Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions
of students and parents.
- Why is this year so much harder than last? I don't remember doing all this!
- Is there homework every night?
- What are the winter recess rules?
- Why are you telling students they need to complete the monthly RAP sheets?
- What does the Spelling Challenge Group consist of?
- What is the No Name Club?
- Frequently Asked Questions About the English Language Arts Program
- What is a Mad Minute
Why is this year so much harder than last? I don't remember doing all this!
Kindergarten is a very important building block year. First Grade, likewise, really starts to dive deeper into the academic parts. We expect a great deal from our students, and they do a wonderful job and work so hard. I have no doubt they will impress you night after night at the dinner table
with their new facts and figures!
Is there homework every night?
Yes and no! I give a homework packet at the start of the week,
and collect itat the end of the week. The manner in which the
students choose to complete this packet is their choice. I tell
them it is their responsibility to see that it is on my desk on
time. Whether they do it all the first day, a little each night,
or cram it all in the night before is their grown-up decision.
What are the winter recess rules?
Please remember that as long as the weather is nice we will be
taking the children outside for recess. Therefore, students need
to bring snow boots, snow pants, gloves, and other appropriate
gear in order to play out in the snow. Thank you in advance for
sending your children to school with these materials!
Why are you telling students they need to complete the monthly RAP sheets?
Recently I sent home the monthly RAP sheets. I have spoken to students
about how they really should be filling them in, as they are
already reading much more than that for nightly homework. Please
ensure that each log is filled in and returned BY THE STUDENT.
The class really needs practice copying authors and titles.
Thanks for your support!
What does the Spelling Challenge Group consist of?
Our class is ready to start a new spelling routine. (YAY!) Rather
than have them practice words they already know, they will be
responsible for the incorrect words only (if there are any).
In addition, they will be included in the List B Group. This means that I will give them an additional group of
words to study for that week, most likely including their Robust
Vocabulary Words. The selection process will be based on three
things: past performances in class, my gut feeling of their
ability to handle the challenge, and their pretest score.
This group will change from week to week. If you do not see an
amended or extra list come home, this means that your child is
responsible for the regular spelling words, as usual.
Remember, if your child does not join my challenge group
often/ever, it does not have a negative stigma. It simply means
that the regular spelling list is challenging them, which is the
goal for all groups of students. If your child is scoring well,
this is the next important step in spelling. We need
to meet the children where their ability level currently is. By
challenging them in this way, we are fostering their learning.
What is the No Name Club?
It is the students responsibility to remember to put their full
name and date on all of their papers. This is another exercise in accountability and
responsibility. When a child forgets to write their name on a
paper, they will receive a warning. If it happens again, they write their full
name 5 times for
me. The next time they forget it increases to 10 times, and
continues to go up
in increments of 5. I have found that after a time or two, this
problem
usually becomes obsolete.
Frequently Asked Questions About the English Language Arts Program
10-14-2009
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the StoryTown Literacy
Program
1. What is different about this program from what had been used
in the past?
StoryTown is a research-based reading and writing program that
is based on a balanced literacy approach that incorporates shared
reading, guided reading, and independent reading, as well as
focused skills and strategy instruction.
Systematic instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency
practice, comprehension strategies, vocabulary and composition
are at the core of the program.
This new program ensures that all students in grades K-5 will
participate in a more structured approach to reading and writing
instruction than had been available in the past. It also provides
teachers with up-to-date materials and lessons that are based on
what we know to be best practice in reading instruction.
2. What kind of professional development has been/will be given
to teachers?
Some teachers at each grade level piloted this program in 2007-
2008 and have already been trained in its use. These teachers can
serve as a resource to their peers.
A full year of professional development has been planned and
implemented beginning last spring, including special sessions on
assessment, writing, and the use of technology.
3. What are the strengths/challenges of this program? What can
parents
do to help?
This program is set up to support differentiated instruction,
which will enable teachers to meet individual students’ needs in
flexible small-group settings.
