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‭ Ms. Doyle’s Mathematics‬

‭Newsletter ‬ ✨
‭Classroom Update!‬
‭Hello families! I hope everyone is having a wonderful February so far. I wanted to let you all‬
‭know that this month we have begun our unit on rational numbers. Throughout this unit, we will‬
‭dive into the concepts of fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions. To assist your child’s‬
‭learning of these mathematical concepts, we will be utilizing two programs on our technology--‬
‭one website and one app. The website is called “Splash Learn” (previously called “Splash Math”).‬
‭Splash Learn helps students practice their math skills through various games and interactive‬
‭activities. The app we will be using is called “IXL”. IXL can also be accessed as a website on‬
‭computers if your child prefers using a computer over a mobile device. IXL allows students to‬
‭master certain math skills at their own pace and provides unlimited practice problems. You will‬
‭be able to read more about each of these programs on the next few pages of this newsletter.‬

‭These interactive tools will be very helpful for learning and practice of rational numbers in‬
‭the classroom, but this technology also serves the extra benefit of students being able to access‬
‭the material outside of class. These tools also allow each student to work at their own pace and‬
‭take the time that they need to master certain concepts. Additionally, these programs track‬
‭each student’s progress and can help both me, the teacher, and you, the parent, to understand‬
‭what specific concepts the students are succeeding in and struggling in. Lastly, these programs‬
‭provide visuals and graphics of problems that will assist them in their problem-solving.‬
‭Students can earn coins and virtual prizes for correct answers that will help motivate them as‬
‭well.‬

‭Thank you for taking the time to read this and invest in your child’s mathematical success! I‬
‭am very excited for students to begin using these tools and for us to continue learning and‬
‭growing together.‬

‭Sincerely,‬
‭Ms. Doyle‬
 ‭Splash Learn‬

‭Splash Learn, previously named Splash Math, is an interactive mathematics website that guides‬
‭students through math instruction and practice through a game format. In our classroom, we will be‬
‭utilizing Splash Learn to help us practice our fraction knowledge. Within the fraction category on the‬
‭website, there are three subcategories, all of which students will be doing. The first is “Understand &‬
‭Represent Fractions”, then “Compare Fractions”, and lastly “Equivalent Fractions”.‬
‭An example of one of the games students will be engaging in is called “Compare using Real World‬
‭Models”. In this game, students will be presented two different fractions, each represented with‬
‭real-life models/objects. The image below displays one of the questions. Students must determine‬
‭which watermelon slice represents the greater fraction. This activity will help students solidify their‬
‭understanding of comparing fractions.‬
‭I believe that Splash Learn will be a great tool for our class because it is technologically reliable, its‬
‭content is appropriate for our fourth grade curriculum, I can assign‬
‭specific activities that relate with the concept we have learned‬
‭that day, and the activities decrease their scaffolds as students‬
‭begin to master content. For example, within the equivalent‬
‭fractions practice, there is a game called “find equivalent fractions‬
‭using models” (seen in the picture below on the left) which is‬
‭followed by a game called “find equivalent fractions without‬
‭using visual models” (seen in the picture below on the right).‬

