Thursday, September 30, 2010

Grades and Addition

Please take a close look at the grading sheet that came home with you from open house or today from school with your child. This will help you to understand how the 1, 2, 3 grades from second grade transfer to A, B, C, D, and F's in third grade. We realize that this is a huge transition for both you and your child. Please stay patient with both them and me. If your child is struggling with a concept at night on homework and is screaming, crying, and you are ready to tear your hair out or want to kill me for assigning such a horrific thing, please write a note and let me know that you couldn't go any further and your child needs help. Do not let you or your child get to such a huge frustration level. My goal is to have them get frustrated with me at school and come home to practice and show you their success at home.

Estimating Differences
(Rounding) (Subtract)
When you estimate a difference, you will round the numbers either to the nearest 10s or 100s place. Then subtract the two rounded numbers to get an answer that is an estimate of the difference.

Adding Two-Digit Numbers

Rule 1: Line up the numbers by place value.
Rule 2: ALWAYS start in the ones place.
Rule 3: Work from top to bottom.

Example 1: 25+32= Have your child line up the place values and then add 5+2 and then 2+3.

Example 2: 37+45= When you have to re-group ("carry" to us who went to school more than 10 years ago), I still have my kids start in the ones place and add up 7+5=, but when they get that answer I have them arrow over to the right and write down the answer to the ones place to make it easier for them to put the ones with the ones and the tens with the tens. Then add the tens place, starting from the top with the re-grouped one and working our way down to 3 and then 4.

Adding Three Digit Numbers

** The rules remain the same.**

Example 1: 342+232= Add 2+2, then 4+3, then 3+2.

Example 2: 546+245= Add 6+5, arrow over to the right and write down the 11, put the one in the ones place and the other one above the tens place, add the 1+4+4, then add the hundreds 5+2.

Example 3: 268+379= When you need to re-group twice, have them arrow over to the right for the ones place and over to the left for the tens place. Add 8+9, arrow the 17 to the right of the ones, put the 7 under the ones place and re-group the 1 over the tens place, add from top to bottom in the tens place 1+6+7=14, arrow the 14 to the right of the plus sign, place the four under the tens and the one on top of the hundreds, finally add the hundreds from top to bottom 1+2+3=6.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Open House!!

Open House!

Third grade open house will be this Tuesday night and the presentation will begin promptly at 6:30 in Mrs. Denten's classroom. Mrs. Elam and I will then be giving a short presentation and you will receive the opportunity to tour your child's classroom. Please refrain from bringing younger children to the presentation. We look forward to seeing you there.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Estimating Sums

Today we learned how to estimate sums. I told the students this is a fancy way of saying rounding two numbers and then adding. Some students are still struggling with basic rounding to the nearest 10 and 100. Please continue to review these concepts.

Estimating Sums

(Rounding) (Add)
When you estimate a sum, you will round the numbers either to the nearest 10s or 100s place. You will then add the two rounded numbers together to get an answer that is an estimate of the sum. Tests will ask this question in many different ways such as "Fred has 245 stickers and Bob has 546, about how many stickers do they have altogether?" '' Estimate the sum of 126+245 to the nearest 100."

Thank you to everyone that has paid the $6.50. We still have a few parents that need to pay. Please pay as soon as possible or send in a note letting me know that you are unable to pay at this time.

Third grade open house is next Tuesday. I will get the time for this to you tomorrow. Thank you for being so understanding while I was out for my recovery from my surgery. I am so glad to be back. This is such a wonderful class and I truly enjoy working with them.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Over the past few days we have been learning how to compare numbers up to the 10,000 place, round to the nearest 10s and 100s. I have listed how to do each skill with your child. We will have a test this Friday on these concepts plus place value, standard, expanded, word form, and values of numbers.

Order Numbers Up to 10,000 Place

Students will need to order numbers from least to greatest or from greatest to least.

For example: 1, 246; 5, 824; 1, 252
Greatest to Least: 5, 824; 1, 252; 1, 246
Least to Greatest: 1, 246; 1, 252; 5, 824

Another way they may ask a question like this is:

What is the smallest possible number you can make from these digits?

5 4 3 8

3, 458

What is largest possible number you can make from these digits?

5 4 3 8

8, 543


If you are comparing the two numbers 10, 546 and 10, 559, the students will look at the biggest place value first and compare. If the number is the same, then we say the alligator can't make a decision and they need to move to the next place value and so on, until the alligator can choose the biggest number. 10, 546 < 10, 559 Read this number as 10, 546 is less than 10, 559.

Rounding to the Nearest 10

549

Step 1: Underline the 10's place. This will help you decide which two tens 49 falls between.
Step 2: Draw an arrow underneath the four. Write 40 below the arrow. This tells you it could round down to 40.
Step 3: Draw an arrow above the four. Write 50 above the arrow. This tells you it could round down to 50.
Step 4: Circle the 9. This tells you whether you are going to round up or down.

0, 1, 2, 3, 4 Hit the floor. (Round Down)
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Raise the vine. (Round Up)

Step 5: The 9 is in the round up category so the number would round up to 550.

Round to the Nearest 100 Place

You will follow the same steps as above, but underline the 100s place to tell you which two 100s it could round to, and circle the tens place to tell you to round up or down.

Please remember that $6.50 is due this Friday for the Time for Kids magazine and owl pellets. I will be out for the next three days. I am having surgery tomorrow and then will be recovering at home.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Comparing Numbers and First Reading Test

Today we learned how to compare numbers up to the 10,000 place value. Please check out how I taught this concept below so you can help your child at home.

Compare Numbers Up to 10,000
Place
Greater Than: >
Less Than: <
Equal To: =
Remind your child that the "alligator" always chomps down on the larger amount.

If you are comparing the two numbers 10, 546 and 10, 559, the students will look at the biggest place value first and compare. If the number is the same, then we say the alligator can't make a decision and they need to move to the next place value and so on, until the alligator can choose the biggest number. 10, 546 < 10, 559 Read this number as 10, 546 is less than 10, 559.

The class took their first reading test and began working on their first reading passage using test taking strategies with Mrs. Elam. Mrs. Elam gave props to both Mekhi and Sophia on how well they did with the test taking strategies. There will be more information coming home to you about test taking strategies in the next nine weeks. I hope you all have a wonderful labor day weekend. Please remember that we are off this Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Take care.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

First Math Quiz.

Today we took our first math quiz on place value and the different ways to write a number. I will grade these tests and get those grades back to you on Monday. As I walked around the room the students seemed to be doing really well on the test. We did not get to our new knowledge today, so tomorrow we will look at greater than, less than, and equal to. We will also look at putting numbers in order from least to greatest and greatest to least. Please continue to work with your child daily on their addition flash cards.