The challenge of any new program is managing the
implementation. It takes patience and persistence to learn how to
best use the program’s components with our students.
Parents can help by keeping in close contact with teachers
about their children’s progress and by reading with/to their
children at home as much as possible.
4. Can you tell me more about the on-line/technology piece of the
program?
The program will enable parents and students to access on-line
resources, including stories and games, later in the year. We
appreciate your patience while teachers receive training in how
to implement this aspect of the program. More information about
this will be sent to parents later in the fall.
5. Are the books available on-line or on CD for children who need
fluency
practice? Yes, many books are available in multiple formats.
6. What are “trade books” or “authentic” literature?
Core reading programs are developed in order to teach students
specific sequential skills and may contain components written
specifically for the program or that are excerpts from longer
works. In contrast, trade books are stand-alone works published
by authors that might appear in a library or book store. As
students become independent readers they often begin to read
trade books, “chapter books” and more “authentic” literature.
7. Is the program scientifically proven for learning disabled
students or for students of different learning styles and is it
multi-sensory?
Yes, the program has been designed to meet the needs of diverse
learners. In addition to the core program, two levels of
intervention are included in the program and can be used by
classroom teachers, reading specialists, or special education
teachers to support the needs of a variety of students. It also
contains many hands-on elements that draw on students’ needs to
use all their senses to learn well.
8. What spelling program is used with the program?
Spelling strategies and word study are key pieces of the
program. Students will have an opportunity to develop rich
vocabularies and spelling skills as part of the program, with the
words connected to the week’s reading and writing lessons.
9. How does the program handle different ability groups within
the
classroom?
All students participate in the whole-group on-level reading.
In small group settings, students work on texts that are above,
on, and below-grade level, depending on individual needs and
skills. In addition to these resources, teachers may draw on
school-wide bookrooms where texts of a variety of levels can be
found, should students need additional practice or challenge.
10. How does the program build fluency?
The program provides several vehicles for supporting fluent
readers. First, the leveled texts are designed to match the needs
of students and support them in becoming confident, fluent
readers. The program provides benchmarks for fluent reading
performance at each grade. Teachers are provided multiple
resources to model and assess student progress in meeting those
performance expectations. Additionally, students have a variety
of options to practice reading in paired or shared reading and
through the use of Reader’s Theatre, which are texts written in
the form of a play.
11. What is the anticipated change in homework routines?
Homework in reading and writing will continue to focus on
practice and skill reinforcement.
12. What is the program’s connection to the science and social
studies
curriculum frameworks?
The program has a strong non-fiction focus, and the science and
social studies components have been designed to align with grade-
level content skills. As the program becomes more fully
implemented, adjustments to current science and social studies
content may be needed.
13. What kinds of assessments are used with the program?
A wide variety of reading and writing assessments are provided
with the program. These take a variety of forms, from multiple
choice to short answer to essay writing, depending on the grade
level and time of year. We will also continue to use reading
assessments like the DRA/DRP and others to determine student’s
progress.
14. Is the vocabulary instruction carried from one grade to the
next?
Vocabulary instruction focuses on high-frequency words, which
may carry from one grade to the next, and new vocabulary
connected to reading. Students are taught rich oral vocabulary
through student-friendly explanations, and with the expectation
and accountability students understand and use that new
vocabulary in meaningful contexts throughout the year. Students
are expected to learn both spelling and word study skills rather
than memorize a specific list of vocabulary words.
15. How will we know whether the program is working?
We will continue to measure student progress in reading and
writing as we implement the new program, and will assess all
aspects of its effectiveness as the year progresses through
curriculum meetings, professional development sessions, and
consultations with the publisher’s representatives.
What is a Mad Minute
You may have noticed your child coming home with math tests that
are leveled. These are "Mad Minutes". They become increasingly
challenging as the levels progress. In order to commit common
math facts to memory and thus be more successful at Mad Minutes,
please practice with your child at home. Making flashcards,
verbally testing them over dinner and even making a family Mad
Minute sheet can really create progress.