Café 209 *

Today was fantastic! I am so proud of everyone’s hard work on the TCAP reading test today. Thank you for being at school on time and ready to shine. Let’s keep it up! We’ll take the Math test tomorrow.

We’ve had a great week reviewing for TCAP. I am so proud of everyone’s hard work. I know our class will do great next week!

Please be sure that you are ON TIME every day next week and have had a good breakfast.

Parents–remember to send in your envelope Monday.

Our Testing Schedule:
Wednesday: Reading
Thursday: Math
Friday: Science
Next Monday: Social Studies

I am so happy to have Mrs. Jones assist our class with TCAP next week. Mrs. Jones is our school’s reading specialist and everyone in our class will tell you she is “Brrrrrialliant!”

We’ve learned some great test taking strategies in the past couple weeks. Here are some of the things we’ve talked about.

Use your time wisely. Don’t spend too much time on one question. If you don’t know the answer, make your best guess and you can look at it again when you go back to check your work.

CHECK YOUR WORK. If you have extra time, look over your answers.

Make sure the number in your test booklet matches the number you are answering on your answer sheet.

Bubble in your answers completely. Don’t make any extra marks on your answer sheet. If you need to erase, make sure you erase the answer completely and then fill in the correct answer.

On Math questions–
Use your calculator.

Press the red button every time you need to enter a new problem on your calculator.

Draw a picture if you need to see the problem.

Remember your ruler starts at 0 not 1.

Look for clue words.
Addition- sum, altogether, total, add, in all
Subtraction- difference, how many more, fewer, less, spent, than, minus
Multiplication- groups of, times
Division- split, divide, each

On Reading questions–

Score:
S-Study the title/pictures (look at the title and think about what the passage will be about)
C-Circle and read bold words and captions
O- Ok read the questions (read the questions and answer the ones you already know. Circle the number on questions that you need to read the passage for.)
R- Read the passage. (Read the passage and look for answers to the questions you circled.)
E- Eliminate wrong answers. (Read all the choices and choose the BEST answer.)

Make sure that you continue to “feed your hippo” (or hippocampus–the part of the brain responsible for processing short term memory into long term memory).

Our Hippo books are loaded with academic vocabulary that may appear on the test. Look over your hippo book for a few minutes each night before bedtime.

Relax. This is a big test, but we are prepared! I will send you to your “alpha place” before the test and we will also chew gum to get our minds ready to work. This is your chance to show what you know. Relax and Have fun with it!

Miss Kayser is getting married!

2012

2004

Next year, I am getting married to my best friend Mr. Carey.  We met eight years ago when he moved to Tennessee from Rochester, New York.  Mr. Carey is also “Chef Michael,” who gave us a video tour of a restaurant kitchen when our class read Cook-a-Doodle-Doo.

Congratulations to Ms. Kendra Carter–A.Z. Kelley Teacher of the Year!

It’s almost time! TCAP testing begins April 25!

Here are some excellent resources for TCAP practice at home.

Go to www.pearsonaccess.com
Select “Tennessee” from the program dropdown box.
• Click the “Support” tab at the top.
• Click the “ePATs” link at the left.
• Narrow your viewing options by clicking the “Achievement” or “EOC” radio button.
• Select the desired test to begin the application.
Detailed directions are also available with the practice tests.  The Tennessee Department of Education is planning to add more items in the near future.

3rd Grade       TCAP PREP:
Everything to help Everyone Prepare for TCAP!-

PrepDog- generic practice
http://www.prepdog.com/

http://www.testprep.com/Pages/articles/127TNPT_Mth_G3.pdf

http://www.testprep.com/parts/articles/2BDTN03MM01_sample.pdf

http://state.tn.us/education/assessment/ach_samplers.shtml

Reading
Animal Homes
Vocabulary:
 hives – boxes or houses that bees live in
   architects – people who design buildings
  structures – things that are built
   contain – to hold inside
   retreats – goes back
  shallow – not deep
  shelter – something that covers or protects
Comprehension skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details

Grammar
Contractions

Math
Measurement- Metric Units of Length

Science
Cloud types and weather instruments

Reading

The Printer

Comprehension Skill:  Making Predicitions

Vocabulary:  screamed, numb, escape, fled, shuddered, image, newspaper

Grammar

Subject Pronoun Agreement

A present-tense verb must agree with its subject pronoun.

Add -s to most action verbs when you use the pronouns he, she, and it.

Do not add -s to an action verb in the present-tense when you use the pronouns I, we, you, and they.

Math

Measurement-  Units of Length and Capacity

Science

The Water Cycle

Reading
Carousel of Dreams
Comprehension Strategy: fact and opinion
Vocabulary:
   powered – supplied with a source of energy
   declared – stated firmly
  existed – was real
   artist’s – belonging to an artist
   pride – pleasure or satisfaction in one’s work
Grammar
   Possessive Pronouns
A possessive pronoun takes the place of a possessive noun.
A possessive pronoun shows who or what owns something. 
Example: Nathan’s shirt is red.   His shirt is red.

Math
Understanding decimals, adding and subtracting decimals

Science
Weather