My philosophy towards teaching aligns with Round Rock ISD's philosophy. You will find that this philosophy is shared among all of the 4th grade teachers. As a team we believe in collaboration to provide best practice instruction to your child. I believe education, just like any other field, is always changing. Therefore, I am always reading, always researching the best way to teach your child and typically excited about the new professional book I have read!
Language Arts
My belief is that students learn to read and write through as much exposure to print as possible, regardless of genre. Language arts in the classroom at Forest North is as authentic as possible. I have broken down different parts of language arts below and described how it is taught at Forest North:
Word Study
We use Words Their Way to help students learn how to spell, read, and understand new words. Word study is more than just memorizing the spelling of a list of words. Students develop their vocabulary by applying meaning to these words. Students also learn that words in the English language follow a pattern, and they can use their knowledge of spelling patterns to help them with unfamiliar words.
Grammar Study
While we devote some of our time during writing to grammar, grammar is also taught throughout the day, during read alouds and during writing workshop. To teach grammar authentically we expose students to a variety of mentor texts- books from our own library that students in fourth grade read. In these mentor texts, students are exposed to different ways authors play with language to get their meaning across. In traditional methods, students are given an incorrect sentence and told to fix it. However, we believe that students need to be exposed to correct grammar instead of incorrect. As it gets closer to the STAAR test, students are given practice with analyzing sentences to look for the best possible "fix," but during our daily teaching, we encourage students to look at sentences and just notice what the author is doing. After students notice what the author is doing in a sentence, we might name a particular rule, such as a noun, adjective, verb, etc. However, the goal isn't to get students to memorize the different rules, but to understand how they work together to get meaning across. The best way to improve grammar is to read and read OFTEN, therefore we also connect grammar to our class read alouds. We'll read a little from a chapter, then pause and ask students what they notice.
Reading Workshop
During this time students are given the chance to choose their own books to read. Workshop is all about choice. They are also given a large chunk of time to read uninterrupted. During this time, I'll meet with readers by sitting down next to them, listening to them, questioning them, then help them come up with reading goals. If I notice a student only sticks with one type of genre, series, or author, I will also gently push that student to try other books. But I have found the fastest way to get a child to dislike reading is to take away choice. Therefore, when choosing books they will read for book clubs they get a choice out of several different books. Even when deciding on our class read alouds, they will get to vote. Throughout the year, students will be taught many different strategies. Each day, before independent reading, we start with a mini-lesson. When I see students struggle with a concept taught in a mini-lesson I will meet with those students in a 1:1 conference or in a small reading group. Every student in the class will meet with me at least once a week to talk about their reading, regardless of reading level.
Students are also expected to respond to their reading through jot notes, sticky notes, or reading responses. I can get a better idea of what students are understanding on a daily basis when I see their thoughts about what they are reading.
Writing Workshop
In the same way that students are given a choice about what to read, students are also given a choice about what to write. We have units of study in writing, such as personal narratives, expository text, persuasive text, poetry, etc. During each unit of study, students can choose their own topic, as long as it fits the genre we are studying. At the beginning of the year, we begin a Writer's Notebook, which we then add to throughout the year. In this notebook, students write down what inspires them, and as the year goes on their ideas and lists become longer. Then, when we get to a unit of study and a student says, "I don't know what to write," we can tell that student to go to his or her Writer's Notebook to get inspiration. Just as in reading, I will meet with every student in the class at least once a week 1:1 over his or her writing piece. Each writer in the classroom will have different goals over either the craft of writing or grammar in writing.
Other- Outside of workshop time, we spend times in book clubs and interactive read alouds. During an interactive read aloud, I stop throughout the text to question students on their thoughts, questions, and the writer's craft that they notice. Listening to reading is just as important as students reading independently. During this time, students get the chance to listen to books above the level that they might be able to read independently, developing their comprehension. It also gives them a chance to listen to fluency in order to pick up any tips that might help them in their own reading. In book clubs, students are given the chance to choose from a selection of 5 books, usually centered around a certain theme, author, or genre. I then form groups based on their first 3 choices (looking at reading level and interest). During this time, students are responsible for completing responses and the assigned reading before meeting with their group. Group members hold each other accountable, and I meet with each group once a week to check on their progress. Book clubs give students a chance to improve on their comprehension by digging deeper into topics the book club deems important to talk about.
Math
In order for students to be successful in math, they need a strong grasp of computational fluency and problem solving. They also need time to practice these skills. In math we always start with the concrete and then move to the abstract. This is why traditional algorithms are not directly taught when a skill is first introduced. Students need to be able to understand what they are doing and explain their thinking before moving to these algorithms. Below, I have outlined our math block to show what it will look like in a fourth grade classroom at Forest North.
