CURSIVE HANDWRITING

Learning to write in cursive handwriting is one of the highlights of third grade. The links on this page will show you the correct formation of each cursive letter. Please practice writing at home and remember to practice writing the letters the proper way. PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT! If you practice incorrectly, you will always write incorrectly.

When I teach cursive I do not go in alphabetical order. Instead, I teach letters with similar strokes. KidsZone.ws has a great way to group the letters to make learning easy and fun:

• Rockin' Round Letters: a, d, g, q, c

• Climb and Slide Letters: i, u, w, t

• Loopy Letters: e, l, h, k, b, f, j

• Lumpy Letters: n, m, v, x

• Mix and Match Letters: p, r, s, o, y, z

ANIMATED CURSIVE LETTERS

Sometimes it's helpful to see how to write in cursive. These links will do just that! Take some time to watch a model of how to write a letter. Remember, write slowly and think about what you are writing. Pay attention to how your letters are connecting. "O" is the only lowercase vowel that connects at the top. If you don't know how to do this, just ask!

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ACCELERATED READER

Accelerated Reader is a reading program that is used schoolwide at Beatty.  Accelerated Reader is available in every classroom, the computer lab, and the library.  As Beatty students develop their reading skills, we encourage them to read selections from our Accelerated Reader list. These books can be found in our school library and at Enterprise Library on Las Vegas Blvd.

After students read an Accelerated Reader book, they take a computerized comprehension test. Points are awarded for each test passed.  Students earn certificates and rewards according to the number of points they earn.

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SIGHT WORDS

Sight words are words that a reader can recognize and read without sounding out each individual letter.  Many sight words are hard to sound out phonetically and must be memorized.  I suggest printing a copy of the sight word list and practicing. It is expected that second grade students can read most of the 1,200 words on the list without hesitation. Spelling the sight words correctly would be an added bonus since these words are used frequently in students' writing.

Here are a few suggestions for how to practice learning sight words. 

1. PRACTICE!  PRACTICE!  PRACTICE!  The more a beginning reader sees words and practices reading them, the easier reading becomes. 

2. MAKE FLASHCARDS  Flashcards work well for many students.  Each word should be written neatly on an index card.  Write large enough so the reader can touch each letter as they are saying the sounds.  In the lower right corner of each card, write the list number that the word is from.  Keep the cards for review.

3. WRITE THE WORDS THAT ARE TRICKY Although learning to read sight words IS NOT a spelling activity, some people memorize things by repeatedly writing them down.

4. USE COLORS With a colored marker or crayon, outline the shape of the word.  Pay close attention to blends, such as th, wh, sh, tr…  Blends should be underlined or boxed together so the reader has a visual cue to remember to say the sounds as one, not choppy as two.

5. VOWELS Usually, when two vowels are together the first one does the talking, the last one does the walking. In the word coat, the o makes a long o sound and the a is silent (the first one does the talking, the last one does the walking.) An e at the end of the word is silent because it is tired from helping the other vowel say its name.  For example: In the word TAPE, the a says its name (a) and the e is silent.

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MATH FACTS

To be successful in math, students should be able to recall basic math facts quickly and accurately. Fact practice is introduced in first grade and continues each year after that. Second grade students are expected to know addition and subtraction facts, zero to ten. Third grade students should know multiplication and division facts through tens.

There is no single, best way to learn math facts, except for practice. Flashcards work well. Some students learn by writing things down. Other kids do better working on the computer. Try different ways and go with what works for you.

Here are some websites that will help reinforce speedy and accurate recall of basic math facts:

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TWO MINUTE DRILL

Some classes do a "Two Minute Drill" to help reinforce math facts. Students have two minutes to solve 50 math facts. Everyone begins with +1 facts. In order to move to the next quiz, students can only miss two questions. If a student misses more than two questions on a drill, they will have the same paper the next day. As facts are mastered, students move from +1 to +2, to +3... all the way up to +10. Then we do subtraction facts, -1 through -10, followed by mixed addition facts, then mixed subtraction facts, mulitiplication, and division.

The purpose of the Two Minute Drill is to help students rapidly recall addition and subtraction facts. Since math facts were introduced in first grade, third grade students should not count on their fingers to solve addition or subtraction problems.

To help prepare for the Two Minute Drill, you can practice with the actual sheets we use in class. These pages can be printed and cut down the middle for two practice sheets. Addition and subtraction facts should be mastered by the end of second grade. Good luck!

addition facts			subtraction facts
+0/+1	+6		-0/-1	-6
+2	+7		-2	-7
+3	+8		-3	-8
+4	+9		-4	-9
+5	+10		-5	-10
mixed addition facts			mixed subtraction facts
mixed +1	mixed +6		mixed -1	mixed -6
mixed +2	mixed +7		mixed -2	mixed -7
mixed +3	mixed +8		mixed -3	mixed -8
mixed +4	mixed +9		mixed -4	mixed -9
mixed +5	mixed +10		mixed -5	mixed -10
multiplication facts			division facts
times 1	times 7		division 2	division 8
times 2	times 8		division 3	division 9
times 3	times 9		division 4	division 10
times 4	times 10		division 5	division 11
times 5	times 11		division 6	division 12
times 6	times 12		division 7
mixed multiplication facts
mixed times 1	mixed times 6
mixed times 2	mixed times 7
mixed times 3	mixed times 8
mixed times 4	mixed times 9
mixed times 5	mixed times 10