classroom management plan called "Love and Logic." It is based on treating students with respect and using logical choices. For example, if a student was causing a disruption in class, I might go up and whisper in the student’s ear, “Would you mind saving that for recess? I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.” This is much more effective than reprimanding the student in front of the others. If a student made a mess in the bathroom, the logical consequence would be for him or her to clean it up. If we treat our students with respect, and give logical, consistent consequences, they will most likely treat us with respect in return and gradually learn the importance of responsibility. My General Classroom Rules Are: 1.) Appreciate Others (no put downs) 2.) Listen Attentively 3.) Respect Everyone 4.) Stay on Task 5.) Follow Directions and Obey All School Rules Discipline Folders: Throughout the week, I will be keeping track of the students' work habits and social skills. The discipline folder will keep track of the following: 1. Listens to all directions 2. Is organized 3. Completes classwork 4. Completes homework 5. Complies with requests 6. Controls talking 7. Disciplines self 8. Interacts appropriately Every Monday students will bring home their discipline folders for parents to sign so they are aware of what is going on at school. Scoring: The student receives a mark for not following a rule. 3 marks in one day, or 3 marks for the same infraction in one week will result in detention. I will do my best to keep you informed through email if any problems are arising. Please feel free to contact me through email any time you are concerned or have a question. Purple Communication Folders Every Monday the students will also take home the purple communication folder with all graded work, and any other important papers. Tardiness Please make sure your child arrives on time so he/she is prepared for class. The final tardy bell rings at 8:30. If your child is not in his/her seat, he/she will be counted tardy. Starting the day on time and well prepared can make such a difference! :) Absences Students have as many days as they were absent to make up work. Students are responsible to get their work from the assignment notebook that was prepared for them while they wrere absent. |
| Checklist for Helping Your Child With Homework 1. Show You Think Education and Homework Are Important. o Do you set a regular time every day for homework? o Does your child have the papers, books, pencils, and other things needed to do assignments? o Does your child have a fairly quiet place to study with lots of light? o Do you set a good example by reading and writing yourself? o Do you stay in touch with your child's teachers? 2. Monitor Assignments. o Do you know what your child's homework assignments are? How long they should take? o Do you see that assignments are started and completed? o Do you read the teacher's comments on assignments that are returned? o Is TV viewing cutting into your child's homework time? 3. Provide Guidance. o Do you understand and respect your child's style of learning? Does he work better alone or with someone else? Does he learn best when he can see things, hear them, or handle them? o Do you help your child to get organized? Does your child need a calendar or assignment book? A bag for books and a folder for papers? o Do you encourage your child to develop good study habits (e.g., scheduling enough time for big assignments; making up practice tests)? o Do you talk with your child about homework assignments? Does she understand them? 4. Talk With Someone at School When Problems Come Up. o Do you meet the teacher early in the year before any problems arise? o If a problem comes up, do you meet with the teacher? o Do you cooperate with the teacher and your child to work out a plan and a schedule to fix homework problems? o Do you follow up with the teacher and with your child to make sure the plan is working? |