1. WELCOME TO FOURTH GRADE
Mrs. Kazdan

2. SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS! Service Squad Buddies Speech Contest
Historical American Biography Project
Field Trips
Henry Ford – If I Had a Hammer
Lansing
R.I.F. (?)
Last Day Picnic – Spencer Park

3. READING WORKSHOP! Genre Study
Fiction: Realistic and Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Poetry, Myths/Legends, Adventure
Non-Fiction: Autobiography, Biography, Almanac, Newspaper
Read Alouds
Making Meaning Program
Reading Groups/Book Clubs
Storyworks and Scholastic News
Reading Log (To, With, and By!)
Book Reports

4. READING WORKSHOP! Reader’s Notebook: Make Connections Ask Questions
Make Predictions
Visualize
Summarize
Draw conclusions
Determine Main Idea
Recognize Text Structure
Infer
Repair Comprehension (Does it make sense?)
Retelling (character, setting, problem, solution, main idea, theme)

5. READING!
Intensive amounts of reading and writing are the soul of learning. Learning of the most complex kind is acquired through old-fashioned, simple activities like meaningful reading and writing.
Once students begin to read, they learn to read better by reading – just reading. (Mike Schmoker: Focus)

6. READING!
Adolescents entering the adult world of the 21st century will read and write more than at any other time in human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens, and conduct their personal lives. Richard Vacca

7. SPELLING AND GRAMMAR! Words their Way Program
Words assigned every Monday
Test every Friday
Grammar, usage and mechanics

8. WRITING WORKSHOP! Genres: Narrative Expository Persuasive
Creative Writing
Poetry
Advertisements
Recipes
Fun, fun, fun!
Writing Process
Pre-Write - Brainstorm
Rough Draft - Write
Conference - Talk
Revise – Look and Change
Edit – Check
Publish – Final Copy!

9. ! WRITING WORKSHOP! Six (Plus One) Traits! Sentence Fluency Ideas
Organization !
Conventions
Voice
Word Choice

10. MATH! Number Sense and Operations:
Place value to 1,000,000
Addition/Subtraction to 4-5 digits
Multiplication/Division of 2-digit numbers
Addition/Subtraction of fractions
Patterns, Relationships, and Algebra
Geometry
Measurement
Data Analysis, Statistics, and
Probability
By the end of Fourth Grade, students should be able to do:
100 Multiplication Facts in 5 minutes
and
100 Division Facts in 5 minutes

11. PROBLEM SOLVING STEPS! Circle the question
Underline important information
Choose a strategy
Check your work
Write a complete answer
ADD sheets due daily

12. PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES!
Draw a diagram or a picture
Make a model
Make an organized list
Make a table/graph
Find a pattern
Predict and test
Guess and check
Work backward
Solve a simpler problem
Write a number sentence
Logical reasoning
Process of elimination

13. MATH!
Please help your child to study math facts EVERY NIGHT! It is our school goal that all students will have the basic facts memorized!

14. SCIENCE! Scientific Process
Question, hypothesis, experiment, data collection, and conclusion
Hands on Experiences
Science Units
Sun, Earth, and Moon
Magnets and Electricity
Ecosystems

15. SOCIAL STUDIES! Concepts will be taught through:
Geography
History
Government
Economy
Core Democratic Values
U.S. Regions
Maps, charts, timelines, tables
Current Events
Historical Americans biographies

16. COMPUTERS! Word Processing Graphs Graphic Organizers Internet Searches
Skill and Concept Practice

17. MISCELLANEOUS MEAP Testing Grades + ,  , - and A, B, C, D, E
Healthy breakfast, good night’s sleep, positive attitude!
Grades + ,  , and A, B, C, D, E
High Five/Bucket Fillers
Be responsible, kind, respectful, safe, and cooperative
Homework/Planner
Please continue signing the planner and reading log every night.

18. School Improvement Goals
Writing:
All students will increase their proficiency in written expression.
Reading:
All students will increase reading comprehension.
Math:
All students will increase their ability to compute math facts.
Students will use their three ring binders to track the progress of these goals.

19. I look forward to a wonderful year working with you and your child!
The best way to contact me is through !