Mid Week Update...

Hi Parents and Students,

Thank you for visiting today. I was so impressed with all the students who decided to complete the math challenge this week. Way to go! I love to see your enthusiasm for learning. Parents, we have just recently completed our first nine week grading period. The children did excellent with their AR reading and many children are very motivated to begin working on their second goal. The goals have been individually set this nine weeks. You can check the new reading logs for this information. Remember, at this age, often children can "word call" well above a second grade level, but the most important thing is that children are reading stories that they not only understand but can relate to. The ultimate goal for improving reading is to improve comprehension. So, although there is a direct link between the amount a child reads and their reading ability, also make sure you are focusing on the comprehension aspect. Question your child often. Below you will find some great tips on how to monitor whether or not your child truly understands what he/she has read...

Comprehension Questions:
1. Who is the main character in the story? What is the setting?
2. What is the problem in the story?
3. What is the solution to this problem?
4. How did the character change from the beginning of the story to the end?
5. What are some character traits that describe the characters in the story ?(jealous, angry, confident, emotional, etc.)

Here are some dinner conversation starters to help you ask leading questions about our week...
1. Ask your child about Martine Allen, the main character in our new chapter book, The White Giraffe. What character traits describe her?
2. Ask your child to tell you about the two different types of homes that the Cherokee people lived in. Also, ask what region of the country they lived in (Blue Ridge Mountains).
3. Ask your child what various combinations of arrows mean in arrow math...For example, three down arrows would translate to +30, three across arrows would translate to +3, and two down arrows and two across arrows would translate to +22. Great mental math!!!

I have a secret code to reward you for your visit today. Write the words "LEARN EVERYDAY" on your child's daily agenda next to your signature and your child will receive a special treat from me!