In Year 3, we value Home Learning experiences, but appreciate that Homework can actually be detrimental to students academic and social growth. We know that if we assign a task to be completed after school, we do not take into account the busy lives that our students and families lead.
That said, we value student growth and we know that education does not just happen within the four walls of the classroom. As such, this page has a list of suggested activities and engagements for those in need of some ideas on how best to support your children. We value home learning that emphasises balance and helps to keep the conversation about education happening at school, at home and in the wider learning community.
That said, we value student growth and we know that education does not just happen within the four walls of the classroom. As such, this page has a list of suggested activities and engagements for those in need of some ideas on how best to support your children. We value home learning that emphasises balance and helps to keep the conversation about education happening at school, at home and in the wider learning community.
|
Every Day Activities
Students in Year 3 should be reading, getting physical activity, helping out around the house and having time to relax - EVERY DAY. If your child is the kind of student who runs around all recess and lunch, kicking the ball around, after school you might want to emphasise sitting down as a family to read for 10 to 20 minutes. If your child reads non-stop, you may want to use your time to go for a walk together, or play at the park. You know your child. The key is to help them find balance. To keep track of these day to day activities, you may want to keep a calendar like the one to the right. Also, these Every Day Activities are not just important for our students, they are important for every one. If we are asking our children to go off and read for twenty minutes, many will count the minutes until they are done. However, if we sit down and read with them, we show them how much we value learning. Find a comfortable spot and sit down together as a family to all read and no one will be looking at the clock. We think being a good learner means building a large Learning Community. Reading is a great way to build connections with others that you can learn from. Every time your child reads with someone new, fill in this form. We can make it a competition to see how many people we can add to our Learning Community throughout the year. |
|
Sweet Apps
We have signed up for a few different online learning programs that students can use at home if they are interested. You should have received a Password page that will help students go online from home. Although we recommend that you do limit how much time your child spends using devices, there is no hard and fast rule for how much time is too much. Again, you know your child best, so use your best judgement.
We have signed up for a few different online learning programs that students can use at home if they are interested. You should have received a Password page that will help students go online from home. Although we recommend that you do limit how much time your child spends using devices, there is no hard and fast rule for how much time is too much. Again, you know your child best, so use your best judgement.
Khan Academy, Prodigy and RAZ Kids all have both a website and an app where students can either use a tablet or computer to complete online practice which gives instant feedback and challenges them at their level. Study Ladder can be used for Math learning, but we use it more for the spelling, grammar and reading activities. Study Ladder is not available as an app yet (coming soon), but it can be played through a tablets browser.
As an added bonus, if students are signed on, all of these programs can be viewed by the teacher, so we can assign tasks and monitor student progress.
For more ideas about websites and games to play, check out the other pages on the Learning Space and the Primary Library Site.
Translanguaging
In Year 3 we recognise the importance of children developing their home language(s). We do this by focusing on the area of translanguaging. Translanguaging is a process in which students draw on known languages, naturally and flexibly, combining their elements to meet communicative and social needs. It is what your children are doing when they make connections between their languages or use language skills from one language to support another.
How can you help develop your child’s home language?
In Year 3 we recognise the importance of children developing their home language(s). We do this by focusing on the area of translanguaging. Translanguaging is a process in which students draw on known languages, naturally and flexibly, combining their elements to meet communicative and social needs. It is what your children are doing when they make connections between their languages or use language skills from one language to support another.
How can you help develop your child’s home language?
- Developing a language to higher levels, requires quality input around school topics. Please check the learning space to find out what we are learning and have discussions with your children about their learning in their home languages.
- Encourage your child to read books they enjoy in their home languages and discuss them together. Record any new vocabulary in a notebook or journal to refer back to, when writing or speaking.
- Encourage your child to make play dates with children who speak your home or identity language.
- Skype or chat regularly with relatives in Hong Kong or elsewhere to promote home language importance and relevance.
- Watch films in your home language with the subtitles on to promote biliteracy. Documentaries and nature shows promote academic vocabulary development as well.
- Discuss as a family why developing your home languages is important in keeping their family / cultural roots and accelerating their English learning.
Other Suggestions
- Board games are awesome! Play with a sibling or family member.
- Make your bed.
- Do you play an instrument or sing? Practice a song and play it for someone.
- Create something for a friend, family member, or yourself.
- Have fun shopping with your parents. Where did you go?
- Take your parents to your SeeSaw and show them how to leave a comment! (Parents are encouraged to leave lots of comments!)
- Create a timeline for your life that starts with your parents. Include significant periods in their life and your life that have shaped your life so far.
- Show your parents or friends one of the math games that you have learned in class. Challenge them to a game.
- Help your mom or dad in the kitchen by preparing something for your family to eat.
- On our Learning Space, we will create a section of recommended books. Write a recommendation of one of your favourite books or series, so that we can include it on our Page.
- Find out about a musician who has shaped history. Listen to some of their music on youtube.
- Find out from your parents about a historical event that they experienced, or that they know the most about.
- Walk the dog.
- Read to someone.
- Write a fictional story about someone as they experienced a real historical event. For example, pretend you were part of Marco Polo’s travels. What experiences did you have on your journeys.
- Play with your siblings.
- Practice some of the mental math strategies you have learned in class.
- Get ready for our future unit of inquiry by researching a little bit about Physics! Explain some of your findings in class.
- Make a thank you card.
- Go to the library or online and look for interesting experiments about force and motion. Write a procedure to show how to do the experiment.
- Share a game or activity that we can play on the playground.
- Play a card game with a family member or a friend.
- Find videos on Youtube that show different science experiments.
- Invite someone for a playdate.
- Write the most detailed procedure possible on your morning routine, from the time you wake up, until the time you get to class.
- Bring in a simple machine and explain how it works to the class.
- Either go shopping for, or create the perfect gift for your family for the holidays.
- Help your family to decorate for the holidays.
- Try a new sport.
- Learn a new game, or play an old favourite with a friend or family member.
- Find out from your parents about a famous news story that they remember from their youth. How do they remember finding out about the story?
- Make a blueprint diagram for your room or your whole house that shows the perimeter and area. Borrow some grid paper from the school to make things easier.
- March 6th is World Math Day, and all this month there are wonderful math events! Get prepared by trying out the World Math Day activities online.
- Write a persuasive piece as to why you should or shouldn’t care about the environment.
- Create a word search, either by hand or online with your spelling words. Bring it in for others to try.
- Watch Bill Nye’s video, “We’re all connected” on YouTube and talk about what it means with you family.
- Go for a walk with your family.
- Have someone read to you.
- Help your parents or your helper make something delicious for your school lunch or for dinner.
- Create a flow chart or comic strip to show your understanding of ecosystems.
- Familiarize yourself with some of the features of an atlas, either by borrowing one from the class, or by looking at atlases online.
- Do something special for your parents to show them how much you appreciate them.
- Write something creative. Your choice!
- Take some pictures of nature in and around Hong Kong, or while out on a walk with your parents.
- Ask your parents how they use fractions in their day to day life. Explain to them how you use fractions and what you have learned about them.