6/13/08

Dear Families of Rising Fourth Graders,

I am really excited about working with your children during the upcoming year. Fourth grade is a time when students take on new responsibilities and start to look at the broader world. We will study North Carolina, nutrition, animals, electricity & magnetism, and rocks & minerals next year. We will be going to the Oconuluftee Indian Village, Deep Creek, Fontana Dam,  and many other places in the area.

I know you have a busy summer planned, however some parents have asked me how to make sure their students are prepared to enter 4th grade. Here are some suggestions: 

• All students need to enter 4th grade knowing how to add and subtract 2 to 3 digit numbers. Even if they are already able to do this, they may need to review.
• All students need to be able to multiply and divide single digit numbers by memory. Use flash cards or the triangles in the back of the 3rd grade math book to help with this.
•  All students should be reading grade level material daily.
• All students should be writing easily and legibly in cursive.
• All students should know where periods and capitals go in a sentence.
• All students should be able to spell common three, four, and five letter words.
• All students should have basic life skills such as: telling time, handling money, knowing left from right, tying shoes, measuring with cups, rulers, and metrics, and reading a map. This is so important when we are doing word problems in math.
• All students should be encouraged to take on new responsibilities and to begin paying attention to state, US, and world events.

These skills can be turned into games and I hope you have fun reviewing them.  Please follow this link to find next year's supply list.

Have a great summer,

Donna O. Holcombe