Southfield Christian School - www.southfieldchristian.org

Fourth graders are fantastic! This year will be filled with new challenges and learning opportunities, and I know that our fourth grade students will shine! Our students can look forward to exciting competitions such as Battle of the Books, Math Olympics, the ACSI Spelling Bee, and Mathfax, as well as participation in many special extracurricular activities. They will take trips to the Cranbrook Planetarium, the DSO Youth Concert, a nature center, and Kensington Metropark. Other possible trips include a visit to the DIA, the Henry Ford Museum, or a play.

Math time will be a mixture of whole group and small group instruction, games, and enrichment and extension activities. Students will be pretested before each chapter and grouped for specific skill instruction. This approach will provide more time for enrichment activities for students who excel in math and remedial help for those who sometimes have difficulty.

Fourth graders will review the basic computation processes and calculate answers to longer and more difficult problems. This is the year that they learn to do two-digit multiplication and long division with two digit divisors. The study of place value, fractions, decimals, and geometry will include some review with the addition of more difficult concepts and processes. Woven into all of these areas of study will be an emphasis on problem solving strategies and a mastery of basic facts.

The focus in reading instruction will be on the development of effective reading strategies that will improve comprehension as the student reads. The strategies will be modeled by the teacher and then practiced as a class and in small groups. From small group practice, students move to applying the strategies and skills independently using various texts and genres.

Reading is fun, and we want our fourth graders to be eager readers! To foster a love for reading, students are eligible for various levels in the Reading Club based on the number of pages read during the year. Incentives for membership include certificates, bookmarks, ribbons, Book-It pizza certificates, and a trophy for those who qualify for the 4000 Club by the end of the year. A variety of book projects and participation in the Accelerated Reader program will encourage students to read, read, and read some more!!

Our Bible studies include the structure of the Bible, the life of Christ, and the life of Paul, with a focus on godly character traits interwoven throughout the year. Students memorize God's Word and learn to apply the truths of scripture to their lives. Studying the Word is exciting, and it is my goal to make Bible time one of the highlights of each student's day.

Fourth grade is a time of change, growth, and challenges. I am confident that our fourth graders will meet the challenges of this year with great success!