Computational Fluency- Students are given time at the beginning of the math block to practice a variety of skills. We call this our math "warm-up" time, and it lasts about 25-30 minutes. Students spend some of this time applying their knowledge of basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. Students who can readily recall these facts face less frustration when they are given longer, more challenging problems to solve. Students are also given part of this time to review concepts previously taught. Because we move from unit to unit in math and want students to understand the importance of retaining information taught in previous units, different skills are spiraled throughout this math warm up. When we notice students struggling with certain skills that have already been taught we form groups to help them master these.
Practice- Students have a chance to practice previously taught skills at the beginning of math (during the warm-up time) and at the end of math (during our intervention and enrichment block). The warm-up time was explained above. During the intervention and enrichment block, which usually takes place the last 30 minutes of math, students will either go to a group to work on a skill they need to master or work independently on an enrichment activity. Groups are formed based on instructional need, and these small groups (anywhere from 3-5 students) focus on specific skills that the students in this group need to practice. A math menu is given to all students for extra enrichment. Even students who are in groups may have the chance to choose an item from the math menu. A math menu consists of activities over material that has already been taught, but it gives students a chance to stretch their thinking even more and to choose topics in math which interest them.
Problem Solving- Problem solving happens all day long, in every subject, and students in math learn that they need to be able to problem solve when work becomes challenging. They learn that there isn't just one right way to solve a math problem, even if there is one right answer. They might approach a problem from many different ways, and these ways are shared with all students by either the teacher or another student in the class. Students learn that math is not just a formula that is memorized and repeated but a process that involves strong thinking skills and perseverance.
New concepts- We begin each new unit with hands on experiences and a variety of activities to help students understand concepts from various points of view. This way, students who might not understand a concept the first day will get the chance to grasp it the next day or the next. In addition, students who do understand the concept the first or second day will still be able to look at it from different viewpoints (as each activity is different), to broaden their math thinking. The hands on experiences are important, even in the intermediate grades, to give students that concrete understanding before the concept becomes more abstract. Our unit study in math usually happens immediately after the math warm-up.
Science/Social Studies
Students will have a stronger understanding of science and social studies if they can connect it with other subjects and with the world around them. As scientists, they need to learn to question the world around them and learn to look for answers on their own by research or carrying out investigations. In social studies, a large part of what is studied is our past. Students need to understand that the past influences future events and by studying our world and our past we can learn and problem solve.
We have a separate science and social studies block during the day, these subjects are also embedded into other subjects throughout the day. There is a strong connection between math and science, so you will find that some of our science concepts are practiced in math and vice versa. We also bring social studies into our language arts as much as possible. We alternate between science and social studies units. During science, we use science notebooks to record our investigations and curiosity. Students learn that notebooks are a valuable tool to scientists to keep track of questions and answers. Our social studies in fourth grade is focused on Texas History.
Language Arts
My belief is that students learn to read and write through as much exposure to print as possible, regardless of genre. Language arts in the classroom at Forest North is as authentic as possible. I have broken down different parts of language arts below and described how it is taught at Forest North:
Word Study
We use Words Their Way to help students learn how to spell, read, and understand new words. Word study is more than just memorizing the spelling of a list of words. Students develop their vocabulary by applying meaning to these words. Students also learn that words in the English language follow a pattern, and they can use their knowledge of spelling patterns to help them with unfamiliar words.
Grammar Study
While we devote some of our time during writing to grammar, grammar is also taught throughout the day, during read alouds and during writing workshop. To teach grammar authentically we expose students to a variety of mentor texts- books from our own library that students in fourth grade read. In these mentor texts, students are exposed to different ways authors play with language to get their meaning across. In traditional methods, students are given an incorrect sentence and told to fix it. However, we believe that students need to be exposed to correct grammar instead of incorrect. As it gets closer to the STAAR test, students are given practice with analyzing sentences to look for the best possible "fix," but during our daily teaching, we encourage students to look at sentences and just notice what the author is doing. After students notice what the author is doing in a sentence, we might name a particular rule, such as a noun, adjective, verb, etc. However, the goal isn't to get students to memorize the different rules, but to understand how they work together to get meaning across. The best way to improve grammar is to read and read OFTEN, therefore we also connect grammar to our class read alouds. We'll read a little from a chapter, then pause and ask students what they notice.
Reading Workshop
During this time students are given the chance to choose their own books to read. Workshop is all about choice. They are also given a large chunk of time to read uninterrupted. During this time, I'll meet with readers by sitting down next to them, listening to them, questioning them, then help them come up with reading goals. If I notice a student only sticks with one type of genre, series, or author, I will also gently push that student to try other books. But I have found the fastest way to get a child to dislike reading is to take away choice. Therefore, when choosing books they will read for book clubs they get a choice out of several different books. Even when deciding on our class read alouds, they will get to vote. Throughout the year, students will be taught many different strategies. Each day, before independent reading, we start with a mini-lesson. When I see students struggle with a concept taught in a mini-lesson I will meet with those students in a 1:1 conference or in a small reading group. Every student in the class will meet with me at least once a week to talk about their reading, regardless of reading level.
