About Academics
- What about spelling?
- What about tests?
- What are Friday folders?
- What are Popcorn Words?
- How Can I Help My Child Read At Home?
- Why should my child read each night?
- How Can I Help My Child Write At Home?
- What is reading fluency?
- How can I help my child with fluency?
- CAN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ADDED TO THIS LIST??
What about spelling?
SEE MY PAGE ON SPELLING/WORD STUDY for more information!
What about tests?
Subject area tests depend on when we finish a unit or chapter.
**NOTE - our new math program uses MANY LESS tests than in the past - see
our page about MATH TRAILBLAZERS! Tests will be given for the main reason
of determining how much longer to stay on a certain topic or skill rather
than grading. Please be aware that student understanding will be assessed
using observations and classroom work in addition to test scores. If your
child shows they understand the concepts in class but gets a lower test
score, I will take both into account before assigning a report card grade.
What are Friday folders?
Friday folders are folders supplied by the school that the children will
take home every Friday. They are filled with work, tests, etc. from the
previous week. There is a chart on the right side that you are to initial
that you saw your child's work. All papers should be removed and the
folder should be returned to school on Monday.
Please make sure they are sent back on Mondays so they can begin to be
filled up for the next week! Thank you!
**PLEASE NOTE** Students still need a daily GOING HOME FOLDER (supplied by
YOU!) for daily notices, nightly homework and school-home correspondance -
their homework assignment notebooks should be kept in their daily going home
folder as well.
What are Popcorn Words?
See my page on Popcorn Words! :-)
How Can I Help My Child Read At Home?
What a great question! The best answer is - TRY TO READ EVERYDAY
WITH YOUR CHILD! In addition to practicing phonics, here are some
other suggestions that may help you during your reading.
What to prompt when your child gets stuck:
1. Say, "What can you try to figure out that word?" Your child
should:
Re-read and think about the story (prompt them if they
don't) - what word would fit there?
See if something in the picture can help them, then re-read
Re-read and sound out the first sound of the tricky work -
this often results in the correct prediction "popping out of their
mouths".
2. If your child tries all of the above without getting the tricky
part: Say "Do you know something about that word that can help you?"
Your child will often find a part in the whole word that they know
that can help them get meaning back into the reading.
What to prompt when your child makes an error:
If they jump to another line, say, "Were you right? Check
it with your finger."
If they say the wrong word - try the prompts in the section
above.
10 Reasons for reading to/with your children
1. Because when you hold them and give them attention, they know you
love them.
2. Because reading to them will encourage them to become readers.
3. Because children's books today are so good that they are fun even
for adults.
4. Because illustrations in children's books often rank with the
best, giving children a lifelong feeling for good art.
5. Because books are one way of passing on your values.
6. Because books will enable your child's imagination to soar.
7. Because, until they learn to read themselves, they will think you
are magic!
8. Because, for that short space of time, they will stay clean and
quiet!
9. Because, if you do, they may then let you read in peace.
10. Because every teacher and librarian they ever encounter will
thank you.
PLEASE READ EVERYDAY WITH YOUR CHILD - IT PAYS OFF!
PRAISE THE READING AND ENJOY THE TIME WITH YOUR CHILD!
Why should my child read each night?
Your child needs to practice reading each night for at least 15 minutes,
even if your child is already a fluent reader! This will not be listed on
the homework sheet, but should be taking place nightly, even on weekends.
If your child is an emergent reader, you may want to read a story to your
child until your child is ready to read it to you. It is important that
your child reads for comprehension as well. It is great to be able to read
a chapter book quickly, but if your child has no idea what they read, then
was it worth it? As they are reading ask them questions about feelings,
problems & solutions, the setting, details and the main idea. Can they tell
you the beginning, middle and end of the story? Ask your child, "What does
this story make you think about?" You want to encourage your child to think
about the story - not just read it!
How Can I Help My Child Write At Home?
Show them that writing is a part of your life! Get your child involved in
writing by including them during the times you are writing. Writing is a
part of everyday life V show them that!
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED WRITING AT HOME!
