Classroom Organization
My math class is very structured, since my experience has taught me that most students thrive in that type of environment. The way my class is organized is as follows:
Students keep 2 math folders that they will need daily. The orange folder will have their Spiral Review pages for the week, along with their study guide for the next spiral review quiz. Our spiral review lessons are completed Fridays-Wednesdays, with the quiz taking place on Thursdays. The study guide shows the exact types of problems that will be on the graded quiz. Their blue folder will contain their Math Reference Sheet (can be used on the Florida FAST test), their Study Island Assignment Sheet and math notes taken in class.
Study Island is taken for a grade, and needs to be completed at school. Students are given up to 2 weeks to complete each assignment and can redo an assignment as many times as desired until they achieve the score they are happy with. The grades go into my gradebook once we reach the due date. Even after the due date, students may go back and improve their Study Island scores until the end of that grading period, they just have to notify me that their grade has changed.
We use the Savaas EnVision Florida textbook for our math instruction. Homework is assigned every night that we complete a lesson and is listed in the student planners. Students check their own homework while I call out the correct answers to the class. Prior to them turning the homework in, I offer to work out any problems that they didn't understand or marked incorrect. On Friday, they will complete classwork with a partner and work on homework independently in class. If they do no complete it, then they will be expected to complete it before the next school day.
One math skill that is absolutely necessary for 4th graders to know is multiplication tables. The faster they can recall individual facts, the more successful they will be in 4th grade math! A student who hasn't mastered their multiplication tables will have a difficult time with 3 digit times 2 digit numbers and learning the steps of long division, all while counting on their fingers to figure out the correct answer to a basic multiplication fact. There is a HUGE leap between mathematical expectations in 3rd and 4th grades. By the time they leave 4th grade they will be able to multiply 3 digit by 2 digit numbers, long division, add, subtract and multiply fractions and add and subtract decimals- all skills used daily as adults. So grab some flash cards or get an online membership (I recommend Reflex Math) to keep working towards mastery of those multiplication tables!