‭The link to our classroom’s Splash Learn page is:‬

‭https://www.splashlearn.com/class/Doyles-3rd-Grade/grades/third-grade/curriculum‬
 ‭IXL Math‬
‭IXL‬ ‭Math‬ ‭is‬ ‭an‬ ‭app‬ ‭and‬ ‭website‬ ‭that‬ ‭provides‬ ‭additional‬ ‭instruction‬‭and‬‭practice‬‭for‬‭students.‬
‭IXL‬ ‭Math‬ ‭is‬ ‭composed‬ ‭of‬ ‭lessons,‬ ‭videos,‬ ‭and‬ ‭games,‬ ‭each‬ ‭targeting‬ ‭one‬ ‭or‬ ‭more‬ ‭math‬ ‭skills.‬ ‭The‬
‭lessons‬ ‭and‬ ‭videos‬ ‭will‬ ‭be‬ ‭helpful‬ ‭for‬‭students‬‭if‬‭they‬‭need‬‭to‬‭review‬‭a‬‭concept‬‭while‬‭at‬‭home.‬‭We‬
‭will‬‭be‬‭using‬‭IXL‬‭Math‬‭to‬‭further‬‭our‬‭knowledge‬‭on‬‭decimals‬‭and‬‭proportions.‬‭Within‬‭the‬‭concept‬‭of‬
‭decimals,‬ ‭IXL‬ ‭Math‬ ‭has‬‭a‬‭topic‬‭called‬‭“Compare‬‭Decimals‬‭and‬‭Fractions.”‬‭The‬‭two‬‭images‬‭below‬‭are‬
‭from‬‭the‬‭lesson‬‭(image‬‭on‬‭the‬‭right)‬‭and‬‭the‬‭video‬‭(image‬‭on‬‭the‬‭left).‬‭The‬‭lessons‬‭explain‬‭concepts‬
‭through‬ ‭textual‬ ‭and‬ ‭visual‬ ‭modes,‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭videos‬ ‭explain‬
‭concepts through audio and visual modes.‬

‭In‬ ‭terms‬ ‭of‬ ‭proportions,‬

‭there‬‭are‬‭several‬‭games‬‭that‬
‭students‬ ‭can‬ ‭play‬ ‭that‬ ‭will‬
‭help‬ ‭build‬ ‭and‬ ‭solidify‬ ‭their‬
‭understanding.‬ ‭The‬ ‭game‬
‭that‬ ‭I‬ ‭am‬ ‭highlighting‬ ‭is‬
‭called‬ ‭“Equal‬ ‭Ratio‬ ‭Astros”‬ ‭(image‬ ‭below).‬ ‭Students‬ ‭must‬ ‭“equalize”‬ ‭the‬ ‭asteroids‬ ‭that‬ ‭are‬
‭approaching‬ ‭them‬ ‭by‬ ‭creating‬ ‭equal‬ ‭ratios.‬ ‭When‬ ‭they‬ ‭give‬ ‭the‬ ‭correct‬ ‭answer,‬ ‭the‬ ‭asteroid‬ ‭is‬
‭destroyed and their score increases.‬

‭I‬‭chose‬‭to‬‭use‬‭IXL‬‭Math‬‭because‬‭it‬‭provides‬‭extensive‬‭support‬‭on‬‭each‬‭mathematical‬‭concept.‬‭In‬
‭particular,‬‭I‬‭find‬‭it‬‭wonderful‬‭that‬‭the‬‭lessons‬‭provide‬‭practice‬‭problems‬‭throughout‬‭so‬‭that‬‭students‬
‭are‬‭getting‬‭the‬‭opportunity‬‭to‬‭apply‬‭what‬‭they‬‭are‬‭learning,‬‭as‬‭they‬‭are‬‭learning‬‭it.‬‭I‬‭also‬‭believe‬‭that‬‭it‬
‭will‬‭be‬‭helpful‬‭for‬‭students‬‭to‬‭have‬‭access‬‭to‬‭both‬‭math‬‭problems‬‭and‬‭games,‬‭as‬‭some‬‭students‬‭may‬
‭prefer‬‭one‬‭over‬‭the‬‭other.‬‭Further,‬‭the‬‭practice‬‭problems‬‭give‬‭students‬‭the‬‭option‬‭to‬‭watch‬‭a‬‭video‬‭on‬
‭the‬‭concept‬‭or‬‭see‬‭an‬‭example‬‭if‬‭they‬‭are‬‭struggling‬‭to‬‭solve‬‭the‬‭problem.‬‭IXL‬‭provides‬‭the‬‭necessary‬
‭scaffolds that students need to master these rational number concepts.‬

‭The link to our IXL page is:‬

‭https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3‬