MAKING A WRITERS BOX OR DRAWER
Assemble a box or drawer of writing materials to help your child see that we
write with many varied and interesting tools and that writing can be fun!
Use a kitchen drawer, a show box, a tackle box, a plastic container or a
child-size suitcase to hold the writing materials. Post it notes,
different note pads, stationary, empty shopping lists, address books, etc.
pens, magic markers, colored pencils, neon crayons, pencils, etc. Think
about what YOU write on/with during a day V they should too!
MAKING LISTS
Make lists with your child and let them see that one practical purpose of
writing is to help us remember things. Just think of how often we make
lists in our daily lives V lists of groceries to buy, chores to do, places
to go, or people to call. Keep a handy supply of note pads and notepaper
available, so your child can easily help with your lists. Get your child
to make his own lists: friends to call to invite for a sleepover, birthday
gift wish list, chores to do, and so on!
USING A MESSAGE BOARD
A family message board can help your child see that writing reminder notes
is useful and that will give him/her a real reason to practice writing.
Once you have the message board V a chalkboard, whiteboard, calendar,
refrigerator board, or bulletin board V decide with your child where to put
it. Be sure its at an appropriate height for your child to use. Compose
messages with your child and leave them on the message board for other
family members to read.
CREATING GREETING CARDS, THANK YOU NOTES, POST CARDS & LETTERS
Writing birthday cards, thank you notes, post cards and letters are just a
few possible opportunities for you and your child to share in writing. Your
child may want to use some of her Writers Box materials to create original
stationary or a software program such as PRINT SHOP to design letters
and
cards on the computer. Its helpful to talk to children about what they
will draw or write before they begin so they can rehearse what they plan
to put down on paper. Be sure to mail the letters or cards the child
writes! Children delight in receiving a response to something they have
written! Dont forget that note to the tooth fairy!
E-MAIL
Helping your child telecommunicate through e-mail can provide lots of fun &
writing practice! Write a letter to a favorite sports or TV star, gather
information on a topic of interest or send a message to a family member or
friend!
**MOST IMPORTANTLY - BE SURE NOT TO OVER CRITICIZE THEIR WRITING! Point out
a writing error now and then. Let your child correct it. Remember that good
writing means more than "correctness." Focus on the meaning more than the
mechanics. Be patient. Writing develops slowly with practice.
(Ideas taken from Getting the Most Out of Morning Message & Other Shared
Writing Lessons by Carleen DaCruz Payne & Mary Browning Schulman)
What is reading fluency?
Fluency is the ability to read like your talking (few pauses). Children
must learn to read words rapidly and accurately in order to understand what
is read. When fluent readers read silently, they recognize words
automatically. When fluent readers read aloud, they read effortlessly and
with expression. Readers who are weak in fluency read slowly, word by word,
often missing punctuation and focusing on decoding words instead of
comprehending meaning.
How can I help my child with fluency?
1. Read to them and with them. Show them that you don't read like a
robot, but you read like you're talking. If they are reading like a
robot, then have them go back and re-read what they read until they can read
it like they are talking. But DON'T OVERDO IT! If a child has to ALWAYS
go back and re-read each sentence in a book they will hate reading! Do it
a few times during a book on those sentences that are important to
comprehension. :-)
2. There are also some "Fluency Phrases" that you can practice
with your child at home! These are common 2 and 3 word phrases (not
sentences) that you see in many books/magazines. Knowing how to group words
together with expression will help your child's comprehension! Go to my
FLUENCY page for a copy of the memo and fluency phrases!
3. Don't push chapter books! Chapter books will not help their
fluency. Too often children in 2nd grade rush to chapter books and never go
back to picture books. Many picture books are written on a 3rd grade level
or higher and will continue to challenge a fluent reader! Reading picture
books will help their fluency and enable them to more easily tackle those
chapter books they want to read down the road.
Thank you and enjoy reading with your child!
CAN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ADDED TO THIS LIST??
Sure! Just email me your question and if I think others may also want to
know the answer I'll post the question and answer here! Thanks in advance
for your suggestions! :-)