Welcome to Mrs. Vassey's 4B Classroom!

June 9 - August 22, 2008

Please encourage your rising fifth grader to read, read, read over the summer. It is the single most important thing you can do to help your child continue learning. Choose books that are interesting to your child. Don't forget about non-fiction books. Often these are shorter, have lots of pictures and diagrams and can be specifically matched to your child's interests.

The newspaper is an inexpensive up to date reading 'text' offering something for everyone! Boys usually love the sports section and everyone enjoys the comics! Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Select a picture, describe it using as many adjectives as possible.

2. Find and highlight all the adjectives (or any other part of speech) in one story. Compete with a friend. See who can find the most.

3. Read a sports story. Find/highlight 10 verbs used. Write your own sports story about a favorite team. It can be real or made up!

4. Go grocery shopping using the food ads. Plan a menu. Add up the cost. How much do you save by purchasing the food items on sale?

5. Check the weather forecast for the week. (We are experts at this.) See if the forecast was correct by checking the statistics the next day.

6. Highlight all the commas or any other punctuation mark) in an article. Explain why the mark was used in each case.

Do the Patriot News summer education program to earn a free ticket to Hershey Park!

Sign up for the summer library reading program which your child heard about at school in May. While at the library, pursue that interest in science or social studies that your child always wanted to learn more about. In fifth grade science class, the solar system, astronomy, plants and body systems are studied. In social studies US History is studied. You may want to get a head start.

Keep a journal of your summer days and your summer travels. Write to someone about the vacation you took. Send someone a postcard. If you send me one, (701 Sunhaven Circle, Mech. PA 17055), I promise to send you one from San Francisco in August. Write a letter to a friend or relative.

Start a book club with a few friends. Read the same book and get together to discuss it. Make a board game featuring the events and characters of the book.

Purchase a fourth grade review math workbook at a bookstore or at 'The Learning Source' which is across the street from the Capital City Mall. Do a few pages each week to keep in practice. Use flashcards to review the facts so that you do not forget them.

Go to the library or to the bookstores to read more about a science topic of interest to you. Find a book of easy science investigations you can do at home. Write your results in a notebook. Visit a museum while on vacation.

Mrs. Vassey .