Students are also expected to respond to their reading through jot notes, sticky notes, or reading responses. I can get a better idea of what students are understanding on a daily basis when I see their thoughts about what they are reading.
Writing Workshop
In the same way that students are given a choice about what to read, students are also given a choice about what to write. We have units of study in writing, such as personal narratives, expository text, persuasive text, poetry, etc. During each unit of study, students can choose their own topic, as long as it fits the genre we are studying. At the beginning of the year, we begin a Writer's Notebook, which we then add to throughout the year. In this notebook, students write down what inspires them, and as the year goes on their ideas and lists become longer. Then, when we get to a unit of study and a student says, "I don't know what to write," we can tell that student to go to his or her Writer's Notebook to get inspiration. Just as in reading, I will meet with every student in the class at least once a week 1:1 over his or her writing piece. Each writer in the classroom will have different goals over either the craft of writing or grammar in writing.
Other- Outside of workshop time, we spend times in book clubs and interactive read alouds. During an interactive read aloud, I stop throughout the text to question students on their thoughts, questions, and the writer's craft that they notice. Listening to reading is just as important as students reading independently. During this time, students get the chance to listen to books above the level that they might be able to read independently, developing their comprehension. It also gives them a chance to listen to fluency in order to pick up any tips that might help them in their own reading. In book clubs, students are given the chance to choose from a selection of 5 books, usually centered around a certain theme, author, or genre. I then form groups based on their first 3 choices (looking at reading level and interest). During this time, students are responsible for completing responses and the assigned reading before meeting with their group. Group members hold each other accountable, and I meet with each group once a week to check on their progress. Book clubs give students a chance to improve on their comprehension by digging deeper into topics the book club deems important to talk about.
Math
In order for students to be successful in math, they need a strong grasp of computational fluency and problem solving. They also need time to practice these skills. In math we always start with the concrete and then move to the abstract. This is why traditional algorithms are not directly taught when a skill is first introduced. Students need to be able to understand what they are doing and explain their thinking before moving to these algorithms. Below, I have outlined our math block to show what it will look like in a fourth grade classroom at Forest North.
Computational Fluency- Students are given time at the beginning of the math block to practice a variety of skills. We call this our math "warm-up" time, and it lasts about 25-30 minutes. Students spend some of this time applying their knowledge of basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. Students who can readily recall these facts face less frustration when they are given longer, more challenging problems to solve. Students are also given part of this time to review concepts previously taught. Because we move from unit to unit in math and want students to understand the importance of retaining information taught in previous units, different skills are spiraled throughout this math warm up. When we notice students struggling with certain skills that have already been taught we form groups to help them master these.
Practice- Students have a chance to practice previously taught skills at the beginning of math (during the warm-up time) and at the end of math (during our intervention and enrichment block). The warm-up time was explained above. During the intervention and enrichment block, which usually takes place the last 30 minutes of math, students will either go to a group to work on a skill they need to master or work independently on an enrichment activity. Groups are formed based on instructional need, and these small groups (anywhere from 3-5 students) focus on specific skills that the students in this group need to practice. A math menu is given to all students for extra enrichment. Even students who are in groups may have the chance to choose an item from the math menu. A math menu consists of activities over material that has already been taught, but it gives students a chance to stretch their thinking even more and to choose topics in math which interest them.
Problem Solving- Problem solving happens all day long, in every subject, and students in math learn that they need to be able to problem solve when work becomes challenging. They learn that there isn't just one right way to solve a math problem, even if there is one right answer. They might approach a problem from many different ways, and these ways are shared with all students by either the teacher or another student in the class. Students learn that math is not just a formula that is memorized and repeated but a process that involves strong thinking skills and perseverance.
New concepts- We begin each new unit with hands on experiences and a variety of activities to help students understand concepts from various points of view. This way, students who might not understand a concept the first day will get the chance to grasp it the next day or the next. In addition, students who do understand the concept the first or second day will still be able to look at it from different viewpoints (as each activity is different), to broaden their math thinking. The hands on experiences are important, even in the intermediate grades, to give students that concrete understanding before the concept becomes more abstract. Our unit study in math usually happens immediately after the math warm-up.
Science/Social Studies
Students will have a stronger understanding of science and social studies if they can connect it with other subjects and with the world around them. As scientists, they need to learn to question the world around them and learn to look for answers on their own by research or carrying out investigations. In social studies, a large part of what is studied is our past. Students need to understand that the past influences future events and by studying our world and our past we can learn and problem solve.
We have a separate science and social studies block during the day, these subjects are also embedded into other subjects throughout the day. There is a strong connection between math and science, so you will find that some of our science concepts are practiced in math and vice versa. We also bring social studies into our language arts as much as possible. We alternate between science and social studies units. During science, we use science notebooks to record our investigations and curiosity. Students learn that notebooks are a valuable tool to scientists to keep track of questions and answers. Our social studies in fourth grade is focused on Texas History.